Before You Go
Visa
Germany is in the Schengen Area: citizens of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and most of Latin America can stay visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Non-EU visitors are registered in the Entry/Exit System (EES) on first arrival — fingerprints and a photo instead of a stamp. ETIAS (a pre-travel online registration) isn't expected before 2027.
When to go
May–June and September are the sweet spot: warm, beer gardens open, and fewer crowds than July–August. Munich fills up and hotel prices jump during Oktoberfest (19 September – 4 October 2026). Late November to 23 December brings the Christmas markets — cold, but one of the best times to visit.
| Months | Feel | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jun – Aug | 20–28°C, occasional heat waves | Peak season — beer gardens, lakes, open-air everything |
| Apr – May / Sep | 12–20°C | Best balance; book early for late Sep (Oktoberfest) |
| Oct – Nov | 5–14°C, grey | Quieter and cheaper; museums carry the trip |
| Late Nov – Dec | −2 to 5°C | Christmas markets everywhere; Alps start getting snow |
| Jan – Mar | −5 to 5°C | Ski season in the Bavarian Alps; cities are quiet |
What to pack
Check things off as you pack.
Documents
Money
Clothing
Electronics
Arrival & Departure
Landing in Berlin
Berlin Brandenburg (BER) is about 25km southeast of the center. The FEX Airport Express reaches Berlin Hauptbahnhof in about 25 minutes, several times an hour; regional trains and the S-Bahn also run in. The airport is in fare zone C, so you need an ABC ticket (€5) — an AB ticket isn't enough, and inspectors fine €60. A taxi to Mitte runs roughly €50–70.
Landing in Munich
Munich Airport (MUC) is about 35km northeast of the city. S-Bahn lines S1 and S8 run to the Hauptbahnhof and Marienplatz in about 40 minutes. The airport is outside the city's main fare zone, so buy an airport ticket or the Airport-City-Day-Ticket, which covers the ride in plus a full day of city transport. A taxi costs around €80–100.
Leaving Germany
- Allow 2 hours for European flights and 3 for long-haul from either airport.
- Flying out of Munich after an early castle day? The S-Bahn to the airport is reliable, but leave buffer — S-Bahn works and closures happen, especially at weekends.
- German trains are often late. Never plan a tight train-to-flight connection; give yourself at least an hour of slack.
Stay
Only highly-rated picks, grouped by neighborhood. Berlin is big and spread out, so where you stay shapes your trip — Mitte for sights, Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg for neighbourhood life, Charlottenburg for a calmer, classic West Berlin feel. Munich stays are in chapter 10.
Mitte — the historic center
Hotel Adlon Kempinski
Berlin's most famous hotel, right beside the Brandenburg Gate.
Hotel de Rome
A former 19th-century bank on Bebelplatz, with a pool in the old vault and a rooftop terrace.
Circus Hotel
Friendly, fairly priced, and well loved, on Rosenthaler Platz between Mitte and Prenzlauer Berg.
Hotel Telegraphenamt
The 1916 central telegraph office, reborn in 2022 — the old pneumatic-tube system is still on show in the lobby, plus a spa and a gallery.
Numa Berlin Weinmeister
Design-led, app-run rooms by Hackescher Markt, with a rooftop terrace.
Prenzlauer Berg & Friedrichshain — local, lively
Hotel Oderberger
A restored 1902 public bathhouse — you can swim in the original, vaulted pool hall.
Michelberger
A creative, laid-back favourite by Warschauer Straße and the East Side Gallery.
Kreuzberg & Neukölln — food, bars, and canals
Orania.Berlin
A small hotel with a celebrated restaurant and bar under one roof on Oranienplatz.
Hüttenpalast
Sleep in a restored vintage caravan or cabin inside an old factory hall in Neukölln — quirky, cosy, and fairly priced (shared bathrooms).
Charlottenburg & Tiergarten — classic West Berlin
Hotel am Steinplatz
An elegant Art Nouveau building on a quiet Charlottenburg square, with a well-loved bar.
SO/ Berlin Das Stue
The former Royal Danish embassy, on the edge of the Tiergarten park.
Sir F.K. Savigny
A warm, literary boutique hotel on a leafy square near Savignyplatz.
Hotel Zoo Berlin
A grand Kurfürstendamm address since 1911, restyled with a glamorous 1920s feel.
Wilmina
A former women's prison and courthouse, now 44 calm, design-led rooms in the old cells, original bars and all.
Provocateur
Moody, 1920s-Paris-meets-Berlin glamour in a 1911 Art Nouveau building; each room has a "provocateur mode" button that changes the light.
25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin
Playful jungle-themed rooms looking over the Zoo or the Memorial Church, with a popular rooftop bar.
Expect roughly €120–250 a night for most of these, €400+ for the Adlon and Hotel de Rome. Berlin is good value by European capital standards — except during big trade fairs and New Year's Eve.
Getting Around
U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram & bus
Berlin's transport (BVG and S-Bahn) is extensive and runs all night at weekends. A single AB ticket is €4, valid two hours in one direction; ABC is €5 and covers the airport and Potsdam. Day and 7-day tickets save money if you ride a lot. Buy in the BVG or DB Navigator app, or at machines (stamp paper tickets!). There are no gates — just random checks, and fines are €60.
Taxis & ride-hailing
- Taxis are cream-coloured, metered, and reliable; Uber, Bolt and FreeNow all work in Berlin and Munich.
- For short trips in Berlin, a Kurzstrecke (short-hop) taxi fare applies if you ask for it when you flag a cab on the street.
On foot & by bike
Berlin rewards cycling — it's flat and mostly has bike lanes. Rent through apps like Nextbike or Donkey Republic. Walking between sights is pleasant, but distances are bigger than they look on a map.
Money & Tipping
Currency — bring some cash
Euros. Unlike Scandinavia, Germany still uses a lot of cash. Most hotels, chains and many restaurants take cards, but plenty of bakeries, small cafés, beer gardens and Christmas-market stalls are cash only ("Nur Bargeld"). Keep €30–50 on you and use bank ATMs rather than standalone machines in tourist areas.
Tipping — say it, don't leave it
Round up or add 5–10% for good service. Don't leave money on the table: when you pay, tell the server the total you want to pay including the tip — "Dreißig, bitte" (thirty, please) — or say "Stimmt so" (keep the change). Expect the question "zusammen oder getrennt?" — together or separately? Splitting the bill is completely normal.
Roughly what a day costs
Per person, per day, covering a hotel, food, local transport, and sightseeing. Berlin is noticeably cheaper than Munich.
Budget
Berlin's best sights — the Wall, the memorials, the Reichstag dome — are free, and street food is excellent and cheap.
Mid-range
Where most of this guide's picks sit. Book ICE tickets early — prices rise as the date approaches.
Luxury
First-class ICE, a private Neuschwanstein day trip, and Michelin dining in both cities.
Language
German. English is widely spoken in Berlin and Munich, especially by younger people, but less so in small Bavarian towns, older beer halls, and on the phone. A few words go a long way, and starting with "Hallo" or "Guten Tag" before switching to English is appreciated. In Bavaria, you'll also hear "Grüß Gott" as a greeting.
| English | German |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hallo / Guten Tag |
| Yes / No | Ja / Nein |
| Please / You're welcome | Bitte |
| Thank you | Danke |
| Excuse me / sorry | Entschuldigung |
| How much? | Was kostet das? |
| Where's the bathroom? | Wo ist die Toilette? |
| Cheers! | Prost! |
| Digit | German |
|---|---|
| 1 | Eins |
| 2 | Zwei |
| 3 | Drei |
| 4 | Vier |
| 5 | Fünf |
| 6 | Sechs |
| 7 | Sieben |
| 8 | Acht |
| 9 | Neun |
| 10 | Zehn |
What to Wear
Berlin is famously casual — black, comfortable, unfussy; almost nowhere has a dress code. Munich is a notch more polished. Bring layers: the weather changes quickly, and the Alps are always colder than the city.
Visiting Oktoberfest? Locals wear Lederhosen and Dirndl, and plenty of visitors join in — but buy decent ones from a proper shop rather than a costume store, and it's perfectly fine to go in normal clothes.
See & Do
Berlin's two essential visits
The Berlin Wall
The Wall divided Berlin for 28 years. Two places tell the story best: the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße, with a preserved stretch of the death strip and a viewing tower, and the East Side Gallery, the longest surviving section, covered in murals painted after it fell.
Start at the memorial's visitor center, then work along the outdoor exhibition. A double row of cobblestones set into streets across the city marks where the Wall once stood.
Museum Island
A UNESCO-listed island of five world-class museums in the Spree. The highlight right now is the Neues Museum, home to the 3,300-year-old bust of Nefertiti. The Pergamon Museum is closed for restoration until 4 June 2027 — but the Pergamon Panorama exhibition across the river shows its famous altar in a 360° recreation.
Book timed slots for the Neues Museum online. If you'll see three or more museums, the 3-day Museum Pass usually pays for itself.
More of Berlin
- The Reichstag dome — Norman Foster's glass dome over parliament, with a spiral ramp and views across the city. Free, but register online in advance. It closes for maintenance now and then — including 19–30 October 2026 (the roof terrace stays open).
- Brandenburg Gate & the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe — a few minutes apart. Walk into the memorial's 2,711 concrete slabs; the free underground information center is quietly devastating.
- Topography of Terror — a free documentation center on the site of the former Gestapo and SS headquarters, next to a surviving section of the Wall.
- Tempelhofer Feld — a former airport turned into a vast park; cycle or skate down the old runways.
- The TV Tower — 368 metres up at Alexanderplatz, the best view in the city; book a timed ticket to skip the queue.
- Mauerpark on Sundays — the flea market, and open-air karaoke in the amphitheatre in summer.
Day trips from Berlin
Potsdam & Sanssouci
Frederick the Great's rococo summer palace and its huge park, about 25 minutes by regional train (or ~40 on the S-Bahn) — covered by an ABC ticket. Palace entry ~€14 with a timed slot (closed Mondays); the park is free.
Sachsenhausen Memorial
A former concentration camp just north of the city, now a memorial and museum. About an hour by S-Bahn to Oranienburg plus a short walk; entry is free. A sobering, important half day.
Eat & Drink
Food to try in Berlin
Currywurst
Sliced sausage with curry ketchup and fries — Berlin's own, invented here in 1949
Döner kebab
The modern sandwich version took off in Berlin's Turkish community; Berliners argue endlessly about the best one
Berliner (Pfannkuchen)
Jam-filled doughnuts — in Berlin itself they're called Pfannkuchen
Königsberger Klopse
Veal meatballs in a white caper sauce, classic old-Berlin home cooking
Kaffee und Kuchen
The afternoon coffee-and-cake ritual — Germany's answer to fika
Spargel
White asparagus, April to June, with hollandaise and potatoes — a national obsession
Highly-rated places in Berlin
These link to a Maps search rather than a pinned location — confirm you've got the right spot before you go.