48 Hours In Berlin: What To See & Do

This post will share how to spend 48 hours in Berlin.

My Amsterdam travel guide mentioned that I took an Amsterdam to Berlin trip in May.

It was my first international trip by rail, and it was quite the experience, even though I’m not sure I might do it again.

I should have just explored other Dutch cities.

But now that I’ve visited Berlin – which was mostly a test before exploring other German cities – I’m looking forward to returning to Germany.

I enjoyed my visit to Berlin because it starkly contrasted with what I came from in Amsterdam.

It was less crowded with fewer tourists, breathable, and not cluttered with bikes, even though biking is another form of transportation.

Aside from the aesthetics, give me Berlin over Amsterdam any day.

So, let’s get down to all the details that made this trip successful.

Here’s How To Spend 48 Hours In Berlin For A Solo Traveller

As most of us know, Berlin is Germany’s capital and largest city.

Of all the cities I’ve been to recently, Berlin is pretty extensive, which I didn’t mind.

This meant I had to use public transportation to get around and see some of the most iconic landmarks.

This allowed me to explore outside the city centre and into the neighbourhoods.

Compared to other small and compact European cities, Berlin is not precisely walkable, so prepare to use the metro and tram.

Train Tickets

Cost: £45/€53 – one way

I didn’t fly into Berlin.

Instead, I took a 6-hour train from Amsterdam Centraal Station.

You have no idea how much I contemplated this decision.

After going back and forth and doing some research to compare which is fastest between a flight and a rail trip, the consensus was that the train was more convenient.

Yes, it was long, but these inter-country trains, ICE & IC, are known to be very comfortable, with enough legroom, sockets and wifi to keep you satisfied for the entire trip.

So, I bought the ticket about two months earlier, which cost £45.67 with the booking fee.

I purchased it via Trainline because I couldn’t navigate the Dutch and German websites, which were slightly cheaper.

The trip has to be split into two for some reason.

Instead of going directly to Berlin Central Station, the train stopped at Berlin Hanover after about 4 hours.

But because of the delays, we had to wait at Hanover for about 30 minutes before the train arrived.

At this point, I was already exhausted and just ready to sleep.

Thankfully, I booked a hotel just outside the train station because I knew how stressed I would be when we arrived.

Hannover to Berlin Central took about two hours.

Flights

Cost: £26.65/€32 – one way

Even though I flew in from Amsterdam, I had to fly out from Berlin back to Manchester.

This was my first time flying in and out of different countries/cities, and it worked very well.

I best believe I’ll be doing that in the future.

Sometimes, it might even be cheaper.

So, try to be flexible and don’t make flying in and out of the same city mandatory.

I use Kiwi.com to find flights from all the cities in one country.

This helps me plan my entry and exit.

Accommodation

Cost: £52/€62 – two nights

At this point, I didn’t care how much I spent on a hotel/hostel as long as it was five minutes from the Berlin Central Station.

Thankfully, the Meininger Hotel was a three-minute walk from the station, so naturally, I booked a female dorm room of 4.

While the dorm room was convenient, it was super small and cramped.

As a result of the location, it was also fully booked.

So, for the first night, it was three of us, and by the second night, all four beds were occupied by people with early departures.

I had to take advantage of the early evenings to have the room to myself.

Other than that, it was clean.

But I don’t recommend the overpriced buffet breakfast. Instead, walk into Berlin Central and get a sandwich with coffee for €6.

Transportation

At this point, I have a certain level of expectation from capital cities.

There has to be an extensive transport network covering the metro/underground, tram and buses.

Thankfully, Berlin didn’t disappoint as well.

So, I downloaded the BVG app, which covers all transport tickets.

To save yourself the stress, buy a 24-hour or 7-day ticket, depending on how long your trip is.

They also have tourist tickets to give you discounts on certain attractions.

Meals

Tell me how I discovered the Berlin Central Station has an inbuilt shopping mall.

Listen, I’ve never been so pleased with a location before.

So I had my hotel, a train station and a shopping mall for meals within a five-minute walk.

For the two days I was there, instead of looking for where to eat, I just popped into the shopping mall, walked around and made a choice.

You have quite a bit of options.

From McDonald’s to Chinese, Fish & Chips, Sandwiches, etc.

Trust me; you’ll have a decent selection of meals throughout your trip.

There’s also a grocery store where you can get snacks and cheap quick meals.

Attractions

Berlin is one of those cities packed with so much history that you need a minimum of one week to explore it.

They have done a solid job of preserving and documenting their history, so you’re tempted to explore them all.

Don’t try to squeeze all the attractions into two to three days.

Take your time and explore as much as you can.

You can always come back, and the rest will await you.

Here are some must-see iconic attractions that you need to see, especially if you’re a history buff:

• Brandenburg Gate: the iconic 18th-century gate and a symbol of Germany.
• Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe: also known as the Holocaust Memorial.
• Checkpoint Charlie: This signified the crossing point between East & West Berlin during the Cold War.
• East Side Gallery: The remains of the Berlin Wall are decorated with iconic graffiti and paintings.
• Alexanderplatz: a large public square with a view of the Berliner Fernsehturm, a 368m-tall tower, and the World Time Clock.
• Topography of Terror: an outdoor museum documenting the atrocities of the Nazis.

As always, I’ll have a separate post for Berlin’s must-see iconic landmarks and attractions.

Shopping & Souvenirs

A few of the shopping malls I visited included;

• Mall of Berlin
• Galeria Berlin Alexanderplatz
• Berlin Central Station Shopping Mall

There were quite several high-street brands, both new and familiar.

It was nice to see what they offer and grab a few things here and there.

Don’t forget to get a mini Brandenburg Gate monument. It’s the cutest thing.

Finally,

I hope you found this guide on how to spend 48 hours in Berlin helpful.

I can’t believe how sated I felt after that trip.

There was so much to take in that I had to give myself a few days to get over it.

That’s what Berlin will do to you.

I can’t wait to visit other German cities in the future.