Arriving on 4:30 am train in Berlin

Deb, I assume you'll be staying in Berlin for a few days? Which which part of Berlin will you be staying in? One possibility would be to drop your luggage at the hotel and then go for an early breakfast? I'm a bit too "old" for the club scene, but I suspect that the late night clubs will be starting to wind down about that time. Cheers!

Hi, Is this in the summer? In Germany I can't think of a better station to arrive at so early than Berlin Hauptbahnhof, assuming you're not refering to Berlin Ostbahnhof, which also not bad. Ostbahnhof has coin lockers whereas Hauptbahnhof you have to check the luggage in at the Gepäck Center, a bit pricey too. At 0500 the food vendors open up, maybe even the MacDonalds. Berlin Hbf. has numerous spacious areas where you can rest and relax when you arrive that early. I assume you are coming off a night train. By 0530 the S-Bahn starts at Hbf. and you can head to the hostel or Pension. I would suggest that if you're staying in a Pension, don't show up until around breakfast time, usually at 0730. There is no 24 hr reception at Pensionen.

The ticket says "Berlin HBF". We will be there later May. Thanks!

Deb, You may have guessed that Berlin Hbf is Berlin Hauptbahnhof (central station), finished in time for the World Cup in 2006. If you want to store your luggage at the Hbf first, then check in later in the late afternoon, there is the Gepäck Center, a left luggage facility, as I mentioned above, pricey because regardless of size or weight the cost is 2 Euro per piece. The Gepäck Center is located next to the WC facility, Rail and Fresh, which in my opinion beats all other such facilities in train stations and airports. Unlike coin lockers in train stations in Germany, Rail and Fresh has a bill/coin changer.

If it were me, I would choose a hostel/hotel with 24 hour reception, check in early and sleep for a few hours.