Five Things Every Student Should Know about BerlinCategory: Travel & Holidays
Article added by: Paul Collins
1. Traveling is Cheap
First things first, it may be a big city, but getting around Berlin could hardly be easier. Berlin transport is absolutely superb: not only are the S-Bahn and U-Bahn simple to get to grips with, they run late into the night and, most importantly, are reassuringly cheap. Individual tickets in the center cost €1.60 while a day-pass will only set you back €4.60.
To make things even easier for the visitor, the authorities introduced the WelcomeCard and CityTourCard to offer tourists discounted travel for 48-72 hours. And as if all that wasn’t enough, the U-Bahn and S-Bahn are in turn joined up by a tram and bus system.
2. Entrance to the Reichstag is Free
Sitting alongside another of Berlin’s most iconic sights, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag has stood at the very heart of so much of Berlin’s turbulent recent history.
So far, so good. But from the point of view of a student on a German course in Berlin, the best news is that entrance is free, so you can slip in and marvel at Sir Norman Foster’s glass dome before climbing up into it and checking out the stunning panoramic views of the city.
3. Berlin Lives & Breathes Through its Parks
Nothing helps out a student budget in a big city like parks and open spaces. And Berlin parks are not only some of the greenest and most attractive imaginable, but they also have a central role to play for life in the city.
Out in Kreuzberg, Viktoriapark has some great views out across Tempelhof Airport and the rest of the city, while Schlosspark Charlottenburg is a slightly more elegant offering. Then of course there’s the mighty Tiergarten, the lungs of the city center.
To make that food and drink budget stretch just a little further, it’s a good idea to pick up some cheap food and a couple of bottles of something or other from a supermarket and stretch out on the grass with a bunch of friends for a picnic.
4. Alternative Berlin Opens Up the City
Alternative Berlin tours are a fantastic way to get to know the ever elusive ‘real Berlin’. The focus here is firmly placed on revealing the best street art, musical monuments, the cool, the counter-cultural, and, as they put it "discovering those hidden places”.
Best of all, though, Alternative Berlin operates on a ‘tips only’ basis, so poor student travelers can pay precisely what they think the tour was worth.
5. It’s all in ExBerliner
Before even setting off on a Berlin tour, the first thing that any student just arrived for their German course in Berlin should do is get their hands on a copy of the English language publication, ExBerliner.
A cracking magazine, ExBerliner is packed with listings of jobs and accommodation in Berlin, handy city hints and some pretty cool writing. It can be picked up in kiosks, bars and cafés right across the city, and is an essential resource for any student traveler in Berlin.
Posted By: Paul Collins
Contact: e-mail
| About the Author: |
| Having spent many a happy week in the city, travel writer and former language teacher Paul Collins knows exactly how to really make the most of a German course in Berlin. |
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