Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
atedInternetterminals(thoughtheseunmannedmachinescancomewithgreatersecurity
risks).
Bookstore: Berlin Story,
a big, cluttered, fun bookshop, has a knowledgeable staff and the
bestselectionanywhereintownofEnglish-languagebooksonBerlin.Theyalsostockan
amusingmixofknickknacks andEastBerlin nostalgia souvenirs(Mon-Sat10:00-19:00,
Sun 10:00-18:00, Unter den Linden 40, tel. 030/2045-3842,
www.berlinstory.de
)
. I'd
skip the overpriced little museum in the back.
Other Berlin Souvenirs:
If you're taken with the city's unofficial mascot, the
Ampelmän-
nchen
(traffic-light man), you'll find a world of souvenirs slathered with his iconic red
and green image at
Ampelmann Shops
(various locations, including near Gendarmen-
marktatMarkgrafenstrasse 37,nearMuseumIslandinsidetheDomAquarée mall, inthe
Hackeschen Höfe, and at Potsdamer Platz).
Laundry:
Berlin has several self-service launderettes with long hours (wash and dry-€4-9/
load). Near my recommended hotels in Prenzlauer Berg, try
Waschsalon 115
(daily
6:00-23:00, exact change required, free Wi-Fi, Torstrasse 115, around the corner from
the recommended Circus hostel) or
Eco-Express Waschsalon
(daily 6:00-23:00, handy
pizzerianextdoor,DanzigerStrasse7).The
Schnell&SauberWaschcenter
chainhasa
locationinPrenzlauerBerg(daily6:00-23:00,exactchangerequired,OderbergerStrasse
1).
Updates to this Topic:
For news about changes to this topic's coverage since it was pub-
lished, see
www.ricksteves.com/update
.
Berlin's sights spread far and wide. Right from the start, commit yourself to the city's fine
public-transit system.
By Public Transit: Subway, Train, Tram, and Bus
Berlin's many modes of transportation are consolidated into one system that uses the same
ticket: U-Bahn (
Untergrund-Bahn,
Berlin's subway), S-Bahn (
Stadtschnellbahn,
or “fast
urban train,” mostly aboveground and with fewer stops),
Strassenbahn
(streetcars, called
“trams” by locals), and buses. For all types of transit, there are three lettered zones (A, B,
and C); all of the sights listed in this chapter lie within zones A and B (the city proper). If
you'll be here for a few days, get and use the excellent
Discover Berlin by Train and Bus
map-guide published by the public transit operator BVG (at subway ticket windows).
Ticket Options:
You have several options for tickets.
• The €2.30
basic
ticket
(Einzelfahrschein)
covers two hours of travel in one direction
on buses or subways. It's easy to make this ticket stretch to cover several rides...as long as
they're all in the same direction.
