One hour at the Hauptbahnhof

Hello!

I%26#39;m traveling from Amsterdam to Prague and back. That gives me a bit over one hour at Berlin Hauptbahnhof on both trips. What do you recommend to do there?

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Eating at McDonalds? Shopping? I don%26#39;t know... There is not so much to do as the Hauptbahnhof is built in a desert...and 1 hour is not enough to do any sightseeing. Maybe you could take a S-Bahn trip to Alexanderplatz and back. It%26#39;s just 3 stations (5 minutes) and it%26#39;s a really nice tour!

;-)

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Exploring the Hauptbahnhof.

hbf-berlin.de/site/…start.html

The Hautpbahnhof was built in a wasteland (due the wall) close to the government district.

…berlin.de/bauen/…strecke3.shtml

You could walk to the Chancellery, Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate.

Brandenburg Gate is 1,5 km from the Hauptbahnhof.

Don%26#39;t wander too far! The wide open spaces and the huge buildings let the distances appear shorter than they are.

Instead of travelling to Alexanderplatz and back you could proceed to Ostkreuz and from there by S-Bahn S41 on the S-Bahn Ring to Südkreuz.

The trains Berlin to Prague stop also at Südkreuz station. Travel time via Ostkreuz is approx. half an hour. Single ticket is EUR 2,10.

The east-west S-Bahn tracks and the S-Bahn Ring are mostly elevated and provide good views on Berlin.

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Thank you for your suggestions, I might do one on the way to Prague and the other when I return to the Netherlands.

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Actually I%26#39;d still say take S-Bahn to Alexanderplatz AND back to Hauptbahnhof, to take it all in. I%26#39;d suggest sitting on left-hand side of train both times: on way to Alex you go past Charite hospital complex, Brecht%26#39;s theatre am Schiffbauerdamm, and you can see if you can spot synagogue dome; on way back look out on other side for Reichstag and govt buildings.

It%26#39;s actually nice to do whole stretch from Zoo to Alex but that%26#39;s a bit more complicated for you as Zoo is 3stops in the other direction. However the S-Bahn is very frequent as you can get on any train on that route. I%26#39;ve only done a bit of the S-Bahn ring but that was down an embankment, no aerial views.

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Removed on: 8:19 am, August 17, 2009

Online Bayern Ticket

I have purchased a Bayern Ticket on-line for travel next week. I have printed a piece of paper with the heading “Auftrag – Detailsicht”, which gives the date of purchase, date of travel, my name and a 6-digit code, which appears to be the ticket number. I have also printed what I presume is a receipt, with the date of purchase and the same 6-digit code, but no reference to the date of travel. I also have an email confirming the purchase.

We have sought the advice of a person from Germany and they couldn’t see anything else to print, but they were not familiar with the Bayern Ticket. Is the piece of paper “Aufrag-Detailsicht” sufficient for me to travel, or do I need to print something else?

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Auftrag: Detailansicht means %26quot;(your) order: detailed view%26quot;. I don%26#39;t know if this is enough since it hardly ever makes sense to buy Bayern-Ticket online or in advance.

The email you received should have a link. On clicking the link you should be able to receive the same PDF file, which is the ticket. Usually, online tickets in Germany come as PDFs, are printed and taken along - no receipts necessary.

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Bayern Ticket is an %26quot;off-line%26quot; ticket.

DB will ship it to your address by letter.

With some tickets bought online it%26#39;s also possible to collect them at the ticket counter or from ticket machines.

But I%26#39;ve some doubts if this is possible with online bought Bayern Tickets.

Auftrag - Detailansicht is just a (detailed) receipt for your order.

This one is not sufficient to use the train. And as the Bayern Tickets are not refundable also not of much other use.

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Removed on: 2:19 pm, August 18, 2009

Late arrival from Schonefeld to Swissotel with Infant

Hi

I an arriving at 22.20 in Schonefeld with Girlfriend and 21 mth old boy .I am just wondering

at this time of night wanting to get to the Swissotel If it is worth just getting a taxi,If so how much is the fare or are the trains at this time no hassle to find and which is the easiest route ( I have noticed there is B, S and U ) and how much is the cost of these trains .

Please any help would be so much appreciated..

John

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%26gt;at this time of night wanting to get to the Swissotel If it is worth just getting a taxi,If so how much is the fare or are the trains at this time no hassle to find and which is the easiest route ( I have noticed there is B, S and U ) and how much is the cost of these trains .

The train station is about 300-400 m away from the terminal. There is a covered walkway, and also a shuttle bus if you have a lot of luggage.

The easiest route is easy to find using www.fahrinfo-berlin.de (It takes the hotel address too, and finds the nearest station). A ticket from Schoenefeld to any train, subway, tram or bus stop in Berlin costs 2,10 Euro.

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Hi

I arrived at Schonefeld with my sister and our elderly mum and auntie last Wednesday and although it is cheap on the train they couldn%26#39;t cope with going up and down escalators with cases - which you might also find difficult with a push chair, also there are steps to the outside and no lift in lots of cases We got a taxi from right outside airport doors - very easy. Cost us 41 Euros to Tiergarten so it would be similar to Swiss Hotel. It takes about 30-40 mins depending on traffic.

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Thank you,

I reckon I will try the Train then , I think it is the S9 to Zoologischer.

And will probably walk from there to Augsburger strassee.

I am really looking forward to Berlin.

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With a baby, and late at night, why not consider a taxi? It will be about 40 Euros.

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Airport Express from Schonfeld to Zoogarden is easy and conveniant.. Takes about 30/40 minutes and is a couple of minutes walk from terminal.

Check this link for times. www.fahrinfo-berlin.de. Buses %26amp; taxis are plentiful at Zoo station.

If you are planning on using public transport a lot then buy a tourist ticket at the Airport Express station which covers all public transport.

Costs about 19euros for 48hrs per adult.

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Removed on: 1:17 pm, August 17, 2009

Side trips from Stuttgart

On our 6 day (yes we know -- too short) trip to Germany starting in Cologne, we thought about moving on to Stuttgart to visit Christmas markets and spend 2 days in that city or nearby. Are there other recommended towns accessible by train that might be interesting to visit while we are there and use the Stuttgart area as %26#39;home base%26#39;?

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For additional Christmas Markets and things to see two town accessable in 15 minutes by S-bahn stand out: Ludwigsburg with its themed Baroque Christmas Market and Germany%26#39;s largest perfectly preserved Baroque palace with public tours, four museums including an excellent clothing one with lots of clothes from the 1700%26#39;s to present, and extensive gardens %26quot;Blooming Baroque%26quot; which won%26#39;t be at their best this time of year; and Esslingen with its themed Medieval %26amp; Christmas Market set amidst the Altstadt of this excellently preserved medieval city. Also, most town at the end of the S-bahn lines are worth a visit of a few hours, such as the German poet%26#39;s Schiller%26#39;s home town of Marbach or the astronomer Keppler%26#39;s home town of Weil der Stadt. I always enjoy visiting the nearby old college town of Tuebingen, and two nice small towns north of Stuttgart are Besigheim and Lauffen, the latter having a small completely walled Altstadt.

There are also many things to see and do in Stuttgart itself. I recommend visiting the tourist information office across from the train station and getting a free map (among other materials) which has a suggested self guided walking tour of the central area, and they also sponsor city tours by foot or bus. Wilhelma is Europe%26#39;s largest combination zoo-botanical garden set amidst the nice Moorish architecture of this former palace; Europe%26#39;s second largest mineral waters and associated spas can be enjoyed including a swim in bubbly carbonated water at the Leuze one. The new Mercedes Benz museum should not be missed and is loved by vistors of any age, male or female. The TV tower is the world%26#39;s oldest such structure and has a viewing platform and is a good area to go to for snow as it sits high above the warmer valley floor. For art, there is the Staatsgallerie and Stuttgart has many other good museums including the excellent Museum am Loewentor with its collection of local fossils, mostly of dinosaurs and Ice Age mammals, plus a nice amber collection with all kinds of small creature embedded inside.

That%26#39;s well over a week%26#39;s worth of things to do, so you should be easily able to pick several days of activities from the suggestions.

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I definatly recommend Ludwigsburg as well. The castle is beautiful and once a day they have an English tour. It is only like 5 Euros a person (vs. 14 or so for Neuschwanstein in Bavaria) and they show you everything!

I found a great site you might like with a lot of Stuttgart information (the mineral baths and some other things to see) www.germanytraveladvisor.com

I hope you like the Christmas market!

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As to the cost of the palace in Ludwigsburg, there are a number of different ticket options for the palace tour, touring the out lying small Favorite palace, the extensive gardens (Blooming Baroque), and the four museums inside the palace. You can pay for and visit all on a more expensive all inclusive ticket (which you won%26#39;t have time to do everything in a day) or pick a less expensive option that includes what you are interested in doing. The palace tour is well worth doing with visits to the king%26#39;s and queen%26#39;s chambers, as well as the older hunting lodge part of the palace used by the dukes. Our English language tour in November took over an hour, and there were tours in English then at 11 and 13:30, but check with them before going. If you also have a ticket for the museums, the excellent one with extensive clothing from the 1700%26#39;s to present entrance is where the tour ends. Ludwigsburg porcellan is still manufactured at the palace and can be purchased there or you can have porcellan made to order. The ceramics museum is quite nice and includes the apartments of one of the dukes. The Italian restaurant across the street from the palace is a nice place to eat.

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Dusseldorf and Munic for the Holidays...is it a good choice?

Hi I am a bit worried...my b/f and I have been planning this wonderful winter trip around europe starting with Paris.. going on to Venice then Rome...then Dusseldorf...then Munich. Now i hear about terrible snow stroms stopping everything in germany especially in munich. I need to know should i change my route...or will germany be a good option? I am really look fw to it, i am just scared we will be snowed in an airport or train station and not enjoy a thing...some tips would be great!!

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%26quot;Now i hear about terrible snow stroms stopping everything in germany especially in munich.%26quot;

Your sources for this news are ...?

Honestly, this is the very last problem we have so far this winter. Or late autumn extension. Or early spring - if I look at the bushes in front of my windows.

See e.g.

www.wtopnews.com/index.php…

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thank you abalada...you have put my mind at ease. I read this on bbc weather and my professor insisted today that we should not go to Germany for the winter...my hopes were broken but you have helped renew that. Thank you so much. What activities do you recommend for these cities i will be travelling to?

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Removed on: 3:18 pm, August 18, 2009

Can't decide which hotel closer to town/better for kids

Hello,

I am trying to finilize some plans. I am considering three hotels.

The arabella sheraton, the Derag Maximillian, or the Holiday Inn.

The Derag includes breakfast which is a plus.

We are a small family of 6, planning on get two rooms (3 to a room)

I thought a king bed in each room should do fine. But because it is hard for the little ones to walk, I really need to be close to restuarants and the christmas market area.

I do not have rowdy children, very well behaved and used to nice hotels.

A comfortable bed is really important for my sensitive back.

Any help with additional info about these choices would be greatly, gratly appreciated!!

Thanks, CJ

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All three are pretty new hotels.

Holiday Inn Nürnberg City Centre is just inside the old town (city walls).

~ 1 km to the Christmas Market

ArabellaSheraton Hotel Carlton is next to the Hauptbahnhof (main railway station), just outside the city walls

~ 1 km to the Christmas Market

Derag Hotel Maximilian is a bit further outside the city walls but more quiet than the Hauptbahnhof area.

~ 1,5 km to the Christmas Market

christkindlesmarkt.de/gfx/e_altstadtplan_gro…

Holiday Inn is near Jakobsplatz. The Derag Maximilian in the same direction but outside the Ludwigstor/Plärrer.

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Thank you Abadala!

Of the three hotels, do they all have restuarants next to them. The sheraton (in particular) is priced without breakfast, so I would be in need of a very close breakfast restaurant for the kids. I read the buffet is great but quite expensive. Same with the Holiday Inn.

The Derag is a great price, but there is only one review, so I am uncertain?

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

We have already purchased our train tickets . Thanks again to all the people who have helped.

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Removed on: 3:20 am, August 18, 2009

New Years Eve

We will be in Berchtesgaden from Dec 30, 2006 thru Jan 1, 2207.

I thought I once read about a special midnight celebration in the mountains, welcoming the new year.

So far, I can find no information.

If you have any insight, I%26#39;d be most grateful for the assistance.

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im in the same place new year and i also have read about the guns fire in the mountains at new year but now i cant find out where i read it did you find anything else out thank you amanda

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Removed on: 4:16 pm, August 18, 2009