Berlin mini break with DD 11 in July - where to stay?

[tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz]

Evening all

Title sums it up really! Looking to be fairly central and close to as many sites as possible, self catering so open to an apartment or flat (dubious about Airbnb) as did similar in Rome] but the ease of a hotel appeals.

I don't actually know what area is best to look at (Berlin newbie) hence vague request! I'm assuming the transport links around the city and to/from airport will be efficient?! t the same time once we have our bearings we're happy to walk lots so would look to clock up a few steps if necessary too.

any pointers to help me make a start on looking would be grand!

Thanks.

Also the body museum is good depending on how Dd will mange with it
DDR museum is good lots of interactive things to see and Do
Boat tour on River spree can board by DDR museum
Zoo
We went out to concentration camp but is a 1/2 Day trip if do go on day when English tour the guides give extra info
Could do the Jewish museum as gives storey if Jews not just the holocaust but check how much is open as undergoing work
Tv tower
There is a good court in Alexa mall in Alexander platz and a supermarket on lowest floor which also sells souvenirs cheaper than other placed

Bus direct from Tegal airport to Alexander platz labelled TXL
We get the all done travel card (Zones A/B/C can get at the airport depending what doing the welcome card can be good value

You must validate card first time use bus or ubahn or the S bahn.The machines on platform just put card in and stamp
On the trains handy tip look at the name on platform look for small arrow will tell you which way train going

Oh and enjoy As a side note is one of the most accessible places I have visited (Am in wheelchair but get around better there than London

I stayed in Charlottenburg. Transport was brilliant. Places we went included Potsdam, Wannsee, the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie museum.

My head is spinning with looking at accommodation now! None of the names mean all that much to me so I think reading a guide book first might be an idea. It seems such a large city it's a bit worrying that we'd end up somewhere where we spend much of our time travelling in to the centre. Hotels in Mitte do seem quite dear though. Have you chosen anywhere yet OP?

H all apologies for not coming back sooner. The Adina apartments and similar look amazing however are tipping us over our budget. We've found a hotel, the Maritim which I think is in Mitte and seems reasonable plus walking distance to of lots of things to see. I've found myself comparing all options with when we stayed in Rome in October which wasn't cheap however it is one of the busiest months and we literally fell into gorgeous monuments as soon as we walked out the front door so justified t(e price tag for me. I think I was expecting Berlin to be cheaper but realise my comparison isn't equal!

Thanks everyone for all of your replies and suggestions of things to do - I've started a list with the zoo/aquarium at the top . If anyone has eating suggestions either in Mitte or near the main attractions that would be fantastic - great places for breakfast and coffee in particular.

Copper how is your search coming on?

And we've finally booked - staying at the Hotel Gat Point Charlie!

Really excited now!

whispers - are kids allowed in bars before 10pm? I know, appalling parent

Go for chocolate cake at the Rausch Schokoladenhaus too (although the chocolate cake at McDonalds is pretty good too).

www.rausch.de/en/

The DDR Museum is really good (if you can catch Travel Man 48 Hrs in Berlin then you’ll get a preview).

There’s a hands on type Spy Museum too (although we couldn’t persuade DS to give it a go).

If you book well in advance then you can go up the Reichstag Dome (or take a tour of the Reichstag itself).

www.bundestag.de/en/visittheBundestag/dome/registration-245686

The Zoo is well worth a visit (and the cafes serve very good cake). You can avoid the ticket queues by buying your entrance tickets at the U Bahn.

The East Side Gallery is worth seeing - murals on a remaining section of the Wall.

For getting around, day tickets are good value and will cover travel on all public transport (and includes the bus out to the airport).

@tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz glad you got sorted! Had a look at your hotel and it looks lovely - they don't do family rooms or I would book it myself! The search continues

You had me at chocolate cake

Continuity is it true you can do the fine for free if you book? Looks awesome and spy museum could be fun. We did the one in Washington DC a few years back which was amazing.

Copper I'm a bit concerned now at how poky it is and lack of air conditioning however we got a great room only rate which we can cancel up to the day before so I think I'll secretly keep looking!

Remus is it realistic to do Mitte and it's attractions on foot? Ideally we'd prefer that as we enjoy walking (although obv German public transport is clerkly excellent!).

Anyone any experience of the outdoor public pools/lakes? That could be a fun morning/afternoon and possibly bloody cold!

Sorry, meant Dome !
Damn autocorrect.

Yes the dome is free can pre book or sometimes on the day tickets from small building opposite side to Reichstag

Excellent - it looked worth doing anyway so if is free it's definitely going on the list, thanks!

We stayed at the NH Kurfürstendamm - definitely has a/c. The airport bus stops at the end of the road. It’s handy for the zoo, otherwise it’s easy to hop on the UBahn into the centre.

m.nh-hotels.com/hotel/nh-berlin-kurfuerstendamm?utm_campaign=local-gmb&utm_medium=organic_search&utm_source=google_gmb

A loft apartment AirBnb on Gärtnerstraße in Friedrichshain. Great location. Would stay there again.

Thanks I'll check that place out and maybe look at Airbnb - I've never tried them before. I don't know why I just don't trust them! Why do so many not have carbon monoxide detectors, even in the uk?!

Off to do some more googling!

Some bars allow kids and some don't so just ask.

Schlachtensee is a beautiful lake for swimming in and an easy S bahn ride.

In Mitte you could definitely walk lots eg Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust memorial, Unter den Linden, cathedral, museum island and a boat trip for example.

Yes to Rausch!

Hotel Gat Point Charlie is nice and very near both Rausch and the Ritter shop. There's a friendly Indian restaurant not far from there (very mild food though) near the famous elephant street art. Also a couple of good cheap bakeries.

Thanks that's so helpful. You know the city well Remus

Go easy in Rausch though - hot chocolate and chocolate cake was a bit (not envy) even for chocolate loving teen DS!

We stayed in Plankstrasse 20 listed as a Quiet Apartment in Historical centre on Air BnB.

It's a bit IKEA basic in furniture but it has 3 bedrooms and is a couple of minutes walk from Freidrichstrasse Station. The trains are every few minutes.

I highly recommend a book called Berlin Unwrapped for ideas. It's been my bible for the last few years and helped us in many trips to this wonderful city!

I highly recommend the German history museum in the museum sector. It’s excellent and a must see. We went to Charlottenburg Palace but we don’t go to zoos abroad. We have them here so they are not very different. You could be anywhere.

The GDR history museum is good. You can also find sections of wall to look at. The Reichstag is also a must. We stayed quite close to that just off Unter Den Linden. Go early. It has massive queues. My younger DD also loved the art installations in an unused railway station. Not to everyone’s taste but interesting.

Work out an itinerary. What do you want to see most of all? The History museum was excellent and relevant for anyone interested in modern history of Germany and Europe.

Just remembered. We stayed at the Weston Grand. Was a steal when booked with the airline tickets!

I hated the DDR museum - such a tourist trap and so busy. There's a small, free, much nicer one in the Culture Brewery in Prenzlauerberg, a really lovely area for a stroll, coffee, lunch. My favourite cafe bar is near there too, and allows children. It's called Wohnzimmer.

I'd also recommend Treptower Park for a walk along the river (you can go over a bridge to a little island with a beer garden). The breathtakingly impressive Russian war memorial is in the park too. You're also close to the abandoned theme park, although you'd need to check times of you wanted a tour (haven't done this yet - just peeped through the barriers!).

www.circus-berlin.de/circus-hotel-berlin/

We stayed here - highly recommend it. Brilliant location.

What time of year are you going to be there, OP?