Berlin - Half day layover

Potsdam is a nice city and about 17 miles away to the SW. In Berlin I would recommend seeing the Reichstag, Unter Den Linden, Berlin Wall.

It would help if we knew your likes and dislikes. Do you like art museums? Decorative arts museums? Zoos? Churches? Shopping? Would you be willing to split up for different tastes?

Are you traveling by train or plane and want to stay somewhere convenient to your point of departure? As the previous poster said, it would also help to know some of your interests. I would not plan to go to Potsdam, it takes too long, even if it is not that far away. The Brandenburger Tor at the foot of Under den Linden Boulevard is, to me, the symbol of Berlin and you might consider including this in your schedule.

If you're going to only be in Berlin for a short period of time, I'd stay within Berlin and not go to another town. Your college students will probably enjoy the nightlife in Berlin, although they will need to be able to get up early the next day to make the best use of your time! There are a number of walking tours that will give you a good overview of the city, but they may not start in time for you to be finished and get to your plane/train. I would instead make the earliest possible reservations for the Reichstag dome, then quickly see the Brandenburg gate, a little of Unter Der Linden, then walk through the Memorial to the Murdered Jew of Europe and the Topography of Terror, see it quickly, grab a currywurst, and get to the nearest U-bahn station to get to your flight/plane. If you're flying you will need more time and probably have to cut some of those things, but if you're taking a train, you won't need to depart for the Hauptbahnhof til 12pm from an U-bahn station, provided you don't get lost.

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. I think Sarah described our perfect although quick tour. We are most interested in historic sites and would like to visit as many as possible in the morning. One idea we had was possibly hiring a tour guide to help facilitate the morning. Does anyone have any suggestions? With respect to lodging, I think we will stay in Berlin to make touring easier the following morning. Has anyone stayed in a hotel they can recommend which is near the historic sites?

If you are arriving in Berlin in the summer time, it will be light outside til about 22:30, so you have some time to sightsee that evening. You might want to contact Jeremy Minsberg, The Berlin Expert for a private tour. He has reasonable rates and might even be able to offer you something for that evening or early the next morning. http://www.theberlinexpert.com/ For a reasonable hotel, I used Motel One the last time I was in Berlin. Found it to be just right, and nice on the budget. They have several locations in Berlin.

Hi, With that time constraint stay in the area of the main train station, Hbf. you'll have better access to the historical sites, most of which which are located east of the Brandenburg Gate...in Mitte. At the Brandenburg Gate, east side, facing Pariser Platz is the tourist office as well as one inside Hbf facing the entrance on Invalidenstrasse. Both will book tours and can provide such information. You won't have time to go Potsdam...save that for the next trip.