We are planning a river cruise from Berlin to Prague in May or October 2014. Question #1, which time of year is better? Question #2 - We are planning to spend three days in Berlin on our own and are looking for a B&B, centrally located (and what might that mean in Berlin) for two couples in their early 60s. The #1 and #2 top rated B&Bs on Trip Advisor are mittendrin and Pension Galerie. Anyone have any thoughts on these two or any personal recommendations of your own? Question #3 - Are three days sufficient? I was thinking of Lee's Ship2Shore tours to allow us to see the most in our short period of time. Thoughts on that as well? Thanking you all in advance for your knowledge and willingness to share it.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32350 posts
Ellen, You might also have a look at Pension Peters in Berlin. It's in a great location between Bahnhof Zoo and Savignyplatz, so has convenient access to both the S-Bahn and U-Bahn. The rooms are very comfortable, they provide a good breakfast and the staff are wonderful! There's also some nice restaurants close to the Pension and Dicke Wirtin's Pub is across the street (awesome Pub grub and they have Guinness on tap - perfect for me!). For tours in Berlin, you might also consider the Original Berlin Walks. They meet in front of Bahnhof Zoo and offer a variety of tours. Their Guides are extremely knowledgeable and I think they're really good value. You could also buy the Berlin Guidebook and do some touring on your own. Happy travels!
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2787 posts
I second Pension Peters where we have stayed before and would certainly stay there again whenever we return to Berlin. We took a walking tour that was listed in RS guide book that used college students as guides and we met down by the train station and our guide was great.
Posted by
Chicago
565 posts
Berlin in May is quite beautiful. I've never been in October, but I've been to central Europe (Vienna and Budapest) in September and it is also quite beautiful. Don't forget to bring jackets, as the evenings can be cool.
I've not stayed at either of the B & Bs you've listed, but I can tell you Pension Peters is NOT centrally located. It is in the former West, albeit close to an U-Bahn station. There are plenty of options much closer to the main sites, usually located near the Friedrichstrasse S-Bahn station, or off Unter den Linden. I can personally recommend Arcotel Velvet on Oranienburgstrasse. Berlin is a very reasonably priced city, so finding something central to the sights will not break the bank.
Posted by
San Francisco
14977 posts
Ellen, Although I don't stay at Pension Peters, I do stay in that area. It is well served by public transportation, the buses and the S-Bahn. The closest station to the Pension is S-Bahn station Savignyplatz, which is served by three lines, one of which goes to Potsdam. All three go to Berlin Hbf. (central station) and Berlin Ostbahnhof.
Posted by
San Francisco
14977 posts
Very true...S-Bahn station Savignyplatz is highly convenient. Lots of good eateries in the Savignyplatz area, varied choices...Italian, Chinese, Shanghai restaurants, French, Greek, Austrian, and three places all within walking distances of each other for that good, traditional German and Berlin cuisine.