Berlin

Currency

Euro. Berlin is surprisingly cash-dependent for a major capital — plenty of bars, Spätis and even restaurants refuse cards. Always carry €30-50.

ATMs & cards

Sparkasse, Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank machines are safe. Avoid Euronet and the machines inside Spätis, which charge heavily. Decline conversion.

Kiosk machines charge €5-10. Berlin is cash-heavy, so plan a bank withdrawal rather than a convenience one.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Safe by big-city standards. Kottbusser Tor and parts of Görlitzer Park have an open drug scene — unpleasant rather than dangerous. Book the Reichstag dome online well ahead.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date
• Tick-borne encephalitis for the south (Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg) if walking in forests

Getting treated

EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Berlin’s real food identity is Turkish and Vietnamese, not German. Get a döner in Kreuzberg, pho in Prenzlauer Berg. Currywurst is a snack, not a meal.

Getting around

• U-Bahn and S-Bahn — dense and efficient, one ticket covers both plus trams and buses
• Tram — mostly in the eastern districts, useful in Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain
• Bike — Berlin is flat with good lanes, the fastest way across a district
• Night transport — U-Bahn runs all night Friday and Saturday, night buses otherwise
• Airport: FEX train or S9 from BER to Hauptbahnhof (30-45 min, €4.40)

Must-see

Things to do

• Walk the East Side Gallery
• Book the free Reichstag dome visit
• Spend a day on Museum Island
• Visit the Topography of Terror
• Rent a bike through Tiergarten
• Experience Berlin’s club scene, if you can get in

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

German

• HelloGuten TagGOO-ten tahk
• PleaseBitteBI-tuh
• Thank youDankeDAN-kuh
• Yes / NoJa / Neinya / nine
• Excuse meEntschuldigungent-SHOOL-di-gung
• How much is it?Was kostet das?vas KOS-tet das
• The bill, pleaseDie Rechnung, bittedee REKH-nung
• Cheers!Prost!prohst

Religion

Split Catholic and Protestant, and largely secular

The south is Catholic, the north Protestant, and a growing share is neither. Church tax is a real thing residents pay.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Be punctual — arriving late without warning is genuinely rude
• Separate your rubbish; recycling rules are taken seriously
• Make eye contact when toasting, and say prost
• Carry cash; plenty of bars and restaurants still refuse cards

Don't

• Do not jaywalk, especially with children present — people will tell you off
• Do not make Nazi references or salutes, even as a joke; several are criminal offences
• Do not walk in the red-paved bike lanes
• Do not expect small talk from strangers; directness is not coldness