Moo Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Going over in the second week of December with the Mrs for a wee break. Both of us have managed to bag a decent enough hotel which offers a free travel card for our stay there. Hotel is right next to Kurfürstendamm shopping street. Is this a good area to stay in? Read most of this thread but still don’t get a good picture of where it is. Hotel has good enough reviews about location etc so hopefully it is.Hertha play Eintracht on the Saturday so I shall be going to that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tongue_tied_danny Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 3 hours ago, Moo said: Going over in the second week of December with the Mrs for a wee break. Both of us have managed to bag a decent enough hotel which offers a free travel card for our stay there. Hotel is right next to Kurfürstendamm shopping street. Is this a good area to stay in? Read most of this thread but still don’t get a good picture of where it is. Hotel has good enough reviews about location etc so hopefully it is. Hertha play Eintracht on the Saturday so I shall be going to that. Depends what you're into. It's mostly chain shops, Starbucks and Irish pubs round there. It's fairly generic and not my scene at all. Good transport links. I'm pretty sure there is a direct train from Zoo Garden to the Olympic stadium. Like others on this thread i prefer wining and dining near the Kottbusser Tor or Warschauer Strasse railway stations as it's a bit more left field and generally cheaper. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspy Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 I'm pretty sure there is a direct train from Zoo Garden to the Olympic stadium. The S5 and S9 It's well worth downloading the BVG transport app as it covers everything transport related. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlandcowden Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 11 hours ago, Moo said: managed to bag a decent enough hotel which offers a free travel card for our stay there. we stayed at a hotel at ostbannhoff station and the card was part of the deal, fantastic wee bonus 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotThePars Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 On 10/11/2018 at 14:07, stumigoo said: Nah we didn't manage to stretch our budget to that but have ended up with a decent hotel by the looks of things, the Steigenberger AM which is right next to the central station and a 10 minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag. It looks like a good location for the museums and places I'm really keen to visit - - Topography of Terror - Berlin Wall Memorial - Jewish Memorial - Checkpoint Charlie - DDR Museum They all seem to be under 30 minutes walk from our hotel which is great. Booked an Olympic Stadium tour and will try and convince my wife to take a trip to see Union Berlin's ground just so I can have a wander about. Went to all of them bar the Topography and would recommend all of them bar Checkpoint Charlie which felt really tacky for some reason. The DDR Museum was cool although it reminded me of the People's Palace a little bit albeit for a society that doesn't exist anymore. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drs Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 The massive feckin McDonalds at Checkpoint Charlie does tend to point towards the Commies having the right idea. Topography of Terror is OK but be warned - when I was there they showed an actual video of some Jews being executed, I was like "its going to fade to black any second now..." and then they shot them. I actually said a loud swear word. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WullieBroonIsGod Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 22 hours ago, drs said: The massive feckin McDonalds at Checkpoint Charlie does tend to point towards the Commies having the right idea. Topography of Terror is OK but be warned - when I was there they showed an actual video of some Jews being executed, I was like "its going to fade to black any second now..." and then they shot them. I actually said a loud swear word. Checkpoint Charlie itself is tat personified, but the museum across the street from the aforementioned McDonalds is really interesting. Haus am Checkpoint Charlie, I think it's called and covers numerous escape attempts from East into West Berlin. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostin' Kev Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 On 16/10/2018 at 14:00, tongue_tied_danny said: Depends what you're into. It's mostly chain shops, Starbucks and Irish pubs round there. It's fairly generic and not my scene at all. Good transport links. I'm pretty sure there is a direct train from Zoo Garden to the Olympic stadium. Like others on this thread i prefer wining and dining near the Kottbusser Tor or Warschauer Strasse railway stations as it's a bit more left field and generally cheaper. Can't recommend this enough. Said it many times but if you're not spending time in areas like Kreuzbeg, Neukoln, and Friedrichsein you may as well be anywhere else in Germany once you've done all the historical stuff. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moo Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Depends what you're into. It's mostly chain shops, Starbucks and Irish pubs round there. It's fairly generic and not my scene at all. Good transport links. I'm pretty sure there is a direct train from Zoo Garden to the Olympic stadium. Like others on this thread i prefer wining and dining near the Kottbusser Tor or Warschauer Strasse railway stations as it's a bit more left field and generally cheaper.Obviously the Mrs would probably like to do a bit of shopping but that would only be a few hours max and not the reason we’re there for. Basically it’s a city we’ve never been to and one we’ve always wanted to go to. So we’ll be looking to get around the place and see all the tourist spots but also looking to enjoy ourselves by drinking and eating out. We were always looking go somewhere in Europe this year for the Xmas markets and Berlin has had great reviews apart from the obvious terror attack a few years ago. With Hertha being at home that weekend, I’ll be going to that.I obviously don’t want to be paying over the odds for food and a pint so was wondering what areas were best and you obviously answered that in your reply. Usually when we’re both abroad we go down the back street boozers to get cheap food and drink anyway. I’ve read most of the thread but most have different opinions on best area to go out in. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Am Featha Taigh Nan Clach Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 Currently in Berlin and staying by Alexanderplatz. I'm here for 3 days so just doing the main sights/museums. Like Keithgy, i'm unlikely to stray too far at night. Is this because I'm a typical brit abroad? No, it's because I just want a generic restaurant or quick bite to eat and a couple of beers. Getting a u bahn to some suburb for a hipster bar or underground techno club isn't going to enhance my experience. I've been traveling around Asia and South/Central America. A slightly offbeat bit of a generic European capital isn't going to be a cultural awakening 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 They're not 'suburbs' at all - they're just other, less shit parts of the city core; it's like taking the Subway from Buchanan Street to Hillhead or somewhere rather than traipsing to TGI Fridays and Hard Rock Cafe like a welt. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Am Featha Taigh Nan Clach Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 It's like having a pint at the Auctioneers as opposed to Brel. The idea that having two pints with the same company at one pub is significantly better than having two pints at another is the reserve of inter-rail wankers and c***s 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dariusz Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 Been a few years since I've been to Berlin. Anyone any recommendations of pubs for watching Champions League footie? Anywhere between K'damm and Alexanderplatz should be easy enough for me to have a wander. Cheers 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tongue_tied_danny Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 2 hours ago, Dariusz said: Been a few years since I've been to Berlin. Anyone any recommendations of pubs for watching Champions League footie? Anywhere between K'damm and Alexanderplatz should be easy enough for me to have a wander. Cheers The Irish pub in the Europa centre may be your best bet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 It's like having a pint at the Auctioneers as opposed to Brel. The idea that having two pints with the same company at one pub is significantly better than having two pints at another is the reserve of inter-rail wankers and c***sIf one pub is good and the other is shite then of course it is - it’s the same process as choosing a good place to eat rather than a shitehole. f**k knows why you even bother to leave your doorstep given that logic tbh.The fact that you think going anywhere outside of Alexanderplatz in Germany’s capital city is an intrepid and fruitless mission confirms that we’ll be filing your - entirely unprompted - mention of travelling to South America safely in the bin as well.‘Day 74 - Santiago- had a shite pint of Heineken in the hotel bar again because it’s the same as everywhere else’. Thrilling stuff I’m sure. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dariusz Posted October 19, 2018 Share Posted October 19, 2018 The Irish pub in the Europa centre may be your best bet.Cheers. Will have a look 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR96 Posted October 21, 2018 Share Posted October 21, 2018 Going over on Saturday for 5 days. Can't wait. Staying at Hotel Kiez Pension in Friedrichshain. Seemingly a good location for transport links but does anyone know the hotel/general area? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tongue_tied_danny Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 11 hours ago, ScottR96 said: Going over on Saturday for 5 days. Can't wait. Staying at Hotel Kiez Pension in Friedrichshain. Seemingly a good location for transport links but does anyone know the hotel/general area? I've never stayed in that particular hotel but I am familiar with the area. Like you say there are good transport links. The bars and restaurants around boxhagener platz are around a five minute walk away. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyrTroopMajor Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 On 16/10/2018 at 10:22, Moo said: Going over in the second week of December with the Mrs for a wee break. Both of us have managed to bag a decent enough hotel which offers a free travel card for our stay there. Hotel is right next to Kurfürstendamm shopping street. Is this a good area to stay in? Read most of this thread but still don’t get a good picture of where it is. Hotel has good enough reviews about location etc so hopefully it is.Hertha play Eintracht on the Saturday so I shall be going to that. There's a Hertha Club Shop in Hauptbahnhof that you can get tickets from. You get discounted tickets with the Berlin Welcomecard. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stumigoo Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Back yesterday after nearly six days in Berlin. Being a regular to Munich I was keen to compare the two and it was interesting to see the differences in both. Berlin is much more sprawling and has much more of district feel to it similar to a city like London. Munich looks much better in terms of its overall architecture but I'm guessing that is due to it having pretty uninterrupted political history post 1945 compared to Berlin which in many ways is what makes Berlin so interesting. I was fascinated with all of the historical stuff and in terms of contemporary modern history there probably isn't a city like it anywhere else. I'm glad I got the chance to increase my knowledge of the Berlin Wall and the East/West divide. Highlights for me were the food market on the Thursday night in Kreuzburg, the East Side Gallery, Topography of Terror, DDR Museum, Holocaust Memorial and Museum, Olympic Stadium and the famous landmarks like the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate. Found Checkpoint Charlie very tacky and totally out of character in amongst all the other WWII stuff. Personal highlight was taking a trip down to Union Berlin's stadium then having lovely walk through some of the forest at the ground before watching the team train and then giving the man in the shop a bit of chat before him letting me having a wander about the empty stadium. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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