Berlin

By air

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)

BER to Mitte: the airport express (FEX) or regional train to Hauptbahnhof about every 15–30 minutes for about 30–45 minutes, then a short S-Bahn ride; the risk is the late-night gap after the last train.

By rail and road

Typical fares

BER → Mitte, airport express train

€4–6, about 30 min

BER → Mitte, taxi

€50–75, about 30–45 min

BVG single ticket, zones AB

€3–4

Fares are estimates; check before you ride.

Passes

A day ticket for zones AB pays back after about three rides; the airport is in zone C, so buy a ticket that covers ABC on arrival. Check current prices on bvg.de.

Late at night

On weekends many U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines run all night; on weekdays night buses and trams replace them. Check the BVG app.

Burgermeister (Schlesisches Tor)

Cheap burgers from a former public toilet under the elevated U1 line: a casual lunch at the end of the wall walk; expect a queue at peak hours.

Curry 36

A classic Berlin currywurst stand: sliced sausage in curry ketchup with fries, eaten standing at a shelf; a five-minute detour on the way to or from the East Side Gallery.

Fassbender & Rausch

A chocolate house on Charlottenstraße with hot chocolate, cakes and a small lunch menu; a dry stop on the Gendarmenmarkt side of the day.

Markthalle Neun

A restored 1891 market hall in Kreuzberg with permanent food stalls and a weekly Street Food Thursday event; a 15–20 minute walk or short ride from the East Side Gallery, best on a Thursday evening if the crowds do not put you off.

Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap

One of Berlin's best-known döner stands, at Mehringdamm in Kreuzberg — a detour from the East Side Gallery cluster (about 25–35 minutes by U-Bahn), and known for a long queue most of the day; worth it if you have the time, skip if you are short on it.

Kreuzberg

Cafés, street food and nightlife with the East Side Gallery close by; a ten-minute U-Bahn ride from the Museum Island and quieter on side streets.

Mitte and Hackescher Markt

First visit: cafés, courtyards and the S-Bahn all within a few minutes, and the cathedral and museums a short walk away; loud on weekend nights.

Etiquette

• Queuing: Germans queue and expect turn-taking to be respected, including at bus stops and ticket machines.
• Jaywalking: Jaywalking (crossing on a red pedestrian light) is mildly frowned on, especially with children watching, even with no traffic coming.
• Recycling and Pfand: Recycling is taken seriously: bottles often carry a deposit (Pfand), reclaimed at supermarket machines.
• Nazi symbols: Do not make Nazi salutes or symbols even as a joke; it is a criminal offence in Germany, not just bad manners.

Red lines

• The Holocaust Memorial and the Sachsenhausen memorial are places of remembrance: no jumping on the stelae, no photos of people, low voices.
• The Reichstag dome needs a free advance registration and government ID at the door.
• At East Side Gallery do not paint or mark the murals; graffiti on the wall itself is fined.

Scams and watch-outs

• Shell games (Hütchenspiel) and 'lost wallet' tricks at Alexanderplatz and near the Brandenburg Gate: never play; the game is rigged.
• Clipboard petitions and 'deaf charity' collectors that end with a demand for money: say no and walk on.
• Unmarked or unlicensed taxis at BER: use the rank at the terminal, where the fare is metered.
• Souvenir 'Wall pieces' sold at Checkpoint Charlie: they are not from the Wall.