I am very excited to be going to Berlin for the 2nd time! I was there in 1991, and it is a vastly different city now. I arrive on the 20th after a killer flight the day before, and depart on the 24th. I am using my Marriott points to stay at the Berlin Marriott Hotel (though I'm going to keep an eye on Priceline and see if I can get a bargain instead of using my points). I have just begun my research, and would like some input from all you knowledgeable FTers!

1) What can I expect it to be like in November? It looks like it's even colder than Boston, and possibly wetter. I plan to pack long underwear, and bring some waterproof boots and a winter-weight trench coat. What has worked best in your experience?

2) Is there the equivalent of the Paris Museum pass in Berlin? This was very helpful when faced with long lines/queues to gain entrance.

3) Are hop on/hop off tours worth it? Normally I would do a walking tour, but if the weather is cold, raw, and windy, I would prefer to be inside a bus.

4) I heard that the Marriott breakfasts are overpriced just like in the US. Any recommendations on places to get a decent breakfast? I'm more inclined toward protein (meat and eggs) than pastries.

I am excited to see museums and sites dedicated to East German history. Anything not in the guidebooks that you think is worthwhile, let me know. Vielen Dank!

Kathy

The Marriott is NICE and in a good location. The weather is a total crapshoot that time of year. The best advice is to be prepared to layer up.

Here are a couple of links that might be of interest. Have a great time!

http://www.citytourcard.com/english/...ting-page.html

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/desti...iversary_N.htm

Bus tour: there is a regular bus line than basically passes lots of important sites like Schloss Bellevue, etc. I believe it's either line 100 or 200 and passes S- and U-Bahn station Zoologischer Garten (right at Kurf�rstendamm (the big shopping street)). Of course, on a regular bus line, it's pretty easy to hop on and off, also it doesn't come with a typical tourist rip off price. Just ask at the hotel, they know about this line.

From there, you can still do lots of walking and Berlin is a great city to walk in.

The only thing I really hate are the traffic lights. I am a really fast walker but I can basically never make it across the street on a 2-lane in each direction intersection without seeing the red light when I am almost over. I ask myself what older people or people with other handicaps do in Berlin?

Anyway, have fun, you will have just missed the big party for the reunification.

Hi,
expect rainy weather, between 0 and 10 degree Celsius. In my opinion the hop-on-hop-off tours are not worth their money. However you should take from Alexanderplatz to Zoo the normal Bus no 100 and Return with the bus number 200. Then you have probably seen all sights which are normally included in the hop-on-hop-off tour.
Regarding your interest in east german history, there is an open-air exhibition about the the events in the GDR leading to the Fall of the Wall. This exhibition was mainly planed by people who where involved in these events.
The other must see is http://en.stiftung-hsh.de/. It is not in center of berlin, but you should easily reach it by public transport and is one of the most impressive memorial and musuem about the east German secret police (Staatssicherheit, Stasi).
cheers
757DUD

Just to clarify: The open-air exhibition is on Alexanderplatz which is not clear from the above post. The is a DDR museum as well close to the larger museums. I agree that Hohensch�nhausen is well worth visiting, however be careful if you want a guided tour and don't speak English as most tours are in German only. Check the website for the English-speaking ones.

Thank you everyone. I should note that I am a woman traveling alone (have done so many times for business travel). Are there any areas I should avoid because of safety reasons? Thanks!

The downtown and tourist areas of Berlin are as safe as in any other big city. There are no no-go areas. Just use your common sense and don't walk alone through dark alleys. something you probably wouldn't do in Boston either.

If you like museums the Museumsinsel is a must see. Several different museums to choose from. Some of them are newly resaturated.

http://www.museumsinsel-berlin.de/in...ng=en&page=3_1

Agree - use your commonsense; all the guests we have had think it a very safe city.

*wonders how you resaturate a museum......dunk it in water again?

My significant other and I stayed at the Berlin Marriott for several days in March. Not being a breakfast person, I talked him into getting a bite to eat at the Starbucks on Ebertstrasse just behind the hotel. There did appear to be a small restaurant near the corner of Ebertstrasse and Lennestrasse that served fairly inexpensive breakfasts. As I said.. didn't try it.. but it's a nearby option.

Greg

Thanks for the response. I will look for that restaurant. Did you like the Marriott? It looks pretty nice.

I booked it using Priceline (5* Tiergarten area) and paid something like $80 a night. Not sure I'd call it a 5* but a very good hotel and fairly well located. Very modern -- not surprising considering it was where the Berlin wall was located 20 years ago.

Greg

As mentioned earlier in this thread , Berlin is a city that is best explored on foot and my recommendation is that you do yourself a big favor and join one of the guided Berlin walks. You can choose between different themes for the walks and length of time.

Couple of links:

http://www.brewersberlintours.com/
http://www.berlinwalks.com/tours.html

i stayed there last dec. on a priceline stay for $75. thought it was a great deal. sony center is across street. restaurants there. just past that is a shopping mall with grocery stores and eating places and a mcdonalds. also across street is a pizza/ itlalian place to eat called paisano. it is good and cheap. i got a 3 day transit pass at txl and they showed me how to get to the marriott. not sure when the christmas markets start but they have one across from the sony center.

By using Firefox Spellchecking.

In Germany almost all bakery shops ("Baeckerei") and butchers ("Metzgerei") offer filled rolls deli style at breakfast time. It's a good opportunity to try various local hams, sausages and cheeses and a nice cup of coffee or tea and prices are very reasonable.

Some bakeries also do more substantial warm brekkies including scrambled or fried eggs and bacon/ham.