Right, flights are cheap, anyone got any recs for decent hotels? What area is the best to stay in etc? Always wanted to go, worked in Germany twice & loved the place both times. -- Nige, 'Candygram for Mongo' R1
I did this three years ago. I found east Berlin to be far nicer than west. I just wish I could remember the name of the hotel as it was great and cheap. -- Veggie Dave http://www.iq18films.co.uk "To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin." Cardinal Bellarmine
Great city - not sure what it will be like at Christmas time. Beware that it can get bloody cold in winter - it was around -20 for weeks early this year with permanent snow cover. The first time I stayed there, years ago, was in a small pension near Savignyplatz. Although cheap it was perfectly comfortable and decent enough. The last time, 3 years ago, was in a slightly unusual but decent hotel called the Meineke Arte Hotel near the Kurfurstendamn. The hotel has been refurbished and renamed but still looks good. There is a sister hotel across the road which does lunch and dinner service. http://markhotelmeineke.berlinhotels.it/overview.html?source=googleh-meineke+arte+hotel+berlin There are plenty of bars and restaurants within wandering distance or else you just head off to another district that takes your fancy. The room I had was enormous, the breakfast was good quality German style continental buffet and the service was polite and efficient. It's very well located for public transport plus wandering about. I expect you'll get a taxi from their airport but there is a direct airport bus from the top of the road.
Been there twice for a couple of days close to Christmas and it is a great city. Can recommend the Best Western Hotel Berlin-Mitte, which is very reasonably priced and within (longish) walking distance of the center. Walking is a great way to see central Berlin during Christmas, so staying close to the center (Alexanderplatz) is preferable for getting around the easiest, although staying within a short distance of the nearest U-Bahn (cheap and easy) station will compensate somewhat. Germans go completely bonkers during Christmas, so expect markets and stalls everywhere, fx. along most of Unter den Linden. If you are 'not that into Christmas', you should consider finding another time to visit or it will probably drive you insane. As "Herr Corfield" notes in another answer, it can be crazy cold there during the winter and extremely dry (at least for us 'Gulfstream-proximity-islanders' anyway.) Bring chapstic/lipbalm and use frequently, even if it does make you look a bit like a girls' blouse. For things to see/areas to visit, you should consult the interwebs, as there is a world of difference between fx. Tiergarten (official/upscaley) and Kreuzberg (a bit more pikey.) Things on my personal do-not-miss list would be Museumsinsel, Hauptbahnhof and a quick shopping run around the edges of Alexanderplatz (which will be completely covered in Christmas markets at the time) for the last presents, but this of course depends heavily on what your poison is. Fröhliches Weihnachten und viel Spass!
we went just after New Year for a few days would recommend this http://www.meliaberlin.com/en/index.html -- Adie (replace spam with nickname to reply) UKRM FAQ: http://www.ukrm.info/faq/ YZF-R1 : FZ1N : RD350LC (anyone would think I was partial to Yamahas) keeper of the FAQ for my sins MRO#11 BOTAFOF#7 BOTAFOT#130 DIAABTCOD#17 MIB#24 YTC#16 BOB#15 ex-UKRMMA#22 BOMB#11
