5 night in Berlin area, stay in Berlin or Potsdam?

What about a compromise and stay around Schlachtensee? It's in the southwest portion of the city and feels worlds away from the hustle of Potsdamer Platz. It's a beautiful wooded area around a lake. Full disclosure: I'm not certain how many hotels you'll find in Schlachtensee, but anywhere from here to Dahlem-Dorf should get you the laid-back, small town, residential vibe you're looking for. I stayed one summer in the area in the Student Village for the Freie Univerisitaet Berlin and really enjoyed it. According to the website, it takes 24 minutes on the S-Bahn to get from Schlachtensee to Potsdamer Platz, and I remember taking the green U3 line (UBahn) every afternoon after class into the city, and it was about the same.

Where else are you going on this trip? What do you want to see in Berlin?

Thanks Allison, I'll check it out.

This trip will start out with 8 days of dad and daughter cycle touring in the Netherlands and Belgium. Then meet mom for 8 days of hiking in the Salzkammergut from village to village (we've scheduled a series of two night stays about six hours of hiking apart). Then we'll fly to Berlin for 5 nights. Then a night or 2 in Reykjavic on the way home.

I'd like to see the Pergammon Museum, Check Point Charlie, and the KaDeWe market. Also the bombed out church. I've seen it before but not the inside. We'll be interested in eating a lot of good ethnic food by that point of the trip too.

Berlin is different to lot of other cities; it is extremely local. Therefore party, business and places for quiet living are sometimes very close to each other. I live in such an area where I can have all of these in 10 mins walk.

Q1: It is more easy but Berlin is huge, so you need to travel in Berlin additionally. Costs are little higher ABC tickets instead of AB. Be prepared that trains are well filled during rush hours.

Q2: Also in Berlin you will find neighborhoods. Berlin as you know it by today was aggregated in 1920. Therefore the local structures of small structures are still valid. There is a map on this page in which you can activate the view on sub-centers.

Q3: In Berlin you will find on-top of the two zoos some places that also will be enjoyed by your 10-yr old daughter, e.g. a kid-friendly version of Berlin history but not a museum.

Q4: Berlin is very safe. At crowded places you will find some tricky pickpockets but more or less that' it. Alexanderplatz was in press for some time but little more than a year ago they installed a small police station right in the middle of the place. So, also back on normal level.

take our girl on bike rides where traffic isn't too much of an issue
and we can stop for lunch at some charming country place

The Tiergarten park is perfect for this. Stop at Restaurant Giraffe, Café am Neuen See or at Teehaus im Englischen Garten.

Another nice place for that is Friedrichshain park with the fairytale fountain.

The huge places for that are either Grunewald, Großer Müggelsee or Tegeler Forst.

So are we making a mistake to stay in Potsdam?

I would not call it a mistake but Potsdam is an own nice destination and a longer way through bigger and louder areas. And even big Berlin is basically a village with quaint little places.

3 examples:

• If money plays no big role hotel Das Stue is the perfect 5-star hideaway. Right in the heart of Berlin, close to Tiergarten park and the zoo, and very quiet neighborhood.
• Around renovated Gleisdreieck park you will find some new hotels in a very central and urban but still relaxed area, e.g. Flottwell Residenz am Park or Scandic Berlin Potsdamer Platz.
• Area around Kollwitzplatz is a real family friendly area (mid to high income). Have a look at extraordinary Hotel ackselhaus & blue home Berlin.

And you will find much more areas like these: Helmholtzplatz, Comeniusplatz, Volkspark am Weinberg, ...

Nice suburbs in Berlin that may match your preferences are Köpenick or Friedrichshagen down at the lake, Altstadt Spandau, Tegel. Rathaus Steglitz is too lively.

Keep in mind that Potsdam has its numbers of students too since there is a university in the city. Part of the university's campus is located at Neues Palais, which I would heartily suggest if you are into the history. The critical decisions in July 1914 leading up to the outbreak of the war were taken at Neues Palais. There is also the Brandenburg-Prussian Museum ca. 20 mins from Potsdam Hbf as you exit the station and cross the bridge.

It sounds from your list that you would find Potsdam more agreeable than the quick pace found in Berlin. Potsdam is great for walking around and exploring, not just only visiting Sans Souci. There are numerous other Potsdamer Schlösser, which I've only been to two..Babelsberg and Neues Palais. Potsdam is a place "to soak in the culture/local thing...."

Every trip to Germany includes going back to Berlin and also at least a few hours in Potsdam, if not a day trip, ...a given. From Berlin the S-Bahn cost is 3,40 Euro. If you want to get away from the tourists in Potsdam, only hear German, very easy...numerous places in town where tourists don't go to.

Potsdam has a HI hostel too, if you want that option.

Hi,

If you're looking for ethnic food, go to Wilmersdorf, tons of ethnic eateries there.

For Chinese food numerous places in Charlottenburg, especially on Kantsstrasse, close to the Savignyplatz S-Bahn station, Mandarin cuisine, Shanghai cuisine, Vietnamese, Thai, etc it's all there along with Greek, Italian, etc.

No, staying in Potsdam is in no way a mistake, just a matter of priorities. I stay in Charlottenburg and sometimes make 3 trips to Potsdam, not only one during the stay in Berlin. You can still visit the east, those interesting areas, Köpenick, Karlshorst or out west Spandau.

Yes, that small police station is near the Große Uhr.

The critical decisions in July 1914 leading up to the outbreak of the
war were taken at Neues Palais.

Two details (no counter statement) on that:
1) The German emperor Wilhelm II was more than half of July 1914 (6-27) on Norway trip, so neither in Berlin nor Potsdam. A lot of daily politics were done on his yacht in Balholm (Norway). In a German language article you can see a photo series from that summer vacation.
2) A lot of nations were doing "critical decisions in July 1914 leading up to the outbreak of the war". One of the most critical decisions taken in July was that Austria declared the war on Serbia which was in multilateral military alliance with other states. That was of course not taken in Potsdam.

I think you have already made up your mind.

I think you should stay in Berlin to see Berlin. You will see less, and be unable to take a break in your hotel room if you are in Potsdam. There is far more than you can see in Berlin in 5 days, and you will hit the ground running better if you sleep in Berlin. I would also suggest that you may discover suburban attractions (just to pick one I was glad to see, the Grunderzeit Museum ... or the International Botanical Gardens [not in winter!]) that will be too time-consuming if you have to start in Potsdam every day.

Your points 3-6 are not fact-based. They are feeling-based. I grew up on the West Side of Manhattan, so I know what daily life in a city is like. You should not set romantic objectives that will harm your opportunity to "see" the city of Berlin.

On our last time (fourth, maybe) in Berlin for a few days in conjunction with a longer trip, we learned that the Deutsche Oper had their annual Family Open House Day while we were there. It's not that out-of-the-way, but we jumped on the U-Bahn and headed over there.

So much generous feedback here, thanks very much! Haven't made a decision yet, but grateful for all the deeper-level information that I'd not get from a guidebook.

TIm btw, I've visited Berlin twice previously, once 30 years ago, once 10 years ago. This might have been helpful information. I have nothing against Berlin or big cities in particular. I live in a big city, Seattle, and enjoy it despite the American big city problems (uptick in murders lately within a 3k radius of my house, wife randomly punched in face downtown, etc). When I was younger I used to be thrilled to get into the core of big cities when I traveled. Now though I for some reason gravitate to more provincial towns when I travel. Maybe it's just a change from my usual scenery. I grew up in a suburb like where you live but have lived in big cities since I was 18. Maybe it's some sort of creeping elderly nostalgia?

Anyway I'm sorry if it comes across as if I'm criticizing Berlin or not giving a fair assessment. I do like Berlin! I might never in my life return to London for instance, and I could not care less as long as Bath, York and Edinburg still exist. But I agree that Berlin is a special place. And I do like the suggestion above that it's a city of villages, and maybe I just need to find the right neighborhood slightly outlying on the west side. Gonna do some research on these areas!

Thanks again

I should have been a bit more exact on the crucial decisions taken at Neues Palais, obviously, the German decisions.

Look at that date ..July 6. It's the day after the Hoyos Mission sent personally by Franz Joseph to sound out the Germans. They arrived in Potsdam on July 5, ie, a week after Sarajevo, at which time the Kaiser gave the Austrians a virtual "blank check" (Blankovollmacht) in dealing with the Serbs for the assassination on 6/28/1914.

That was the "crucial decision" after which the Kaiser left on his yacht on July 6 so as not to arouse suspicion by the Great Powers. So, who is left to direct policy? ...the Chancellor, the Prussian War Minister, Chief of the General Staff., Secretary of State?

By the time the Austrians declared war on Serbia, exactly a month after Sarajevo, the sympathy of the Great Powers over the death of the Heir to the Throne (Thronfolger) had dissipated. The most crucial and salient decision in the July 1914 that sucked in all of Europe was that of Russian general mobilisation, as that concept was understood by all given the 1914 beliefs. A war declaration was then only a diplomatic formality. (Allgemeine Mobilmachung bedeutet Krieg).

Hi,

If you want a guide to assist and consult, then I heartily suggest "The Rough Guide Berlin"...very useful, detailed, good resource.

h-

I'm really sorry to hear about your wife's unfortunate encounter in Seattle. Happily, I've never felt in danger of someone punching me in the face in Berlin, but that additional info makes me understand your search for something a little more bucolic than the central district of a large city. Tim does make good points about the utility of having lodging in the city, including having a place to take a break during the day. I agree with Mark that the area around Kollwitzplatz would probably be a good fit for you inside the city. The neighborhood is full of families and has a comfortable, pleasant feel to it. The large Volkspark Friedrichshain is nearby; it's a great place to wander -- the fairy tale fountain, recreation areas for all ages, two hiking hills made from WWII rubble, lots of Berliners being Berliners. IMHO, a city location makes it a lot easier to reach the ethnic food you want to eat, too.

Outside the city, Potsdam offers a lot of things to see and do. I will endorse one more of Mark's recommendations. I think the Friedrichshagen suburb is great. It is largely undiscovered by US Americans. There is a lake, a beach, a nice lakeside park, a nice main street with many restaurants, including a cute little Cajun restaurant (!) that offers what I'll call a European interpretation of Cajun/Creole cooking that I really enjoyed (the chef came out to ask how close I felt the restaurant was to the "real thing"). There is good hiking nearby, too. I was there for a day in mid May and found myself thinking that Friedrichshagen would be a relaxing place to stay for a week (with fairly easy access to Berlin), but I'm not sure what it's like at the height of summer. It's about a 30-min S-bahn ride from Friedrichshagen to Berlin Hbf.

Happy planning and happy travels!

Dave thanks I'm looking into your suggestions. When I look at maps of Berlin I certainly am drawn to all that water and all those parks in and out of the city. Pretty remarkable really how much interesting looking water and first rings the place, must be great for city residents to be able to get to it all so close and easy.

Hlaufenberg:
I visited Berlin/Dresden/Potsdam this past May. Please look up my six-part trip report which I posted on RS's Trip Reports.

Since you are traveling with a 10-year old girl, you may really enjoy bike-riding in Berlin. My trip report noted how much the Berliners love bike-riding. You could even take a bike-riding tour.

Have fun.