I have a few questions before signing up for the best of trip. We are adding a few days in Berlin before flying to Zurich and am wondering which hotel R.S. used and if you thought it was convenient to the sights and would you stay there again? (Same question for Hamburg) Also, I would like to take an Insider tour but don't want redundant info, would you recommend ww2, Cold War, or Jewish Berlin? Or does Rick’s tour just lightly touch on all so any would be fine?
Is their a guided tour of the Reichstag? More importantly, do you visit the dome, as I would need to make reservations if not.
Thank you for any thoughts you can give me, very excited for next June!
Posted by
California, USA
91 posts
Kathi:
I did not take a RS tour, but look up my six-part trip report. It may help you. It covered Berlin, Dresden, and Potsdam.
Posted by
Anchorage, Alaska
108 posts
I took this tour in May and had a great time. The short answers are we started with the Hotel Alster-Hof Hamburg and ended up at Myer’s Hotel Berlin in Berlin. The Hotel Alster-Hof was close to most sites but Hamburg is a bit spread out although it is walkable. Get the HVV app on your phone to get tickets and routing information on the local public transportation system. I would definitely stay there again.
The Meyer’s Hotel in Berlin was the nicest hotel I have stayed at while on a Rick Steves Tour (8 tours and counting) and while it is in Berlin it is not in downtown Berlin. Berlin is a large city and the Hotel is near a tram station which you will use to get around. Get the BVG app on your phone for tickets and routing information.
Our tour guide, Carlos, had said this was a relatively new tour and they were still fine tuning it so there may have been changes since I took it. It was not on the itinerary but we did visit the Reichstag. While we did not go into the building proper, we did visit the Dome. The curved rising walkway up and then down then down is done very well with a lot of informational displays along the way. You will need to show your passport to security personnel before they will admit you.
As far as seeing things redundantly I would not worry about it. I see the Rick Steves Tours as like speed dating – in this case speed traveling. You will see many things on tour and at most of the sites you will wish you had just a bit more time there, especially the Dome. The more times you see something the more you learn and the more reinforcement of the memory. You will find things you will want to see in more detail on a future trip(s) perhaps. Be sure a take a Potsdam Tour if you stay on in Berlin after the tour.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
Your guide cannot even try for Reichstag dome reservations until he or she has the whole passport list for the group and that timing means it's not always possible. Go ahead and make a free reservation for yourself. If you end up not needing it because the group went together, then nobody will mind or track you down.
A number of our Germany guides live in Berlin, as well as the local guide employed by the tour should touch on a range of topics. If you're willing to wait, you can ask your guide's opinion on the first night about possible redundancies. Berlin has so much going on that I'd surely want to stay longer, whether or not you ended up using that time for an Insider Tour.
Posted by
OP
Portland,Oregon
250 posts
Well, thank you everyone! Just the info I wanted! Davey, I appreciate the specifics, that will definitely help with my planning.
Posted by
12 posts
I just did the Reichstag tour. You have to sign up on-line so they can do a background check. Very secure building. Tickets have an entry time, but stood in line for 30 minutes. Grab an audio handheld tour device after entering. You can walk up the ramps to the top of the dome. If the weather is nice, walk outside on roof. Great views of the city.