Berlin

2013-03-26T08:31:41Z

Sonderfarbe: /* Paid language courses */

{{Germany}}
{{Berlin}}
{{TOCright|limit=1}}

== Background of this wiki ==
This Wiki is independent from Couchsurfing. It is related to all (formerly) uncommercial traveller websites; all these websites have a strong focus on the community between the members and aim to make real life meetings between persons that got to know in virtual reality. [http://www.globalfreeloaders.com Global Freeloaders], [http://www.hospitalityclub.org Hospitality Club], [http://www.couchsurfing.com Couchsurfing], [http://www.bewelcome.org BeWelcome]. The Couchwiki is also connected to hitch-hiking [http://www.hitchbase.com/orte.php?LANG=ger&l_id=73 Hitchbase] and [http://hitchwiki.org/en/Berlin HitchWiki]. The Wiki inside Couchsurfing is disabled, but other Wikis are still working [http://secure.hospitalityclub.org/hc/hcworld.php?city=3609 Hospitality Club], [http://www.bewelcome.org/groups/77/wiki BeWelcome].

== General information ==
Berlin is the capital of [[Germany]]. Berlin has a population of around 3,5 million people. It is estimated that annually 100 million people visit Berlin, of which roughly 10 million stay in a hotel, hostel, guesthouse, etc. Tourism is one of the pillars of the economy of the city.

Berlin has a relatively high unemployment rate. Around 12% of the people in Berlin is officially unemployed and almost 19% of the Berliner lives on social security benefits.

== Berlin's Couch Situation ==
To find the right host for you, please look on [https://www.couchsurfing.org/n/locals/in/place/69 Couchsurfing] or [http://www.bewelcome.org/searchmembers BeWelcome]

Berlin is a major Couchsurfing and BeWelcome city where there are events happening almost every day. Berlin is a favourite city to surf, especially around New Year's Eve and in summer. Since many people try to surf in Berlin, it can be hard to find a host. Make sure you have a filled out profile and a profile picture. Write personal requests. Hosts in Berlin are getting many copy-paste requests, so a personal one could make a difference. It's recommended to write your requests between 3 weeks and 5 days before arrival. Your chances increase if you have some references (from your local community, for example).

If you haven't found any host and still want to surf in Berlin, you can try the [https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=7910 Last Minute Couchsearch Group] or the [http://www.bewelcome.org/groups/590 Berlin Emergency Host Group in BeWelcome]

==Stay in Berlin==
===Berlin Hostels and Guesthouses===
Hostels cost of €5 to €65 a night, depending on the season, location and type of room.

To find hostels and reviews, try these links:
*[http://www.berlin.de/hotels/adressen/hostel/ list of hostels (non-commercial)]
*[http://www.hostelworld.com/hostels/Berlin Hostelworld (commercial)]
*[http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/germany/berlin/ Hostelbookers (commercial)]
*[http://www.hostelz.com/hostels/Germany/Berlin Hostelz (commercial)]
*[http://www.hostels.com/berlin/germany Hostels.com (commercial)]

=== Short/Long term stay (finding a flat/WG) ===
Some websites that can be used if you're looking for flatshare(WG)/renting a flat in Berlin:
*[http://www.wg-gesucht.de/en/ WG-Gesucht.de (German/English)] The most used website to search for accomodation/house mates
*[http://www.studenten-wg.de Studenten-wg.de (German)] Another website to find WG's
*[http://www.immobilo.de/mieten/berlin Immobilo.de (German)] Searches multiple websites that lists accomodations.
*[http://www.immobilienscout24.de/Suche/S-T/WG-Zimmer/Berlin/Berlin Immobilienscout24 (German)] For apartments, less used for flatsharing.
*[http://www.wgcompany.de/cgi-bin/seite?st=1&mi=10&li=100 WGcompany (English)] Has a glossary in english with all important terms. Used for flatsharing.
*[http://kleinanzeigen.ebay.de/anzeigen/s-immobilien/berlin/c195l3331 E-bay Kleinanzeigen (German)] Germans offer everything on E-bay.
*[http://berlin.en.craigslist.de/hhh/ Craigslist (English)] Not all very reliable, but sometimes it contains a hidden treasure.
*[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=19711/ CouchSurfing Group 1 (English)] Find local CSers looking for flatmates, available sublets, etc.
*[http://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=9251/ CouchSurfing Group 2 (English)] Find local CSers looking for flatmates, available sublets, etc.
*[http://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/index.php?showforum=84/ ToyTown (English)] Expat community.
*[https://www.facebook.com/groups/easy.wg/ A Facebook Group (English/German)] A good group to find housing.

Or try our [https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=19711 Accommodation] subgroup under the CS Berlin group.

Once you have found a place to live, and you're planning to stay in Berlin for a long period, it might be wise to [[Berlin#Registering_in_Germany.2FBerlin_-_B.C3.BCrgeramt|register yourself]] at the Bürgeramt as an inhabitant of the city.

== Getting Around ==
[[File:U-Bahn_S-Bahn_02_2013.png|400px|thumb|right|U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines of the inner city of Berlin, as of February 2013]]Public transportation generally goes almost everywhere in whole Berlin. Read more and plan a journey at the [http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/index.html BVG Website].

=== Tickets ===
Tickets for public transport can be bought at every S- and U-Bahn station from machines, at ticket offices on the main stations. Daily tickets or tickets for short rides can be bought in busses and trams as well. Tickets are valid for all ways of public transport within the chosen area (A, B and C).
==== Short term tickets ====
'''Short trip fare''' (Kurzstrecke) is valid for either 3 U- or S-Bahn stops, or 6 tram- or busstops. Costs €1,40

'''Single tickets''' (Einzelfahrschein) is valid for 2 hours. Officially you can not travel back to the station you started, so it's a one-way ticket. Costs €2,40 (AB), €2,80 (BC) or €3,10 (ABC).

'''4-Trip-ticket''' (4-Fahrten-Karte) is the same as 4 single tickets, but slightly cheaper when bought in this way.

'''Day ticket''' (Tageskarte) can be used for an entire day, until 3:00am next day. Costs €6,50 (AB), €6,80 (BC) or €7,00 (ABC).

==== Long term tickets ====
'''7-Day-ticket''' (7-Tage-Karte VBB-Umweltkarte) is valid for an entire week. With this ticket you can travel with an additional adult or 3 children between 8:00pm end 3:00am, on saturdays and sundays and at public holidays. Costs €28,00 (AB), €28,90 (BC) or €34,60 (ABC).

'''Monthly ticket''' (Monatskarte VBB-Umweltkarte) is valid for an entire month. With this ticket you can travel with an additional adult or 3 children between 8:00pm end 3:00am, on saturdays and sundays and at public holidays. The ticket is transferable and some people offer their monthly ticket (or the part that's left) on the internet. Costs €77,00 (AB), €78,00 (BC) or €95,00 (ABC).

'''10am Monthly ticket''' (10-Uhr-Karte) is a limited version of the monthly ticket. You can not take other people on the same ticket. Furthermore, you're only allowed to travel after 10:00am. Therefore the price is better than the regular monthly ticket: €55,50 (AB), €56,50 (BC) or €68,00 (ABC).

==== Special tickets ====
'''Small group ticket''' (Kleingruppen-Tageskarte) is a daily ticket for group of up to 5 persons. It pays itself back when traveling with 3 or more persons. Costs €15,50 (AB), €15,80 (BC) and €16,00 (ABC)

'''Berlin Welcome card''' 2/3/5 days - Next to travelling, you can use this card to get discounts at touristic attractions, in restaurants and free entrance at some museums (with 3/5-day ticket). Can not be bought at ticket vending machines. [http://www.visitberlin.de/en/welcomecard Read more]

'''Berlin CityTourCard''' 2/3/5 days - Next to travelling, this card provides some discount on some touristic attractions. This ticket can also be bought at ticket vending machines. [http://www.citytourcard.com/en Read more]

For more information on tickets and pricing: [http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/17181/name/Fares+Overview.html BVG Tickets]

=== From Airport to City ===
For the time being, Berlin has 2 major airports, 'Tegel' in the northwest and 'Schönefeld' in the southeast.

'''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_S-Bahn S-Bahn]'''

Schönefeld Airport is directly connected with S-Bahn. Line S9 connects the airport with the eastern and northern part of the city. Line S45 connects the airport with the southern part of the inner-city. Both lines pass stations located on the S-Bahn circular railway (Ringbahn), which makes it easy to travel to other parts of the city, changing trains just once.

'''Bus'''

Tegel Airport is accessible by bus. There are 2 shuttle buses: '''X9''' between Tegel and 'S+U Zoologischer Garten' (western Berlin); '''TXL''' between Tegel and 'S+U Alexanderplatz' (eastern Berlin). There are also 2 normal bus lines: '''128''' in the direction of 'U Osloer Straße' and '''109''' in the direction of 'S+U Zoologischer Garten'.

'''Taxi'''

Expected price for a [[Berlin#Taxi|taxi-ride]] from/to the airport is between €20,00 and €35,00.

=== Underground/ U-Bahn ===
The subway/underground in Berlin is called the U-Bahn. The U-Bahn is efficient and reliable and it covers the major areas of the city.

Most U-Bahn trains drive frequent, every 5 or 10 minutes. In the late evening and night the frequency can be reduced to one train every 15 or 20 minutes. Except for Friday- and Saturday night, the U-Bahn stops working after approximately 1:00h. All lines are then replaced by night buses, which drive every 30 minutes and follow the same route as the U-Bahn (some minor exceptions).

===Buses===
Buses normally drive in the 'gaps' of the U- and S-Bahn net. Most people only take buses if they have to go to area's that are on the outskirts of town.
The exceptions are bus lines '''100''' and '''200'''. These bus lines are well known for the ''touristic'' route they are following. It crosses several points of interest, and therefore used by many tourists as a cheap alternative for the sightseeing buses.

===Tram (Straßenbahn/Metro)===
The tram in Berlin is called Straßenbahn (street train), or sometimes Metro. The tram network especially is big in the eastern part of town. The trams drive in the 'gaps' of the U- and S-Bahn net, while crossing many of their stations on the way.

=== Taxi ===

There are fixed prices for taxi's in Berlin. There's no difference between day- and night prices. The prices are calculated as follows:
*Basic price: €3,20
*Per kilometre (first 7): €1,65
*Per kilometre (after 7): €1,28

You'll pay additional if:
*''you're travelling more than 4 persons: €1,50 per extra person''
*''the taxi has to wait for you: €25,00 per hour''
*''you have big luggage: €1,00''
*''you are paying with credit card: €1,50''
*''you are coming from Tegel Airport: €0,50''
'''The common taxi companies:'''
*[http://www.taxi-berlin.de Taxi Berlin] (+49 30) 20 20 20
*[http://www.taxifunkberlin.de Taxi Funk Berlin] (+49 30) 44 33 22
*[http://www.funk-taxi-berlin.de Funk Taxi Berlin] (+49 30)26 10 26

===Bicycle===
If you're lucky, you can borrow a bike for free through [http://bikesurfberlin.blogspot.de BikeSurfBerlin] and [http://www.bewelcome.org/groups/1021 BikeSurfBerlin Group in Bewelcome].

===Important information on transportation===
*Some of the tickets has to be validated before use. If you forget, the fine is 40 Euro.
*Except for friday and saturdaynight, all S-Bahn trains stop driving after approximately 1 o'clock
*Except for friday and saturdaynight, all U-Bahn trains are replaced by night buses (U1->N1; U2->N2; etc.)
*At some stations, people are selling tickets. Although they don't all look that bonafide, they resell tickets other people used. They should be still valid. If you are planning to buy those tickets, check if they are still valid. Also, it's officially forbidden to resell tickets, so you might be involved in a small crime by doing it.

== Nightlife, Dining and Entertainment ==

===Main Nightlife Areas===
The main nightlife areas of Berlin are:
*Warschauer Straße and Simon Dach Straße - pubs and clubs
*Oranienburger Tor/Oranienburger Straße - pubs and restuarants
*Kreuzberg around [[File:U1.png]]Kottbusser Tor, [[File:U1.png]]Görlitzer Bahnhof and [[File:U1.png]]Schlesisches Tor - pubs, restaurants, music stages
*Schönhauser Allee and direct surrounding - pubs, restaurants, clubs

===Magazines and Event listings===
The following websites can help bring you up to speed on the local club scene, nightlife, concerts, festivals and shows:
*[http://www.blitzgigs.de/ Blitzgigs] (English)
*[http://www.exberliner.com/ Exberliner] (English)
*[http://www.zitty.de/ Zitty] (German)
*[http://www.top10berlin.de/ Top 10 Berlin] (German)
*[http://www.bln.fm/category/termine/ BLN FM] (German)
*[http://www.nachtagenten.de/events/ Nachtagenten] (German)
*[http://www.tip-berlin.de/ Tip Berlin] (German)
*[http://www.berlin030.de/ (030) MAGAZINE] (German)
*[http://stressfaktor.squat.net/ Squats, Punk, Hardocre, Voküs] (German)
*[http://www.livegigs.de/berlin/#konzerte Livegigs Berlin] (German)

===Bars===
Some favourite local haunts include:

===Breweries and Beer===

'''Breweries'''

*[http://eschenbräu.de/ Eschenbräu] Craft brewery with 3 differnt beers on tap. Usually one is seasonal. They also distill their own Schnaps and Whiskey. You can bring your own food. Nice beergarden in summer
*[http://www.brauhaus-lemke.com/index.php/home Lemke Hackescher Markt] A bit touristy place. Decent German food. Good beer. Not the cheapest. There are three "Lemkes" all over the city.
*[http://www.schoppebraeu.de/ Schoppe Bräu/Brauhaus Südstern] Big and with a nice beer garden. They claim to have the strongest beer in Berlin.
*[http://www.hopsandbarley-berlin.de/index.html Hops&Barley] Located in the a cool party area in Friedrichshain.

(list is to be completed)

;'''Beershops'''
:Of course you can get beer at every Späti, but there some nice litte shops in the city where the ones that are more up for quality beers than for a cheap hangover can go ...

*[http://hopfenmalz.de/ Hopfen und Malz] Huge Selection of beers. Mostly from Frankonia. But also American IPAs or Belgian brews.
*[http://www.weiss-blau-berlin.de/ Weiss Blau ] Bavarian Beers and specalities.
*[http://www.ambrosetti.de/ Ambrosetti] Huge verty of beers.
*[http://www.berlinbiershop.com/ Berlin Beer Shop] Mostly IPA and Belgium beers but also A LOT of good wine.
*[http://absinth-berlin.de/ladenenglish.html Absinth Depoth] Some Bavarian beers and the BEST collection of Absinth in Berlin.
*[http://www.fraenkische-botschaft-online.de/page8.php Fränkische Botschaft] Frankonian beers and specailites (yummy!).

'''Beergardens'''

[http://goo.gl/maps/xodjD Google map of some Beergardens]

===Clubs===

===Comedy===

===Restaurants===
There are hundreds of restaurants in Berlin. In most districts you'll find typical restaurants with foreign food, mostly turkish, asian and arabic. Meals that are often consumed are Döner and Falafel. Both meals cost between €2,00 and €4,00 depending on district and quality.

On several places you can find the typical Berlin Currywurst (curry sausage)

'''Meat/mixed restaurants:'''
* [http://www.nil-imbiss.de/ NIL] - Sudanese food (incl. Sudanese falafel)
* Al Faruk - one of the best falafel in town
* Hunerhaus36 - chicken
* White Trash Fast Food
* [http://www.papàpane.com/ Papà Pane di Sorrento] - pizza
* [http://www.tangs-kantine.de/ Tangs Kantine] - Chinese food
* [http://www.schneeweiss-berlin.de Schneeweiss] - German food
* [http://www.restaurant-masala.de Masala] - Indian food
* [http://www.pierogarnia.de Pierogarnia] - Polish food
* Al Andalos - Shawarma
* Ta'Cabrón - Taquería
* [http://core-koreancuisine.blogspot.de/ CORE] - Korean food
* [http://www.restaurant-pasternak.de Pasternak] - East European food
* [http://www.demolen.de/ De Molen] - Dutch snack bar
* [http://www.chicagowilliamsbbq.de/ Chicago Williams BBQ] - American food
* [http://mustafas.de/ Mustafas] - döner & vegetable kebab
* Çarik Kuruyemiş - very good turkish kumpir

'''Vegetarian Restaurants:'''
* [http://www.yellow-sunshine.com/ Yellow Sunshine] - Fast food
* [http://www.vego-foodworld.de/ Vego Foodworld] - Vegan/vegetarian hamburgers
* [http://www.ponteverde.de/ Ponte Verde] - Italian food

'''Vegan Restaurants:'''
* [http://www.yoyofoodworld.de/ yoyo Foodworld]
* Vöner - vegan döner
* [http://www.viasko.de/ Viasko]

[[Restaurants in Berlin]]

===Seasonal activities===
====Karneval der Kulturen====
====Berlinale====
====Fête de la Musique====

==Sports, Activities and the Great Outdoors==
===Parks===
Berlin is said to be the greenest capital of Europe. There are many big parks, and many more small green areas. All parks have their own charms and every season they look different. In spring and summer, when the temperatures reach 20 degrees Celsius or more, you will see many people visiting parks to walk, run, cycle, play outdoor games and most of all sunbathing with a beer!

===Lakes===

===Tempelhof===

===Climbing===

==Learning German==
There are lots of language exchange options available in Berlin from one on one meetups to clubs that meet regularly in person to social networks available online at your convenience. Here are some of your options:
===Free online courses===
*[http://www.dw.de/learn-german/s-2469 Deutsche Welle] is actually a news website, but offers some courses and tests online. The best feature: slowly spoken news in German with transcript.
*[http://www.goethe.de/lrn/duw/lad/deindex.htm?wt_sc=lernabenteuer App for iPhone or Android] from Goethe Institut
*[http://online-lernen.levrai.de/ Website] with all background information on the German language
*[http://www.goethe.de/lrn/duw/auf/stb/enindex.htm Exercises] from the Goethe Institut
*[http://www.deutsch-perfekt.com/deutsch-lernen Exercises] from Deutsch Perfekt
*[http://www.deutschakademie.de/online-deutschkurs/ Test] from Deutsch Akademie
*[http://www.goethe.de/lrn/lks/enindex.htm Links from the Goethe Institut] to very useful websites
*[http://livemocha.com/ Live Mocha] Amazing website and community of language learners that help each other

===For one on one / tandem===
*[http://www.sprachenzentrum.fu-berlin.de/slz/tandem/index.html Tandem program] of the Freie Universität
*[https://www.international.hu-berlin.de/an_die_hu-en/studierende/orbis/sprachboerse Language exchange market of the Humbolt University]

===Groups that meet regularly===
[[File:Gaudy_exchange.png|200px|thumb|left‎|Gaudy Exchange]]St. Gaudy Cafe weekly language exchange
*http://www.gaudycafe.com/
*Gaudystraße 1
*[[File:U2.png]]Schönhauser Allee

===Language exchange social networks:===

===Paid language courses===
*[http://www.berlin.de/vhs/ Volkshochschule]
*http://www.speakeasy-sprachzeug.com/en/
*http://www.hartnackschule-berlin.de
*http://www.transmitter-berlin.de
*http://www.die-deutschule.de
*http://www.sprachenatelier-berlin.de
*http://www.deutschakademie.de
*http://kapitel-zwei.de/en
*http://www.deutsch-in-berlin.de
*http://www.goethe.de/lrn/enindex.htm

== Sightseeing ==
Berlin is extremely easy to get around by [[Berlin#Getting_Around|public transport]]. You can easily visit several locations on one day.

=== Typical touristic attractions ===
[[File:20c_German.jpg|100px|thumb|left|Brandenburger Tor on German euro-coins]]
==== Brandenburger Tor ====
The Brandenburger Tor ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburger_gate Brandenburger gate]) is one of the most famous buildings of both Berlin and Germany. It has been build as a city gate, but is now known as a symbol of the reunion of Germany.

==== Reichstagsgebäude ====
The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_%28building%29 Reichstag building] is the former and present building for the German parliament. The burning of the building in 1933 was the direct cause of Hitler taking over all power. The building was not in use as a parliament between 1933 and 1999.
[[File:Fernsehturm_Berlin2.jpg|100px|thumb|left|Fernsehturm (TV-tower)]]
==== Fernsehturm ====
The 368 metres high TV-tower near Alexanderplatz that can be seen everywhere in the city. You can go up in the tower and look back at the city. Entrance fee is €12 for adults. There is a possibility to have diner in the rotating restaurant, but you have to make reservations. For more info, visit [http://www.tv-turm.de/en/index.php].

==== Museuminsel ====
Island in the city center with many museums, mostly classical and historical art and artifacts.
==== Eastside Gallery ====
1,5 kilometre long gallery of painted pieces of the Berlin Wall.
==== Checkpoint Charlie ====
The famous checkpoint where diplomats could cross the border with the DDR.
==== Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer ====
History of the Berlin Wall, with a real life simulation of the Berlin Wall and a watchtower.
==== Gendarmenmarkt ====
Square with 2 symmetrical churches (French and German) facing each other.
==== Berliner Dom ====
Protestant cathedral
==== Nikolaiviertel ====
Origin of Berlin. Lots of old buildings, including the Nikolai-church, mixed with renovated buildings and typical DDR/communistic architecture.
==== Siegessäule ====
Victory column, built after the victories in the wars against Denmark, Austria and France in the late 19th century.

=== Less touristic attractions ===
==== Sowjetisches Ehrenmal ====
==== Tempelhof ====
Including peoples garden.
==== Teufelsberg ====
==== Waterfall in Viktoriapark ====
==== Eisfabrik ====
==== Pfaueninsel ====
==== Berliner Unterwelten ====
==== Spreepark ====
==== Olympic Stadium ====

=== Museums ===
If you're planning to visit many museums during your stay in Berlin, you might want to buy the '''[http://www.museumsportal-berlin.de/en/plan-your-visit/all-about-admission-fees/everything-three-days/ Museum pass]'''. It costs €19, can be bought at any participating museum and is valid for 3 days.

If you want to see both city and museums, and you're not sure how many museums you'll be visiting, you might be interested in the [[Berlin#Special_tickets|Berlin Welcome Card]] which gives you discount on museums and free use of public transport.
*[http://www.dhm.de Deutsches Historisches Museum] - German history
*[http://www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?objID=24&p=2 Altes Museum] - Ancient and classical art and artifacts
*[http://www.smb.museum/smb/standorte/index.php?p=2&objID=27&n=15 Pergamommuseum] - Ancient art and artifacts
*[http://www.mauermuseum.de Haus am Checkpoint Charlie] - Berlin Wall
*Alte Nationalgalerie
*Neues Museum
*Bode-Museum
*Museum für Naturkunde
*Hamburger Bahnhof Museum
*Jüdisches Museum
*Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
*Topographie des Terrors
*DDR-Museum
*Story of Berlin

=== Religious buildings ===

=== Flea markets and other famous markets ===
Berlin is well known for its flea markets. There are several weekly flea markets. The most famous ones:

'''Mauerpark''' 
The most famous flea market of Berlin, close to [[File:U2.png]]Eberswalderstraße. Has a lot of 2nd hand stalls, mixed with creative people that make jewelry, paintings, photos/cards, wallets and other stuff themselves. When the weather is right, there's a huge karaoke in the park next to the flea market. Can be very crowded, especially in spring and summer.
*[http://www.mauerparkmarkt.de/ Website]
*Bernauer Straße 63
*Sunday 7:00-17:00h

'''Boxhagener Platz''' 
Easy to oversee, since all stands are built around the Boxhagener square. You can take a rest on the square itself, or make a round in approximately an hour. Especially known for its records, books and posters. Other stands sell furniture and objects, but not so many clothes.
*Boxhagener Platz 1
*Sunday 10:00-18:00h

'''Schöneberg'''

'''Arkonaplatz'''

'''Straße des 17. Juni'''

'''Ostbahnhof'''

'''OBI Neukölln'''

== Travelling from Berlin ==
Apart from the 2 airports, several (international) trains and busses arrive at and leave from Berlin.
===Trains===
Most '''international trains''' arrive at and depart from Berlin Hauptbahnhof (main railway station).
*to the Netherlands (Berlin-Schiphol)
*to Poland (Berlin-Warsaw/Gdansk/Wrocław Główny)
*to Switzerland (Berlin-Basel)
*to Denmark (Berlin-Copenhagen/Arhus)
*to the Czech Republic (Berlin-Prague)
To find the best connections, or for booking tickets, you can check out the website of the [[http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml German Railway]]. Booking tickets on forehand can make a huge difference in price.

'''(inter)regional trains''' depart from every major station, such as Alexanderplatz, Ostbahnhof, Spandau and Sudkreuz. There's a difference between regional trains ('''RB''' (Regionalbahn) and'''RE''' (Regionalexpress)) and inter-regional trains ('''IC''' (Intercity) and '''ICE''' (Intercity Express)). The IC's and ICE's drive much faster and over a long distance, mostly to other big cities in Germany. The RB and RE only drive short distances and stop at many smaller stations on the way.

===Buses===
Berlin has 2 major bus stops for international and inter-regional bus lines: ZOB in western Berlin (near S-Bahn Messe Nord/ICC and [[File:U2.png]]; Ostbahnhof Bus Station in the eastern side of the city, next to S-Bahn Ostbahnhof.

====International Buses====
Some major bus lines that will bring you abroad are:
*[http://www.eurolines.com/en/ Eurolines] - to almost any place in Europe
*[http://ecolines.net/en/ Ecolines] - Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine
*[http://eclubreisen.de Eclubreisen] - to Ukraine

====Inter-regional buses====
*[https://www.berlinlinienbus.de/index.php?lang=en BerlinLinienBus]
*[http://www.eurolines.de/index.php?id=14&L=1 Eurolines]

===Car===
====Car sharing====
It's easy to find car sharing online. Cars travel from every city to every city. You can find rides or travellers at [http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de Mitfahrgelegenheit.de] or [http://www.mitfahrzentrale.de Mitfahrzentrale.de].
and on CouchSurfing
[https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=10289 Group 1]
[https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=17463 Group 2]
[https://www.couchsurfing.org/group.html?gid=2920 Group 3]

====Hitchhiking====

Naturally, [[:hitch:Berlin|Hitchwiki]] has the best and most up-to-date resources about thumbing your way out of Berlin. The old fashioned and not-updated any more [http://www.hitchbase.com/orte.php?LANG=ger&l_id=73 Hitchbase] might be an alternative in some cases.

== Necessary bureaucracy ==
(This information is NOT official, it is simply advice)

Very important and will tell you everything: http://www.cautionrobots.com/getartistvisa.pdf

And another helpful link: http://4dayvisa.tumblr.com/

===VISA===
====VISA Office====
[http://www.berlin.de/labo/auslaender/dienstleistungen/ Ausländerbehörde (ABH)] 
Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24 
13353 Berlin 
abh@labo.berlin.de 
+49-30 902690 
[http://osm.org/go/0MZv6kuHu-- MAP]

Opening times:
* Monday 07:00-14:00h
* Tuesday 07:00-14:00h
* Wednesday closed
* Thursday 10:00-18:00h
* Friday closed

Schedule an appointment ahead of time http://www.berlin.de/labo/auslaender/dienststelle/index.html
The wait times are not THAT bad, but it's always best to have an appointment.

They REALLY don't speak English consistently so just be prepared :)
Bring someone with you if at all possible. Have everything you need when you go.
I talked with many people there and they don't assign you to one person. They don't answer emails for nearly 1 month so don't bother there. You can call and ask questions, but have someone call for you and speak German and then you might get answers.

====Freelance VISA and Artist VISA====
(This is written from a US citizen. Different rules may apply to you, although they may be similar).

These are 2 different things. I obtained my Artist's visa while I was waiting for my Freelance visa to be approved (this will take 6-10 weeks). The Artist's visa does NOT allow you to work. The Freelance one does (you can list more than one profession on this visa).

====List of things that you need====
* Completed Form (http://www.berlin.de/formularserver/formular.php?72301)
* Letter stating your intentions, how you plan to support yourself, everthing you can think of
* CV
* Passport Copy
* 2 Biometric Photo (not smiling... these can be done in the bottom level of the office... leave an extra 10 minutes for this).
* Bank Statement (proving that you can support yourself without working)
* All Certificates
* All Diplomas
* All Transcripts
* Health Insurance (GERMAN) Proof and all documents
* German Address Registration (do NOT show up without this. You will be turned away. You must register your address)
* References
* €50 in cash (sometimes this is more)
* Artist portfolio (this must be hard copies of your work)
* Letter from 2 prospective employers (I fought this, but it's technically required and you should have it)

===Registering in Germany/Berlin - Bürgeramt===
'''Registering your address'''
Fill out page 3 of this form and then go to register.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/1RBnLXCEqJ-le6hyQSsyvQ2_0u7Uo7tF-tG4lUc76EPDL6r-8O6ipxGPkZt2-/edit

You must register your address within 2 weeks of coming to Germany and before you can do anything really.
You need to either have a rental agreement or have the main renter to sign the paper or write a letter for you.

These are all the places you can go to register.
http://www.buergeramt.info/berlin.htm

Give yourself a couple hours to do this.
(it is my understanding that you now need an appointment to do this. Please check)

===Health insurance===

This is a biggie. They need proof that you have GOOD GERMAN health insurance. It's very expensive. Be prepared (especially if you have to pay for it on your own).

I myself have AOK insurance and I am very happy with it http://www.deutscheinsurance.com/aok.html
(They also off a travel insurance that will cover you worldwide, outside of the EU for only €6 per year).

Someone also mentioned this and it might be a little cheaper http://www.hansemerkur.de/

If you want to apply to KSK (you must be an Artist legally here, they will help you with the price of your insurance, but there are a LOT of rules you must follow), you can contact this woman.
Ilka Lacherbauer
Medien und Künstler Beratung Ltd.
Tucholskystr. 35
10117 Berlin - Mitte
Fon.: +49 30 - 75 00 86 00
e-mail: info@bmkb.de or lacherbauer@bmkb.de

more information about KSK

===SIM Cards===
(this information was gathered from forums)

* http://www.callmobile.de/
* http://www.fonic.de
* http://www.blau.de
* You can get great deals on SIM's at any Saturn store. They have T-Mobile SIM cards for only 5 euro and they come with 10 euro worth of call minutes for free.
* some Turkish phone shops, they sell Vodafone cards with credit for half-price (usually a card with 10 EUR credit for about 6 EUR, and one with 1 EUR credit for 60 cents), and what's best these are pre-activated and work right away, no need to fill out any stupid forms online.
* new SIM. For instance if you take an O2 one for 28.50E, you get 21E credit plus two months of freecalls to O2 (has a good subscrirption in Germany) numbers and to any landline. I think it is a great offer but something that you cannot renew; just comes with the new number.
*Aldi or Penny (yes, the discount stores) have easy prepaid cards for 15euro or something with the same amount of credit on it so you basically pay nothing for it. I don't know if they offer data as well, but the Aldi card uses ePlus networks so you can also charge your credit with ePlus prepaid cards if there is no Aldi around to buy new credit. adli 300mb 300 minutes = less 10 euro ;)

===Bank account===
(There are many opinions on this. Please add yours)

'''Berliner Sparkasse'''

So email the guy below to make an appointment. (speaks english and helped me and many other CS) ... They also have a nice referral program. If you open an account and have the referring person sign the paper, they get €25. I like to send people there and then take them out to lunch on Sparkasse :) :)

Here is the contact. The guy is great and he's signed a lot of my friends and I up.

René Schneider, Berliner Sparkasse

Friedrichstrasse 148, 10117 Berlin

STOP: Stadmitte or Friedrichstrasse MAP: http://g.co/maps/93gyu]http://g.co/maps/93gyu

email: rene.schneider@berliner-sparkasse.de

You need to bring proof of your address registration and your passport. That was it.

'''Sparda Bank'''

Another interesting option for people who plan to stay in germany long term and have a regular income could be Sparda Bank. It is a credit union and upon opening an account you will be required to buy a cooperative share of 50EUR. other than that, you will never have to pay anything again for the rest of your life.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparda-Bank_%28Deutschland%29

==Baggage Storage==
Berlin Hbf

==Cost of living==
In Berlin you have many choices on how to spend your money. Berlin is a relatively cheap city, although the prices raised over the years.

Below is a list of estimations of prices. The prices can differ a lot, depending on district, location, season, etc.

'''Renting a room''': €150-€600 per month 
'''Renting apartment''': €200-€1000 per month 

'''Restaurant''': €2 - €15 for a main dish 
'''Beer''': €0,70 - €4,00 for 0,5 liter 

==FAQs==

Trustroots Wiki - User contributions [en]

Berlin