Project of trip

[Velasco]

I'm thinking to go to some place of Central Europe, while still I can do it, from days 17 or 18 onwards. I'm doubting right now between Berlin or another cheaper city such as Budapest, in the land of the sweet Orban. I think I don't want to go to Prague, despite it's a beautiful place, because it's plenty of tourists as my mom told me --she went there not too many months ago--. I'll hear gratefully any advice from experienced travellers or villagers. Thanks.

[Franknburger]

Berlin is not that expensive. After the VAT on accommodation was reduced to 7%, you get hostels at decent prices, and food is a bargain compared to most other German cities, and not more expensive than in Prague, for example (though the latter is still unbeatable when it comes to having a beer). As such, I would make the selection of the place to go to mostly depending on how much it costs you to get there.

How many days to you have in total, and when do you intend to start your travel? Prague is a mess in summer, but outside of the holiday season it should be relatively o.k., and it is definitely one of Europe's most beautiful cities.

You can easily and rather cheaply do a lot of Central Europe by train. Berlin -Dresden-Prague-Brno-Vienna-Budapest would be a possible itinerary, with some 3-4 hours train travel between each city. Each of the cities above (except for Brno, which I have never been to, so I can't comment on it) is worth a 2-3 days visit. If you have to choose one or two, it depends on your preferences. In terms of scene / fashion / nightlife, I would rank Berlin first, followed by Budapest and Vienna. If you are into historical sightseeing and 'special flair', my ranking would be Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Dresden, Berlin. When it comes to museums, its Berlin, Dresden, Vienna, Prague. For some outdoor activities, Saxon Switzerland is great (the Dresden-Prague train passes right through it, so you can take a local train early in the morning, go trekking / climbing, and continue towards Prague in the late afternoon).

[Velasco]

Thanks for answering, Franknburger

My intention is to start from Sunday 17 onwards. The same Sunday or another day in the following week, it depends on the offer of flights. I'd love to see Berlin because I like historical, sight seeing, museums and a bit of nightlife wouldn't harm, given that lately I'm becoming in a sort of hermit . I'm searching via internet for flight+hotel offers cause I want to spend a week in a city --and then maybe moving to nearby places, coming back in the same day--. Prague is very attractive as well, though I don't know how much crowded is on March-April.

My main problem is that I don't live in Madrid, but down in the Canaries. I found interesting offers for Berlin flying from Madrid (around 370 Euros flight+hotel for a week), but the price rises to 570 or so from my home place. This complicates things a bit, because I have a limited budget and I'd have to look separately for flight offers from the Canaries to Madrid. Thanks God, the flights are partially subsidized if you are resident in the islands, but still...

I'll look for offers to Prague or Budapest (there aren't direct flights to the Hungarian capital from here) right now, before typing this. Saxon in Switzerland sounds good as well. Also Bodensee, though this is because I met a beautiful girl from there 2 or 3 years ago. Better not go, cause I lost the contact.

[Lief 🗽]

Berlin is my favorite city in the world (at least that I've visited). There's so much to do and see. It's packed with history and art, and there's lots of delicious food. I would definitely go there.

Prague is also a great city. Also lots to see and do, the food is pretty good (if you like meat), and it's very, very cheap. Like insanely cheap. Prague and Budapest are also very similar, but Prague is better in essentially every way (more to see, cheaper, cooler buildings, etc.).

[opebo]

Prague is also a great city. Also lots to see and do, the food is pretty good (if you like meat), and it's very, very cheap. Like insanely cheap.

Is it still cheap?  It was cheap when I visited in the early 1990s.. but I had assumed it got much worse since under the influence of capitalism/EU/etc.

[Velasco]

Prices for Prague and Budapest are considerably more expensive in the web that I'm consulting . Vienna is slightly cheaper, but prices for Berlin are better. If I choose to purchase a flight+hotel offer, I'd have to go to Berlin. If I had more time to travel and to plan the trip, I would choose to travel by train (I love them) to several cities. Edinburgh is one of the cheapest destinations (200 Euro less than Berlin) and maybe I'll have to consider it, though I'd prefer to go to the continent this time.

[Franknburger]

Are your dates fixed? Easter school holidays in Berlin run from March 25 to April 6. Assuming that there are more Germans trying to get some sun on the Canaries than people from the Canaries wanting to spend Easter in Berlin, around these dates you should be able to get extremely good bargains. As your trip dates are now, however, your trip back to the Canaries coincides with German school holiday travellers to the Canaries, which is of course high price season.

If your dates are fixed, you should consider another flight destination in a German state where Easter holidays start later. That could either be Saxony (Leipzig or Dresden) or Hamburg. Or you go to Hannover, where holidays already start on March 16. I actually found a pretty cheap one-way ticket Tenerife-Hannover on March 16, but return rates of course depend on when you want to return (I also don't know which airport on the Canaries you prefer).  From the German destination, you could continue travel to Berlin by train (sometimes such holiday tickets even include free or reduced train rides within Germany).

How much is your flight+hotel offer for Berlin? And, where would the hotel be (Berlin is quite large)?

[Lief 🗽]

Prague is also a great city. Also lots to see and do, the food is pretty good (if you like meat), and it's very, very cheap. Like insanely cheap.

Is it still cheap?  It was cheap when I visited in the early 1990s.. but I had assumed it got much worse since under the influence of capitalism/EU/etc.

Incredibly cheap, yeah. The Czechs are still on their own currency, which helps a lot. You can easily find half liters glasses of beer for $2 or $3 or order an entire meal (soup, main course, drink) at a decent little restaurant for $10 or so.

[opebo]

Prague is also a great city. Also lots to see and do, the food is pretty good (if you like meat), and it's very, very cheap. Like insanely cheap.

Is it still cheap?  It was cheap when I visited in the early 1990s.. but I had assumed it got much worse since under the influence of capitalism/EU/etc.

Incredibly cheap, yeah. The Czechs are still on their own currency, which helps a lot. You can easily find half liters glasses of beer for $2 or $3 or order an entire meal (soup, main course, drink) at a decent little restaurant for $10 or so.

oh I see!  so, about triple what I was paying just after the collapse in to crapitalism.

[Velasco]

Are your dates fixed? Easter school holidays in Berlin run from March 25 to April 6. Assuming that there are more Germans trying to get some sun on the Canaries than people from the Canaries wanting to spend Easter in Berlin, around these dates you should be able to get extremely good bargains. As your trip dates are now, however, your trip back to the Canaries coincides with German school holiday travellers to the Canaries, which is of course high price season.

If your dates are fixed, you should consider another flight destination in a German state where Easter holidays start later. That could either be Saxony (Leipzig or Dresden) or Hamburg. Or you go to Hannover, where holidays already start on March 16. I actually found a pretty cheap one-way ticket Tenerife-Hannover on March 16, but return rates of course depend on when you want to return (I also don't know which airport on the Canaries you prefer).  From the German destination, you could continue travel to Berlin by train (sometimes such holiday tickets even include free or reduced train rides within Germany).

How much is your flight+hotel offer for Berlin? And, where would the hotel be (Berlin is quite large)?

Not fixed yet. I'm gonna try to find cheap flights to Berlin (and Hamburg, Leipzig and Dresden following your suggestion) first through AENA (the airport authority) website to see which companies are operating. I'm living Gran Canaria island, so this will be my airport, unless I'd be able to find an incredible offer from one of the two Tenerife airports. Thank you for the information about Easter Holidays in Germany. I'm afraid that I can't make coincide exactly the dates with those Holidays, but I'll see what can I do. I'll have to ask the eldest of my sisters, who was in Berlin in December.

As for the hotel, that website recommended me the Generator in Storkower Strasse. The offer of flight+hotel (7 nights) is between 570 and 600 Euro, depending on the day (I made searches to dates on March 17-23). Probably I'll have to search for flights and hotel separately. If you know some fine and cheap one in Berlin...

[Franknburger]

The airlines you should be looking for are TuiFly and Air Berlin. The best I could find so far was TuiFly Gran Canaria - Berlin, March 18-31 for 367,86 EUR including taxes. Earlier return dates may be between 20 and 150 EUR more expensive, depending on the exact date.
There are lots of hostels in Berlin, I recommend hostelbookers.com for a search. If dorms are o.k. for you, you may get rates as low as 12€ / night during the week and below 20€/night over the weekend, single rooms should be around 25-35 €. You should check for breakfast rates as well - typically 4-5 EUR, buffet-style, coffee as much as you want, and as such cheaper and more comfortable than taking it somewhere outside. I also recommend to check whether the rate includes free Wi-Fi, or they have free internet access from the lobby.

As to the location, I would either recommend a hostel directly in the centre, or in Prenzlauer Berg (northeast of centre), or in Kreuzberg (south-east), because that is where the action is. The Generator is a bit outside, but not too much (approx. 2 km distance to centre / Prenzlauer Berg / Kreuzberg each), so it is o.k. if you don't mind walking a bit. If your flight & hotel offer is for a single room, and the dates are fine, you should take it. If it is dorm rate, the price still isn't too bad, but you may find a cheaper and/ or more flexible solution if you are prepared to do some internet research.

For your budget calculation: Simple lunches / dinners are available at around 5-6 € at German, Turkish and Asian take-aways (called "Imbiss" in German). If you go for a sandwich, a take-away döner or vegetarian fried noodles, it should be 3-4 Euros. Soft drinks (0.5 l bottle) will cost you between 1 € and 1,50 € in such places, but you may also buy your stock at the supermarket.
If you feel for a 'real' restaurant, there are lots of Italian, Greek and Arab places where you can get a meal starting from 7-8 Euros (though, expectable for a city like Berlin, there is hardly any upward limit). Have a look out for lunch-time offers ("Mittagstisch"), which typically range from 6-8 Euros. A coffee will cost you from slightly below 2 Euros (Espresso) to 3 Euros (large Latte). Coffee and Cake (4-6 Euros) is a traditional German afternoon treat, and may be a good alternative to lunch if you have taken a solid breakfast.

As to nightlife, I am too old by now to know actual prices, but this is probably what will put the biggest strain on your budget (though Berlin is far less expensive than, say, Paris in this respect). I arbitrarily checked on one lounge with entrance-free concerts every Tuesday: Soft drinks / draught beer 2.50 € / 0.3 l, long drinks (Gin Tonic, Cuba libre etc.) 5-6 € / 0.3 l,  Cocktails 5-8 €.
If you understand a bit of German, buy the latest edition of the "Zitty" magazine to find out when and where something is going on. Otherwise, you will have to rely on English-language material at display at your hostel.

When is comes to museums, the Pergamon Museum is an absolute must-see. It is probably the best collection of mid-Eastern, especially Turkish and Mesopotamian archaeological findings in the world. The Egyptian Museum is also a great visit if you have not yet been to any of the other major collections (Cairo, Louvre, British Museum) around the world. Berlin is not really a place for medieval art (that would be Prague) or renaissance / baroque (that would be Dresden or Vienna), but the National Gallery's collections of the 19th and 20th century might be interesting.

P.S: Before I forget: Do a day excursion to Potsdam (suburban train) to see Frederick the Great's Sanssouci, a few other royal palaces including the one the Potsdam conference took place in, and the "Dutch quarter" in the city centre. Visit the "East Side Gallery" (longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall, near the 'Osttbahnhof') - you may continue from there to explore Kreuzberg on the other side of the Spree river. There used to be a good open-air documentation called "Topography of Terror" south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust memorial, along where the Wall used to run, that covers both Nazi Berlin and the history of the Berlin Wall. if you continue a bit further to the south-east from there, you come out at the Checkpoint Charlie memorial. For a bit of fresh air, you can visit one of the many lakes inside the city (take the Wannsee in the West for 19th century luxury villas, or go southeast where you still may find a bit of GDR 'datcha' flair). The former Tempelhof airfield, now a public park, should also be a quite historical and unique place to see.  The Reichstag is probably already on your agenda, but don't miss the new government quarters north-west of it (if your budget allows, take one of the boat trips that are offered on the Spree river bank between the Reichstag and Friedrichstrasse train station). The "Hackesche Höfe" (train station "Hackescher Markt", a few hundred meters walk north from the Museum Island) are a great example of early 20th century business courtyard architecture, and filled with craft shops, bars and restaurants.

[Velasco]

First of all, thank you very much for the effort you have done trying to help me. I've had an awful afternoon/evening looking for flights and comparing prices and facilities of cheap hostels in Berlin. I have visited TUI and Air Berlin pages as well. I had some external distractions and finally I ended doing a mess to myself.

Finally I've decided to purchase a slightly different offer. I felt a bit of pressure, cause I had other things around. I changed Generator for All in Hostel in Greunberger Strasse, Friedrichsain. I'm gonna stay from 18 to 25. Do you think Friedrichsain is too far? People commenting on the site says that it's 3 U-Bahn stations from Alexanderplatz. Maybe 3 KM if I trust Google Maps. Also I've chosen a single room, because I have a not so good experience with the shared ones when I was in London. Hope that Berlin Hostels are better than in the British capital, at least the one I've chosen looks good in the photos, given the price. Tomorrow morning I want to make a telephone call to confirm the reservation.

For your budget calculation: Simple lunches / dinners are available at around 5-6 € at German, Turkish and Asian take-aways (called "Imbiss" in German). If you go for a sandwich, a take-away döner or vegetarian fried noodles, it should be 3-4 Euros. Soft drinks (0.5 l bottle) will cost you between 1 € and 1,50 € in such places, but you may also buy your stock at the supermarket.
If you feel for a 'real' restaurant, there are lots of Italian, Greek and Arab places where you can get a meal starting from 7-8 Euros (though, expectable for a city like Berlin, there is hardly any upward limit). Have a look out for lunch-time offers ("Mittagstisch"), which typically range from 6-8 Euros. A coffee will cost you from slightly below 2 Euros (Espresso) to 3 Euros (large Latte). Coffee and Cake (4-6 Euros) is a traditional German afternoon treat, and may be a good alternative to lunch if you have taken a solid breakfast.

As to nightlife, I am too old by now to know actual prices, but this is probably what will put the biggest strain on your budget (though Berlin is far less expensive than, say, Paris in this respect). I arbitrarily checked on one lounge with entrance-free concerts every Tuesday: Soft drinks / draught beer 2.50 € / 0.3 l, long drinks (Gin Tonic, Cuba libre etc.) 5-6 € / 0.3 l,  Cocktails 5-8 €.
If you understand a bit of German, buy the latest edition of the "Zitty" magazine to find out when and where something is going on. Otherwise, you will have to rely on English-language material at display at your hostel.

When is comes to museums, the Pergamon Museum is an absolute must-see. It is probably the best collection of mid-Eastern, especially Turkish and Mesopotamian archaeological findings in the world. The Egyptian Museum is also a great visit if you have not yet been to any of the other major collections (Cairo, Louvre, British Museum) around the world. Berlin is not really a place for medieval art (that would be Prague) or renaissance / baroque (that would be Dresden or Vienna), but the National Gallery's collections of the 19th and 20th century might be interesting.

Prices are not so different from here regarding food. My sister told me about street food stalls in Berlin. I could be fine with the typical kebab take-away or similar for the most of the days, though I'll make a visit to some supermarket. Cofee and cake as well, of course. My Hostel includes breakfast, on the other hand. Coffee is more expensive, but not prohibitive. As for the nightlife, if your prices are right, they are slightly deterrent. However, I'm not thinking in going out all nights, only one or two if any.

Pergamon and Egyptian Museums were in my list. Also the New Bundestag, the Wall, Alexanderplatz --the typical places-- and maybe a tour to Pankow, Charlottenburg or a similar place -- I'll need to buy a cheap guide here-- I'll include the National Gallery. Is it interesting to visit some reminder of Soviet or Stalinist architecture? Are there interesting neighbourhoods in East Berlin?

I'm afraid that I only understand a few words in German, but I'll make a try with the Zitty mag

[Franknburger]

I have already added a few tips to my previous post.

I don't know Friedrichshain. Pre-1990, I used to stay in Kreuzberg or Charlottenburg, where most of my friends lived. When visiting Berlin the last time, we stayed in Prenzlauer Berg, which still seems to be the 'hippest' part of the city. But, given Friedrichshain's location between Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg, it is predestined to become a 'hip' area as well.  Shooting stars Kraftklub, in their hit single "Ich will nicht nach Berlin" (I don't want to go to Berlin - even though all my are already there) mock about scene people running with their reflex camera through Friedrichshain to photograph street art and creative people. So, you probably could have selected worse locations ...

Charlottenburg - yeah, Kurfürstendamm used to be West-Berlin's centre. Nice houses, expensive boutiques and art galleries, worth a stroll, but check prices before taking a coffee. If you take side streets to the north or south, you may after some time arrive in areas that are more in line with your budget.

Prenzlauer Berg: Essentially, we are talking Schönhauser Allee and Kastanienallee / Pappelallee here. Should you get homesick - there are quite a number of tapas bars in the side streets. Nearby Mauerpark (along the former Berlin Wall) may also be interesting, though I doubt you will already have beer garden / beach club weather (at the moment it is snowing, but from Sunday on, forecasts are for temperature increases up to 10-12 degrees during the day and around zero in the night).

If you go to the Alexanderplatz, you will see plenty of Soviet / Stalinist architecture. Marzahn is infamous for its late 1970s / early 1980s GDR-style large housing blocks, but I doubt it is really worth a visit. If you get bored (which is questionable, since you only have one week), you might rather visit Spandau - 16th century citadel, some nice houses in the old town,  and the site of the prison for convicts of the Nuremberg trials (the prison itself was torn down in 1987 to avoid it becoming a Neo-Nazi pilgrim site). Köpenick is another historical place with a baroque palace and nice old town that, as Spandau, only became part of Berlin in the early 20th century. A visit to each of these two can be combined with lakeshore strolls as mentioned in my previous post's addendum. 

[Velasco]

As you wisely pointed, Postdam is a must-see. I'll keep in mind all your suggestions. Just bought a tiny guide and I'll try to find some book about Berlin in the Public Library. One of the places near Berlin that guide suggests is Sachsenhausen Gedenkstätte --hope that the spelling is correct, your mother tongue is... complex--. I've never visited a konzentrationslager, and I think I should go. I'll ask you about other places while I'm reading, if you don't have objections.

Oh, I watched that Kraftklub video. Maybe my musical tastes are a bit peculiar. As for German bands my favourites are Can and Kraftwerk. Far away from being an expert in krautrock as some (also) peculiar British musicians such as Julian Cope or Mark E Smith. I'm a fand of Nick Cave, so I noticed Blixa Bargeld's Einstürzende Neubaten as well.

[Franknburger]

I don't know Sachsenhausen. I have been to Neuengamme (near Hamburg) and Dachau (near Munich). The camps themselves are not very spectacular - they look like typical army barracks (though the contrast between the rather banal setting and the horrible things that were done there is getting your thinking in motion). What makes them worth seeing is mostly the documentation. However, there is plenty of documentation already in Berlin, not at last in the Holocaust Memorial, and the nearby "Topography of Terror" exhibition. I recommend you to go there first, and decide subsequently, whether you want to get deeper into the topic. Instead of Sachsenhausen, you might also consider visiting the Jewish Museum, which I unfortunately not yet have managed to see.  It puts the holocaust into the broader perspective of 2,000 years of Jewish life in Germany.

Never mind you do not like Krafklub. I just wanted to tune you a bit in on Berlin. Try local musical hero Peter Fox, he might be more to your musical taste (and the videos gives you some Berlin impressions).

[Franknburger]

These should be great - Berlin Underworlds tours through various WW II and cold war bunkers, escape tunnels etc. Some tours are available in English or Spanish. Otherwise, check on their home page for the German language tours, which are more varied and offered on additional dates.

[Velasco]

Indeed, the Jewish Museum and the Holocaust Memorial  are other must-see. Given that I'm gonna stay only for a week, maybe Sachsenhausen could wait for another time. I'm looking at Berlin Underworld right now. There are too many things to see there for so few days, I should have booked for 2 or 3 weeks but it's (lack of) money, you know. I need to study the guide carefully, as well your suggestions and any book about the city that I'd be able to find at the Library before going there

I didn't say that I dislike Krafklub, though I'll try with Peter Fox

[Franknburger]

Don't panic - Berlin is quite compact, so you can often walk from one place to another. In the East, where you will be most of the time, they have maintained the tram network, which is a very convenient way to cover some distance whenever your feet get tired, The Berlin Welcome Card should be one of the first things to buy - free rides on public transport, and 25-30% discount on most museums and other attractions.

You can combine a lot of things along one route, e.g.

• Alexanderplatz - Nicolaiviertel (3 blocks of "old town") - Museum Island (Pergamon / Egyptian etc.) - Hackesche Höfe (anyway the nearest public transport to the museums)
• Berlin Underground - Mauerpark - Prenzlauer Berg - (Hackesche Höfe)
• East Side gallery - Kreuzberg - Jewish Museum -(Tempelhof Airfield)
• Reichstag - Brandenburg Gate - Holocaust Memorial - Topography of Terror - Checkpoint Charlie - Gendarmenmarkt / Cathedral
• Kurfürstendamm - Charlottenburg Palace - Funkturm - Olympic Stadium - (Spandau) or (Grunewald / Wannsee) - this one is too long to be walked completely, but the sites are well connected by underground / city rail

If you don't find adequate books, this website might also help

[Velasco]

I see two types of card (correct me if I'm wrong): one is a transportation bonus and the other also includes discounts up to 50% in museums. Prices for the first one are 31,5 (AB) and 36,5 Euro (ABC) for five days, while the one which includes museums costs 34 (AB) or 36 (ABC). I see that Postdam is in the C zone, while Tegel is in the B. I'll have to make calculations. I didn't read the guide today, but I'll make my estimation of costs. Thank you very much for the last links (very helpful, like the others). Today I had a Condominium meeting, keeping company to my mother (I'm not a real-estate owner and I have no plans to become in one, we had an awful bubble), what a headache  

[Franknburger]

To aid your calculations, first the basics: 

Single ride, Zones AB,    € 2.40 (max. 2 hours, unlimited changes of train / tram / bus)
Day ticket, Zones AB      € 6.50 (valid until 3 am following day)
Short ride                       € 1.40 (max 3 stations on Underground / city rail, max. 6 stations on bus/tram)

So, typically a day ticket is preferable, but when arriving / departing, depending on your flight schedule, a single ride may be fine. Maybe you can reach the Museum Island from your hostel on a short ride, and as you will probably spend most of the day there, you might not need a day ticket that day.

Day ticket, Zones ABC   € 7.00

That's a must for Potsdam, since you will also have to cover some distances inside Potsdam from one palace to the next.

Museums: Neues Museum (Egyptian collection) 7 € for students (I hope you have a student card), otherwise 14 €
Pergamon Museum 5 € students / 10 € full (apparently, if you have already paid for the Egyptian collection, you can visit the Pergamon museum for free on the same day, but I don't know if that makes much sense, they are both quite time consuming).
Old National Gallery (19 th century paintings) 4 € students / 8 € full.

Now to the visitor card packages:
The first one is for five days, including 25-30% discount on various museums, and costs you 31,50 € (Zones A/B). Cheaper than 5 day tickets, so already a good deal without the museum discount.

The Potsdam version (Zones ABC) is nice if you want to have the option of going there twice., but since you will be staying seven days in Berlin, you may as well do Potsdam on day 6 with a standard day ticket (you will, however, save less than it seems, as the Potsdam version also includes € 3.80 discount on the entrance tickets).

The second package includes free entrance on the Museum Island, but is only for three days, at 34 €. As long as you get the student discount on the entrance fees there, it should not be too attractive, especially when considering that on museum days, you will most likely not do much other sight-seeing.

Note that you can buy the Welcome Card at any ticket machine, and later on collect the accompanying map & voucher package at the tourist office or major underground / city rail stations.

[Velasco]

It makes sense the AB card for 5 days and the C to visit Postdam in the 6th day, though maybe I'd want to walk through the Grünewald, for example. I'll try to make a planning tonight or tomorrow. I think if I wake up early on Tuesday, I'm gonna start with a morning walk in the Tiergarten. From the park, there are various options, so I'll see. I want to visit at least Pergamon and Egyptian museums (every one might consume around 1/2 day) but there are a lot of interesting museums that I'm afraid I won't see, like the one devoted to the German cinematography. In fact my tiny guide is plenty of museums, several schloss and the one devoted to the DDR, where you can sit in a Travi. It's not that I'm a nostalgic commie, but such things are pintoresque for a foreigner. I'll arrive 17:10 on Monday, so once I leave the baggage in the Hostel, there will be necessary to take a short walk through Friedrichsain or visiting some cafe or pub there to see the local colour, etcetera. By the way, the Karl-Marx-Allee is not far. Buildings have that type of horrible but pintoresque Stalinist architecture. I've seen some photos in a French site, like this one of the Frankfurter Tor :

http://www.albert-videt.eu/photographie/carnet-de-route/berlin_02-2005/karl-marx-allee_00.php

[Franknburger]

Just to add to your problems, I read today that the Museum Berggruen has today been reopened after expansion. It now hosts one of the world's largest Picasso collections, alongside with other early 20th century artists like Klee and Matisse. The good news is that the Museum is located next to Charlottenburg Palace, which is probably on your agenda anyway.

A walk through the Grunewald is definitely nice - and at its border, and close to the Wannsee, you find the Grunewald quarter, which is full of  late 19th century luxury villas. However, since we still have snow here, and snowy whether is predicted to last at least until next Friday in Berlin, you might want to postpone such activities towards the end of your trip. Besides - its definitely too far from your hostel to walk to the Grunewald (I would not even suggest to walk from your hostel to the Tiergarten, as the Tiergarten itself is also quite large).

As you arrive in the late afternoon, I'd actually suggest that you just buy a standard single ride ticket at the airport to get to your hostel, and do a bit of Friedrichshain exploration by foot on that evening (though Monday evening is surely not the best day to explore the local scene). Go to Potsdam with an ABC day ticket on Tuesday. The train will pass through the Grunewald. The Margaretenhof  Palace, where the Potsdam Conference took place, is located on the Wannsee. So you get a first impression and can decide if you want more of that (or need another day in Potsdam). By Tuesday evening, you should have a feel how the inner city (Friedrichshain) and the periphery (Grunewald / Wannsee) look, and can then do your planning for the remaining days.

And, yep: Karl-Marx-Allee is connecting Friedrichshain with Alexanderplatz - that's what I meant when saying that you would see enough of Stalinist architecture ..

[Velasco]

I'm going to sleep. Just visited this again to remember some suggestions. Btw,apparently Berlin Underworlds is from April to October. The weather forecast is not promising, but hope that a bit of cold won't harm. Thank you very much, again. I'll be back in a week or so.