Apartment in Berlin

Elvie, I am renting an apartment on airbnb in Prenzlauer Berg in March. From what I've seen on the site, there are more apartments available in Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg/Friedrichshain in my price range than in Mitte. None of the ones I looked at seemed too far from either the U-Bahn or S-Bahn and all the sites are easily accessible from those neighborhoods.
If you are set on staying in Mitte, be prepared to pay a little more. I stayed in a hotel in Mitte on my first visit to Berlin, and while it was a great hotel at a reasonable price, I spent a lot of time in the neighborhoods and no longer feel it necessary to spend extra money to stay in Mitte.

Friends of our stayed in the Andina Apartmenthotel at Hackeachermarkt and really liked it, bot the apartment itself and the location.

I stayed at Miniloft in Mitte (www.miniloft.com) last year and was pretty impressed. The only reason I wouldn't recommend it is that the beds are futons and if you need a thicker and softer mattress you'd be uncomfortable. It's in a quiet neighbourhood near the new central station (but because the station's very new, it's not your usual "near the central station" atmosphere).

I rented from Berlin Habitat (berlinhabitat.com) back in May/June. I stayed at the Capri apartment which was near the Rosenthaler Platz u-bahn station. Everything was as advertised and the owner was very easy to deal with. I posted a review on Tripadvisor.

Thank you, Emily, Sasha, Philip and Laura. You have given me good research points. We are very interested in visiting as many museums as possible on the Museuminsel. Any ideas about philharmonic tix? Also can any of you recommend a car rental company that does not rip you off? Thanks again,
Elvie

Regarding museums, there is a very good value three day museum pass that gives unlimited entry to public (and some private) museums for nineteen euros over three consecutive days. Don't bother with any of the "travel pass plus attraction discount" things, they generally aren't good value.

I'll second the three day Museum Pass that Philip recommends. Regarding the Berlin Philharmonic, I went to a concert last May. You can buy tickets from their website Berlin Philharmonic Calendar and pick them up at the box office on the evening of the performance. You can check their calendar which will show when the tickets go on sale. I'd suggest that you buy as soon as they go on sale as they do sell out. I got a medium priced seat and as the acoustics were quite good, that was fine for me.

Thanks Laura and Philip. Your advice is very helpful. Can I get a museum pass at a museum in Berlin, or do have to go to travel agent...? Also, any suggestions for a reliable rental car agency (needed after Berlin). Your experience re. extra car insurance. Thanks a million!
Elvie

You can buy the Museum Pass at the first museum that you visit. I'd buy it at one of the less crowded museums. It covers the museums on the Museuminsel, along with some others. It is 19 EUR for 3 days, which is good deal considering that the Pergamon Museum alone is 14 EUR. Here is some info on the pass and what museums are covered Berlin Museum Pass Sorry, don't have a suggestion for car rental.

I stayed at Go-Apartments Checkpoint Charlie two weeks ago and am staying at Go-Apartments Potsdamer Platz next weekend. The apartment previous was spacious and really well located (it was literally at Checkpoint Charlie and an U-Bahn stop, perfect for my needs since I was traveling with people with mobility issues). The price was very very very reasonable. That said, the apartment's furnishings were slightly shabby, the kitchen not well-equipped with regards to kitchenware (extensive cooking might be difficult, fine for breakfast or heating up leftovers). Customer service was adequate but I got the sense if I'd had a real issue I would've been left unsatisfied. Then again, the price can't be beat. The Potsdamer Platz apartment is for 8 people and will work out to 188 for 2 days, which is an unbelievable bargain, cheaper than a hostel really. So if you don't need fancy and want to save money, I'd recommend them, with minor caveats.