Airports
Berlin is served by three airports: Tegel (TXL),
Tempelhof (THF) und Schöneberg (SXL).
www.berlin-airport.de (available in English)
Basic
German
| Sprechen Sie
Englisch? |
Do you speak
English? |
| Ich spreche kein
Deutsch. |
I don’t speak
German. |
| Ich verstehe
nicht. |
I don’t
understand |
| Die Rechnung
bitte. |
The bill please |
|
Wieviel kostet das? |
How much does
this cost? |
|
Wo,Wann,Warum,Wie? |
Where, when,
why, how? |
| Ja |
Yes |
| Nein |
No |
| Bitte |
Please |
| Danke |
Thank you |
| Wo ist? |
Where is? |
| Hallo |
Hello |
| Auf Wiedersehen/Tschüss |
Good bye |
| Guten Morgen |
Good morning |
| Guten Abend |
Good evening |
| Entschuldigung |
Sorry |
Banking
hours
Although hours vary, most banks are open from:
| Monday, Wednesday |
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM |
| Tuesday, Thursday
|
9:00 AM -6:00 PM |
| Friday |
9:00 AM -12:30PM |
Beer
Drinking beer in Germany is a way of life. German beer is of very
high quality because of the German Beer Purity Regulation laid down
in 1516 and unchanged since. There are some 4000 brands of pure
german beer!!! In Berlin, there are three breweries: Berliner Kindl,
Berliner Pilsner.and Schultheiss. If you want a dark beer, ask for
Schwartzbeer. Otherwise you are safe with a Pils, vom Fass
(on tap). In case you are wondering what the green and red stuff is
that others are drinking at neighbouring tables, it is probably the
ubiquitous Berliner Weisse "Rot" or "Grün" sour beer mixed
with syrup - either you like it or you hate it. Prost!!
Climate
22°C-23°C (72F)
could go as high as 30C (86F)
could go as low as… best not to think about it.
weather.cnn.com/weather/forecast.jsp?locCode=EDBB
www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=0050
Credit
Cards
All major hotels and most, but not all, restaurants and shops
accept credit cards. Some photo identification may be required.
Currency
As of January 1, 2002, the official currency of Germany is the
Euro (one Euro is divided into 100 cents)
Current exchange rates can be found here:
www.x-rates.com
Electricity
220V, 50 Hz, Standard European plugs
Embassies
For a list of embassies with addresses and phone numbers check
the following webpage.
www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/bauen/botschaften/index_en.shtml
Emergency numbers
- Police (Polizei) 110
- Fire Department and Ambulance Service (Feuerwehr) 112
- Poison Control 19 2 40
- Medical Emergency Service (Notarzt - makes housecalls) 31 00
31
- Dental Emergency Service 89 00 43 33
- Pharmacy 01141 (emergency medication after hours)
Jogging
Too much beer and bratwurst? Put on your jogging shoes and head
for the vast green expanse of the Tiergarten, right in the middle of
the city, just off Brandenburg Gate. This park with woodland and
lakes has many running trails.
Lost
and found
Central offices: Platz der Luftbrücke 6
12101 Berlin-Tempelhof
+49 30 699-5
U-Bahn station Platz der Luftbrücke
BVG offices: Potsdamer Strasse 180/182
10783 Berlin-Schöneberg
+49 30 256 230 40
U-Bahn station Kleistpark
Post
office
German post offices are generally open from
| Monday-Friday |
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM |
| Saturday |
8:00 AM -1:00 PM |
Some post offices have longer opening hours. One example is the
post office at the Train Station Zoologischer Garten.
Rates:
| |
Europe |
Airmail (Non-Europe) |
| Standard letter |
0,55 Euro |
1,50 Euro |
| Postcard |
0,50 Euro |
1,00 Euro |
Public
Phones
Most booths have been replaced by free-standing poles/columns marked
by a pink Deutsche Telekom logo and are
located throughout the city. You need a phone card available at any
post office or press shop. The phones can also be operated with
coins.
Telephone information (Auskunft) 11 8 33
Public Transportation
www.BVG.de (website available in English)
There is an extensive network of buses (Bus), subway (U-Bahn),
elevated railway (S-Bahn) and Trams (only in former
East Berlin). Don’t be surprised if sometimes the subway runs on
elevated tracks above the street and the S-Bahn sometimes dives
underground.
Tickets are good on any of the above means of transportation.
They are sold from machines in stations and in shops with the sign “BVG-Wertmarken.”
Make sure you validate your ticket the first time you use it by
inserting it in the yellow machines “Entwerter.” The fine for
not having a valid ticket is 30 Euro payable on the spot. A single
ticket costs 2,10 Euro. It is valid for two hours and for
unlimited travelling. A day ticket costs 6,10 Euro and a
short trip ticket ("Kurzstrecke", valid for up to 3 stations on
S+U-Bahn and 6 stations on bus) costs 1,20 Euro.
TXL-shuttle Bus (Jet Express Bus TXL)
Connects the Tegel airport with the heart of “Mitte.” Between
6:00 AM and 11:00 PM there is a bus every ten minutes from the
airport to Berlin-Mitte. It takes anywhere from 25 to 40 min from
Tegel airport to Unter den Linden.
Radio
- Klassik Radio 101,3 FM for classical music.
- BBC 90,2 FM english speaking radio station
Shopping hours
Stores are generally open Mo-Fr 10am-6pm, Sa 9am-1pm
Department stores are open Mo-Fr 9am-8pm, Sa 9am-4pm, Sunday
closed.
The only stores open on Sundays are bakeries and some flower
stores, but they are open only for a couple of hours, usually in the
morning. Gas stations have small shopping areas where basic
necessities can be found. Some are open 24/7. At the S-Bahn station
Friedrichstrasse there is also a store that has extended opening
hours.
Survival tips
- Cycling is popular in Berlin. Watch for bicycle riders.!!
They can be quite “fearsome,” as they race down their cycle
lanes, and don’t always slow down for pedestrians. Don’t be
surprised if you hear them honking at you if you are
“trespassing” in their lane.
- Be aware of the fact that the numbering on the streets
doesn’t always follow the traditional system of numbering.
- Berlin is the capital of dogs. You may want to keep in mind
that dog owners don’t always clean after their pets, so watch
where you step!!
- Water in Berlin is certainly drinkable and
safe. Some restaurants are reluctant though to provide tap water
since they would prefer you to order bottled water instead. Be
careful when asking for water since most of the time, you’ll get
mineral water with carbonation (Mineralwasser). If you prefer
your water without bubbles, ask for water “Ohne Kohlensaeure”.
For tap water ask for “Leitungswasser”
Taxis
The cream-colored taxis, Mercedes for the most part, are easily
recognizable. They can be either flagged down on the street or are
available by calling on of the following numbers
- 26 10 26
- 21 01 01
- 21 02 02
- 69 0 22
- 44 33 22
A tip is not obligatory but is greatly appreciated.
Taxis can be found at the Tegel airport between Gates 7 and 8.
Time
Berlin is in the Central European time zone, one hour ahead of
GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), 9 hours ahead of US Pacific Standard Time
and 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
Tipping
Tipping is not generally expected in Germany. Restaurants include
a service charge in the bill and it is customary to round up the
figure if you have been satisfied with the service.
Taxi drivers appreciate a small tip. As a guideline, 10% is
considered generous.
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