Berlin travel tips
Antti Pirskanen has an excellent blog and has just published some Berlin travel tips. Since they are licensed under a Creative Commons License and furthermore are absolutly true, i quote them here in full lenght. Make sure you visit api’s blog nevertheless.
- The public transport system is among the best in the world. It is the veins of the city. Get a weekly ticket, get a route map and use it. Considering it is an old network, it really works like a dream. There are also night buses by the way.
- You can wear any kind of rags or a business suit on the street. People may appear to pay very little attention to your appearence, but they are very style-conscious and dress stylishly in their own unique personal way.
- If you don’t know german well, it’s a good idea to practice it with friends instead of starting conversations in german at shops and switching to english later.
- People are rude on the surface as far as manners are concerned, but they have an empathic and good-hearted spirit under the big city survival skin.
- Haggling is not easy and not always a good idea. The locals are very good with saving their money at every possible opportunity.
- Restaurants are affordable and good. Thai and sushi places seem to be the latest trend. There is also a very big variety of turkish night kitchens for clubbers’ needs.
- Clubbing scene starts very late. It’s not uncommon to go to a club at 3 or 4 am.
- People like traditional things in everyday life. Analog cameras, record players, gas stoves etc are commonplace
- Cafes with Wlan and Internet parlors are not hard to find
- A lot of places are closed on Sundays
- The best way to get on the current programme is to buy either a Tipp or Zitty magazine. They feature the concerts and other attractions for the current two week period. The period they cover overlap with each other.
- The music scene is predominantly electronic. You hear it everywhere.. in shops, restaurants, clubs. If that floats your boat, you’ve come to the right place.
- Bring some rain gear just in case it rains.
- If you go to Kadewe, the luxury department store, be sure to visit the food department in the upper floors. It is amazing.
- The only people you see taking photographs are tourists and professional photographers. The locals don’t like getting photographed at all.
- People use bicycles a lot. There is a rental bike called Call-A-Bike and you might find a used bike for 40 euros or so. Locks are almost as big as in New York.
- Beach bars complete with beach chairs, sands, water smoking pipes are a new and popular trend.
- People smoke cigarettes all over the place. The only smoke-free places are U-bahn stations, the trains and the shops.
- The new Jewish Holocaust monument is really worth seeing.
- There are a lot of art shows in galleries and creativity in shop displays, graffitis etc. It’s a big city visual culture.
- Sunday brunches are a good way to start a day. Breakfasts are avaible from 7 or so at most places every day.
- Gyms are difficult to find and expensive. Cycling and swimming are a good way to stay fit.