So we're going to Copenhagen + Berlin

[FLAMESRULE]

Wifey and I are heading to Europe for three weeks this September. Going to spend a week in central England + London for a buddies wedding, a week in Copenhagen, and a week in Berlin.

Just wondering if the CalPuck masses have any "must" see adventures/museums/restaurants/theatres etc in Copenhagen + Berlin (and surrounding areas for day trips). We've got all the tourist books and can figure out enough things to do, but we both like getting off the beaten path to really see different countries + cultures.

[troutman]

There are adventures to be had in Berlin at night. Very freaky clubs.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

Wifey and I are heading to Europe for three weeks this September. Going to spend a week in central England + London for a buddies wedding, a week in Copenhagen, and a week in Berlin.

Just wondering if the CalPuck masses have any "must" see adventures/museums/restaurants/theatres etc in Copenhagen + Berlin (and surrounding areas for day trips). We've got all the tourist books and can figure out enough things to do, but we both like getting off the beaten path to really see different countries + cultures.

Copenhagen is my all-time favourite European city. And strangely, I was just there for two weeks this October. Allow me to share my thoughts.

Weather: September will be cooler than Calgary, but still very nice. Bring a light raincoat, but you should be happy in shirt sleeves.

Transportation: Copenhagen has a decent metro system that does a reasonable job taking you through the city, although it is new, and thus, quite limited. If you are staying far out from the car, just get a train to Norreport, that's the main hub, and is right in the downtown.

The city also is integrated well into the national train system. You can get to Osterport through the metro, and then hop an S-train to some of the tourist sites on Zealand. I recommend day trips to Roskilde, and Elsinore.

However, Copenhagen is a city built for cyclists. Over 2/3 of Copenhageners use bicycles as their primary method of transportation.

The town is almost entirely flat, with the highest hill being like 20m or something ridiculous. Get a bike. There are local city bikes that can be taken for the day for a deposit of 50 kr (around 10 CD), and plenty of other rental shops.

Culture: Where to start? There's tons. PM me for specific recommendations, but basically, you can get lost in this city for weeks and weeks. Everyone speaks flawless English, and, like all Danes, exceptionally demure and polite about it. Be polite, don't try to speak Danish (it's impossible, and all you'll get is a firm correction), and ask kindly if they speak English. Danes are all proud to practice on you.

Going out and shopping is very, very expensive. There is a 25% VAT added automatically onto the price of everything.

Check to see if the city is having a Culture Night. Basically for $50, you get a free pass to the metro/city bus, all of the city attractions are open with free events all night, and you can just wile away the entire night that way.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Rumor has it that Oktoberfest is a good time.......

Are you the right kind of person for Oktoberfest? Here's how a quick quiz:

1. Do you like beer?
2. Do you like food?
3. Do you like fun?
Optional
4. Can you look at boobs without the wife getting angry?

If you answered yes to the questions, you ought to enjoy Oktoberfest (Sept 17/Oct3).

[FLAMESRULE]

peter12, great to hear. We'll definitely have a look to see if they have the Culture Night. We're going to take the train from Copenhagen to Berlin to see a bit more of the countryside as well. We usually try and stay right in the middle of the action and walk everywhere, but we'd be happy to get on a bike!! We're not renting a car anywhere because the metro systems are so easy to use in Europe.

Jesus H, I heard it was expensive, but a 25%VAT is theft.

Speaking of cars...if anyone has some experience driving the infamous Autobahn I'd love to hear about that as well!!

[FLAMESRULE]

Yes to all of that...unfortunately we leave the day before. We're gone from Sept 1 - Sept 17th.

Originally Posted by WilsonFourTwo

Rumor has it that Oktoberfest is a good time.......

Are you the right kind of person for Oktoberfest? Here's how a quick quiz:

1. Do you like beer?
2. Do you like food?
3. Do you like fun?
Optional
4. Can you look at boobs without the wife getting angry?

If you answered yes to the questions, you ought to enjoy Oktoberfest (Sept 17/Oct3).

[cmyden]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

Speaking of cars...if anyone has some experience driving the infamous Autobahn I'd love to hear about that as well!!

I think it gets a little over-hyped, it basically just feels like driving on the highways in Alberta except people know how to drive (ie stay in the right lane except when passing). And less pick-up trucks. You do see the occasional Porsche or BMW that is *really* flying though. They can come up on you fast, and if they flick the lights, you'd better not be in the way!

[peter12]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

peter12, great to hear. We'll definitely have a look to see if they have the Culture Night. We're going to take the train from Copenhagen to Berlin to see a bit more of the countryside as well. We usually try and stay right in the middle of the action and walk everywhere, but we'd be happy to get on a bike!! We're not renting a car anywhere because the metro systems are so easy to use in Europe.

Jesus H, I heard it was expensive, but a 25%VAT is theft.

Speaking of cars...if anyone has some experience driving the infamous Autobahn I'd love to hear about that as well!!

You do get it back upon leaving the EU, so remember to keep all of your receipts. Groceries are cheap, so if you have a place with a kitchen, eat in.

Also eat volumes of their delicious bread.

[wpgflamesfan]

Originally Posted by WilsonFourTwo

Rumor has it that Oktoberfest is a good time.......

Are you the right kind of person for Oktoberfest? Here's how a quick quiz:

1. Do you like beer?
2. Do you like food?
3. Do you like fun?
Optional
4. Can you look at boobs without the wife getting angry?

If you answered yes to the questions, you ought to enjoy Oktoberfest (Sept 17/Oct3).

Rumor also has it Oktoberfest is in Munich and not Berlin

[FLAMESRULE]

Originally Posted by peter12

You do get it back upon leaving the EU, so remember to keep all of your receipts. Groceries are cheap, so if you have a place with a kitchen, eat in.

Also eat volumes of their delicious bread.

We'll definitely be making that claim, thanks for the tip!! I assume that you can pick up the application forms from the airports / train stations etc. Is that only for Denmark or is it for all of the EU??

[peter12]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

We'll definitely be making that claim, thanks for the tip!! I assume that you can pick up the application forms from the airports / train stations etc. Is that only for Denmark or is it for all of the EU??

It's for all of the EU. Depending on where you are leaving, just grab the form at the airport. You have to go to a customs official to get your claim stamped.

[core_upt]

I believe that only certain purchases qualify for tax refunds - usually from participating retailers. Global Blue is a tax-refund service that works with retailers. You fill out a form when you buy something from a participating store, and there's typically a minimum purchase amount (around $20-30 but varies per store). You get a voucher which you show at the airport with the receipt and in some cases the actual product and you can get your refund before you leave the country. If you do buy something big, it's worth getting the VAT refund, but allow enough time when flying home to get your refund.

Copenhagen is a really fun city, but as peter12 said, it's damn expensive. Everything is expensive. Beers in a pub are around $9-12 or more, a normal dinner is around $25 per entree. Even a hot dog on the street is $5!! Don't feel like you have to tip, people working in service make enough and don't count on tips. Locals would never tip. You can, however, drink on the street, so if you are getting thirsty, pop into a 7-11 (they are EVERYWHERE) and grab a beer - they sell individual cans, cold. You can sit in a park or wander around and it's all good. Accommodation is pricey too - $100/night is a very basic room with a shared bathroom in the downtown area. Nicer hotels can be $300+ easily.
Go to Christiana - it's a 'free city' where you used to be able to buy drugs from dealers openly on the street. It's cleaned up quite a bit, but the atmosphere is still there - very bohemian, gritty and a little repulsive but interesting!

Berlin is a really fun city. The Pergamon Museum is really good - worth a few hours. I would also recommend taking a walking tour. We did a free one that left from just outside the main train station and it's really good for getting a lot of the history in the town.

There are some good bars around Schlesisches Tor that are cheap and fun. Charlottenburg is the fancier part - kind of West Berlin's downtown. More name brand shopping and such. East Berlin around Alexanderplatz has a lot of good cheap restaurants. I would recommend booking a tour of the Reichstag in advance - it gives you a tour of the building itself and better yet, access to the glass dome at the top which is pretty awesome. It's free and takes about 3 hours.

Berlin, especially compared to CPH, is very affordable. People are nice, most speak english, getting around is very easy. The metro system is good, and like CPH, it is very flat and easy to rent a bike and explore.

Have a great trip!

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by troutman

There are adventures to be had in Berlin at night. Very freaky clubs.

Wasn't it the Berlin clubs that opened Freddie Mercury up to a whole new world?

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by cmyden

I think it gets a little over-hyped, it basically just feels like driving on the highways in Alberta except people know how to drive (ie stay in the right lane except when passing). And less pick-up trucks. You do see the occasional Porsche or BMW that is *really* flying though. They can come up on you fast, and if they flick the lights, you'd better not be in the way!

so do the germans like affixing metal testicles to thier porches and what not?

how about the blue bottles on the bmw's?

[Addick]

It's interesting, three out of the last four European cities to be discussed in threads are cities on my list of places I'd settle down in. Copenhagen is a really enjoyable city to just take in and enjoy your time, I'd strongly recommend allotting some time for just cycling through the city and stopping here and there. Berlin, simply awesome. It's yours to explore and adventure through. I only spent a few amazing days there so I'll let others with more experience list some of the must-sees.

[NuclearFart]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

Speaking of cars...if anyone has some experience driving the infamous Autobahn I'd love to hear about that as well!!

I agree with the other poster that it is overhyped. Also, I thought it was impossible but my buddy actually got a speeding ticket on it! There are multiple segments where there are posted speed limits, so it's certainly not the wild free for all it's made out to be.

[Jimmy Stang]

I just got back a week and a bit ago from Europe, including a few days in Berlin.

The previous comments about the autobahn are spot on. It really is just a nice, efficient highway. The suggested speed is 130, some people do more, some people do less. The best thing abaout it (again, already mentioned) is that people know how to drive it. Keep right, pass on the left, and get over as soon as you're done. We drove from Prague to Berlin (via Dresden) and it was smooth, efficient, but definitely not some wild west sort of thing.

The city itself is great for museums and galleries. It is actually quite intimidating as there are so many possibilities. They even have an island called "Museum Island" that has about 7 of them on there. We only had time for the Neus Museum, which is great if you're a fan of Egyptian artifacts, but after the first 3 floors I found myself getting a bit sick of them.

As with any German city, you can get around easily on the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn. Our hotel (as well as one in Frankfurt on a previous trip) can probably sell you a day pass which is good for 24 hours after first use. Just validate it at the station before your first trip and you're good. You can usually find a way to get to most of the main attractions by taking one or two trains at the most. Berlin is very spread out, but even if you have a car, you'll probably want to use the trains so you don't have to worry about parking.

And although I usually prefer not to take those "hop on, hop off" buses when I'm on holiday, my wife convinced me to do it on our first day there and it was quite beneficial. It was €20 I believe and the whole circuit took 2 hours and it really helped us get our bearings and discover some things that we may not have wanted to see otherwise, like the Potsdamer Platz area if you're in to shopping, for example.

What else? Umm... if you're going to see "We Will Rock You" and the ticket lady assures you that it is presented in equal amounts of German and English (I have seen theatre that has been subtitled even, so I believed her) - don't do it. All of the dialogue and half of the songs are in German. As much as I love Queen, I think that I still would have been disappointed if I could understand more of the dialogue. The music was good, but the story seemed a bit lame. Haha. I'm certainly not ignorant and expect everything to be presented in English for just for me, but I purchased the tickets based on some mis-information. Best to contact the theatres directly if you have questions as the ticket offices are probably commission-based.

If you like Indian food, we found a place called Amar to be great value and really good food. It was within walking distance from Schlesisches Tor U-Bahn station and was probably both our cheapest and best meal there. The best part about Berlin is that the neighbourhoods are very lively and vibrant. Lots of people around, lots of good restaurants, things are open late, etc.

[Jimmy Stang]

Plus, if you're an architecture nerd, the Reichstag is famous for its Norman Foster dome (same firm that designed the Bow building), and there's even a Calatrava bridge (who infamously designed the Peace Bridge here). Obviously there's a lot more there as well, but it was interesting to see some Calgary connections. Despite local suggestions to the contrary, a Calatrava bridge apparently didn't usher in an apocalypse in Berlin.

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by cmyden

I think it gets a little over-hyped, it basically just feels like driving on the highways in Alberta except people know how to drive (ie stay in the right lane except when passing). And less pick-up trucks. You do see the occasional Porsche or BMW that is *really* flying though. They can come up on you fast, and if they flick the lights, you'd better not be in the way!

To elaborate on that, it's not "quite" like driving on any highways in Alberta.
1) the roads are well maintained.
2) people know how to drive
3) All the commercial trucks have a max speed of about 90 or 100km/h and are therefore are forced to stay in the far right lane
4) There are usually at least 3 lanes on each side
5) There are only certain sections of the autobahn that don't have speed limits. Usually around cities and towns there is a speed limit.
6) Passing in the right lane is a huge no no.
7) If you are in the far left lane and booking it, don't be surprised to have a car doing only 150 pull out in front of you forcing you to slow down.
8) Stay out of the far left lane unless you are going to be doing 160km/h+
9) Keep an eye on your mirrors, you have to pay more attention than usual.

But other than that, it's just like driving on any other road.

[Knalus]

As for the Autobahn: Everything the above posters stated is true... with the exception of areas under construction. I spent a white-knuckle 60 min driving in a lane barely 30 cm larger than the subcompact car I was in, while going 130 km/h with a concrete wall on one side and a wall of semis that were bumper to bumper going 110 in the lane beside me. I couldn't slow down because of traffic behind me. They took three lanes of traffic, compressed it into two lanes, and placed the two lanes in the shoulder and half the right lane while they worked on the rest of the road. They would not stop driving fast even though there was construction.

There are parts of the Autobahn that are still pretty intense to drive. The rest of the trip was a breeze though.