There are 10 of us who are taking a Baltic Cruise. I realize that it takes about 3 hours each way to get to Berlin from Warnemunde. Should we take the train? If so how hard is that to do. I would rather not do tours from the ship. Is there a small tour company that would meet us at the port and take us there and to all the important places to see. I understand that to really see Berlin you need at least 5 days. We just want to see the best highlights. I need recommendations. Thanks.
Mary
spd-tours.com is one tour company that I have seen recommended. I have not used them but am considering them for a St. Petersburg tour in 2021
If you're talking about seeing Berlin from Warnemunde when getting off a cruise ship, don't. It's just too far and Berlin's got too many sights to see. The port there is very nice and it makes for a nice leisurely day.
How much time do you have in the port? No matter what kind of transportation you use, you can't escape the fact that Berlin is 240 km from Warnemünde.
I agree that a private tour would be better than a cruise-ship excursion (less time for loading and unloading a van vs. a bus), but I, too, want to discourage you from attempting this. There are several reasons:
For cruise companies to dock in Warnemunde and list "Berlin" as a destination borders on fraud, in my view. It would be much better to head to a closer destination more suitable for a short visit; you'll see the best of that place rather than pretending to see Berlin, plus you'll have more time to spend there.
I haven't been to Warnemunde itself, but Schwerin is very picturesque and is only 55 miles from Warnemunde. I believe there may be other good options even closer, but Schwerin has a charming historic center and a palace surrounded by gardens sitting on an island in a small, man-made lake. With 10 people, a private tour would be worthwhile; public transportation is not terribly frequent.
I vaguely recall positive comments about Rostock, which is only 19 minutes by rail from the Warnemünde Werft train station. That's a trip you (or part of your group) could make on its own.
If you go to Berlin, I would definitely take the cruise ship excursion. There are WAY too many things that can go wrong being that far from the cruise port that can make you miss the ship. Feasibly if you have from, say 7 am to 7 pm, and 6 of those 12 hours are for travel (assuming there are no delays, stops, etc.), and you need at least 30 minutes wiggle room on either end for contingencies, and at least 30 minutes for lunch, really you only have 4.5 hours to work with sightseeing-wise. I would pick 1-2 sites that are close together if doing it independently or with a dedicated guide, but on a bus tour from the cruise ship, they will take care of the logistics of moving you from place to place, guiding you around, etc. We did this in Rome and felt very good about our "Rome in a day" bus tour--got to see a lot. But of course Civitavecchia is only 1.5 hours from Rome as opposed to 3 hours from Berlin.
As far as the sites you see, it depends on your interests. We are going to Berlin this summer and plan on seeing the Berlin Wall Memorial, doing an underground bunker tour, visiting KaDeWe department store, doing the DDR museum, and seeing the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. None of those things, except the gate and Reichstag, are remotely close together. So definitely look at Google Maps and plot out what interests you, then choose things that are continuously close.
I would join in with the advice that Berlin is too far to go for a day trip. I would look into Stralsund, Wismar, or Schwerin, which are cities nearby that are more attractive and better preserved than Rostock.
Mary, you don't mention the ages or travel experience of the guests. But I urge you to consider Berlin to be too far to go. The fact is that Berlin is a major transportation center, and anyone who is "going to Europe at some future date" could easily arrange to fly into (or out of) Berlin as cheaply as anywhere else. That's the right way to visit Berlin. And it's such a busy, rich destination that even people who don't prefer "independent land travel" (I mean to refer to confirmed cruise customers) can get a lot done from a single hotel room, for up to a week.
I would point out that even a private tour company has to leave an allowance for delays (some Percentage of a huge number, almost 3 hours) in order to avoid the ship LEAVING without your 10 people. When you consider 10 people taking photos and using the bathroom and gift shops during your private tour, it's not going to be as much time "in Berlin" as you hope or imagine. The term "herding cats" has come up on this board in the past.
As others have noted, it's disingenuous for a cruise company to describe that Baltic port as "Berlin."
I too am planning a Baltic cruise and was surprised that all offer this excursion to Berlin that is a 6 hr round trip plus any sight seeing. I didn't see how it was realistic unless you left at 7am and returned at 7pm. still a long haul. I am tinkering with a trip to Hamburg, it is closer. I have been there for work several times but my wife has never been. However, I think I will look into the suggestions above. Thanks guys
On my upcoming Baltic cruise, the stop in Warnemunde is 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. If yours is a similar time, then I think any fears of the ship sailing without you are unfounded.
That said, unless you have an overwhelming desire to see Berlin, I would skip it. The reviews on cruise websites are lukewarm. I recently asked a friend if her 4 days in Berlin were enough. She said no.
We did the cruise ship option--train and then a bus into Berlin. No regrets at all even though we only had about six hours in Berlin. Returned to ship around 11 pm. I look at it this way: if we had not done this we still would not have seen Berlin. We spent five days in Munich on a recent tip and preferred it for sure. I don't about tour companies but I am sure there are some available.
Stephen, I've been on about ten cruises. There are a lot of things that can go wrong on a three-hour train trip! Not to mention local transit back to the HBF in Berlin, during rush hour. It feels very self-reliant to do your own cruise excursion, but the risk is non-zero.
I haven't been to Warnemunde, but port security, and port shuttle busses or tender boats (if used) add another layer of uncertainty.
I recently spend 5 days in Berlin and I loved it. Would go back for more in a snap. However, as a few hour visit as a cruise stop, I wouldn't even bother. Berlin doesn't lend itself well to a short visit and it would be a long way to go to see a couple of sights. Berlin takes time because the important sights are very spread out and take time and planning to visit.
Berlin needs time. At best, you'll only see one or two sights and get an overview of the city. I'm sure there are interesting places to visit that are close to the port. Visit Berlin on a land trip and spend a few days. If you aren't with a tour, you made need a lot of extra time to buy tickets and/or enter (lines) the most popular sights.
Tim : I am not suggesting that this group use the train to get go/from Berlin and tour Berlin on their own. They should use a tour company such as the one I mentioned. That way they can visit the various attractions without the confusion/delays/ uncertainty that an unfamiliar tourist always experiences. They should also use a tour company that guarantees getting you back to the ship on time or to the next port if they don’t get you back on time.
Looking at the tour description of the tour by the company I mentioned, I would not go to Berlin ( and I don’t plan to on my Baltic cruise )
How many have on a Baltic cruise taken a Berlin tour with a private guide? And how many have done it and regretted their decision?
My view is a very different one. I did take a Berlin tour on a Baltic cruise. Berlin has a number of excellent tour guides who can arrange for transportation for groups to and from Berlin. With a large group, the pricing is reasonable. For example, check out the websites for guides like Mr. Berlin (Jeremy Minsberg) and Heidi Leyton. They provide exactly what you are looking for.
I have visited Berlin twice. The second time was a land trip for an extended period because of what I had experienced on a Berlin tour on a Baltic cruise. Then and now, I thought that the tour to Berlin with a private guide was one of the best decisions I had made on the Baltic cruise and that Berlin was one of the highlights of the cruise. You can see much in six hours with an excellent guide who provides the transportation. And an overview--simply walking Berlin's streets with their layers of history--can be a travel high point.
Finally, the experienced guides have hundreds of times capably arranged for transportation back to the ship before it sails: the existence of their business depends on it.
I took the Baltic cruise and did not go to Berlin but remember many people that did and they were not happy and regretted their decision. 7 hour bus time just to get there and back, city traffic, lines and a rushed itinerary was the universal summary. Berlin is not a drive by. Save it for a real few days visit.
Berlin is 150 miles away from Warnemünde.
The trip is worth it only for a first and quick impression. Berlin itself needs weeks to explore in detail.
Only do it if you can start early enough (ship stays more than 12 hrs in port).
On summer weekends do it by train, not by bus (traffic jams more likely).
The special trains from cruise lines are 15-20 mins faster than the public trains by Deutsche Bahn; same route, less stops.
In Berlin you can do a non-straight 3-4 miles walk from main station (Hauptbahnhof, Hbf) to Alexanderplatz to see 7 of 10 Berlin highlights (not 6, 7 and 9) plus former Berlin Wall impression (Topograpky of Terror) from outside. You can fall also into 1-2 highlights, e. g. see Berlin from above in TV tower or cheaper from Park Inn at Alexanderplatz.
From Alexanderplatz you can take back the S-Bahn 3 stations to Hbf. Short trip tickets cost EUR 1.90 per person or 4 persons for EUR 5.60 (do not forget to validate tickets per person).
Tip: If you book train tickets to / from Berlin Alexanderplatz this last ride is included. The price for the train tickets stay the same.
Mary, I seem to be in the minority. Again, I did it and was glad I did so. But I did not try to do this on my own or take a cruise - line excursion, but hired a highly reputable guide who arranged for the transportation and personally guided our tour. We had five in our group. I remember the trip each way was only two hours or so by SUV, but this was a number of years ago. And because of the excursion, I returned several years later returned to Berlin for five days.
To get more information, three things you may wish to do:
Go to the Cruise Critic forums, especially for suggestions for tour guides.
I mentioned two tour guides, but there are others who are highly reputable and get sensational reviews. But check out the websites and Tour Advisor reviews for the guides I mentioned and any other guides you might be considering. The websites provide information on what you can expect and do on a Berlin excursion.
If questions or concerns, contact any guides you might be considering. Send them an email or even better speak with them by telephone.
In summary, yes. But splurge with hiring a top guide who will handle the transportation and tour. Good luck.
It is partly because of air connections to and from other places, but I've been to Berlin at least five times, once for five days as a tourist, and once for ten days on business. Sometimes it was just for two nights. I've not come close to exhausting the city's riches.
In a six-hour visit, you can get a feel for and overview of the city, and visit for an hour or so one or two museums, depending upon how the tour is structured; hence, the importance of a private guide who provides the transportation and who would need a very good idea of what the group wants to see and visit.
Are you just scratching the surface? Absolutely. And we have frequent contributors like Fred in California and Dave in South Carolina who have visited Berlin a number of times and who can address how many days it would take to see and do the many things they would recommend.
A cruise excursion is just an appetizer. But if done properly, it can be an appealing appetizer.
The Baltic coast is the most popular holiday region of the Germans. More popular than Bavaria actually. It's a wonderful mix of great beaches, posh 19th century seaside resorts, medieval towns (several are World Heritage Sites), nature, old fishermens villages, and castles and manors. Most Germans, excluding Berliners of course, would find it pretty ridiculous to waste 6+ hours on the road for a glimpse of Berlin.
There is so much you can do from Warnemünde. Stralsund, Wismar, Schwerin, Bad Doberan + steam train + seaside resport, Warnemünde + Rostock etc.. Or take the "Mega Mecklenburg Tour" with Friends of Dave (look at the ratings!), which is the perfect introduction to the region.
