Germany question

[TeanneTX]

Has anyone ever gone from Wurdemunde to Berlin on your own and toured the city on your own using public transportation or uber?

 

Teanne

[dogs4fun]

Has anyone ever gone from Wurdemunde to Berlin on your own and toured the city on your own using public transportation or uber?

 

Teanne

Yes, I have taken the train from Rostock to Berlin & used public transport (U-bahn) to get around in Berlin - very easy. I was NOT on a cruise though - had multiple days to spend in Berlin. If you are on a cruise, I think that this may not be the best option for you as you must take the train from Warnemunde to Rostock, change trains, and train to Berlin. Think the times may not work for you - check with Travelanni - she has great info:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1963750

[Sauer-kraut]

You can rent a car and do it that way. In all seriousness Berlin is a long journey from the port. Many will say that it is worth the trek, I however think that spending a few hours in a very big city isn't worth it. Warnemunde and that area is a lovely place to have a relaxing beach day or low key trip to the castle at Schwerin. Since this is a port intensive cruise you will be exhausted and might want a day where you aren't rushing to get someplace.

[JMHamburg]

Uber has some serious problems here in Germany; I don't know how the situation currently is. Anyway the point is: Are you willing to spent many hours on trip to and from Berlin, leaving some few hours for your visit in the town. Furthermore, I personally rather wouldn't rely on the German railroad system ...

[GradUT]

Last summer on a Baltic cruise that stopped in Warnemuende/Rostock, we were tempted to rent a car and drive to Berlin. Having previously lived in Berlin for several years, we would have been confident driving on the Autobahn, driving around Berlin and using public transportation. However, for a first-time visitor, you would not be able to do it as easily as us. Thus, you would lose valuable sightseeing time dealing with transportation issues.

 

We eventually decided that it just wasn't worth the long drive and worry about getting back too late for departure--you never know about accidents on the road. So we visited both Warnemuende and Rostock and had an excellent time.

 

If you decide to go to Berlin, I recommend you do it as part of a tour. The tour company will handle all the logistics that would be time-consuming for you to do on your own. You won't have nearly enough time to see Berlin on a day trip, but I think you'll be able to see and do more than if you tried to get to and around the city on your own.

[mskaufman]

We used SPB and had 6 - 7 hours in Berlin. Whether or not it is worth the ride is an individual decision. We were happy we went. However, I agree with the poster who said that letting the tour company sweat the details was a good idea.

[Giantfan13]

We used SPB and had 6 - 7 hours in Berlin. Whether or not it is worth the ride is an individual decision. We were happy we went. However, I agree with the poster who said that letting the tour company sweat the details was a good idea.

 

I also agree. I have said this countless times, if this is you ONE chance to see Berlin and you don't take it, will you be kicking yourself in the you know what, for not doing it, when you get home?

 

Before our Baltic Cruise, we spent a week in London and took the Eurostar to Paris for a day. So many people said you can't see Paris in a day, but we did and we are still thankful for that decision. yes it was exhausting, but it provided us with lasting memories.

 

And, forget doing it yourself. if you've never driven on Germany's Autobahns, that is an experience all by itself. Take a tour with any of the well established tour companies, so you can grab some sleep on the way there and back and enjoy your hours in Berlin.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[mskaufman]

If it helps, here is a link to some of my pictures from Berlin

 

https://msknortherneurope.shutterfly.com/pictures/334

[TeanneTX]

If it helps, here is a link to some of my pictures from Berlin

 

https://msknortherneurope.shutterfly.com/pictures/334

 

Thanks for sharing the pictures. They are really nice. When did you go to Berlin? We're you on a cruise and if you were, which tour company did you use?

Teanne

[TeanneTX]

Thanks everyone for your input. We've decided NOT to DIY Berlin and rather go as part of a tour. Now just working on whether to continue with the ships tour or do a private tour with a few others from the cc roll call.

Teanne

[Gwendy]

In June we took the Princess tour after lots of research and discussion. We went to the concentration camp first and then by bus to Berlin. It was a huge day, the weather was terrible as well. Was it worth it? Yes.

The train was comfortable with toilets, not much scenery, it was pouring so hard you couldn't see out the windows. The visit to the camp was thought provoking. The bus to Berlin was held up on the autobahn due to very heavy traffic so late for lunch, which was included and surprisingly quite good.

Our guide told us because of weather and delays we would drive past sights, but weather cleared and we walked to Brandenburg gate, holocaust memorial, very moving, and walked part of the remains of the wall. He also arranged a short stop for Checkpoint Charle and souvenir shopping, just 20 mins. Some people used this time to go to Maccas!

Back to train station and a comfortable trip back to ship. It was only about 200 metres from the ship.

We were delayed leaving due to an unfortunate incident on the second train with a passenger being ill. Princess extended the time for this second train due to the delay in the morning.

This was probably my only chance to see Berlin and I feel I saw a lot of the sights.

[mskaufman]

Thanks for sharing the pictures. They are really nice. When did you go to Berlin? We're you on a cruise and if you were, which tour company did you use?

Teanne

 

These are from last summer (2015). We were on a cruise and used SPB. We were happy with them as a tour operator.

[easyboy]

If it helps, here is a link to some of my pictures from Berlin

 

https://msknortherneurope.shutterfly.com/pictures/334

Nice pics!

[Globaliser]

I have said this countless times, if this is you ONE chance to see Berlin and you don't take it, will you be kicking yourself in the you know what, for not doing it, when you get home?

I'm not one for spending hours on transport going to faraway places just to see them for a few hours before hours of travel returning to the ship. This is one reason why I don't recommend people do Paris in a day from London. You waste so much time, and you can always go to Paris next time.

 

However, one year I did do Berlin from Warnemuende (I think it ended up being Rostock because of a late port change). This was because it was the year that Christo had wrapped the Reichstag. It was literally a question of seeing it that trip or never seeing it at all. That was memorable, and worth the effort.

 

But a bog-standard trip to Berlin? I'd do a trip to Berlin next time rather than trying to get there from the coast.

[easyboy]

I'm not one for spending hours on transport going to faraway places just to see them for a few hours before hours of travel returning to the ship. This is one reason why I don't recommend people do Paris in a day from London. You waste so much time, and you can always go to Paris next time.

Also felt the same way for Paris on a British Isle port of call at Le Havre.

[Gwendy]

I'm not one for spending hours on transport going to faraway places just to see them for a few hours before hours of travel returning to the ship. This is one reason why I don't recommend people do Paris in a day from London. You waste so much time, and you can always go to Paris next time.

 

However, one year I did do Berlin from Warnemuende (I think it ended up being Rostock because of a late port change). This was because it was the year that Christo had wrapped the Reichstag. It was literally a question of seeing it that trip or never seeing it at all. That was memorable, and worth the effort.

 

But a bog-standard trip to Berlin? I'd do a trip to Berlin next time rather than trying to get there from the coast.

No u because it is not a word, it is an acronym. Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service.

 

Ok to go to Berlin from London as a separate trip but when you have travelled 26 hours to get to your cruise, you are going to take every opportunity to get to every place you can.

Next time is another 26 hour flight each way, another $1800.

[Globaliser]

No u because it is not a word, it is an acronym. Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service.

Strictly speaking, although it used to be an acronym (actually for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services"), as a matter of grammar "Qantas" has long since simply become a proper name.

Ok to go to Berlin from London as a separate trip but when you have travelled 26 hours to get to your cruise, you are going to take every opportunity to get to every place you can.

Next time is another 26 hour flight each way, another $1800.

I still don't agree with this, personally. Even if it is a 26-hour flight to get to the area that you're going to, it still makes no sense to spend three quarters of your sightseeing time on transport, leaving only a quarter of it for sightseeing, just to say that you have set foot in x number of places for an hour or two. Is the object of the exercise to tick place names off a list for the sake of the number of ticks, or is it to actually see the places concerned? My approach is that it is still much better to spend the sightseeing time actually seeing things in the places where you already are.

 

And this is not a matter of a "next time" for going to Berlin from London. I know that most people on CC have to do intercontinental travel to get to Europe. The approach I suggest is the same approach that I apply to myself when I do the reverse and come to Aus/NZ.