Welcome to Berlin

Berlin City Guide

Welcome to Berlin, the iconic capital city of Germany. Berlin is situated in the north-east of Germany and has a population of 3.5 million. It is the most multicultural city in Germany, and is almost 10 times larger in area than Paris! It is synonymous with the Berlin Wall, however, there is much more to this wonderful city. 

HOW TO GET TO BERLIN
Berlin has two airports. The main airport is Tegel Airport (TXL), located 5 miles north-west of the city centre, and Schönefeld Airport (SFX), which is 10 miles south-east of the city. There are daily domestic and international flights to and from both airports and there are good bus and train connections to and from the city centre. You can also call one of the local taxi companies. (TIP: please be advised that in late 2013, Brandenburg Airport will replace Schönefeld Airport and Tegel Airport to become the main airport for the city.)

GETTING AROUND BERLIN
Public transport in Berlin is excellent with buses, trams and ferries, however, the most popular forms of transport are the U-Bahn (Underground Train) and the S-Bahn (Fast Train). The U-Bahn has 9 lines (map) and stations are identified with a white "U" on a blue background. The S-Bahn has 3 main lines (map) running from the suburbs of Berlin into the city centre. All public transport is inexpensive and almost all forms are integrated under the same ticket structure. 

STAYING IN BERLIN
For short term accommodation, use one of the city's quality hostels. We recommend St Christophers, Berlin, the Grand Hostel, the Amstel House Hostel and the Heart of Gold Hostel. All of these are inexpensive, centrally located and you will receive a warm welcome. For longer term student accommodation, check out our dedicated section for student accommodation in Berlin.

EATING OUT IN BERLIN
Eating Out in Berlin.........coming soon.

GOING OUT IN BERLIN
Socialising in Berlin.........coming soon.

THINGS TO DO IN BERLIN
Berlin is the most visited city in Germany and has many attractions. Spend the day at Museum Island, enjoy a concert at the Konzerthaus or opera at the Deutsches Oper. If you are a sports fan, you can watch live 'Bundesliga football' at the Olympic Stadium, and both  'Euroleague' basketball and handball at the O2 World Arena. For the more energetic, you can swim in the Spree (weather permitting) or take long walks in the city to see some of the famous landmarks including the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie. We highly recommend taking the Berlin Bus Tour to see and enjoy the whole city.

SHOPPING IN BERLIN
There is a shopping centre in every district of Berlin. A 'must-see' area to shop is the Kurfürstendamm where you will find the famous KaDeWe, regarded as the best department store in Berlin. Visit Friedrichstraße where the Galeries Lafayette is located. Other shopping centres include Galleria, Gesundbrunnencenter and Postdamer Platz Arkaden.

STUDYING IN BERLIN
Berlin is home to several universities, art schools and tech. colleges. The main universities are Freie Universität Berlin, the Humboldt Universität Berlin, the Technische Universität Berlin and the Universität der Künste Berlin. For more info on studying at any of these, please visit the university section of the website.