BACKPACKER NETWORK GERMANY

Actually, it is crazy to stay only for one night in Berlin. Not for me, because I have lived there for 3 years and I am often there now as well for business trips and seeing my sister. But for travellers, one night in Berlin isn’t enough!!! OK, my american friend Emily is in Berlin tonight for one night as well, but she’s going to a concert and she has been quite often to Berlin, so that’s an excuse.

I am really thinking about what I would suggest if someone in the hostel is asking me what he should do if he or she only has one night in Berlin… I might say: STAY IN THE HOSTEL AND DON’T GO OUT BECAUSE YOU MIGHT REGRET THAT YOU HAVE ONLY ONE NIGHT!!! But since I am no fan of wasting time and staying in a hostel in a city which is so awesome, I can’t say that.

Before I give some recommendations to you, please promise, that you will give your best to try to not only staying in Berlin for one night, ok? I am thinking about 2 ways of exploring Berlin in one night…

1. SIGHTSEEING CRASH
2. GO OUT AND HAVE FUN

It is quite easy to see the most important sightseeing highlights in a few hours. There is a bus going from Berlin Zoo to Berlin Alexanderplatz (easy to remember, it is Bus 100). Buy a ticket and jump in @ Berlin Zoo and you will pass the Gedächtniskirche, loads of embassies, the parliament buildings, the Reichstag, the Brandenburger Tor, drive along „Unter den Linden“ and see the opera, the Humboldt university, the Berliner Dom and and and… That takes maybe 1 hour by bus. But I would suggest that you get off from the Bus at Brandenburger Tor and walk the rest, which is actually only 2-3 kilometres. So you can stop and have a closer look at the buildings. You will finish at Alexanderplatz and might be hungry then?! Not a problem, because there are loads of restaurants around. It is a bit touristy there (haha, a bit…) and the prices are higher then in other Berlin restaurants, but it is still not too expensive. Ja, that’s it! Now you have spent some hours in Berlin, got some impressions of the hightlights and can go back to the hostel and prepare yourself for your trip tomorrow. Where are you going? To the east? Maybe Dresden, Leipzig or even Prag? Have fun!! (and check our articles about the eastern german cities).

If you are no sightseeing addict and if you like to „feel“ the city, then START IN THE HOSTEL. What I would do is to ask the staff about their recommendations (like „What can I do and see in this area?“ „Which is the place to be in this area?”). Don’t ask for tourist places. Ask where the staff would go if they won’t work. Then I would have a look around and see if there are some other travellers, who might want to go out with me. Berlin is devided in “Stadtbezirke” like Mitte, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg and so on and every part of the city has it’s own area where the young folks go. Go with them! Check out a concert in an old and shabby club, go to an electro party, try the hippest veggie burger and drink as much cheap beer as you can. And then you go to bed, early in the morning, just a few hours of sleep until your trains goes to XYZ. And yes, you will be sad, that you have to leave so soon. And it is good that you are sad, because then you definitly will come back in the best german city ever! (I will be there in 3 hours… Do you want to know how I will spend my night in Berlin? OK… My sis is waiting for my at the train station to pick me up. Then we will go to Nil, which makes the best Falaffel in Friedrichshain. After that we will meet some friends in a bar called “Red Rooster” and THEN … I have to go to sleep because I have a meeting tomorrow morning. No, I won’t lie to you!! I’ll be back to Berlin in summer again for a few days and then I will tell you about all the great places I have been to!)

Enjoy Berlin, enjoy Germany, enjoy yourselves!
Yours, Sandra

Germany has a real good railway connection. You can get from city to city really easily and quite fast.

Though it is really expensive to take the Deutsche Bahn. Here are a few tipps how to get cheap tickets:

-       book in advance: often there are good deals around 29,-€ if you book like 1-2 month ahead. Anyways on the tracks which are really busy, it is hard to get one of these tickets.
-       Take your time! The Deutsche Bahn offers a real cheap ticket for only 42,-€ (for one person, every extra person up to 5 pays 8,-€ extra) and you can take the train all through Germany for the whole day. Anyways, this works only with regional trains, which take longer. But hey, you are on holidays and have your time
-       Book last minute! It is a bit risky and you might get really uncomfortable departure times like 6AM in the morning, but it is so cheap!! Check www.ltur.de (CHECK!!) and book like one or two days in advance.

German trains are punctual (if it is not  like 40°C or -20°C), even if we germans always complain. But you have to know that we are already upset if the train has a delay of 5-10 minutes or so

But now you are on the train and can relax a real nice tour. In the ICEs you even have places with wifi connection. And they always have a „bord restaurant“ where you can get a coffee and some food. I have to say that I wouldn’t buy anything there. First of all the coffee is not so good and then all the food is really expensive in comparison to the food you can get at the stations. So if you have a long ride, prepare yourself.

Writing this article I am sitting in an ICE from Frankfurt to Berlin and I am wondering what I would do, if I …

… don’t write this article: guess, since I have my laptop with me, I would listen to an audio book or watch a movie.
… don’t have my laptop with me: then I definitly have a book or a magazine with me!!
… hate the book I have taken with me and can’t stand reading it: then I would fall asleep at one point.
… have slept actually too long and can’t fall asleep…
DAMN, that’s would be a real boring 4 hour train ride then.

Do you have any suggestions? Alone in a train with 5 strangers aroud you who 1. Watch a movie on her laptop, 2. Reading on her ipad, 3. Reading a magazine, 4. Is sleeping, 5. Is sleeping as well…. Lucky me, that I have to work

So, all of you: I hope you have a pleasent trip through Germany!

Berlin is a backpacker’s dream. Lively, young and buzzing, this is a city with one of the coolest vibes in Europe. Many of the major sights are free (great news for anyone travelling on a budget!), and a hip and happening party hides around every corner. But there’s no denying that Berlin is a big city, and with a lot to see spread over a wide area, you really need a rucksack that’s up to the challenge to get the most out of your trip. Here are a few tips for choosing the best backpack to explore Germany’s crazy capital.

• The importance of getting a rucksack with plenty of zipped pockets cannot be overestimated. Avoid the glares of the locals by having your essentials within easy access – you’ll be glad your change is close at hand when you’ve only got thirty seconds to buy a ticket before your train departs!

• Berlin’s weather during the summer is usually glorious, but in the chillier months its skies can be rather unpredictable. Most backpacks should already be semi-waterproof, but it may be worth your while investigating ones with a built-in pack cover.

• If you’re going to be doing a lot of walking, make sure your backpack has a padded hip belt. This will distribute the weight more evenly, taking the strain off tired shoulders.

• Size does matter: if you’re only going on a weekend city break, a backpack with a capacity of roughly 30l should be sufficient. Extended stays call for a rucksack of 50l or more. Of course, it’s nice to have some spare space in your bag (for a picnic to eat in one of the city’s many parks or to stuff with souvenirs!), but don’t go over the top – after all, you’re the one who’s going to be carrying it!

• Stand out from the crowd: when it comes to Berlin fashion, anything goes! Rucksacks are the most practical of all bags, but that doesn’t mean they can’t look cool too. So whether you love sleek, monochrome accessories or you’re more into neon brights, get yourself a bag that matches your personality and see the city in style.

A rucksack can make or break your trip, so do your research and check out the wide range of rucksacks. A well-made, well-designed backpack won’t just make your visit to Berlin a success – it’ll be your trusty travel companion for many trips to come!

(this is a special publication in cooperation with Zalando GmbH)

“Even in this world of websites and apps, niche travel resources and guides to cities written for every possible taste or interest, there remain corners of the city that you might not be able to discover without the knowledge and experience of a local. It is motivation the led to the creation of websites such as Slow Travel Berlin (www.slowtravelberlin.com) – and inspired Jim to create his series of special tours for guests of the Circus Hostel.

Every Tuesday Jim or his compadre Andrew collect guests from the hostel reception and then head off to some of the more unknown or forgotten corners of the city. Perhaps they have arranged a special tour of the former Tempelhof Airport, one of the largest buildings in the world and where the “Raisin Bombers” of the American Air Force delivered supplies to the blockaded citizens of West Berlin after Stalin cut supply-lines with the western sectors of Germany. Or maybe they will catch the S-Bahn East to Karlshorst and the villa that houses the German-Russian museum, and the location for the final surrender of the German forces to the Soviet Union at the end of World War II.

Other regular tours include a trip north to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, to the former refugee camp in Marienfelde – where those fleeing the socialist German Democratic Republic were first welcomed into the “free” West – and to both the former Stasi Prison and Headquarters, in Hohenschönhausen and Lichtenberg respectively, where the oppressive nature of the GDR’s surveillance state is laid bare.

The tours are absolutely free for guests of the Circus, although some of the destinations are so off the beaten track that you will need to get a transport ticket, and you can find out more about upcoming tours and their destinations on the website here: http://www.circus-berlin.de/jimbo.html“

Thanks to Paul from the Circus Hostel, Berlin for this article!!!! That sounds like it is definately worth a stay!!! Have a great start of the week all you travellers out there… Sarah

today I have another article for you about the Oktoberfest, but this time it is live from the wombats hostel in munich:

What do hostel workers need most after an exhausting summer season? A sixteen-day beerfest, along with a hostel full of intoxicated guests. NOT, you would think, but we actually still enjoy this.

OK, we could do with less puke in the elevators, but there are the bizarre moments making up for the downsides. Like the guest we only saw wearing a helmet (“to avoid injuries when passing out”) or the guy wearing a zebra costume for breakfast. I asked him where he got that one from, to which he replied: “I don´t remember, I woke up in it”. Or the guy who returned at 3am with nothing but his underpants (he couldn´t tell how that happened, but we know it). We have seen it all, and whatever you do, we won´t tell your girlfriend.

How to Oktoberfest:

1. Avoid the weekends.

Especially Saturdays. Especially the Saturday on the second weekend, when FC Bayern has a home match. Do yourself a favour and go on a weekday. Even on a Tuesday afternoon, it´s still the biggest party on earth. It´s easier to find accommodation, you´ll have to line up less than an hour for the rollercoasters, you´ll get inside the tents without lining up for hours and a free spot at a table will be much easier to find as well.

2. Don´t try to reserve a table

Because they don´t accept table reservations when the tent is likely to be full anyway. You just enter the tent of your choice, scan it for empty spots and ask the other people on the table “ist hier frei?” – that´s it, and it´s also a good conversation starter.

3. First eat, then drink!

Oktoberfest beer is stronger than the regular stuff. It can get quite warm in the tents, so you will be thirsty and might drink more than you intended. The salt on the pretzels will do the rest. Start your day with a hearty lunch – I recommend one of the many beer halls. Augustiner Bräustuben (http://www.braeustuben.de/) serves excellent pork knuckle for just € 9,20. The alcohol will hit you in a much more enjoyable way when you have some lardy food in your stomach.

4. Leave your stuff at the hostel

The Oktoberfest throng is a pickpocket´s paradise. You won´t want to be paranoid all the time about the contents of your pockets. Also leave your eyeglasses at home, you know, drunk people sometimes throw around their arms in a somewhat uncontrolled manner…

5. First rollercoaster, then binge drinking

Have mercy with me. I don´t want the contents of your digestive system raining down on me when I queue up. Please!

6. Which tent?

There are 14 big ones and 20 small ones, altogether with seats for 100,000. The first one you´ll see at the main entrance is the Hippodrom, well known for its champagne bar (WTF?)  and the occasional celebrity visitor. Schottenhamel is a large one (it seats 10,000) and the tent where it all starts when the mayor taps the first keg. The biggest one is Paulaner Festzelt (capacity 10,900), the best about it is the large outdoor area on its southern side, so you can enjoy the autumn sun. The locals´ favourite is still Augustiner, the only one left tapping the beer from traditional wooden kegs. The tent where the shit really hits the fan is Hofbräu – like the Hofbräuhaus beer hall it´s very popular with tourists who intend to party hard.

Mind that the waitresses will ask you to leave when you have an empty stein in front of you and refuse to replace it with a full one immediately. All the tents come with very cheesy oompah-style brass music playing traditional Bavarian songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” or “Country Roads”. You will certainly hate it until you finished your fifth stein, then you´ll love it.

7. Don´t go to the wine tent

This is a BEERfest, for Chrissake! Don´t be a nerd and drink wine. You just don´t!!!

8. Try not to pass out

The tents close just before midnight and those who can´t make it on their own legs any more will be brought to the slope under the “Bavaria” statue by the security guys – there are hundreds of “Bierleichen” lined up there every evening and the pickpockets will leave you with nothing but your underpants. You have been warned! J

Many thanks to Klaus from the Wombats Hostel Munich (http://www.wombats-hostels.com/de/muenchen/) for all the good advise and have a fun second week at the Oktoberfest!!! S.

In Frankfurt you can…
Every thursday night we run our very own Pub Crawl at the Five Elements hostel. now you think you’ve seen it all before, but i can tell you, this one is reeeeal special! You know the ones where you have a tour guide who drags you from pub to pub, you get really drunk, talk to fellow travellers and answer the same questions “where are you from?”, “where are you travelling to next?” over and over again?
Well, this Pub Crawl has a tour guide who drags you from pub to pub, but when you ask your “fellow travellers” where they are from, don’t be surprised if the answer is “ehm, im from here actually!”
The thursday pub crawls originally started as a bunch of friends going out on a thursday night… only thing, they were all staff members of the Five Elements hostel and eventually they started taking guests with them, who they met during their shift before.
A few years later it has become some kind of ritual for the staff members and a large number of friends of the Five Elements family, to go out on a thursday night and take everyone who wants to come along..
So, im asking you: Who would want to miss that???

See you on thursday, i guess…  ; ) Sarah

also check out: www.5elementshostel.de

Today it started! This year for the 179th time Germanys most famous festival opened the doors to its big beer tents.
6 million people from all over the world are expected to attend this years spectacle.
They will drink approximately 7 million litres of beer and eat thousands of pretzls and sausages and most probably forget all about that one question, they have been meaning to ask the first german person crossing their way…

Why does this all happen in mid-september??

Now i could tell you all about german history and the royals, but to make a long story short:
It is because of the all around german efficiancy of course. The weather is horrible in october, all that rain and the cold…
We want to get drunk when the sun is shining and the weather is just so much better in september!

there you go! Enjoy the beer and have fun!     : ) S.

Don’t forget to pick up the new USE-IT map. As it says right on there:
it’s a “map for young travellers…made by locals”.
So, i guess thats exactly want you young and adventurous backpackers were waiting for, right?
USE-IT stands for no-nonsense tourist info for young people. USE-IT guides, maps, and websites are made by young locals, are not commercial, free, and up-to-date.
And the best thing: when you stay with Lolly in his lovely homestay (www.lollishome.de), you get one for absolutely free directly at the check in!

Enjoy this great city and one of my favorite hostels : )

Happy travels,
Sarah