A Total Trip: What I spent on a two-day midweek trip in Berlin

11.01.2024 - 14:31 / lonelyplanet.com

In our A Total Trip series, writers document what they spent on a recent getaway. In this edition, Sandie Kestell shows us how far her money went on a midweek break in Berlin.

I’m Lonely Planet’s Destination Editor for Central & Eastern Europe and I took a two-day midweek trip to Berlin with my friend Laura in December. I lived in Berlin for four years before moving to Dublin, so it’s a city I know well, but there’s always something new to discover. Our biggest challenge would be packing in as much as possible into the two days.

I traveled to Berlin as a guest of the recently renovated Courtyard by Marriott Berlin City Center. Located in the central historic Mitte district, home to both Brandenburg Gate and the city's Museum Island, the makeover has resulted in a contemporary European-style hotel with an emphasis on sustainability, something the brand is rolling out across Europe.

The airy lobby leads into a cozy lounge with plenty of seating. Rooms are extremely comfortable, with recycled vinyl flooring and smart touches like well-designed luggage storage, rotating desks, and USB charging ports.

Other distinctive features include The Market, a mini 24-hour convenience-style in the lobby selling snacks and drinks, the Kitchen & Bar hotel restaurant, a state-of-the-art fitness center with Technogym equipment, and media pods that offer stylish and discreet workspaces.

Airport transfer: We arrived at Berlin's BER airport at around 9 am on Tuesday. Courtyard by Marriott Berlin City Center provided a direct taxi transfer to the hotel. The journey took around 35 minutes.

Lunch: After we settled into our room, we took a 10-minute walk to Gendarmenmarkt for lunch. We stumbled upon the Erdinger am Gendarmenmarkt, aBavarian restaurant. Having both studied in Bavaria, the hearty regional cuisine felt like a good fit. I got the very-filling Käsespätzle (cheesy egg noodles) and sparkling apple juice (€18.90).

Transport: We bought a 24-hour ticket for the AB zone (€9.50 each), which gave access to all public transport in the center of Berlin and up to the edge of the city.

Activities: After lunch, we set off on foot to check out the Topographie des Terrors (free), a museumthat covers the terror institutions of Nazi Germany. We took advantage of the excellent one-hour audio tour (available via QR code) and then lingered a little to revisit some of the sections, particularly the model of the grounds in the foyer to get a better sense of what was where. Afterward, we jumped on the U-Bahn to Ostbahnhof and strolled along to the East Side Gallery (free) to see the open-air murals on this surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall. We finished up at the pretty Oberbaumbrücke bridge with its arches, towers and turrets.

Snack: We made