I'll be on a Baltic Sea cruise in July and I'd like to tour Berlin on my own vs. a shore excursion. We dock in Warnemunde and I understand trains run to Berlin. What train should I catch to do the day trip and do I need to make reservations in advance? I'll be there on a Sunday.
Thanks.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
Ted,
I notice on the cruise they list the stop as Berlin (Warnemunde). In fact Warnemunde is quite a distance from Berlin.
I don't say this to discourage you from taking a train into Berlin. Because of Warnemunde's location you could also choose to go to Kiel (or even Hammburg) as an option.
IMO Berlin has so much to see, a day stop on a cruise won't do it (London, Paris and Rome are other examples). Picking a smaller place that can be seen in eight hours and leaving Berlin for a later trip when you have time to appreciate it might be worth considering.
If you choose Berlin, absolutely do it on your own. A crowded bus trip from the ship to get an overview of Berlin isn't half the value of taking in the Pergamon museum on your own.
The train shouldn't be crowded on a Sunday. I go second class and have only had reservations when on business. I hate to say you absolutely don't need reservations but I seriously doubt it.
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
8700 posts
You can get timetables, fares, and book your ticket at www.bahn.de. Click on the drop-down menu in the upper right-hand corner for English. After you get summary timetables for Warnemuende-Berlin, click on "Details for all" to see the connecting points. Your fastest route (2hr45min) would be on a direct Intercity Express train. It will be a little slower--and a little cheaper--if you take the S-Bahn to Rostock and a Regional Express train from there to Berlin.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
I also checked out the DB website for travel on a Sunday morning in July. It looked like the average to Berlin was about 3 hours, Kiel was 4 hours so I'd rule that out (too bad, a really nice Northern city with few tourists), Hamburg was only 2 hours. Those are one way, so you have to plan about the same to get back.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Geographically speaking Lübeck is even closer to Warnemünde and it's packed with historical sights and IMO it's almost something like a hidden gem.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
Lubeck may be the perfect choice. It's the right size for a good day and looks like about an hour train ride each way.
If you decide against Berlin, Lubeck sounds perfect.
I looked at some reviews of the Berlin shore excursion. It sounds like they start their trip with a three hour train ride to Berlin then transfer to a bus for the tour (some on and off to see sites).