Berlin: Logistics for Families

Every time we travel with our kids, I write up a list of tips specifically for families. So, if you don't have kids, this will not likely interest you. If you have kids, read on.

Getting To/From Berlin

Obviously, if you live in the US, you have to fly. Berlin just closed their famous Templehof airport known for Berlin airlifts of the 1950's (they closed the day we left). So, you will likely fly into Schönefeld or Tegel. If you are in Europe and in any country other than those in Central/Eastern Europe driving or taking the train may work. We chose to drive to Berlin from Poland because it was "only" 6 hours and a third of it was on a relatively new (not yet fully completed)autobahn. Add 2 hours for rest stops and lunch and we owuld be in berlin within in 8 hours. And so this is what happened on the way to Berlin. The trip was relatively painless. Kids slept, played, sang and only watched videos for about 2 hours which isn't bad for an 8 hour trip.

Coming back to Warsaw was another story altogether. We came back on a work day. While it was relatively smooth once we got out of Berlin, once the autobahn in Poland ended, we were stuck on one lane roads of bumper to bumper traffic. At one point, there was an actually tractor chugging along at about 20mph. We were in the car for 10 hours and only made two stops for food, bathroom breaks and gas. If we ever go again, it will be by train or plane.

Accomodations

In our experience, European hotel rooms are designed for 1-2 people. If you are shooting for a hotel room, you may have a more difficult time finding one to accomodate a family of 4. With teenagers, you can just forget about that unless you opt for reserving two adjoining rooms. This tends to cost more in the long run. We stayed in a hotel in Dublin, Paris, Cologne and Vienna and found it to be limited space wise. When you consider luggage, strollers, etc, you can see how space is consumed. Some were more spacious than others. Paris was the smallest.

We have opted for apartments this past year. Apartments are spacious and many times you get a one bedroom apartment which is what we did in Prague and now in Berlin. We stayed at the Schoenhouse Apartments. There are many apartments like this around the city, some costing more the closer you get to the Gate. For our one bedroom apartment, we paid 105 Euro which in today's economy was a quite a deal for an apartment right across the street from the U2 Line at Roza Luzembourg Platz.

I have enjoyed my stay in all the apartments we have been in this past year, but this one was the best in the sense that they provided even the most basic items: paper towels, salt, pepper, sugar, dish soap, extra trash bags and a sponge. This may sound like nothing, but every time we go on a trip, we end up at a market picking up these items. This time, I actually packed them in my suitcase. Since we were going by car, I wasn't concerned about cabin pressure blowing up salt, sugar and my beloved Cuban coffee all over the place. But, it was nice to find that they thought about this all on their own.

The reception to the apartments is also located at the same location as the actual apartment. When it comes to European apartments, always ask because the address you go to from the airport isn't necessarily where you will be staying, but only a check in office. Also, unlike many apartments, Schoenhouse actually staffed their reception from 8a-8p. They also had a small coffee bar within the reception as well as a small gift shop that sold pieces of the Berlin Wall for 8 Euro. I found the same souvenir for 13 Euro out on the street. Whether it is authentic or not is anyone's guess. But I figure that if our President still believes that Iraq had WMD, I can believe that the rock that bought was part of the Berlin Wall and no one can convince me otherwise!

The apartment was accessible by a small elevator (4 person capacity or less with luggage). This didn't bother me as long as it was a working elevator. Unlike hotels that have daily housekeeping, apartments only get cleaned once a week. Despite this, if you need extra towels or clean sheets, just ask and they will usually provide them.

The best thing about staying in an apartment is that there is no need to get up early and try to go have breakfast somewhere. You can buy continental style breakfast at any nearby bakery the night before (prices tend to go down at the end of the day since it is a sell or throw out type of mentality) and warm up your croissant or danish in the microwave in the morning. Schoenhouse had a bakery next door in addition to their coffee bar with pastries. We just brought along some cereal and bought some milk and voila instant breakfast. It really can save you money.

Dining Out

You can find American style fast food anywhere in Continental Europe. In Berlin, there was a pattern. If I saw a Starbucks anywhere, there was a Haagen Daz or Dunkin Donut shop either next door or within the block. McDonalds and Pizza Hut were near each other as were KFC paired with BK. But, we are in Europe, you may say. With all this international cuisine why would one eat at McDonald's. Do you want your children to eat? Trust me. If you have a picky eater (and there is always one in the family) choose a fast food spot for at least one of your meals or your kids' pants will be falling off by the end of the week. Case in point: we opted for lunch at an Asian restaurant one day and while Thing 2ate a little bit of everything, Thing 1 refused and went hungry until dinner (at Pizza Hut).

If you decide to forgo the fast food, look for family restaurants that cater to kids. If they provide colors and an activity sheet - bingo! Like I mentioned before, at most European restaurants you dine by candle (votive) light. But, that doesn't mean children are not welcome. This is especially true of Germany which has to be the most child friendly country in the EU. The one restaurant that worked for us was Maredo's which markets itself as an Argentinian steakhouse, but is far from it. Regardless, the food was good and the children's menu included spaghetti, fish sticks, steak, and schnitzel among other options. Maredo's is all over Berlin including near Potsdammer Platz (near Tony Roma's) and on Unter den Linden.

If you have a GPS, you're in luck. Just click on food and you will get every restaurant within five miles. Want something specific? Spell it out and there you have it. We relied on this to find McDonald's or gas stations while on the road and it never failed. It also works on finding attractions. Just plug in the address and walk.

One important note: Berliners do not eat early. This works to your advantage when you are with small kids. Have an early supper and you practically have the restaurant to yourself! We tried to get to a restaurant between 5-6. In some cases though, some restaurants did not begin serving until 6.

Transportation

Berlin's Transportation Authority (BVG) is quite efficient. Tickets are sold at electronic kiosks. Just press the British Flag for the English screen. Once you get your ticket, you validate it either on the platform or on the train or bus. In Europe, there are plainclothed police on buses, trams and trains who conduct ticket checks from time to time. You could be fined on the spot. If you have a single fare ticket, you will just have to purchase as you go along. There are also day tickets available that you validate once and are good for the entire day.

The thing about single fare vs day or multi day passes is that you buy them with the best intentions and then end up either not using them or using alternatives like taxis for convenience. After my experience in Paris, I gave up on the day/multi day ticket option. We spent more time walking by choice because this is the best way to see any city.

Aside from their construction on the specific days we were there, we were still able to get around quite easily. There is a U-Bahn that runs about 9 color coded/numbered lines underground, the S-Bahn which runs above ground and is more like a tram and then you have the buses. In Berlin, most stops have electronic switchboards that tell you what bus or train will be arriving and at what time. The U2 line runs from east to west and will drop you off at most tourist locations (when all stations are operational, or course). Bus 100 also runs this route. I have heard similar of Bus 200, but we did not ride that one. Most buses (including 100) are double decker so if you are lucky to get a front row seat up top, you have a great view of the city streets and attractions.

The City

The city of Berlin has been officially united for almost 20 years, yet the east/west mentality persists and will probably always linger. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it is what makes Berlin what it is, a cultural and historical dichotomy.

East Berlin was very reminiscent of Warsaw in many ways. Remnants of the Wall can be found while walking about. Socialist architecture is found in many buildings, tenements. Other than Unter den Linden, east Berlin is not as attractive as it's western counterpart. However, to make up for it, it is east Berlin that claims most of the history visitors crave. From Potsdammer Platz to the Brandenburg Gate and on, you can find traces of the Wall or double cobblestone bricks outlining where the Wall used to be.

West Berlin is aesthetically very much like any western European city. The architecture is different and more pleasing to the eye. The Reichstag, Zoo, Tiergarten and Ku'damm area all fall to the west. Potsdammer platz borders east and west. While there are some things to do there, attractions are more abundant in the east.

So, while both are joined as one, you can't speak of Berlin as one because no matter how you look at it both sides have distinct features that make they unique.

Berlin has a lot to offer families. We spent three full days and one afternoon/evening. If I could do it again, I would have spent at least five full days in Berlin.

Berlin for Kids

Just the fact that you are in Germany makes Berlin a great place for kids. There is the Zoo/Aquarium, Tiergarten Park, Sea Life Park, and of course Lego Land. You can easily take kids to one of these each day to break up the sightseeing geared for adults.

With school age children, like Thing 1, you can make history interesting and make it relative to them. When walking throughout Berlin, history is everywhere. From Wall remnants, Nazi book burning sites, museums, you name it there are lessons for kids here. For Thing 1, I tried to help him understand how the Wall separated families, parents and children, how people gave up their lives trying to escape communism. I used our family as an example. What if someone decided to separate the county where his grandmother lives from the county where we used to live with a Wall? What if grandma could come to see us, but we were never allowed to visit her? What if you tried to climb over the Wall and someone tried to kill you for doing that? This all made it more real for him. After that he was looking for remnants of the Wall everywhere and asking what sector (American, British, French or Soviet) we were in at any given time.

Toddlers/preschooler couldn't care less about history - they just care about their-story. And part of that is nap time. Even if they have outgrown their nap as mine is getting really close to doing, traveling makes you tired. Having a stroller or one of those child backpacks helps tremendously. Have young children nap while you take in a museum of interest to you.

To sum up, if you think you can't take your young children to Europe, think again. It is quite manageable and will provide you with lots of memories and history lessons your children can access in the future.