Hi All, I wasn't quite sure where to post this so apologies if this is not the right place. As is always the case at this time of year my other half and I are thinking of booking some trips away for next year. We would really like to visit the zoos in Berlin and was hoping you all might have some advice about planning a trip. I was thinking a long weekend and we would be travelling from the south east of the UK (near London). We really prefer not to drive on our non-UK holidays so ideally we'd like to be in a location where public transport would be easy. Any and all advice very welcome - we've never been to Germany at all so are starting with a blank sheet of paper!
I recieved a lot of very helpful advice when planning my trip in 2014, so the first few pages of this thread should be the kind of thing you are looking for: The German Adventures Of A Tea-Loving Dave - April 2014 If you only intend a long weekend, you will definitely need to make some tough choices regarding what species to prioritise, as ideally they require two days each; I reckon it is just about possible to see the whole of Zoo Berlin in a day if you plan carefully, so that would be the best way to free up some time.
I am going on a trip to Berlin in February. We are staying near Checkpoint Charlie which is a middle ground between Zoo and Tierpark and the famous monuments and museums are not that far away.
Thank you - I will definitely take a look at that thread. I did not realise they would be 2 days each - perhaps we'll have to rethink how long we go for. If we're going to go I would like to make sure we make the most of it iykwim - I wouldn't want to miss out on anything at either zoo and it would be nice to take in some other touristing too. We are pretty good at planning zoo trips though so probably will try to fit Zoo Berlin into one day as suggested.
About the 2 days per zoo thing. I unfortunatley do not have the time for that so I will only be spending the day at each. Is it possible to do Tierpark in a day?
Best way to put it is that Zoo Berlin is close to the size of Chester Zoo, but much more densely populated with species (including two bird houses and an extremely large aquarium) whilst Tierpark Berlin is something like two-thirds the size of Whipsnade Zoo without all the long stretches of open, empty space Even with the help of German zoo enthusiasts whom I met up with at Tierpark Berlin, and who therefore knew the optimum route around the collection, a high level of fitness allowing me to cope with the large amount of walking required at Tierpark, and longer opening hours which were in place at the time (in the intervening years the new management has reduced the opening hours of both collections) I still only managed to see something like 75% of the collection on my first day there. So I reckon the answer to that one is no, but if you send me a PM regarding your priority species and exhibits I'll happily give you any advice I can which will maximise what you can see
Thanks Dave. I have my hopes up since I managed to get around almost all of Whipsnade in less than a day (this was when they had a day where you could visit after closing time) and I only missed the sloth bears, one horned rhinos and the other passage through Asia animals as well as skipping the bison, moose and painted dogs.
I did Berlin this year. Transport links are excellent, from schoenefeld airport you can get a train a short walk from the airport. Cost was around £10 euros (you have to deal with their ticket machines which is a mere first couple of times before you get used to it). We were staying by Zoo Berlin, so took around 40mins to get there from the Airport. Train is easy to use to get to tierpark too. Run early enough to get there for opening time. I'd rate the Metro in Paris better, but trains are great in Berlin. Make sure you have smaller notes for the ticket machines, I only had 50 euro notes which they didn't take....
I hope you didn't choose to skip the sloth bears as they are different from other sloth bears in European collections!
An excellent choice: Berlin is my favourite city for zoo visiting. My main advice is to give yourself plenty of time. Both zoos demand two days each to see them thoroughly (and, on my visits to Berlin, I’ve often spent three days in each zoo without ever feeling that was too long). In addition to the zoos, there is the Sea Life Centre and an excellent zoology museum (Museum für Naturkunde); the botanic garden is well worth a visit too. And, of course, since you’ve never visited Berlin before, you’ll want to spend some time sightseeing in this historic city. I'd recommend buying a Berlin Welcome Card which covers travel expenses in Berlin and also provides discounts at the zoos and museums. There are a number of hotels in the city centre that are within easy walking distance from both the zoo and a station from where you can catch a train to the Tierpark.
This is very useful as I am hoping for a Berlin trip sometime. A friend has already recommended Ibis hotels as being respectable and inexpensive, and there are several of these in Berlin.
I've offered some suggestions in other threads. A more recent one: Next to the Zoo, the Aquarium and the Tierpark, you should visit Berlin's Natural History Museum, the AquaDome (via the hotel, so you don't have to go through the SeaLife center), the KaDeWe and maybe Berlin Underground, take part in one of the many special city tours, shop at an Ampelmännchen store for souvenirs and relax at the Vabali Spa near the central station to experience an upper class German sauna. One word of warning: Berlin is about as representative for Germany as NYC is for the USA and London for the UK. Berlin residents range from great people to hostile nutcases with little in between, punctuality and liability of public transport isn't a given and some parts are downright dodgy and filthy, if not to say dangerous at night.
Of course not!!! I am still annoyed over it to this day, I will have to visit again (hopefully my cousin who is a keeper there will get me in for free lol)
City breaks in Western Europe are prohibitively expensive unless you 1) use extreme budget accommodation, and 2) eat budget. Personally I dislike city breaks in the western world for the costs, inavailability of passing taxis and lack of internet cafes. Chain hotels are not inexpensive. A tent or a dorm room, is. Although camping is few in Europe's cities you might get somewhere on the outskirts, near public transport. Best way to eat cheap is to bring a camping stove with gas, and a pan and cutlery, and do it somewhere outdoors. Yes even Germany is do-able on a shoestring. Just think outside the box and cut corners. How much do you want to trade luxury for economy and practicality?
I hardly think you can call the whole of Western Europe prohibitively expensive given the term prohibitive implies that the expense prevents people taking city breaks -this is obviously not the case as millions of people a year take city breaks in Western Europe. I'm not saying everyone can afford them but a large number of people obviously can. People also have the option of choosing how they take their city break (as you highlight) to control costs to levels they're comfortable with. All the above is not to say some cities are very expensive (e.g. Barcelona, Zurich) and, personally at the point I'm currently at in life (money wise), I'd rather go elsewhere in Europe and get "more bangs for my bucks". Back to the point of Zia's thread, I've stayed in Circus Apartments twice and they were very good (they also have hotel and hostel options which also get very good TripAdvisor reviews if your finances/preferences are different to my own). I'd also go for the Berlincard option -I've never worked out if it saves me that much money (though I'm sure I at least break even) but it saves time/hassle having to get tickets every time you take public transport.
My comment about travel was based off experiences in cities. Obviously, ppl have their own budgets and comfort levels. Is Berlin value for money? If travelling on a blank page, then price it up first. Books and sites with advice labelled 'on a shoestring' cannot hurt. Try booking.com for accommodation? They have special offers at different star ratings, from dorm beds to 5 star hotels.
Berlin, and the whole of Germany, are pretty cheap for travelling, comparing to Belgium, the Netherlands, Switserland, France, the Scandinavian countries, etc. : reasonably priced accommodation & cheap food (and i do not mean by this the clown thing). It all depends on what species or exibits you preferable want to see. If you visit Tierpark (which i strongly recommend): plan your visit in advance. List up what you want to see. It's strongholds are all pretty much in the same part of the park: Alfred Brehmehouse, Pachydermbuilding, Giraffe Building, Parrots & Birds of Prey, African Primates & the Mountain section. The (excellent) Pheasantry, Crocodile House and Reptile House are nearby the castle. If you visit Berlin Zoo: first of all consider if you want to visit the Aquarium & Reptile House. It's superb but you will loose several hours. My every visit highlights are: Primate Building, carnivores & night house, the extension across the river (sadly to disappear), both birdhouses (World of birds and the Pheasantry), Hippo House, Pigs & Wild Cattle and the beautiful Antelope Building. In both zoos I don't loose time by lounging in between highlights: passing that zebra or deer goes very well.
I too fancy visiting Berlin's 2 big zoos this year and was previously advised that each deserve 2 days visiting. However, seeing as they are both open from 09:00 -18:30, I'm sure I'd be happy with a day each; personally, I don't spend much time exploring indoor exhibits unless the weather is poor. I stayed at an small Ibis hotel in Essen this year, which was adequate, but i'm guessing you are going with kids too, so I can't really give advice there. Booking.com is good, although you need to double check all the details after you've filtered your requirements, before actually reserving; I arrived a two hotels with closed receptions even though I'd requested 24 hour arrival.
