Agencies for arranged lifts

A cheap way getting home is booking a lift through one of Berlin's Agencies for arranged lifts:

Citynetz Mitfahrzentralen: Phone +49(30)19 444
Mitfahr 2000: Phone +49(30)19 4 2000
Mitfahrzentrale am Zoo: Phone +49(30)194 40
Mitfahrzentrale am Alex: Phone +49(30)241 58 20

Banks

As well as bureaus de change, mostly situated around train stations and airports, there are branches of all major banks across the city. The opening times are convenient with many banks open the whole day, several days a week. Outside banking hours you will find cash machines on nearly every street corner.

Camping grounds

see Register of Camp sites

Cinema

see under Cinema

Climate

Berlin lies between oceanic and continental stamped climate. During the summer-months daily-temperatures reach 22-23 °C (72°F), but there are also days with temperatures up to 30°C (86°F).
In winter highest temperatures are between 2-3°C (35°F). Longer periods with snow and ice are not unusual.

Currencies

Since January 1st 2002 in Germany and some other European countries the EURO has become the offical currency. You can find some tools for converting different currencies at www.oanda.com.

Cycling

For detailed information about cycling in Berlin check out our site Berlin by Bike.

Doctors

EU citizens who require medical services need not provide any special proof of insurance. Addresses for physicians of all specialties are listed in the Yellow Pages. Night and weekend on-call emergency medical and dental services are available.

Medical emergency service: +49(30)31 00 31
Dental emergency service: +49(30)89 00 43 33

A special service: Doctors at your service in Berlin
Call a doc: 01804-22 55 23 62 (0,24 Euro for calls from landlines in Germany)

Emergency call: 112

Dogs

Berlin ist the capital of dogs. But living together with dogs is not always easy. Since Summer 2000 an official regulation has been agreed on in order to prevent incidents.

Here are the most important guide-lines:
Please use a leash in staircases, on public lanes, at public gatherings, festivals, in parks and forests and in public means of transport. Don't let your dog walk around on playgrounds. Some dogs, which are specified as combat-dogs, are not allowed to walk around without a muzzle.

Driving

See under category arrival: Driving in Berlin.

Embassies

List of all Embassies.

Electricity

In Germany sockets operate with 230 V and comply with European standards. For appliances from outside Europe you should bring the necessary adapter with you.

Emergency numbers

The most important emergency numbers:

Police: 110
Fire Brigade and Ambulance: 112
German Red Cross: +49(30)85 00 55
Ambulance:+49(30)31 00 31
Emergency Poison Help-Line: +49(30)192 40

Confidential Help-Line: 0800 111 02 22

Environmental Zone

Since January 1, 2008 Berlin's inner city is an 'environmental zone' where only cars that are up to emission standards are allowed. You need a sticker with information about the emission standard of your car. You can get these stickers in authorized garages. More information is given here

Internet

See our page about cafés and internetcafés.

Lost and found

Central lost and found office (Zentrales Fundbüro) Platz der Luftbrücke 6 12101 Berlin-Tempelhof Phone +49(30)75 60 31 01 Platz der Luftbrücke

BVG lost and found office Potsdamer Straße 180/182 10783 Berlin-Schöneberg Phone +49(30)19449 Kleistpark

Markets

see under category shopping.

Newspapers

The most important daily newspapers in Berlin are the Berliner Zeitung, the Tagesspiegel, the Berliner Morgenpost and the Yellow-Press BZ and Berliner Kurier.
Every two weeks the two big city-magazines Zitty and Tip are issued with detailed information about the city of Berlin and the biggest choice of events. Many daily-newspapers have weekly supplements with cultural guides.
The free event-guides "Flyer" and "030" are available in many cafés and clubs.
The 7 Day Event Programme "Berlin to go" issued by the Berlin Tourismus Marketing, offers quarterly information.

Berlin has a monthly English-language paper The Ex-Berliner providing witty, informative journalism and a one-of-a kind guide to culture and entertainment in the capital. The city magazine is available at newsstands, select locations and at the BERLIN infostores in the Europa-Center, Brandenburger Tor and Fernsehturm at Alexanderplatz (TV tower). We also distribute New Berlin magazine, a free language city guide to Berlin providing tips and recommendations for visitors, at our BERLIN infostores.

Opening hours

Since November 2006 the 24 hour shopping from Monday to Saturday in Berlin is allowed. The shops can also open on six Sundays and the Advent Sundays. Many shoppping centres and department stores stay open until 10pm, but the opening hours can differ.

Parks

On our page Green Berlin we have collected suggestions for recreation walks.

Pharmacies

In Berlin pharmacies can be found all over the town. For overnight service there are always one or two pharamacies in every district.

Police

Emergency call: 110
Advice and information: 030 - 4664 46 64

Public Transport

For information about public means of transport in Berlin view our site Public Transport in category arrival.

Public conveniences

Besides the famous "Cafè Achteck", a refurbished antique public convenience which is mostly visited by men, there are many toilets that come with a charge of 25 Cent. With regard to hygiene these toilets are recommendable.

Radio and TV

Besides the Berlin-Studios of big TV-channels the regional public broadcasters RBB, FAB and TVB report from and about Berlin.

The city has radio-stations for every special interest. The national programmes offer cultur-news and information about Berlin, for example Radio Eins. News 24 hours a day is transmitted by Inforadio. The private radio-stations serve aficionados of all kinds of style, like KlassikRadio and Jazzradio. 104.6 RTL and Radio Energy play the charts up and down.
For news in English tune into Inforadio or BBC World-Service.

Frequencies of several Radio-Stations (Antenna/Cable):

• Radio Eins 95,8/99,95
  
• Fritz 102,6/89,85
  
• InfoRadio Berlin-Brandenburg 93,1/92,05
  
• Klassik Radio 101,3/88,35
  
• JazzRadio 101,9/102,45
  
• 104.6 RTL 104,6/104,05
  
• Energy 103,4/90,45
  
• BBC 90,2/87,50

Religious communities

A choice of religious communities in Berlin. Information about services is given on the websites.

Shopping

Information and addresses for shopping can be found on our shopping pages.

Sports

see under Sports.

Swimming

see under Water Sports.

Tax-Free

If you buy non-edible goods in Berlin you are entitled to a VAT-Refund unless you are citizen of another EU-country. If you enter a shop with a Tax-Free sign outside, ask for a special form. This form must be stamped when you get through Customs - but be prepared to show your goods, which must still be in their original packing.
The tax is refunded either at the border or sent to the address on the envelop containing the cheque. More...

Taxi

In many situations taking a taxi is the most comfortable option. Often you don't have to wait long to hail a passing taxi. In the larger transport hubs there is generally a taxi rank.
For shorter taxi rides it is good idea to use the "hailing fare" (only when hailing a passing taxi, not from a taxi rank) - a short journey then only costs € 4.00. Make sure you tell the taxi driver that you would like this fare at the start of your journey.

Phone numbers of taxi companies
City-Funk: 21 02 02
Funk-Taxi Berlin: 26 10 26
Quality Taxi: 26 3000 or 0800-26 3000 0 (freecall)
Spree-Funk: 44 33 22
TaxiFunk Berlin: 44 33 22
Taxi-Ruf Würfelfunk 0800-Cabcall: 0800-222 22 55 (freecall)

Telephone

Public telephone boxes can be found everywhere in the city. Telephone cards can be bought at the post office, in newsagents, BERLIN infostores and many other places.
Call shops, where you can make international calls at reasonable prices, can be found, for example, between the Kurfürstendamm and Zoologischer Garten train station.

Time

Berlin is in the Central-European time-zone, which means one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Additionally, Berlin has a summer time, meaning that during spring and summer (from March to October) the clocks are put forward one hour.

Tip

The prices include service and tax, but it is customary to round up the bill. A 10 per cent tip is usual.

Tourist Information

BERLIN infostores: Our qualified and multilingual staff will be happy to advice you on how to spent your time in Berlin. We provide you with up-to-date information, will book the tickets of your choice for events and sightseeing tours and make reservations for hotels and hostels. Curious souvenirs and stylish Berlin-Wear complete our range of goods.

see BERLIN infostores

Visa

Non-EU citizens require a valid passport to enter Germany. Leaflets with the requirements for individual countries for stays of less than 90 days are available at relevant German embassies. Non-EU citizens who wish to stay in Germany for more than 90 days must acquire a visa from their German consulate. These are generally only granted to businesspeople and students visiting on scholarships. Residents of the following countries don't require tourist visas to enter Germany:

Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan,, Korea (Republic of Korea), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Hungary, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela.

Tourists, who want to combine their stay in Germany with the journey to another European country should inform themselves about visa regulations of the other countries.

Wining and Dining

See category Wining and Dining.

Zoos

See category Zoos

The Berlin Tourist Information is looking forward to your visit!

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