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CONTENTSORIENTATION-Survival guide.........................7-9`

TRANSPORT-Airports..................................12-U-bahn/ S-bahn/ Trams..........12-13-Buses......................................13-Tickets....................................13-14

HISTORY AND CONTEXT-National Socialism.................. 16-When East Met West..............17-18-Since the Wall Came Down.....18-19

ACCOMODATION-Hostels....................................22-24-Couch Surfing..........................24

SIGHTS AND TOURS-Walking, Bus and Boat Tours ..26-29-Sights.......................................30-37-Day Trips..................................38

MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES-Museum Island.........................40-44-Other museums and galleries ..44-48

ARTS AND CULTURE-Film...........................................50-57-Gay and Lesbian........................58-61-Street Art...................................62-64

NIGHT LIFE-Introduction..............................66-67-Bars and Night Clubs.................67-74

SHOPPING AND FASHION

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-Flea Markets...........................76-77-Shopping in Prenzlauerberg...78-79-Fundusverkauf........................80-81-Shopping in Friedrichstain......82-83-General Shops........................84-87

FOOD AND DRINK-Eating in Berlin........................90-Restaurants and Cafes............91-97-Vegetarian...............................98-99-Desserts..................................100-101

CONTRIBUTORS.......................102-104

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Orientation

Berlin is generally a city which is easy to get around, but in case you find yourself in a confusing situation, or can’t find the information you need, here are a few top tips to help you along your way.

Find your way around – Bus, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Metro, Trams, Regional Trains... The sheer amount of transport options in Berlin can be over-whelming when you first ar-rive. As soon as you can, pick up a transport systems map to aid in navigation. The two important ones are the S/U-Bahn map and the tram/metro one. For further guidance in navigating the public transport flick to our transport section.

Riding the public transport – Rule of thumb: buy before you ride. It’s also necessary to validate your ticket in the automatic machines before boarding. Plain-clothes ticket officers ride around the trams and trains checking tickets and failure to have a valid ticket could land you with a €40 fine.

Travel Planner – BVG operates all of the public transport in Berlin. Their web-site (www.bvg.de) has a handy timetable search box and up-to-date information about de-lays, diversions and cancella-tions, which often happen at short notice. Checking before you leave for an epic late-night party five miles away can help you avoid being stuck in an un-familiar area where the public transport has stopped running.

Carry ID – You can be stopped and asked for ID at any time by the police, so it’s a good idea to carry some form of ID on you. Student ID also comes in handy as many places offer student discounts.

Toilets – It is the norm to pay for us-ing public toilets in Berlin. Ex-pect a charge in some places of around 50 cents, and up to €1 in some places. Even places like Starbucks and high profile museums have toilet attend-ants who expect a tip before you enter. Popping into café’s and asking if you can use their facilities avoids having to pay.

Berlin survival guide

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Getting into clubs – This can sometimes be tricky. Some bars encourage large groups, while others will turn you away before you reach the door, thinking you’ll cause trouble. It’s always a good idea to check dress code be-fore heading out, to avoid the disappointment of being turned away for the wrong at-tire. Also, some clubs are fussy about you taking cameras in, so be wary of taking yours out.

Sundays – In contrast to the usual hus-tle and bustle of the rest of the week, Sunday’s are quiet on Berlin’s shop-lined streets, thanks to German law that states most shops can’t open Sundays. Don’t expect to pick up any groceries on a Sunday.

Cross the road with caution – Jaywalking is illegal. Motor-ists know this and won’t slow down for anything. If you choose to cross before the green man appears, don’t be surprised when locals tut and frown disapprovingly.

Watch out for the cyclists –They are everywhere! Often impatient and cycling at what seems like 50 miles per hour, cy-clists will swerve alarming close by if you’re in the way. Stay off the designated cycle paths to avoid too many near-misses, and even then expect to share the pavement. Alternative: buy or rent your own bike. It’s ar-guably one of the best ways to experience the city and allows you to join in on the death-

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Orientation

defying antics of other cyclists.

Take note of museum opening hours - Many of the museums located around Museum Island are free for the last four opening hours on Thursdays, generally between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., a great opportunity to explore the rich variety Berlin’s muse-ums offer. Also keep in mind many of the museums and gal-leries are shut on Mondays.

Stay hydrated! - This is a no-brainer when it comes to summer in the city. If you need free tap water from a restaurant or bar, make sure you ask for ‘Leitungswasser’ as ‘tap water’ isn’t always understood.

Buying bottled water - Then take note that the ma-jority of bottled water sold in Berlin is of the sparkling va-riety. Even bottles labelled with the seemingly straight-forward ‘Naturliches Mineral-wasser’ contain bubbles. For still water, look for the bot-tles labelled ‘ohne Kohlen-saure’, ‘without gas.’ ‘Kohlen-saure ‘ means that it’s got fizz.

Plastic recycling – If you’re visiting Berlin in the summer months, chances are you’ll get through a substan-tial number of bottled drinks. These can be recycled and you’ll receive money for doing so, around 25 cents a bottle. Drop them off in the machines at your local supermarket.

Bring your own bags – Supermarkets and other shops in Berlin don’t offer plastic bags or packing services. Whilst plastic carriers are available to purchase in supermarkets, bringing your own will save money and the environment. Also, supermarket cashiers are super efficient, so pack fast.

And finally...Explore! - Berlin has much more to of-fer and changes so rapidly, it’s near impossible for any guide book to cover everything. Find an area that appeals to you, go there and wander the streets. We guarantee you’ll find your-self a new favourite hangout.

CS

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Meet the team

Editorial team: Sarah Rosenbaum (SER) and James Gill (JEG)

Layout team: Ashley Panton (AP) and Beccy Shore (RS)

Cover artwork by: Christina Frentiu Socolescu (CFS)

Photography: Charlie Small (CS), Jane Grisman (JKG), Francesca Giudice (FG), Bethany Wright (BW), Ashley Panton (AP) and Beccy Shore (RS)

Contributors: Jasmin Weatherly (JW), Aviva Adornato (AA), Christina Frentiu Socolescu (CFS), Ashley James Panton (AP), Joshua Davidson (JD), James Gill (JEG), Beccy Shore (RS), Jane Grisman (JKG), Phoebe Ja-kober (PJ), Francesca Giudice (FG), Bethany Wright (BW), Charlie Small (CS), Sarah Elizabeth Rosenbaum (SER) and Sophie Karl (SK)

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