برلين

Leave luggage at the airport left-luggage desk or a partner storage point on the route (marked ★). Carry only essentials and your passport.

EU SIM cards roam at no extra cost. From outside the EU, a 1‑day data eSIM is cheap; airports and many cafés have free Wi‑Fi.

Cards and contactless are increasingly accepted, but bakeries, stalls and some taverns are still cash-only: carry some.

Round up 5–10% and tell the server the total when paying, rather than leaving money on the table.

Tap water is safe, but restaurants serve bottled water (paid). Plastic bottles carry a deposit (Pfand): return them at supermarkets.

A safe city. Keep out of bike lanes and validate your ticket before boarding: inspectors fine €60. Watch out for shell games at Alexanderplatz and the Warschauer Straße bridge: they're always a scam.

Type C/F sockets, 230 V.

Toilets in stations (often €0.50–1), shopping centres and museums.

Almost all shops close on Sundays; those in stations and at the airport stay open.