Dresden day trip from Berlin

Hi, Bill. In this forum, the terms "day trip" and overnight stay usually mean two different things and I assume you're asking which one of these is the preferred plan. Dresden certainly has enough sightseeing to warrant on overnight stay but if you have to return to Berlin to fly home and want to avoid hotel changes, then a same-day roundtrip is better than nothing. The first direct morning trains depart around either 7:00 or 9:00 and take 2 hours.

Thanks Laura, was thinking leaving early Monday, tour, spend overnight and then head back to Berlin next day early. Thanks for clarification.

Unless you have a little more time, you really should stick to the Berlin area.
Dresden was once maybe the most beautiful city in Europe. And the museums there are absolutely incredible. After many years of rebuilding, it's a somewhat overlooked and underrated city.

The mountainous areas to the Southeast are also quite beautiful.
I had relatives from Dresden who got out in 1939.

Thanks David, had similar thoughts may need 1 more day for Dresden.

I went to Dresden after Berlin, from there I went straight to the airport (Schonefeld) by 5 a.m. train for an 11 a.m. flight home.

I especially liked Dresden in the evenings (2 nights, 1 day there).

Dresden is either good for a rather short stay, or a very long one. The city centre was completely destroyed and only a very small part was reconstructed. If you aren't interested in the world-class museums of the city, which you already have in abundance in Berlin, it doesn't take long to see all the centre has to offer.
Dresden however is a great base for day trips, probably the best in Germany after Munich, and the suburbs of the city are also very nice. In this case you can easily spend a week there, especially with Saxon Switzerland.

It's possible to make a whole vacation in the area, with Leipzig, Weimar, Erfurt, Eisenach, Buchenwald, Quedlinburg ...

If you go to Dresden and enjoy seeing incredibly beautiful/valuable objects, don't miss the Historical Green Vault. It requires a timed entry ticket. I was able to get one for the same day by stopping at the ticket booth when I hit the city. The tourist office can direct you to an inexpensive walking tour (60 or 90 minutes, I think) that provides some useful historical background. I don't remember whether it runs more than once a day.

But Berlin is extraordinarily museum-rich, so you wouldn't go wrong by spending all your time there.