✈️ TLV to Berlin Brandenburg Intl (BER)
Germany
Berlin
CityBER
IATA2846.4 km
Distance3h 57m
Flight TimeCoordinates: 52.36217, 13.50067
Airlines:
About Berlin
Weather in Berlin
Understand
The city of Berlin is co-extensive with the Land of Berlin, one of the 16 federal states that make up the Federal Republic of Germany. It has a population of 3.8 million (2019) (and a million more in suburbs like Potsdam across the state line in Brandenburg ). Berlin is and has been far less dominant as the capital of Germany than London, Paris or Madrid are in their respective countries, because of the federal nature of Germany and because the havoc war and partition wreaked on the city. Merely a backwater town in the early 18th century, Berlin grew to be one of the most important and biggest cities in the world by the 1920s. The heart of old Prussia and a focal point of the Cold War , it lost much of its importance and historic architecture as a result of World War II and German partition. Berlin is a world city of culture, politics, media and science. Its economy is based on high-tech firms and the service sector, a diverse range of creative industries, research facilities, and media corporations. Significant sectors also include IT, biotechnology, construction and electronics. With the world's oldest large-scale movie studio complex in nearby Babelsberg, Berlin is an increasingly popular location for international film productions.
Climate
Berlin is at a transition point between temperate oceanic and continental climates, meaning warm summers and cold winters. Nighttime temperatures typically fall below freezing in the winter, and snowfall is a regular occurrence, though the snow rarely accumulates for more than a few days. Summers are typically pleasant, with daytime temperatures typically in the low 20s, and nighttime temperatures staying above 10 °C. Berlin is a rather windy city, though by no means as windy as coastal cities like Hamburg or Lübeck. A wind-stopping jacket comes highly recommended, especially during autumn and spring.
Talk
Signage and automatic announcements are often available in English , and sometimes in French and Spanish as well as German. There are, however, surprisingly many people who speak little or no English, in particular among the elderly and people who grew up in the East, where Russian was taught in schools. This does not necessarily keep them from attempting to speak English with you if they notice an accent or halting German. A lot of place names can be a bit tricky even to fluent German speakers as they are of Slavic origin. The widespread -ow ending is to be pronounced /o:/ like a long German "o". Saying "Pankoff" or "Rudoff" will mark you as an out-of-towner and might cause jokes at your expense. People who work in public transit and the tourism sector are now expected to speak at least some English, but they may not necessarily have much patience explaining the same thing over and over to tourists every single day, even when it's their job to do so, and the aforementioned Berlin rudeness / "humour" might come through when dealing with tourists. Immigration and the Erasmus programme mean there are several other languages widely spoken. In particular, there are some 200,000 people of Turkish origin living in Berlin, mainly in the western districts. But don't assume someone speaks Turkish well (or at all) just because they have a Turkish surname. Foreign students originate from all over Europe, but Spanish, Greek and Italian speakers are especially numerous. As many students in Berlin are either Erasmus students or have been abroad elsewhere, you can reasonably expect students to speak at least passable English and often another European language. The Berlin dialect ( Berlinerisch ) is still spoken by many people, particularly in outlying districts and neighbouring Brandenburg. Dialect is usually more pronounced in the East and some words are almost entirely unknown even in West Berlin. Some words used in the Berlin dialect: Schrippe: bread roll Stulle: sandwich Broiler: grilled chicken (people from western Germany and former West Berlin probably won't understand this; they say Grillhähnchen instead)
By gondola lift
In the course of the 2017 international gardening exhibition in Berlin/East , Berlin received its first gondola lift [dead link] , which stayed in operation after the exhibition closed. It links to Kienberg (Gärten der Welt) U-Bahn station along U5 at one end and has all of three stations along a line length of 1,580 m (5,180 ft) which is comparable to U55. It is not part of BVG ticketing and at €6.50 per return trip, tickets are comparatively expensive.
See
Berlin has numerous attractions dating from its turbulent history and in part owing to the fact that it was a "double capital" for 40 years. While the upkeep of some is an ongoing headache for the treasurer, they are a delight to visitors and many locals alike. Much of the city was destroyed in World War II, so Berlin is a rather modern city and does not have as much historic architecture as most other European capitals. What it instead has is some of the finest examples of contemporary architecture from the second half of the 20th century onwards.
Do
Pick up a copy of Exberliner , the English-language paper targeting expats and guests of Berlin to find out what's on, when and where. It provides good quality journalism and up-to-date listings. If you understand German, the activity planners for the city, zitty and tip , are available at every kiosk. LGBT+/Queer themed magazine and guide Siegessäule is also one of the most prominent of its kind internationally. Be prepared to choose among a huge number of options.
Outdoor recreation
Berlin has many great parks which are very popular in the summer. Green Berlin operates some of them. Berlin's largest park is Großer Tiergarten (in Berlin/Mitte ). In the summer and on weekends you will see loads of families with their barbecues. There are a few notable parks in Berlin/East Central . Superb panoramic views across south Berlin can be had in Viktoriapark in Kreuzberg. You'll also find a national monument by Schinkel on top of it. Mauerpark is famous for the Bearpit Karaoke taking place every second Sunday in summer, and for the large flea market. It's also a popular barbecuing spot. Görlitzer Park has barbecue area, a football ground and a minigolf company. Adjacent to Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin/City West is Schlossgarten Charlottenburg . The green areas of the park are free, so you can go there to have a walk even if you are not interested in the palace. A bit further afield with subway access in Berlin/East are the Gärten der Welt (World's Garden). Inside you can find a large, well-established Chinese garden, a Korean garden, a small Bali's Garden/Glasshouse, an Oriental Garden with nice fountains and a cloister and a Japanese garden which is a project by the city partnership of Berlin and Tokyo. Best time for a visit is in spring or summer. A bit further afield in the opposite direction, in Berlin/Steglitz-Zehlendorf , is the Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem (Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem). The large Treptower Park in Berlin/Treptow-Köpenick next to the Spree is nice and clean. It's famous for the Insel der Jugend (Isle of Youth) and its numerous boat rentals and boat trips. Berlin also has quite a few lakes and beaches suitable for swimming. They quite often have one paid area with facilities, and frequent unmanaged places with free access. Some have designated areas for nude bathing (FKK). Wannsee in Berlin/Steglitz-Zehlendorf is called Berlin's "bath tub". The Strandbad Wannsee is the most famous bathing area for locals. Take the S-Bahn lines S1 or S7 to the station Nikolassee and follow the crowd! In the southeast of Berlin in Berlin/Treptow-Köpenick , you'll find the Müggelsee which is a popular swimming spot.
Eat
in some parts of Germany - but not Berlin, jelly doughnuts are known as Berliner , but in Berlin, they're called Pfannkuchen . This in turn means "pancake" almost everywhere else, so if you want a pancake in Berlin, you have to ask for Eierkuchen . Confused yet? Lovers of street food rejoice! Berlin has an incredibly wide variety of different styles and tastes at very affordable prices (for European wallets, that is). You can find superb food in small stalls tucked away under the tracks of elevated U-Bahn stretches for well under €5. A staple in Berlin is currywurst for around €3 (April 2022). It's a bratwurst covered in ketchup and curry powder. You can find them all over Berlin by street vendors. It's a must try when in Berlin. Two renowned currywurst stands are "Konnopke's Imbiss" below Eberswalder Straße U-Bahn station on line 2 and "Curry 36" opposite the Mehringdamm U-Bahn station in Kreuzberg (only two stops south of Checkpoint Charlie). Both of these offer far friendlier service than many of Berlin's more upmarket eateries. Another famous thing to eat in Berlin is döner for around €6 (April 2023), a flat bread filled with lamb or chicken meat and vegetables, available at many Turkish stands. Berlin may seem like carnivore heaven, but vegetarians and vegans can eat quite well. Berliners are generally environmentally conscious, and that extends to their food; most of the inner neighbourhoods have a handful of good healthy vegetarian or vegan restaurants using local ingredients, though they tend to be more expensive than the ubiquitous kebab and sausage stands. If you're a vegetarian on a limited budget, many kebab restaurants have a good selection of roasted vegetables and salads, and you can usually get falafels (fried chickpea balls, suitable for vegans) and halloumi (a type of dense cheese) in place of meat. Eating out in Berlin is incredibly inexpensive compared to any other Western European capital or other German cities. The city is multicultural and many cultures' cuisines are represented here somewhere, although they are often modified to suit German tastes. All prices must include VAT by law. Only upmarket restaurants may ask for a further service surcharge . It is best to ask if credit cards are accepted before you sit down—it's not that common to accept credit cards and cash is preferred. Most likely to be accepted are Visa and MasterCard; all other cards will only be accepted in some upmarket restaurants. European debit cards are not always accepted because due to debit card fraud, some processing companies stopped intra-European cards from specific countries. This does not apply to debit cards that are from German banks. Better have cash or ask the restaurant staff.
Drink
A word of warning: Berlin's famous laissez-faire attitude is perhaps most evident in its approach to indoor smoking. Although smoking is prohibited in all but the smallest bars, you should assume that everywhere you go out, if no food is being served, will be quite smoky. This is also the case at clubs and large concert venues. If you have any medical issues, then you should be prepared, and either change your plans or bring a well-fitting mask. If not sure, call the venue and ask.
Street drinking
Kiosks (off licences) can be found all over the city and sell bottled beers and other drinks. A kiosk will generally have a bottle opener on the counter and it is permitted to drink alcohol in the street. A refundable deposit of 8 to 25 cents per container (Pfand) is charged on plastic and glass bottles.
Sleep
Berlin is still witnessing a construction boom of hotels and offices since the end of the Cold War. The boom leads to a significant oversupply of hotels which results in comparatively cheap prices even in the 5 star category (off-season prices of €110 per night are not unusual). Especially for a short visit, it may be best to stay at a place in Berlin-Mitte (around Friedrichstraße), as most of the main sights are located there. Due to its history most hotels in Berlin are still located in the City West (i.e. Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf), especially close to Zoo station. Alexanderplatz and Anhalter Bahnhof have clusters of 2-3 star budget hotels (i.e. Ibis, Motel One). You'll find only budget hotels (Motel One and Meininger) located directly at the new main train station but some large constructions are in progress. The (oddly named) budget hotel chain 'Motel-One' operates various 2-star hotels in the city centre. There are also many 3-4 star 'NH Hotels' offering good value. All major hotel chains are present in Berlin. A good idea to check that the hotel is close to public transport (U-Bahn or S-Bahn) to avoid too long walks. Cheapest are youth hostels (called Jugendherbergen, only for members) and hostels (similar to youth hostels, but for everyone, mostly backpackers stay here, usually in one to 32-bed rooms). You will also find bed and breakfast offers (often private) and boarding houses (Pension, more familiar and smaller than hotels). The majority of private flats on platforms like AirBnB are offered illegally in Berlin and contribute to the ongoing housing crisis. Try to choose your accommodation responsibly! Check the district pages for individual accommodation listings. Popular hotel districts include: Mitte - mostly high-end hotels in the main tourist areas and some cheap hotels and hostels on the outskirts Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf - the largest number of mid-range and upscale hotels can be found here, mostly grouped around the Zoologischer Garten railway station and the Ku'damm Prenzlauer Berg - here you will find many independent small hotels, hostels and guesthouses in the relaxed atmosphere of this district Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg - the centre of alternative life in Berlin offers many suitably-themed accommodation opportunities, mostly hostels and guesthouses You may find accommodation at reasonable prices in almost any district of Berlin, but be mindful of the time it may take to get from that place to where you want to visit, as Berlin is a very large city.
Stay safe
Berlin might be a safe place, but it is a huge city, and as such has some not-so-well maintained areas. No specific rules apply with the exception of public transportation and tourist areas where pickpockets are a problem. Watch your bags during rush hours, at larger train stations (with the central and Warschauer stations being notoriously sketchy at night). The police in Berlin are competent, not corrupt; therefore, if you try to bribe them you are likely to spend at least a night behind bars to check your background. They are generally helpful to tourists. Most of the officers are able to speak English, so don't hesitate to approach them if you are frightened or lost. Police are generally more relaxed than in more conservative places like Munich and do not necessarily engage in a "zero tolerance" policy. In general police will focus on crime and traffic safety rather than petty misdemeanors or drunken tourists unless things get out of hand. The nationwide emergency numbers are Medical emergencies and fires , ☏ 112 . Police emergency number , ☏ 110 . Since the 1980s, there have been localised riots on Labour Day (May 1). In general they take place in Kreuzberg around Oranienstraße/Mariannenplatz. Nowadays they usually start the night before May 1, especially in the Mauerpark (Prenzlauer Berg), at Boxhagener Platz and in Rigaer Str. (Friedrichshain) and start again in the evening of May 1 in Kreuzberg and in the mentioned areas. The violent riots have become rather small since 2005 due to the engagement of the citizens who celebrate the Labour Day with a nice "myfest" in Kreuzberg and well-planned police efforts. It is still better to stay out of these areas from 20:00 until sunrise. Vehicles should not be parked in these areas as this is asking for damage! Racially-motivated violence is rare but the risk is higher on the outskirts of East Berlin. It is recommended for non-white tourists to be attentive in areas such as Lichtenberg, Hellersdorf, Marzahn, Treptow and Köpenick in the evening/night especially if alone. In the bordering neighbourhood of the districts Neukölln and Kreuzberg (between Hermannplatz, Schönleinstraße to Kottbusser Tor) and Wedding (Moabit and Gesundbrunnen) the risk of falling victim to robberies and assaults is higher. Tourists should visit these areas with some caution during the night as a mixture of drunken party people and poor neighbourhoods might lead to trouble. National media and conservative politicians like to make a huge story out of certain well known drug dealing hot spots. Areas such as Görlitzer Park are well known for all sorts of illicit substances being on offer, but if you don't sell or buy this shouldn't preoccupy you. Despite media portrayals to the contrary, police do frequently raid those places and try to catch drug dealers, but only a small handful are usually caught as they have developed certain measures to evade capture. Organized criminality does exist, but in general they try to focus on less violent activity in Germany and hardly ever target outsiders. Although harmless, panhandlers have started to beg at local tourist spots such as Pariser Platz next to the Brandenburg Gate, Alexanderplatz and the Museuminsel. They are usually women accompanied by their daughters who ask if you speak English and say that they are from the new EU countries and trying to raise money to fly home. The story is false, so don't give them money, which would encourage further exploitation of the women and their kids. They also have a new tactic where they hand you a card telling their "story" and asking for money; beware that the children that they carry in their arms will search through your bags while you are reading the card. The best way to avoid this is simply to ignore them and not to respond when they ask you "Speak English?" If you feel scared, don't hesitate to contact the police, as they will help. Near Checkpoint Charlie, you will see people setting up booths offering to stamp your passport with souvenir stamps in exchange for a small fee. You are highly advised not to let them stamp your passport, as these are not official government stamps and could invalidate your passport. If you want the stamps, bring along an expired passport, or a small booklet like a novelty passport.
Go next
Some people from Berlin would ask you why you would ever want to leave, but there are a couple of nice places in close proximity—some even within reach of the Berlin S-Bahn. Outside a thin ring of suburbs (compared to most other European metropolises), Brandenburg is mostly rural so a surprisingly short drive will get you right into picturesque nature. Berliners call this area "JWD" (pronounced yott vay day ), short for "janz weit draußen", that is "in the back of beyond". Brandenburg and Berlin cooperate in many facets of regional planning and the boundary between the two is not always easy to make out. Part of that cooperation is a plan to (in theory) focus development along a "star-shaped" net of rail lines heading towards Berlin. The motorway Raststätte Grunewald at the S-Bahn station Nikolassee is a good spot for hitching if you're heading south or west. Potsdam (35 km) — the capital of the surrounding federal state of Brandenburg, not far southwest of Berlin, and makes a perfect day trip. Especially the park of Sanssouci, a world heritage site with its great famous palaces, is worth a visit. You can get there with the S-Bahn S7 or Regional-Express RE1 to the station Potsdam Hauptbahnhof or Park Sanssouci (fare zone C). It takes about half an hour from Berlin Hauptbahnhof or Friedrichstraße. Oranienburg (35 km) — a quiet suburb housing the remains of KZ Sachsenhausen , one of the few preserved Nazi concentration camps on German soil. There's also a small palace in the centre of Oranienburg. Half an hour by RE train and reachable by the S1. Spreewald (c. 85 km) — a protected UNESCO biosphere reserve. It includes low-lying areas in which the river Spree meanders in thousands of small waterways through meadows and forests. It is a beautiful, unique landscape about one hour south of Berlin and well worth a day trip or a weekend trip to relax from the buzzing city life. Frankfurt an der Oder (100 km) — on the Polish border, with many international students, is within easy reach. Just over an hour by RE train (half-hourly service). Lutherstadt Wittenberg (110 km) — about 40 minutes southwest of Berlin by ICE. Schlosskirche was the church where Martin Luther nailed his theses to the church door, starting the Protestant Reformation . Across the street from there is a visitor's centre with great information. Great city to tour and one can easily explore on foot. Müritz Lake Region ( Mecklenburgische Seenplatte ; c. 145 km) — a national park to the north with a few hundred lakes. Perfect for camping and canoeing close to nature. ' Lusatian Lake District and Central German Lake District about as far to the south as the Baltic is to the north - former lignite pits turned into artificial lakes The small towns of Chorin and Brodowin offer picturesque nature, farms to visit [dead link] , and an old cloister with occasional concerts. 40 minutes by hourly train, plus a few km of forest paths. Once you've finally had your fill, make your way to another corner of Germany: Leipzig (190 km) — East Germany's most vibrant and fastest-growing city, known for its creative cultural scene, sometimes pretentiously called the "New Berlin", but still a lot smaller and more relaxed than the capital; 1:15 hours by train to the south. Dresden (190 km) — the former royal capital of Saxony with its Baroque palaces, churches and precious art treasures; two hours by train or car to the south. Intense competition on the Dresden-Berlin route means a bus ticket (2.5 to 3 hours) can be had for as little as €5. Visit Neustadt and you'll feel like you've never left Berlin. The beautiful Baltic seashore (e.g. Usedom , Stralsund and Rügen ) is close enough for a day or weekend trip by car (2.5 to 3 hours) or train (nearly three hours to Stralsund; 3–3 hr 45 min to Usedom). Hamburg (290 km) — the second-largest city in Germany is less than 2 hours away by ICE. The Polish border is just some 90 km to the east of Berlin, therefore it might be interesting to do a trip: Szczecin (Stettin; 150 km) — The train line is closed for construction until December 2025, but the bus is cheap and faster. Poznań (Posen; 270 km) — three hours by train.