In an emergency
112 covers ambulance and fire; 110 is the police. Licensed taxi dispatch: Taxi Funk Berlin +49 30 44 33 22.
Fair prices
What locals pay. If you are asked for much more, you are probably being overcharged.
| Beer from a Späti (late-night corner shop)Spotted by Locals quotes EUR 1 at a Kreuzberg Späti; bars charge several times more. | about 1 EUR |
|---|---|
| Beer in a no-frills neighbourhood KneipeEUR 2 at Bar Laidak (Neukölln) to EUR 4.20 for a small beer at Klo (Charlottenburg), per Spotted by Locals. | 2-4.20 EUR |
| Cocktail in a good barGin & tonic EUR 8.50 at Galander; cocktails EUR 9-15 at Stagger Lee (Spotted by Locals). | 8.50-15 EUR |
| Döner kebabEUR 6.50 at Zagros in Kreuzberg (with free tea). | about 6.50 EUR |
| Falafel or shawarma wrap (snack size)EUR 2 at Libanon Falafel, Neukölln. | about 2 EUR |
| Turkish gözlemeFrom EUR 3 on Karl-Marx-Strasse. | about 3 EUR |
| Scoop of craft ice creamJones EUR 2.70 a scoop; Duo small cup EUR 3. | 2.70-3 EUR |
| Flat white in an independent caféBob Murphy, Friedrichshain. | about 3.70 EUR |
| Hearty German plate (goulash)Domke Niko butcher's canteen; restaurants on tourist squares cost more. | about 9 EUR |
| Lunch sushi set in MitteIshin, Mittelstrasse, with free green tea. | from 9.50 EUR |
| Public transport single ride (AB)Valid 120 min one way; short trip EUR 2.80; 24h AB EUR 11.20 (2026). | 4.00 EUR |
| Taxi short hop (street-hailed Kurzstrecke, up to 2 km)Only when you flag a taxi on the street; meter starts at EUR 4.30 otherwise. | 6 EUR |
| Taxi BER airport to city centrePlus EUR 1.50 airport supplement; the train costs EUR 5. | 58-63 EUR |
Tickets
Official prices and the only places to buy. Anyone else selling on the street is a reseller.
- Reichstag Building and Dome
Free
Buy at: https://visite.bundestag.de (online registration) or the service centre on Platz der Republik (min. 2 hours ahead)
Entry is free: never pay a third party for a 'dome ticket'.
- Neues Museum
EUR 14, reduced EUR 7; under-18s free
Buy at: https://shop.smb.museum or the museum ticket desk
Buy from the SMB shop: resellers add fees.
- Museum Island day ticket (all Museum Island venues)
EUR 24, reduced EUR 12
Buy at: https://shop.smb.museum
Anyone selling 'Pergamon Museum' entry: the building is closed until 4 July 2027.
- Museum Pass Berlin (3 days)
EUR 32, reduced EUR 16
Buy at: https://shop.smb.museum or museum desks
Buy from the official museum shop.
- Pergamonmuseum. Das Panorama
EUR 12, reduced EUR 6 (or within the EUR 24 Museum Island ticket)
Buy at: https://shop.smb.museum
Tickets for the main Pergamonmuseum are not valid: it is closed until July 2027.
- Gemäldegalerie
EUR 14 (Kulturforum day ticket EUR 22), reduced half
Buy at: https://shop.smb.museum
Use the official shop.
- Neue Nationalgalerie
Collection EUR 14, all exhibitions EUR 20; free first Thursday of the month 16:00-20:00
Buy at: https://shop.smb.museum
Use the official shop.
- Hamburger Bahnhof - Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
EUR 16, reduced EUR 8
Buy at: https://shop.smb.museum
Use the official shop.
- Jewish Museum Berlin
Core exhibition free; temporary shows EUR 10, reduced EUR 4
Buy at: https://www.jmberlin.de (time-slot tickets)
The core exhibition is free for everyone: don't pay for 'entry'.
- Berlin TV Tower
From EUR 20 online (2026)
Buy at: https://tv-turm.de
Buy on the official site for timed entry.
- Berlin Cathedral
Regular and reduced tickets (amount not verified 2026)
Buy at: https://www.berlinerdom.de (online ticket shop)
Use the cathedral's own shop.
- Teufelsberg
EUR 12 (per Spotted by Locals)
Buy at: At the gate
It is private land: only the official gate entry is legal.
Traps
- Watch outUnstamped paper ticket = no ticket
Paper tickets must be stamped in the red or yellow box before you travel. Plain-clothes inspectors fine EUR 60 on the spot, and 'I bought it' is no defence.
Source: berlin.de, en.wikivoyage.org - Watch outAB ticket on the airport train
BER is in zone C. Boarding the airport train with an AB ticket is the classic visitor fine (EUR 60); buy ABC (EUR 5).
Source: travel2berlin.com, berlin.de - RuleSingle tickets are one-way
A single is valid 120 minutes in one direction with changes; return or round trips are not allowed, even inside the two hours.
Source: bvg.de - Watch outPickpockets in crowds
The UK FCDO warns of bag-snatching and pickpocketing at airports, stations and crowded venues: keep phones out of back pockets on packed U-Bahn platforms.
Source: gov.uk - Watch outDon't pay for the Reichstag dome
The dome visit is free with online registration; the only on-site option is the service centre, bookable at least two hours ahead.
Source: bundestag.de - Watch outThe Pergamonmuseum is closed until July 2027
Any 'Pergamon Museum ticket' you see sold is for the smaller Panorama building or a resale. The panorama costs EUR 12 on the official SMB shop.
Source: smb.museum - TipFree museums sold as tours
The Jewish Museum's core exhibition is free for everyone, and under-18s go free to all state museums: check before paying a tour seller.
Source: jmberlin.de, smb.museum - TipTaxi 'Kurzstrecke' only on the street
The EUR 6 flat fare for up to 2 km applies only to taxis hailed on the street, not from ranks or apps: say 'Kurzstrecke' before the meter starts.
Source: berlin.de - TipThe famous döner queue
Locals skip the hour-long queues at famous vegetable-kebab stands; neighbourhood places like Zagros or Rüyam are rated just as highly by residents.
Source: spottedbylocals.com, spottedbylocals.com - TipCheckpoint Charlie is mostly a photo stop
Wanderlog's aggregated Google rating (4.1) is the lowest among the big sights; for the real Cold War story go to the Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse.
Source: wanderlog.com
Money
- TipCarry cash
Many small places are cash only (Time Out flags Lebanese favourite Azzam), markets like Thai Park run on cash, and taxi drivers need not accept every card.
Source: timeout.com, spottedbylocals.com, berlin.de - TipCoins for photo booths
The analogue Photoautomat booths take coins only.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - TipTipping: round up
Tips (Trinkgeld) are not obligatory; for taxis locals round up to the next euro and add a little more for great service.
Source: berlin.de, en.wikipedia.org - TipTransport: pick the right ticket
The 7-day ticket was scrapped in 2026. 4-trip ticket EUR 12.40, 24h AB EUR 11.20, 24h for up to 5 people EUR 35.30; the Deutschlandticket (EUR 63/month) covers all local transport in Germany but is a subscription you must cancel.
Source: bvg.de, travel2berlin.com - TipWelcomeCard maths
WelcomeCards (48h from EUR 28.50, 72h from EUR 39.50) bundle transport with up to 50% discounts; with the 7-day pass gone, only buy one if you will use the discounts.
Source: bvg.de, berlin.de, travel2berlin.com - TipUnder-18s free at state museums
Children and teenagers up to 18 get free entry to all Staatliche Museen, including Museum Island.
Source: smb.museum
Transport
- TipTrains all night at weekends
On Friday and Saturday nights and before holidays the U-Bahn (every 15 min) and S-Bahn (every 30 min) run all night; on weeknights N buses follow the U-Bahn routes.
Source: berlin.de - TipMetrotrams never stop
M-line trams run 24 hours every day; the M10 links Hauptbahnhof, the Wall Memorial, Prenzlauer Berg and Warschauer Strasse.
Source: berlin.de - TipSightseeing by city bus
Buses 100 and 200 pass the big sights between Zoo and Alexanderplatz on an ordinary ticket.
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipThe Short Trip ticket
EUR 2.80 covers 3 stops on U-Bahn/S-Bahn or 6 on tram/bus: perfect for hopping between neighbouring Kieze.
Source: bvg.de - FunScenic bus 218
Locals call bus 218 through the Grunewald forest to the Grunewaldturm the city's most beautiful route.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - RuleBikes and scooters
Bikes ride on trains and trams with a EUR 2.70 bicycle ticket; e-scooters are banned on the U-Bahn, trams and buses.
Source: bvg.de, berlin.de - TipAlways say the district
Berlin has several streets with identical names, and house numbers don't always run the same way: give the district (e.g. Hauptstrasse, Schöneberg) to taxis and apps.
Source: en.wikivoyage.org
Etiquette
- RuleClub photo ban
No photos inside Berghain: your phone camera gets covered with stickers at the entrance, and breaking the rule is a serious faux pas.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - RuleDoor policies are real
Berghain's door is famously selective and unexplained, and KitKatClub enforces fetish dress codes on many nights: dress for the night and accept a 'no' calmly.
Source: timeout.com, en.wikipedia.org - Rule'Stay in communication'
The unofficial KitKatClub motto, 'do what you want but stay in communication', sums up Berlin's sex-positive club etiquette: consent first.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - TipBerliner Schnauze
Berliners are notorious for a blunt humour that can come across as rudeness; it usually isn't meant personally.
Source: en.wikivoyage.org - TipSmoking in bars
Some Kneipen still have smoking rooms (Bar Laidak) while others went smoke-free (Galander since 2020): check the door sign if it matters to you.
Source: spottedbylocals.com, spottedbylocals.com - TipSpace at free concerts
At the free Wednesday lunchtime concerts in the Philharmonie foyer people sit on stairs and floors; leave the few seats to older and less mobile listeners.
Source: spottedbylocals.com
Food
- TipSpäti culture
Spätis are late-opening corner shops selling beer and tobacco; buying a bottle and drinking it on the pavement bench or a canal bridge is how many Berlin nights start.
Source: spottedbylocals.com, en.wikivoyage.org - FunCurrywurst is a Berlin invention
Herta Heuwer created it in 1949 at a stand in Charlottenburg with curry powder and ketchup from British soldiers; Konnopke's under the U2 has served it since the 1930s.
Source: en.wikipedia.org, timeout.com - TipEat on Sonnenallee and Karl-Marx-Strasse
Neukölln's high streets are the city's best cheap eating: Lebanese hummus at Azzam, 2-euro falafel wraps, gözleme and manti.
Source: timeout.com, spottedbylocals.com - TipKantstrasse for Asian food
West Berlin's Kantstrasse is the Asian food street: Taiwanese noodles at Lon Men's, south-western Chinese at FúFú, Japanese-Peruvian at 893 Ryotei.
Source: timeout.com, tip-berlin.de - TipWeekly markets
Maybachufer (Tue and Fri), Kollwitzplatz (Thu), Boxhagener Platz (Sat food, Sun flea) and Rixdorf (Wed and Sat) are where residents shop; Street Food Thursday at Markthalle Neun is the evening version.
Source: timeout.com, spottedbylocals.com, spottedbylocals.com - TipThai Park weekends
From spring to autumn Thai-Berliners cook in Preussenpark on Saturdays and Sundays (10:00-21:00); dishes from EUR 1, cash only in practice.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - TipButcher's canteens
For cheap, huge German plates eat where the butchers cook: Domke Niko on Warschauer Strasse opens from 6:30 on weekdays.
Source: spottedbylocals.com
Safety
- RuleEmergency numbers
112 for ambulance and fire, 110 for police.
Source: gov.uk - Watch outTerrorism alert
The UK FCDO rates the terrorism threat in Germany as significant and reports a vehicle attack on Berlin's Christopher Street Day Pride in July 2026; stay alert at markets and big events.
Source: gov.uk - RuleCarry ID
You are not legally required to carry ID, but police may escort you to fetch your passport if you can't identify yourself; the Reichstag dome requires original ID for visitors 16+.
Source: gov.uk, bundestag.de - Watch outDrugs
The FCDO warns that illegal drugs carry severe penalties in Germany; don't buy from street dealers.
Source: gov.uk - Watch outTeufelsberg hazards
The abandoned listening station has uneven surfaces, broken glass and pitch-dark stairwells: sturdy shoes and a torch.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - TipGetting home late
Weekend all-night U- and S-Bahn plus 24-hour Metrotrams mean you rarely need to walk far alone at night.
Source: berlin.de
Free
- TipReichstag dome
Free, with registration and ID.
Source: bundestag.de - TipJewish Museum core exhibition
Free for everyone; book a time slot.
Source: jmberlin.de - TipFree art on first Thursdays
The Neue Nationalgalerie is free on the first Thursday of each month, 16:00-20:00.
Source: smb.museum - TipPhilharmonie lunch concerts
Wednesdays (September-June), doors 12:00, about an hour of free music in the foyer; arrive 30 minutes early.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - TipGDR life for free
The Museum in der Kulturbrauerei shows 800+ objects of everyday East German life, free.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - TipTempelhofer Feld
An entire airport of runways to walk, cycle or picnic on, free from sunrise to sunset.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - TipMedieval ruin with art
The Franciscan monastery ruin near Alexanderplatz is free, May to September.
Source: spottedbylocals.com
Fun
- FunBearpit Karaoke
Since 2009, on Sunday afternoons from spring to autumn, strangers sing to thousands in Mauerpark's stone amphitheatre.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - FunA clock you have to calculate
The 1975 Mengenlehreuhr on Budapester Strasse tells the time in rows of blinking lights for 5-hour, 1-hour, 5-minute and 1-minute units.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - FunPhoto booth tradition
About 35 analogue Photoautomat booths stand outside bars and clubs; a wet black-and-white strip at 3 a.m. is a Berlin rite.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - FunPay with a GDR mark
Onkel Philipp's East German toy museum in Prenzlauer Berg accepts one euro or one old DDR mark.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - FunAn NSA spy station in the woods
Teufelsberg, a hill of war rubble, carried one of the NSA's largest listening stations from 1963; its radomes are now a street-art gallery.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - FunThe people's airport
In 2014 64.3% of voters chose to keep Tempelhof's airfield free of development, creating what is called the largest inner-city open space in the world.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - FunThe amusement park that smuggled cocaine
Spreepark's operator fled to Peru with rides in 2002 and was later jailed for trying to smuggle 180 kg of cocaine in ride components; the city bought the site in 2014 to restore it.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - FunCurrywurst and politics
By tradition every Berlin mayoral candidate is photographed at a currywurst stand; the former Currywurst Museum estimated 70 million are eaten in Berlin each year.
Source: en.wikipedia.org - FunA bar of toilets
At Klo in Charlottenburg some seats are toilet bowls and napkins are toilet paper.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - FunGDR radio studios
Funkhaus, the East German broadcasting centre, now hosts concerts in a wood-panelled hall and the Monom 4D sound space.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - FunSwimming in the Spree
Badeschiff is a pool floating in the river in Treptow, next to the Club der Visionäre deck.
Source: wanderlog.com, timeout.com - FunA shrine to The Hoff
Berlin's tongue-in-cheek David Hasselhoff Museum sits on Weinbergsweg.
Source: wanderlog.com
When to go
- TipSummer: lakes and open-air clubs
Berliners swim at Schlachtensee and Plötzensee, and clubs like Sisyphos and Club der Visionäre move outdoors; Berghain's garden opens from late spring to early autumn.
Source: spottedbylocals.com, timeout.com, timeout.com - TipSpring to autumn weekends
Thai Park and Bearpit Karaoke run only in the warm months, weather permitting.
Source: spottedbylocals.com, en.wikipedia.org - TipSeptember to June: free concerts
The Philharmonie's free Wednesday lunchtime concerts pause in summer.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - Watch outAutumn 2026 closures
The Reichstag dome closes 28 Sep-2 Oct and 19-30 Oct 2026 for maintenance (terrace open); the TV Tower closes 23 Nov 2026.
Source: bundestag.de, tv-turm.de - TipWinter: Klosterruine closed
The monastery ruin is open May-September only; in winter you can look in from outside.
Source: spottedbylocals.com - RuleMondays
Most state museums (Museum Island, Kulturforum) are closed on Mondays; the Humboldt Forum closes Tuesdays instead.
Source: smb.museum
Words
- TipSpäti
Late-night corner shop selling drinks and tobacco.
Source: en.wikivoyage.org, spottedbylocals.com - TipKurzstrecke
Short-trip ticket or short taxi ride: 3 train or 6 bus/tram stops on BVG; up to 2 km in a hailed taxi for EUR 6.
Source: bvg.de, berlin.de - TipEinzelfahrausweis
Single ticket (EUR 4 AB).
Source: travel2berlin.com - TipTrinkgeld
Tip (literally 'drink money').
Source: en.wikipedia.org - TipFlohmarkt / Wochenmarkt
Flea market / weekly produce market.
Source: en.wikipedia.org, timeout.com - TipDürüm
Döner meat wrapped in flatbread instead of stuffed in bread.
Source: timeout.com
Checked September 2026. Every item links to where it came from.