9 Mistakes People Make When Visiting Berlin
What Not to Do in Berlin on Your 1st Visit
The mistakes people make when visiting Berlin are not usually enough to ruin a trip here, but they could potentially mean that you’re not getting the best out of your visit. However, an innocent mistake could even mean you get quite a big fine. There are a few peculiar laws and rules that you should definitely be prepared for.
Berlin culture is really unique, even among other German cities, which makes it surprisingly easy to make an embarrassing mistake or suffer a culture shock. We’ve gathered some of the most important points to remember when preparing for your first visit so that you’ll fit right in and be able to really enjoy yourself.
9 Mistakes People Make When Visiting Berlin
- Using the S-Bahn to get from the airport
- Not validating your ticket at the train station
- Not waiting for the little green man
- Walking in the cycle lane
- Concentrating on sights and not neighborhoods
- Only eating German food
- Running out of cash
- Expecting shops to open on Sundays
- Being shocked by public nudity
1. Using the S-Bahn to get from the airport
Regional trains take you to the city center faster
Categoría: Parejas, Familias
With trains departing every 10 minutes, it seems like the logical choice to ride the S-Bahn from BER Airport to the city center. While a lot of guidebooks do recommend this option, what they don’t tell you is that the train will stop at every single station along the way. It could take you up to an hour to reach the middle of Berlin.
The FEX (Flughafen Express) to central station (Hauptbahnhof) takes about 25 minutes and it runs every 15 minutes. The regional trains RE20, RB23, and RB24/RB 32 run hourly and reach the central station. If you’re staying near Alexanderplatz, board the hourly RE8 and you’ll reach your destination in about 30 minutes.
Using the S-Bahn to get from the airport
2. Forgetting to validate your ticket at the train station
Paper tickets need to be stamped on the station platform
Categoría: Económico, Parejas, Familias
If you buy a paper train ticket from a ticket machine, you need to stick it to the small yellow-and-white machines on the platform to stamp it before boarding a train. Failing to do so usually means a hefty fine if the ticket inspectors check your ticket.
If you get a digital ticket in the BVG app, VBB app, or another official mobile app, the ticket is already electronically activated and time-stamped and you simply show it to ticket inspectors if requested. Keep your paper ticket until you have completed your journey. If you’re using a digital ticket, keep it available on your phone and ensure the battery doesn’t die before your trip ends.
Forgetting to validate your ticket at the train station
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3. Failing to wait for the little green man
Berlin takes traffic lights seriously
Categoría: Parejas, Familias
The instinct in many countries is to cross the road whenever there’s a gap in traffic, but Germans take jaywalking seriously. In the spirit of setting a good example for the kids, it’s a finable offence to cross the road anywhere other than a proper crossing or when the light is red.
In Berlin, Ampelmann (“traffic-light man”), is one of Berlin’s most beloved symbols. The green figure in traffic lights with the distinctive hat signals “walk,” while a red counterpart with outstretched arms means “stop.” You’ll see him at many pedestrian crossings throughout Berlin, especially in the eastern districts. For a quirky souvenir, buy mug or T-shirt with an Ampelmann on it.
Failing to wait for the little green man
4. Walking in the cycle lane
This could lead to too close encounters with cyclists
Categoría: Parejas, Familias
It often comes as a surprise to first-time visitors to Berlin that people here actually use cycle lanes for cycling. The lanes are usually colored red, with very clear symbols showing that this is a bike-only zone.
If you happen to wander into one without looking, don’t be surprised if you end up having a close encounter with an angry cyclist. In Berlin, cyclists often travel fast, quietly, and with an expectation that the cycle lane is exclusively theirs. For your safety and theirs, be careful where you walk.
Walking in the cycle lane
5. Concentrating on sights and not neighborhoods
Berlin has many faces
Categoría: De aventura, Foto
Berlin has no shortage of fantastic sights to see, but Berlin is so much more than just its famous places and landmarks. It’s the stylish Mitte, the multicultural Kreuzberg, the classical Charlottenburg, the gritty-but-groovy Neukölln; it’s a city of diverse and delightful districts, each as worthy of your time as any old building or museum.
Unlike most other popular cities in the world, you’ll get the best experience of Berlin by just walking the streets. Stay in a hotel conveniently located in the city center to ensure you can explore it all on foot.
Concentrating on sights and not neighborhoods
6. Only eating German food
The city is brimming with affordable ethnic restaurants
Categoría: Económico, Gastronomía en
Naturally, the instinct when visiting a new city is to try the local cuisine, and we certainly like a good German sausage as much as anyone. However, if we spent every day in a traditional biergarten, we’d be missing out on this truly multicultural city’s amazing diversity of dining.
Great affordable dishes include döner kebabs, vegetarian curries, Vietnamese spring rolls, and some really outstanding burgers. Thanks to its large immigrant populations from around the world, each of these exotic flavors (and many others) have acquired an authentic local taste. Try Neukölln’s Arabic, Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, and Iraqi restaurants or head to Charlottenburg for East Asian delicacies.
Only eating German food
7. Running out of cash
Cash is king in Berlin
Categoría: Económico, Parejas, Familias
Berlin is a modern city by any definition of the term, but many small businesses, especially restaurants, still only take cash. This often comes as a bit of a surprise to visitors hoping to pay with plastic, who find themselves short of Euros when it comes time to pay the bill.
To make matters worse, ATMs are often located inside banks, not on the wall outside, meaning they’re only accessible during normal opening hours. Make sure you keep a good stock of small denominations on you, but also be wary of pickpockets, especially while on the U-Bahn metro.
Running out of cash
8. Expecting shops to open on Sundays
Sunday means brunch, not bargains
Categoría: Parejas, Familias, Ir de compras
Germany has historically been quite a religious country, and they still take the whole “no working on the Sundays” thing seriously. The result is that quite a few visitors expect to nip out to the shops on a Sunday to grab some souvenirs or enjoy a spot of clothes shopping and are surprised to find that everything is closed.
Restaurants remain open all weekend, but pharmacies, high-street stores, and even some museums don’t. If you’re desperate for supplies, don’t despair as supermarkets in large train stations, gas stations, and bakeries generally stay open.
Expecting shops to open on Sundays
9. Being shocked by public nudity
Clothed and nude visitors often share the same space
Categoría: Parejas, Familias, Exótico
While “free body culture” (Freikörperkultur or FKK for short) is perhaps not a mainstream thing, it’s prevalent enough that you might encounter it at some point. Many of Berlin’s public parks have a nudist section and you’ll find plenty of people with everything on show at saunas, swimming pools, and nearby lakes and beaches.
There are also nightclubs which are famous for their extreme (un)dress code. Remember that cameras and photography are not allowed anywhere you see FKK signs, for obvious reasons.
Being shocked by public nudity
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