General Logistical Information ,

Berlin may be 10 times the size of Paris but its key areas are pleasingly compact with plenty of green and open spaces. Public transportation is brilliant, you can walk without fear at night, few clubs have velvet ropes, and your restaurant bill would probably only buy you an appetiser in most other European capitals. It's a multicultural metropolis infused with the unpretentious charm of an international village. Berliners are a laid- back bunch who follow the credo 'live and let live' and put greater emphasis on enjoying life than accumulating material wealth.

Fact and Figures The capital city of the Federal Republic of Germany has a population of 3.5 million. Covering an area of 892 square kilometres, Berlin is the Goliath among German cities. By international comparison, the German capital is the second largest city in the European Union in terms of its population and the fifth largest in terms of its area.

With 175 museums, Berlin has more museums than rainy days. It also boasts more than 50 theatres and around 300 cinemas. The city has 4,650 restaurants, around 900 bars and 190 clubs and discotheques. The streets that meander through the German capital cover a distance of 5,350km (70km of which is autobahn) and these are lined with more than 400,000 trees.

Berlin has been the German capital on several occasions throughout its history. Starting out as the capital of the margraviate and electorate of Brandenburg, this city on the River Spree later became the capital of the kingdom of and then the . was the capital of the German Democratic Republic. Since in 1990, Berlin has been the capital of Germany once more.

In case of emergency: General Alarm number (Europe): 112

Time Zone Berlin is in the Central European Time zone (CET) which is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST), USA.

Climate Berlin has a classic, continental climate, with warm sunny summers and long cold winters. Rain can fall all year round, but the precipitation is particularly heavy in June and August. The normal daily temperatures for early March range from a maximum of 7°C (44°F) to a minimum of -2°C (28°F) with a light chance of precipitation.

Entering Germany Germany is a member of the European Union and visitors from other EU member countries may enter Germany using either a passport or their national identity document. Generally speaking, all other foreigners require a visa for stays in Germany. A visa is not required for visits of up to 90 days in an 180-day period for nationals of those countries for which the European Community has abolished the visa requirement. Please check the complete overview on visa requirements . (http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/EN/EinreiseUndAufenthalt/StaatenlisteVisumpflicht_node.html)

Currency, Credit Cards and Exchange Germany has the EURO as currency.

All major international credit cards are widely accepted. Foreign currency and traveler’s checks can be exchanged at banks and foreign exchange offices. Banks can be found all across the city. Cash-point machines accepting major international credit cards and bank cards are widely available.

Telecommunications Germany has an excellent telecommunications network. International dialing and full fax and electronic mail facilities are widely available. Phone cards and cell phones are readily available. The country code for Germany is 49. The area code for Berlin is 30.

Tipping Service is normally included in restaurants and hotels and tipping is not compulsory. If you are satisfied with the service the amount is usually rounded up by 5-10%. In general a tip of 10% is considered generous and is gratefully received.

Electrical Power Electricity in Germany is supplied at 220V - 50Hz AC, using the standard European two pin plugs.