Berlin Tourist Trap Tips by matcrazy1 Top 5 Page for this destination

Do not be scared like me! Sue them :-) Sights Review

When I was going upstairs to the viewing platform of the tower of St. Mathew Church the very sudden and huge noise scared me a lot. It was surely impressive sound of this electrically moving bell on my picture. Haha, now I can't stop laughing but I almost fell downstairs at first moment that time. I should expect the bell's huge sounds but I didn't.

Unique Suggestions: Just DO ACCEPT the noice.
And if you are US citizen you can eventually try to sue them at American court (if possible) and win a lot of money for next travels :-). There were no warnings on that noise or I didn't notice any. Happy sueing!

Fun Alternatives: The bell rings every exact hour, skip that time. Eventually wear something anti-noice for your ears :-)

Not in Berlin but on the way back home Weather Review

Excuse, it happened to me not in Berlin but on the way back to Poland.

DRIVING AT SNOW STORM
In Berlin at the end of February I had quite good weather - a little bit snow in the morning but mostly sunny weather during the day. When I left Berlin driving first towards Dresden than to Wroclaw, Poland it started to change.
It was snowing and shortly my freeway was covered by snow and ice at some places. I had to drive very caarefully and slow. Additionally quality of a freeway in Poland at its first say 100 km was... not acceptable. At some parts there was only one lane on each direction open and the old cement slabs on the road were destroyed by haevy traffic what made the road very bumpy. Futher down to Wroclaw it went better.

FREEWAY/MOTORWAY TO POLAND
The freeway Berlin-Breslau (Wroclaw) was built by Hitler before WWII when eastern part of Poland with Wroclaw belonged to Germany. During cold war the freeway was partly torn down as the Soviet Union which occupied both Poland and eastern part of Germany needed... the cement slabs which were used to built a freeway. Then the road (A12 and A4) was partly used (at some parts only two lanes which survived) and a little bit renovated. In recent years it was rebuilt in Germany and partly rebuilt in Poland but in some parts (close to Germany) not which means that it's very bumpy there. And now a new good freeway goes from Wroclaw almost to city of Gliwice (but warning: NO restaurants on the way and very few, small rest areas) and futher east from Katowice to Krakow. More soon...
I have to admit that driving from Germany to much more poor Poland I don't experience a culture shock (since 90') but I still experience something like say "driving shock".

Unique Suggestions: In Berlin and Poland be always prepared for snow from say November to March (rarely in September, October, April). Winter (or snow) tyres are highly recommended, I could say obligatory.
Drive very carefully, slow down - I had to drive 60 - 70 km/h on a freeway.

Fun Alternatives: There are numerous trains (Euro-city) and air-planes to Berlin.
Check European railway timetable

Lack of parking space

I was looking for any parking place for my car close to the New National Gallery (Neue Nationalgalerie). It was Sunday before midday at the end of February. The toll parking lots around were full as a few events took place around, I suppose (surely the concert in a philharmony). I had to drive around doing right-turn circles about 30 min when unexpectadly I saw a car leaving its parking place :-))).

Unique Suggestions: Keep smiling and either drive around like crazy or stop at one place among numerous already parked cars and watch for any leaving car.

Fun Alternatives: Don't drive a car or drive such half-a-car like on my picture - 2-passanger Smart car of very smart length.
Good news: public transportation is very efficient in Berlin :-).