City Information
Public Transport within Berlin
If you registered for the full conference including workshops, your conference name tag is a valid public transport ticket for the days of the conference and workshops (24.6.2013 - 28.6.2013). Workshop-only registrations do not include public transport.
The public transport system is well developed and mostly operated by the yellow colored Berliner Verkehrs Gesellschaft, commonly known as the BVG. Tickets are valid for all local public transports (busses, trams, subway, S-trains, RE trains) within certain geographic zones and within a limited amount of time from stamping. They can be bought at bright yellow vending machines placed at subway stations, airports, and all major transport hubs. Single tickets can also be bought when entering busses.
The public transport system is divided into three zones (A,B, and C),and are indicated on the schematic subway and s-train maps. Most likely you will only want to buy the tickets for the combined AB zone, with the notable exception of moving between Airport Schönefeld (SXF) and the city center (necessitating an ABC ticket).
| Ticket type | Vending machine name | EUR | Duration | Advantage |
| Short Trip | Kurzstrecke | 1.40 | only valid on a single line, 3 stations on subway/s-train, 6 stations with tram and bus lines | cheap |
| Single | Einzelfahrschein AB | 2.40 | 2h from stamping | maximum flexibility |
| 4x Single | 4-Fahrten Karte AB | 8.40 | 2h from stamping | cheaper |
| Single Day | Tageskarte AB | 6.50 | 0:00 a.m. on stamping day till 3:00 a.m. on the next day | cheaper for > 3 trips/day |
| Group Day | Kleingruppen-Tageskarte AB | 15.50 | day ticket valid for up to 5 people travelling together | cheapest option for groups of 3-5ppl |
Tip: One peculiarity of Berlin’s public transport busses is that you are required to show your ticket to the driver every time you board a bus, so keep your ticket somewhere easy to reach/show. Because of this, you are expected to always board busses through the front door only.
Free Maps
You can find big detailed city maps with streets and lines at all bus stops with a shelter, and at all subway, s-train and tram stations. The BVG also hands out free pocket maps at their information counters, most notably at the main exit of Tegel Airport, and at the subway station Zoologischer Garten and Alexanderplatz. At the central train station (Hauptbahnhof), you can ask for free maps at the S-train shop, 1st floor, below the S-train tracks.
Online Information
You can find information about busses, subways (U-Bahn), local trains (S-Bahn), and street cars (Tram) on this web site. We highly recommend downloading a free Berlin public transport app to your smart phone prior to your arrival (iOS, Android).
For smartphones, visit mobil.BVG.de. You can check departure timetables in real time, and plan routes there. For bigger screens, a very detailed public transport map is available.
Renting a Bike
Due to its flat geography, biking is very popular in Berlin. It is also by far the fastest mode of transport for short distances, and perfect for a quick sightseeing tour.
You can plan and print bike trips using this route planner , which also takes into account how nice the roads are.
We arranged a special discount for you at the bike rental Stadt und Rad (a.k.a. Flat Tyre) at the north end of S-train station Zoologischer Garten, which is very close to the conference venue:
- Monday-Sunday 9:30 - 20:00
- Hardenbergplatz 9-11, 10623 Berlin
If you identify yourself with the conference ID (or alternatively the receipt of the conference fee) together with a personal ID, you can rent a bike for 8 EUR/day for any amount of days.
We offer you to take you to the bike shop during lunch break of the first day of the conference. If you’re interested in this offer, please mention this at the conference registration desk.
The bike shop also offers guided city tours13 on bikes and e-bikes.
Money
In Berlin it is customary to pay everyday things in cash. That said, Hotels and many higher class restaurants accept Credit Card. Shops in tourist areas also usually accept credit cards, and by now most supermarkets do too. But many street vendors, small shops, bars and restaurants in less touristic places do not accept credit card, and you cannot buy public transport tickets with credit card at the vending machines or on the bus. Also, the cafeterias and canteens on university campus do not accept credit card. Therefore we advise you to keep a small amount of cash at hand to save you from any inconveniences.
Teller/Cash machines
Unfortunately, Cash machines are not ubiquitos, but can often be found at traffic hubs, supermarkets or at bank branches. In german they are called “EC Automat”. They accept both debit cards (bank cards, EC cards) and credit cards. You can locate machines here . The one closest to the conference venue is on the campus in the Mensa (student’s canteen) building across the park behind the main building H.
Money Exchange
There are only few money exchanges in Berlin. Most notably, there are several located along the central S-train line at the stations Zoologischer Garten (Reisebank), Hauptbahnhof (Reisebank), and at Friedrichstraße (Cash Express). As usual, changing money at the airport is expensive.
Lunch places
For your conveniences, we put together a map of lunch places close to the conference venue. We recommend to add the map to your smartphone via the google maps app (itunes, android) and mark it for offline use.
After hour
Berlin is known for its vibrant nightlife and diversity of clubs and bars. Though, it can at times be hard to find the hidden treasures. Two magazines, Tip-Berlin and Zitty , host a good selection of clubs, bars, and restaurants. Qype usually also gives reliable information, and conveniently provides a smartphone app.
We also put together an exclusive list of recommendations for you. We recommend to add the map to your smartphone via the google maps app (itunes, android) and mark it for offline use.
Typically dinners start around 20h, while people usually go to clubs after midnight. Often, clubs are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Shopping
Generally, stores are open Monday to Friday, and on Saturdays a for limited time. Opening times usually extend well into the evening to about 19:00-22:00. On Sundays, stores are closed with very few exceptions. Alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages are sold in supermarkets and so called Spätkauf shops (collioquially known as Späti, spelled “shpay-tee”), which usually are open 24/7.
There’s a lively art scene in Berlin, and many local artisans sell their designs at weekly markets, most notably the ones at the Mauerpark (Sunday 8:00-18:00) and the market at Maybachufer (Saturday 11:00-17:00).
Prices
Here is a list of price ranges commonly found in central parts of Berlin:
| Item | Common price EUR |
| Lunch dish | 4.00 - 8.00 |
| Dinner | 15.00 - 25.00 |
| Capuccino coffee | 1.80 - 2.50 |
| Curry sausage w. french fries (street vending) | 2.00 - 4.00 |
| Döner Kebab (street vending) | 2.50 - 3.50 |
| Nightclub | 3.00 - 10.00 |
| Taxi fee 5km trip (1-4 people) | 12.00 |
| Museum entrance | 6.00 - 10.00 |
| 0.5l beer | 3.00 - 3.50 |
| 0.25l soft drink | 2.00 - 3.00 |