There are a number of festivals, holidays and other events celebrated in Berlin each year. The main ones are listed below.
January 1: New Year's Day (national holiday) March/April: Good Friday (national holiday) March/April: Easter Monday (national holiday) May 1: Labour Day (national holiday) Mid-August–early September: Tanz Im August (local event)This three-week festival is a celebration of modern dance, showcasing the latest trends in choreography, in a series of performances at various venues across the city featuring companies and artists from all over the world. The programme also includes workshops and lectures by both dancers and critics.
] October 3: German Unity Day (national holiday)Commemorates the anniversary of Germany's reunification in 1990. Celebrations in Berlin include a huge street party at the Brandenburg Gate, plus concerts and other stage performances.
Early November: JazzFest Berlin (local event)Held every year since 1964, this four-day jazz festival attracts many big names for a programme of performances at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele and several other venues in the city.
November 11: Saint Martin's Day (local event)In Berlin, Saint Martin's feast day is celebrated with a parade through the city's streets by children carrying lanterns they have usually made themselves and singing songs known as Lanternlieder.
December 25: Christmas (national holiday)Month | Min. Average Temperature (°C/F°) | Max. Average Temperature (°C/F°) | Average Rains (MM) | Best Time to Travel |
---|---|---|---|---|
January | -2/28 | 3/37 | 42/1.7 | Not the best period to go |
February | -2/28 | 4/39 | 33/1.3 | Not the best period to go |
March | 1/34 | 8/46 | 40/1.6 | Not the best period to go |
April | 4/39 | 13/55 | 37/1.5 | Not the best period to go |
May | 9/48 | 19/66 | 54/2.1 | Not the best period to go |
June | 12/54 | 22/72 | 69/2.7 | Good period to go
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July | 14/57 | 24/75 | 55/2.2 | Good period to go
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August | 14/57 | 24/75 | 58/2.3 | Good period to go
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September | 10/50 | 19/66 | 45/1.8 | Good period to go
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October | 6/43 | 13/55 | 37/1.5 | Not the best period to go |
November | 2/36 | 7/45 | 44/1.7 | Not the best period to go |
December | 0/32 | 4/39 | 55/2.2 | Not the best period to go |
Berlin's Tegel International Airport is located about 8 kilometres (5 miles) north-west of the city centre.
Berlin is a very easy city to get around. Its public transport options provide nearly complete coverage of the city, by night as well as by day. The S-Bahn, U-Bahn and trams run through the night on Friday and Saturday and the eves of public holidays. In addition, the system uses integrated tickets and passes, valid for all modes of transport.
Berlin's S-Bahn (commuter rail) and U-Bahn (underground) operate every day from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. A single ticket costs EUR 2.70 for fare zones A and B (where most visitor destinations are situated) and EUR 3.30 for fare zones A, B and C. Tickets are valid for 2 hours. A short-distance (Kurzstrecke) ticket is also available for EUR 1.60 if you need to travel between no more than three S-Bahn or U-Bahn stops.
Useful tip : The Tageskarte (1-day pass) and 7-Tage-Karte (7-day pass) offer unlimited access to all public transport in Berlin. The 1-day pass costs EUR 6.90 for fare zones A and B or EUR 7.40 for fare zones A, B and C. The 7-day pass costs EUR 29.50 for fare zones A and B or EUR 36.50 for fare zones A, B and C.
Berlin has the largest network of bus routes of any city in Germany. Two of these are particularly of interest for visitors: bus 100 and bus 200, linking Tiergarten to Alexanderplatz and passing by many important landmarks.
Berlin's trams run almost exclusively in the eastern portion of the capital. Trams may be boarded in the centre of the city, at the Hackeschermarkt and Alexanderplatz stations.
Berlin has nearly 7,000 taxis. The initial charge is EUR 3.90, plus EUR 2.00 per kilometre for the first 7 kilometres (4 miles), then EUR 1.50 per kilometre after that. A short-distance fare (Kurzstrecke) is also available at all times of the day or night for taxis hailed in the street: EUR 5.00 for a trip of no more than 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) without intermediate stops and with a maximum of four passengers.
Bicycles are an excellent way to discover Berlin, which has a large and well-developed network of cycling paths. There are many bike rental shops dotted around the city.
Upon your arrival in Berlin, you can get in touch with local tourism professionals for further information and to help organize your stay.
Berlin Tourismus & KongressOffers practical information and many useful recommendations (accommodation, restaurants, public transport, festivals, cultural events, etc.).
Apart from the main tourist information centre at Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the city's tourism authority also operates additional Berlin Tourist Info centres at the following locations:
The official website maintained by Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus (DZT), the German national tourist board, provides a wealth of information on Berlin.
Website: www.germany.travel
The currency used in Germany is the euro (€).
1 SEK = 0,10 EUR
1 EUR = 10 SEK
The above exchange rate is given for information because is variable.
There are no vaccination requirements for visitors to Germany.
For more information, contact Air France's international vaccination centre:
Tap water is safe to drink in Berlin.
For stays of less than three months, travellers from the Schengen area, as well as those from the countries of the European Union not included in the area, need only be in possession of a national identity card or a passport valid for the duration of their stay.
As a general rule, travellers from all other countries are subject to visa requirements, although foreign nationals from certain countries may enter Germany for up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.
For further information, visit the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees:
http://www.bamf.de/EN/Migration/Einreisebestimmungen/einreisebestimmungen-node.html
Here are a few basic German phrases that will make your stay in Berlin a little easier:
Hello / How do you do?: Guten Tag
Good morning: Guten Morgen
Good evening: Guten Abend (there is no equivalent of “Good afternoon” in German)
Good-bye: Auf Wiedersehen
Yes: Ja
No: Nein
No, thank you: Nein, Danke
Thank you very much: Vielen Dank
I don't understand: Ich verstehe nicht.
Could you repeat that: Können Sie bitte wiederholen?
Please: Bitte
What time is it: Wie spät ist es?
Excuse me: Entschuldigung
Airport: Der Flughafen
Train station: Der Bahnhof
Taxi: Das Taxi
Hotel: Das Hotel
Hôpital: Das Krankenhaus
Bank: Die Bank
Telephone: Das Telefon
I'm (…): Ich bin (…)
I'm looking for (…): Ich suche (…)
How much is this: Wie viel kostet es?
Do you have (…): Haben Sie (…)?
Where can I find (…): Wo kann ich (…) finden?
Where can I buy (…): Wo kann ich (…) kaufen?
I'd like (…): Ich hätte gerne (…)
And what about tipping?
In Germany, as is also the case in France and Italy, when the service is especially friendly and attentive, leaving a tip is recommended and always appreciated. The appropriate amount is anywhere between 5 and 10 percent of the bill at restaurants or bars. Do not leave the tip on the table. It is better to hand it to the server when paying the bill.