By Plane

There are two airports:

• Schönefeld (Ryanair often flies here)
  • Take the underground train into the city center, or bbus routes.
• Tegel International Airport
  • Close to city center. Good public transport links

By coach/bus

By Train

Again, Berlin has great transport links via trains. Please see details here.

Berlin is huge, and doesn't have a central area that is close to everything. No matter where you stay, you will probably rely upon public transport to get you around the city. Here is an overview of my favourite few areas:

Mitte is what most people would consider the central area though. It has many landmarks and things to do for tourists here.

Prenzlauer Berg is in the former East Berlin area, north east of Mitte. Recently the area has become quite a cool and upcoming area, well-known for its laid back atomosphere. You can find many restaurants, cafes, shops and bars there.

Friedrichshain Another former East Berlin district, Friedrichshain is home to many GDR-era buildings and the format Stasi HQ. But nowadays it is known for its big nightlife scene with many clubs and bars. The flea market on sunday in Boxhagener Platz is very popular too.

Kreuzberg is full of artsy types, busy nightlife, hippies and artists.

Public transport is really good in Berlin. The ticket machines have English options, and most things turn up on time according to their schedule.

If you get confused at a station, ask a German. They are often very friendly and will probably understand English in Berlin.

• Bus - Takes a while (with traffic), but there are bus routes everywhere
• S-Bahn (trains) - fast, cheap, on time
• U-Bahn (underground metro) - super convenient

Easy to find tasty food. I recommend you try the following, all of which can be found all over the city:

Schnitzel - they are really tasty in Germany!

Currywurst - if you have only tried them outside of Germany, make sure you try them while inside Germany. They are much more delicious! It is a sausage served with ketchup and curry powder (and often beans). Sold all over the city

Berlin has one of the best nightlifes in the whole of Europe (and it is famous for it all over the world). After the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, techno took over the city. The clubs have wild nights, and you can party until the sun comes up.

You can find everything from small pubs and dive bars to huge multi room clubs and big events.

Check out sites like here for a good overview of whats on

Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate (German: Brandenburger Tor) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after the (temporarily) successful restoration of order during the early Batavian Revolution. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was built on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg an der Havel, which used to be capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg.

Reichstag building

The huge Reichstag building dates back to 1894. Like many things in Berlin it was damaged in WWII. But now it has been restored, and it is where you can find the German parliament. The Bundestag Dome is open for visits (you have to sign up on their website, but the tour is free. Remember to bring some form of ID with you).

Alexanderplatz

Alexanderplatz is a large public square and transport hub in the central Mitte district of Berlin, near the Fernsehturm. Berliners often call it simply Alex, referring to a larger neighbourhood stretching from Mollstraße in the northeast to Spandauer Straße and the Rotes Rathaus in the southwest.

Fernsehturm (TV Tower)

You can see the TV tower from all over Berlin - it is huge. It was constructed between 1965-1969 by the German Democratic Republic (GDR). At a height of 368 meters it is the tallest structure in Germany, and the second tallest structure in the EU.

This is just a quick city overview. Please check out our other pages on Berlin here.