We’ve wanted to visit Berlin for a very long time. So, we booked 4 days in Berlin. Little did we know that 4 days is not enough time to explore this massive city.
We were blown away by the size of Berlin – the wide open expanses of green space that we’ve never seen in another European city. We realised pretty quickly that we needed to buy a travel ticket to maximise our time in the city. At 7 Euros a day, it was well worth it for the sake of our feet!
A lot of the sites that we visited were free, which is great for a travellers pocket – the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, Holocaust Memorial and the East Side Gallery. We loved walking around the Tiergarten park – where we got to see our first Red Squirrels, which was a completely unexpected joy.
You can’t escape the history of Berlin and that’s a good thing. Sensitive yet impactful monuments. From the Berlin Wall to the Holocaust Memorial and the Kaiser Wilhelm Church. Spend time at them, quietly explore them and don’t forget the meaning behind them.
The Graffiti, the unique charm of each U-Bahn station, the gritty vibe all makes Berlin something rather special. Experience the difference between what was East and West Berlin. We loved seeing the different areas of Berlin – Mitte, Kreuzburg, Charlottenburg, Friedrichshain, they are all so different and expose a different side to the city.
Our favourite places
- Charlottenburg – The grand streets and wide boulevards – so very pretty
- Fernsehturm – the tallest building in Berlin with panoramic views across the city and a great bar the the top. Just get there early to book your tickets as there might be a bit of wait – buy you tickets and then go and explore Alexanderplatz.
Best Meal
- Each and every Currywurst that we had – all from street stalls, we couldn’t get enough!
Things to try
- Currywurst – Sausage with Curry Ketchup, cut up into little pieces, making it fantastic street food.
- Pretzels – chewy, savoury and delicious. We often scraped off a lot of the Rock Salt otherwise it was supper salty.
- Shawarma – grilled chicken, salad and sesame crusted flat bread, virtually sold everywhere. A cheap and filling meal that is just great.
Travel Details
- We flew with Ryanair from London Stansted to Berlin Schonefeld– the flight costs were £96.06 each including taxes.
- We stayed at the Easy Hotel, booked through Booking.com – for £125.29 for 3 nights.
- We spent £110 on meals, drink and public transport.
Our final thoughts
Berlin really has something to offer everyone. The history, culture, food and night life. The industrial look to the city makes it feel really different from other very pretty European capitals, but it has a distinct charm of its own that can’t be beaten. Berlin is a absolute must visit and we will go back to spend more time exploring and experiencing the city.
* Prices correct as of March 2016.