Catching night train from Berlin Hbf at midnight

Hi,

You're right, safety at Berlin Hbf is not an issue. The whole Hbf is patrolled by two man teams of police both public/official police of the city of Berlin, as well as private police/security. Those wearing a patch with "Wachpolizei" are private.

There are no coin lockers at Hbf, not that I know of, could never find them. Next to the WC is the left luggage facility called Gepäck Center when you can check in the luggage pieces. There is a set price (forgot how much, 5 Euro?) for each piece, regardless of the size or weight. Getting close to midnight just about everything will be closed.

Next to Berlin Hbf is the Meininger Hotel/Hostel, ca 2 mins after you exit the Hbf and turn right, nice place to use the facilities without having to pay for it, sit at the lounge and bar, There are computers next to the entrance one can use too.

On anything to do at the train station: the Hbf is huge, worthy of exploring, and well worth it, its shops and other features.

Thanks for the replies, George and Fred!

George - yes, we will have been in Berlin for a few days at this point, so we are not changing trains. Good to know about the lockers and the manned luggage hold!

Here, https://cms-bahnhof.noncd-web.db.de/sites/default/files/pdf/berlinhbfdbvsta4web.pdf is a map (it takes a long time to load) of the Berlin Hbf. You'll find the lockers (Schliessfächer) on the 1. Untergeschoss, first level below the ground level, just above the train tracks. They are at one exit to the car park, the last exit (of three) on your left as you face the carpark exits.

Thanks again, everybody. That's a great idea, actually - we can just drop off our bags in a locker at the Hbf instead of stowing them at the hotel after we check out. Good to have the map, too!

We did the late tour of the Reichstag last time we were in Berlin (which coincided nicely with nearby fireworks and Berlin Festival of Lights going on at the time!), so if we do go again, I was hoping to see it during the day.

Not sure when you'll be traveling but I wanted to add that the Berlin Hbf is kind of an open-air station so it's pretty cold if you're hanging out at night. My partner and I were there last March when it was snowing and there was icy air flowing in on most of the levels... that totally surprised me! It's a large, interesting station so there's a lot to see and do. And, there's a grocery store so we were able to get snacks for the train ride. There's a fee to use the restrooms, but they're pretty clean. I echo the previous comments that it feels like a very safe place with good security. Also, we used the luggage check and it was so easy-- but yes, it has specific hours, so the lockers might make more sense for you.