There is a lot to do in Berlin, Germany, many museums, a huge variety of food choices and a fantastic train and bus system to get you around this large city of more than 3.6 million people.
Two days wouldn’t have been enough and in the three days we were there, I think we could have really used a fourth to experience a lot more Berlin has to offer. Here are some of the places we went and hints to make your tour experience better.
First and foremost, like most large European cities, be prepared to walk a lot. Pack comfortable shoes. We used the bus and the trains to get around and still walked more than 18 miles in three days.
Transportation
We took a taxi from the airport because it was late at night when we arrived. From the airport it was $60€ to central Berlin. The rest of the time, we got around by mostly train. An all-day pass was $9.40€. The train tickets are based on zones. Zones A and B are the areas where we stayed and all of the destinations we went to were within these two zones. For slightly more, your ticket can include bus service.
City Pass Welcome Card
The first day, we bought a city pass. It provides discounts for various sites along with free museum entries. In our case, I don’t think we saved money. We used it for the hop on, hop off bus, Charlottenburg Palace and for some of the musuems. If you’re going to go this route, you probably should price it out before you go and be strategic about what you see.
Hop on, Hop Off Bus
There are two vendors in town. Basically, a red bus and a pink bus. The tickets are good for a 24, 48 or 72 hour periods. You can buy the tickets at any of the stops. I meant to buy the 48-hour pass but forgot to ask about the additional time and then couldn’t get them upgraded. Also, the guide we bought them from only took cash so we had to make a stop at the ATM. Below are the links.
Check Point Charlie
Check Point Charlie is a historical site where people moved from East Germany to West Germany and back again during the Cold War from 1947 to 1991. The name Charlie came from it being the third check point along the way, designated with the letter ‘C’ or Charlie in the NATO phonetic alphabet. On the east was Russian troops and the West was manned by the Americans. Here you can take a photo at the old check point and there are lots of tourist shops.
Eastside Gallery
The Eastside Gallery is a 1,316 m (4,318 ft) long remnant of the Berlin Wall that still stands and has been painted by various artists. You can see the famous Fraternal Kiss or officially known as My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love. The painting depicts a 1979 photo of Brezhnev, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and Honecker, who led the German Democratic Republic, kissing during the 30th anniversary celebration of the foundation of the German Democratic Republic.
Also near here is the Oberbrumbrecke Bridge that provides a picturesque spot to take a selfie.
Reichstag Building
The Reichstag Building is Germany’s parliament building. Tickets are free but you need to make reservations. We elected to visit the dome on top of the roof. As you walk up the swirling ramp, the audio tour describes the various buildings throughout the city. At the very top, you can walk outside to better enjoy the view and take pictures.
Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe
A walk through the Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe is worth it. We just happenstance upon it. Designed by architects Peter Eisenman and Buro Happold, the 1,170 tomb-shaped, concrete black structures vary in heights from about two to ten feet tall and create a surreal maze in which to get lost in. It’s a very poignant experience as you look down these dark alleyways created by the structures. They look like tombs although the artist says they were meant to represent crypts.
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is probably one of the most iconic landmarks in Europe and certainly with in Germany. The Gate which led directly to the royal City Palace of the Prussian monarchs, and the Berlin Cathedral is at the end of a long boulevard. If you walk west down the Boulevard, adjacent to the park, you’ll see the Memorial to the Victims of Berlin.
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
This Protestant church is interesting in that it was completed in 1891 but bombed in 1943 during the Second World War. You can still see it’s broken steeple and go into the building. The Memorial Church is nicknamed "der hohle Zahn", meaning "the hollow tooth". The ceiling is beautiful. It’s a standing testament to the horrors of the war.
Charlottenburg Palace
Sophia Charlotte married Crown Prince Frederick Hohenzollern (later Frederick I, King of Prussia when she was 16. She became the first Queen in Prussia in 1701 and as a patron of the arts, commissioned the Baroque styled Palace. You can tour the building for a fee and can walk the grounds for free. We used our city pass discount here.
TV Tower 
Berlin’s TV Tower is the tallest building in Berlin and its round ball can be seen for miles. You can purchase tickets to go in and if you like, there is also a restaurant at the top. The city pass will also give you a discount. Frankly, this is the one attraction I wasn’t happy with. The views were spectacular but there were so many people you had to jostle your way to the front to see anything. I would recommend the next spot as an alternative. It’s half the price and more impressive although you have to conquer the stairs.
Berlin Cathedral
The Berlin Cathedral is a Protestant Cathedral and as gorgeous as the many Catholic Cathedrals you find around Europe. For 10€,
you can walk up the 267 steps to the top and enjoy the city. We went at sunset and watched the orange glow dissolve into nothingness.
House of Gin
My last suggestion is for gin lovers, The House of Gin. With more than 125 types of gin, this was a must visit for me. Our bartender whipped up some mighty fine drinks. My favorite was inspired be an Old Fashioned. It included smoked Cinnamon, Cinnamon infused bourbon, simple syrup and of course, gin.
A couple of more hints. You really do need tickets for the train. We were asked for our tickets but only once. After our initial purchase of tickets for the hop on, hop off bus no one asked for verification that we had paid. Google maps worked great for directions. We have overseas Internet service (really a must for frequent travelers, or you can download the maps ahead of time.
There are plenty of food options available for food and hotel rooms. It really depends upon what you want to eat and your price points.