Student Travel Program Student Guidebook – Berlin Prepare to Fly 2 ​ Packing 2 ​ Work Attire 2 ​ Useful Items 2 ​ Phone & WiFi 2 ​ SIM Cards 2 ​ Useful Apps 2 ​ Arrival in Berlin 3 ​ Getting To Us 3 ​ Landing 3 ​ From Tegel (TXL) 3 ​ From Schönefeld (SXF) 4 ​ From Berlin Central Station/Hauptbahnhof 5 ​ Public Transportation 6 ​ Using the BVG 6 ​ Ticketing 6 ​ Alternative Modes of Transportation 7 ​ Staying in Berlin 7 ​ Housing 7 ​ Food/Shopping 7 ​ Food/Groceries 7 ​ Drug Store/Misc Items 7 ​ Clothing 8 ​ Money/Banking 8 ​ Cash vs. Card 8 ​ Tipping 8 ​ Travel Notifications 8 ​ Ick bin ein Berliner! – In and Around Berlin 8 ​ Berlin Culture – How to Act like a Berliner 8 ​ A Random Collection of Tips for Life in Berlin 8 ​ Sightseeing 10 ​ Restaurants/Bars 10 ​ Nightlife 11 ​ Neighborhoods 11 ​ Day Trip/Weekend Destinations 12 ​ Team 12 ​ Contact/Help/FAQs 12 ​ 1 Prepare to Fly Here we provide a few tips on how to get ready for your trip to Berlin and a few things to keep in mind before you fly. Packing Work Attire The office dress code is very casual – jeans, a comfy sweater or t-shirt are more than acceptable. We also are big fans of walking around in slippers or socks! Beyond office-wear, Berlin style is very diverse, fashionable and functional. You can honestly wear whatever you like – no one will look twice. Clubbing style is also extremely casual. You’d be more likely turned away from a club for dressing up too much instead of dressing ​ ​ down. So don’t stress about bringing a selected wardrobe – dress how you feel comfortable, and bring layers for weather readiness. Useful Items Your devices can all be used and charged in Germany with adaptors. It’s nicer to already have one before you arrive, but you can buy them here as well. Check whether your devices (especially ​ ​ hairdryers/straighteners) are compatible with European voltag. Electrical outlets in Europe run on 220-230 V (but so you know, we have a hairdryer in the office). If you're staying in our office, it might also be a good idea to bring along a small shower tote for your toiletries, since our shower facilities are located down the hall from our sleeping accommodations. You can also easily find one in stores close to the office, if you prefer. Phone & WiFi SIM Cards Prepaid SIM cards for data-on-the-go can be purchased at electronics retailers (Saturn, Media Markt) or ​ ​ ​ ​ some grocery stores (Aldi, REWE) in the city – if this is necessary for you, we can help you obtain one after your arrival. Some popular prepaid SIMs are Callya from vodafone, Lycamobile or AldiTalk. Otherwise, you can communicate using our office WiFi or the free WiFi available in U-Bahn (metro) stations, cafes and other locations throughout the city. Some American phone providers also offer international extension packages, so make sure you check with your provider as well! Useful Apps ● Google Offline Maps – not technically an app, but super useful if you need a little directional assistance while on-the-go without data. You can download the entire Berlin metro area in advance. ● WhatsApp – web-based messaging service connected to your phone number used by most Europeans (and most people at the office). Highly recommended! 2 ● BVG App – you can buy public transportation tickets here with a credit card, plan travel routes and look at network maps. ● Mytaxi App – if you plan to use taxis. Arrival in Berlin Getting To Us These sections provide you with some instructions on how to reach our offices from various destination points. Maps included! Our Address: Torstraße 19, 10119 Berlin Landing There are two airports in Berlin: Tegel (TXL) and Schönefeld (SXF). Tegel is often the destination for long-haul international flights while Schönefeld typically serves inter-European travelers. You can easily use public transport to reach our offices from either airport. Taxis are another easy, though more expensive, ​ option. Both airports have free WiFi, which you can use upon your arrival to get in touch with us should you ​ have questions, to buy transport tickets via the BVG app, or just to tell friends and family you’ve arrived safely! From Tegel (TXL) You will need a public transport ticket for zones AB for this transfer (see Public Transportation section for ​ ​ ticketing options). You may decide on a single ride, a day ticket, or other ticket options depending on the length of your stay and preferences for getting around. Before you ride, make sure to validate your ticket on the designated space provided by using the validation (stamp) machines. ​ ​ Tickets can be bought at yellow or red kiosks, onboard buses and trams, or with credit card via the BVG app. ​ ​ The kiosks at the airport accept international credit cards, but be aware that kiosks in local stations often only accept German-style debit cards. Kiosks always take cash (coins and notes up to 20 Euros). Once you’ve bought your ticket, follow airport signs for bus transfer. You will take the TXL bus that departs ​ ​ in front of Terminal A. The TXL bus begins at the airport, so don’t worry about which direction – just look for TXL in big letters on the front display. The bus ride takes 35 minutes and has 12 stops before you get out at Alexanderplatz. At Alexanderplatz, ​ ​ follow signs for the U-Bahn (underground metro). You need the U2 towards Pankow and you’ll get off at the ​ ​ next stop Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. Look for the exit toward Torstraße. Now it’s just a 3-minute walk to our ​ ​ offices on Torstr. (see walking map from U-Bahn exit below). 3 Find building number 19 and use the electronic directory’s up/down arrows next to the door to search for our bell. Ring at “Miamed Li”. Take the elevator on your right in the foyer area to the 6th floor and ring the ​ ​ bell on your right, where you’ll be received by our office managers, Anna and/or Dennis. Woohoo, then you’re here! We’re excited to welcome you! From Schönefeld (SXF) You will need a public transport ticket for zones ABC for this transfer (see Public Transportation section for ​ ​ ticketing options). We recommend simply buying a single ride for this transfer, because you typically won’t need all 3 zones for other trips within Berlin. A single ride for ABC costs 3,40€. Before you ride, make sure to validate your ticket on the designated space provided by using the validation (stamp) machines. ​ ​ Upon arrival at Schönefeld, use the free airport WiFi and buy your ABC zone ticket via the BVG app to avoid ​ ​ ​ ​ long lines at the kiosks. Exit the building and follow signs for the train station. It’s a 10-minute walk along a wide path, and most other people head this way as well (so follow the crowd!). After descending the stairs or ramp into the underground passage, you’ll see additional ticket kiosks, in case you cannot purchase via the app. After purchasing, look on the ground and follow the red line towards the tracks for the regional trains (Regionalbahn). There are many options for getting into the city from the airport (S-Bahn, bus, taxi, regional), ​ ​ but we recommend the regional trains because they are faster and require less switches. The regional trains are large and red (they look different than the S-Bahn) and are designated with the letters RE or RB. You should take either the RE7 towards Dessau, Hauptbahnhof or the RB14 towards Nauen, Bahnhof. Both ​ ​ ​ ​ trains take about 25 minutes to arrive at S+U Alexanderplatz Bhf, where you’ll exit. It’s about a 15 minute ​ ​ walk from Alexanderplatz to our offices, so if you prefer to walk and can access offline maps, this is doable. To walk a bit less, follow signs for the U-Bahn (underground metro). You need the U2 towards Pankow and ​ ​ you’ll get off at the next stop Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. Look for the exit toward Torstraße. Now it’s just a ​ ​ 3-minute walk to our offices on Torstr. (see walking map from U-Bahn exit below). 4 Find building number 19 and use the electronic directory’s up/down arrows next to the door to search for our bell. Ring at “Miamed Li”. Take the elevator on your right in the foyer area to the 6th floor and ring the ​ ​ bell on your right, where you’ll be received by our office managers, Anna and/or Dennis. Woohoo, then you’re here! We’re excited to welcome you! From Berlin Central Station/Hauptbahnhof Should you arrive from within Germany/Europe by train, you will likely come into the main train station Berlin Hauptbahnhof. You will need a public transport ticket for zones AB for this transfer (see Public ​ ​ Transportation section for ticketing options). You may decide on a single ride, a day ticket, or other ticket ​ options depending on the length of your stay and preferences for getting around. Tickets can be bought at yellow or red kiosks, onboard buses and trams, or with credit card via the BVG app. Before you ride, make ​ ​ sure to validate your ticket on the designated space provided by using the validation (stamp) machines. ​ ​ The best option is either to take the tram or the bus from here to our offices. That means you can also buy your ticket onboard from the bus driver or the tram ticketing machines (be aware: they only take € coins). Follow signs for either the bus or tram. You can take either the M8 towards Ahrensfelde/Stadtgrenze or ​ ​ the M5 towards Hohenschönhausen, Zingster Str.