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Catching night train from Berlin Hbf at midnight

We are planning to take the night train from Berlin Hbf to Copenhagen, which is slated to leave Berlin shortly after midnight. I'm not particularly concerned about safety (of course, feel free to correct me here), but I am worried about having to kill time with all our bags in tow and with everything in the area being closed. Is there anything to do either at the train station or in the area (provided we drop off our bags in a storage locker) at this hour? I've only been to this train station briefly and don't recall the area very well, so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Posted by
14481 posts

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.

Posted by
873 posts

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!

Posted by
873 posts

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.

Posted by
4 posts

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.