Berlin

These are another option for budget travellers if your couchsearch doesn't work out and hostel reservations are hard to make. Team up with other CSers and you can share costs.

Short/Long term stay

Some websites that our CS-ers recommend, if you're looking for flatshare(WG)/renting a flat in Berlin:

WG-Gesucht.de (German/English) The most used website to search for accomodation/house mates

Studenten-wg.de (German) Another website to find WG's

Immobilo.de (German) Searches multiple websites that lists accomodations.

Immobilienscout24 (German) For appartments, less used for flatsharing.

WGcompany (English) Has a glossary in english with all important terms. Used for flatsharing.

E-bay Kleinanzeigen (German) Germans offer everything on E-bay.

Craigslist (English) Not all very reliable, but sometimes it contains a hidden treasure.

Or try our Accommodation subgroup under the CS Berlin group.

Getting Around

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 BVG Website Very important: Some of the tickets has to be validated before use. If you forget: the fine is 40 Euro.

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. 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. Read more

For more information on tickets and pricing: BVG Tickets

From Airport to City

For the time being, Berlin has 2 major airports, 'Tegel' in the northwest and 'Schönefeld' in the southeast.

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 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.

Buses

Buses in Berlin are plentiful.

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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:

Taxi Berlin (+49 30) 20 20 20

Taxi Funk Berlin (+49 30) 44 33 22

Funk Taxi Berlin (+49 30)26 10 26

Nightlife, Dining and Entertainment

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Main Nightlife Areas

Magazines and Event listings

The following websites can help bring you up to speed on the local club scene, nightlife, concerts, festivals and shows.

Bars

Some favourite local haunts include:

The Underground

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Events, venues and organizations

Comedy

Restaurants

Vegetarian Restaurants:

Vegan Restaurants:

Karaoke

Sports, Activities and the Great Outdoors

Hiking

Running and Hiking events

Swimming and Beaches

Camping

Wakeboarding and Waterskiing

Windsurfing and Kayaking

Diving

Rock Climbing

Para-gliding

Snowboarding

Language Exchange

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:

For one on one exchange:

Groups that meet regularly:

Language exchange social networks:

Paid language courses:

Sightseeing

Berlin is extremely easy to get around by public transport. You can easily visit several locations on one day.

Typical touristic attractions

Brandenburger Tor

Markets

Temples, Monasteries, Nunneries

Parks

Theme Parks

Other references

Crossing the border

To France: XX To Austria: XX To Poland: XX XX

Visas

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Baggage Storage

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Cost of living

FAQs

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