hello fellow travelers!

we have a choice of flights that include an overnight in berlin or an overnight in vienna. the next morning, the vienna flight leaves at 7 am, the berlin flight at 9:30. never been to either...any recommendations?

(this is actually a two-part question. it happens twice in the trip: once for three 21-25 year olds, once for two 50ish active late-night types)

thanks in advance!

If it is only overnight and there is little, if any chance to see anything or even go INTO the city itself (and a lot obviously depends on the time of arrival) I'd pick the one that requires minimal disruption and affords accommodation close to the airport.

we would have from 2 pm until the next morning in either place

I really like Vienna and have not been to Berlin but I would not want a 7:00am flight. The choice for me would be Berlin as long as the connection is good for the next flight.

I would go into whatever city you choose and stay overnight in the city but in an area that's accessible to the airport.

The Vienna airport is not close to the city, but the City Airport Train (CAT) can whisk you there in 16 minutes. The caveat is that the first train in the morning is 05:36. So, if you're a morning person who is okay with arriving one hour before your flight this can work. You can even check in for most flights at the CAT desk as early as 05:00 before you board the train.

With your schedule you can enjoy an afternoon in Vienna at Hofburg or Schonbrunn (my suggestions) and dinner in the Inner Stadt. Try to find a hotel close to Wien Mitte (from where the CAT departs).

I might pick Vienna (except I might take the later flight which is in Berlin)

You can get a good fly over of Vienna in a few hours. Then you can decide if you ever want to come back. Berlin is huge and you will get nothing in that short time.

I am not a Vienna fan... We tend to go there a few times a year, largely for a classical music performance. It is a city which always leaves me cold. The core tourist area is fairly compact and you could at least view it. If you love it, you can return. If not, you will at least have seen it.

The Vienna airport is fairly easy to navigate... And I never have been delayed getting thru security, etc. there is a hotel (not cheap) at the airport... And a train connects the city to the airport in about 20 minutes.

Or, you could pick Vienna airport and visit Bratislava.... It has a small and lovely old town and is about as close to Vienna airport as Vienna city. You can catch a bus at the airport and it takes 45 minutes to an hour (depending on which bus you take)

Vienna would be easier to explore with little time to play with. But the 7am flight would be a show stopper for me (maybe not for you, though).

Which Berlin airport do you need to go next morning and where do you fly to?
If it was Tegel airport, and you were flying with a "regular" (not budget) airline to a Schengen destination, there would be no reason to be at the airport before 8.30am
Which should probably be not too disruptive.

Both cities are very attractive, so let 9:30 beat 7:00.

So, you have an afternoon and an evening in Berlin.

Firstly, take the public bus no. 100 (very cheap), take a seat on the upper deck and drive along the magnificent buildings and historic sites. You can hop on and hop off whereever you want. Thus drives along Unter den Linden, where you will see the Brandenburg Gate, the Opera, the museums, the cathedral and other very impressive buildings. You may hop off at the Friedrichstraße and walk over to Gendarmenmarkt, a very attractive square with two great churches.

An alternative would be boarding a boat for a river Spree ride. I think the boats depart at Kupfergraben at the Pergamon Museum.

BTW, museums. Especially in case of bad weather, you should visit one Berlin's museums. Pergamon Museum is just spectacular and unique. Besides some magnificent artifacts from the ancient Greek and the Roman world, they have the Ishtar Gate and procession street of Babylon and this is simply amazing.

When evening comes, choose a place for dinner (Nante Eck on Unter den Linden/Friedrichstraße) is a good and atmospheric place for regional fare - www.nante-eck.de). Afterwards walk along Oranienburger Straße and soak up the nightlife there. Do not miss to have a look at the Tacheles and the western end and to walk into the Hackesche Höfe (yards) at the eastern end.

Choose a hotel in this area. If you specify your level, I can give you tips. Sometimes, the Hilton has very good rates and it is right on Gendarmenmarkt. Check www.hrs.de.

Hmmm. I lean towards Berlin - the later departure kind of seals it for me. Berlin will have plenty to do, indoor and out depending on the weather. Stay somewhere in the vicinity of where traveller1959 mentions and you'll be close to great restaurants, museums, and night life. And with the 9:30 departure, you should be able to get up at a reasonable hour, have coffee/breakfast and head to the airport.

absolutely fabulous advice, thank you everyone. i'm going to try and schedule through berlin!

I'm baaaaack....

OK, helpful fodorites - 3 of us have the day and overnight in berlin, the other 2 have a day and overnight in dusseldorf. the flights in the morning are at 9:15.

Can you help narrow down a cheap, convenient easy-access but not-necessarily-at-the-airport hotel that will maximize our one day experience? one in berlin, one in dusseldorf.

thanks!

The ibis Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof might be a good bet. Certainly cheap, but with ibis, you kind of know what you are going to get. I stayed there and it was clean, practical, and simple, and very cheap (ca. $50 usd) - typical ibis. It's located at the train station (one lobby door literally opens
INTO the station). Various trains run out to the airport from this location.

It is a reasonable distance to the old city, but being in the train station means you could easily shoot down to Cologne and back if you felt like seeing something there with your day (only a ca. 30 minute train ride).