Going to à BERLIN: Formalities and administrative steps
Organize your stay à BERLIN
Money à BERLIN
Since 2002, Germany has been using the euro instead of the Deutsche Mark. And it's very convenient for Belgian and French tourists. Swiss tourists will exchange €1 for CHF0.95 and Canadians €1 for CAD1.46. Remember to withdraw money when you see an ATM, as cash payments are preferred in Germany. In restaurants and cafés, cards are often refused, not to mention cheques, which are absolutely unheard of on the other side of the Rhine. Ask your bank about its German partner bank to find out where you can withdraw money free of charge. The ATMs you'll see all over town charge exorbitant withdrawal fees (between €4 and €5).
Budget & Tips à BERLIN
While prices have soared since the city's reunification, the cost of living in Berlin remains well below that of other European capitals. The restaurant sector is by far the most affordable. You can easily eat for around ten euros. You can even eat on the go for €4-6. For a room in a youth hostel, count on a minimum of just over €12, for a small hotel €50-60 a night, and for a nice room, over €140. Public transport is rather expensive, but indispensable for saving precious time (€9.50 for a day ticket).
Taxes are included in the price you pay. In cafés, bars and restaurants, on the other hand, a tip of around 10% of the price is almost always left as a thank-you for the service. When the waiter comes to bring you the bill, you can round up the amount and announce a higher price. For example, if the bill comes to €11.80, you'll say "auf 13" when you pay, meaning that the waiter should give you change for €13 and keep the difference for himself. If you have €13, you can announce "stimmt so".
It's not customary to haggle in the stores, but of course you can always get the price down at the flea market.
Passport and visas à BERLIN
European citizens do not need to complete any formalities prior to their stay.
Driver's license à BERLIN
European driving licenses are also valid in Germany, as in the rest of Europe.
Health à BERLIN
The European Health Insurance Card guarantees that you will be covered under the same conditions as Germans, and that medical expenses will be reimbursed on the spot, or very soon after your return. You need to apply for it at least two weeks before your departure from your local health insurance office. If the deadline is too short, you will be issued with a provisional replacement certificate. No specific documents are required, and the card is valid for one year. It is personal, so each child must also have his or her own.
Once you're in France, you'll need to show your card to doctors, pharmacists and public hospitals. You'll either be exempted from having to pay medical expenses in advance, or you'll be reimbursed on the spot by the German social security organization, often the AOK.
Security à BERLIN
For the latest information on local security, consult the "Conseils aux voyageurs" section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/voyageurs. Please note, however, that the site lists all potential dangers and that this sometimes gives a somewhat alarmist picture of the actual situation in the country, but Germany and Berlin are generally very safe.
Time difference à BERLIN
It's very simple: France, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany are in the same time zone. On the other hand, if you're coming from Brest or Biarritz, you'll notice - because of the distance - a big difference between sunrise and sunset.
Spoken languages à BERLIN
With 130 million speakers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, Liechtenstein and South Tyrol, German is the most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe. It comes in many dialects, with great differences between Bavarian, Saxon and Swabian. Few Berliners speak the local dialect, Berlinerisch, preferring standard German, Hochdeutsch. But there are a few telltale signs. If your interlocutor replaces "g" with "j", "s" with "t" and "ei" with "e", he's a Berliner. And of course "ick" means "ich".
German has a letter found in no other language: ß. It looks just like a capital b, but the sound of ß (sand ɛsˈt͜sɛt) corresponds to two "s". You'll see this letter on every street corner. Literally on every street corner. In fact, it's found in the German word for street: Straße.
Berlin is a cosmopolitan city, where many languages other than German are spoken. You'll hear Turkish, Russian, Polish and more. Berlin has attracted people from all over the world, and English has established itself as a lingua franca. So if you're not familiar with Goethe's language, you'll have no problem making yourself understood in English.
Communication à BERLIN
As of 2017, goodbye to extra costs when traveling in Europe. Roaming charges no longer apply in the 28 member countries of the European Union. Check with your operator. Wifi is often free in most bars, cafés, restaurants and even in the metro.
Electricity and measurements à BERLIN
Identical in every respect to France, Germany has the same electrical outlets, and units of measurement are also in kilograms and kilometers.
Luggage à BERLIN
There's nothing special to plan for a stay in Berlin that you wouldn't take for a stay in France, warm clothes and good shoes if you decide to go there in winter, especially at New Year's time, as temperatures easily drop below zero. In the spring, you might need winter wardrobe... as well as summer.
Daily life à BERLIN
Hello? à BERLIN
To call a Berlin phone number from a foreign number, remember to add the German code: +49 (i.e. 0049) without the leading zero. To call to France from Berlin, use the French code +33. Since 2017, roaming charges have been abolished in the 27 member countries of the European Union. However, a cap may have been set by your operator.
Accessibility à BERLIN
Many S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations have elevators to facilitate access to the platform for people with reduced mobility (information is indicated on the transport cards). The sidewalks are wide and the roadways are in good condition, so that wheelchairs can be used without too much difficulty. Finally, given the vast choice of hotels, it is possible to find hotels for all budgets and specially equipped for people with disabilities.
Health à BERLIN
The French embassy has a list of French-speaking doctors in Berlin, which it publishes on its website www.de.ambafrance.org (see "Berlin", then "Practical Information"). To find out the name and address of the doctor and pharmacy on duty, simply go to the nearest pharmacy: it's indicated on the door (as in France). You can also contact the consulate, which will help you with the necessary formalities. In the event of a serious problem, the consulate will also inform the family and decide on repatriation. To find out about emergency services and establishments that meet international standards, visit www.diplomatie.gouv.fr and www.pasteur.fr
Emergency numbers à BERLIN
To reach the fire department, dial 112 as in all European countries. For the police, contact 110.
Securty à BERLIN
Germany is a safe country and there are no special precautions to take. In Berlin, there is no risk other than passing drunken night owls on the way to the nightclubs.
LGBTQ à BERLIN
Berlin has the largest LGBTQIA+ community in Germany. You can find many free magazines in the city(Siegessäule or Blu for example) or maps listing the different gay venues in the city. Berlin did not wait for the coming-out of its mayor Klaus Wowereit to claim its queer identity. Already in the 1920s, Berlin was known in Europe as a gay destination of choice. One only has to re-read Goodbye to Berlin by the British author Christopher Isherwood to be convinced of this. The Berlin homosexual community found a spokesman in Magnus Hirschfeld, who founded his Institute of Sexology in 1919. Today, Berlin is known by LGBTQIA+ people from all over the world, as much for its long tradition as for the diversity of its queer Szene.
Embassies and consulates à BERLIN
The French Embassy and Consulate are located at 5 Pariser Platz, not far from the Brandenburg Gate. The Belgian Embassy is located near the Gendarmentmarkt at 52 Jägerstraße. The Swiss Embassy is close to the Chancellery (Otto-von-Bismarck-Allee 4a). The Canadian Embassy is located at 17 Leipziger Platz.
Mail à BERLIN
The post offices are yellow, like in France, and always full of people when you go there, like in France. The rates are higher, however. Here, a stamp for a postcard to France costs 1,10 €. Stamps can be found in post offices (often open until 6pm, sometimes more), in stamp dispensers (rare), in kiosks (sometimes) or in some postcard shops. A postcard costs between 0,50 and 1,50 € in general. The mailboxes are yellow; for France, put your mail in the Andere Postzahlen slot.
Local media à BERLIN
The German media landscape is highly decentralized. The first TV channel (Das Erste) is based in Hamburg, the second (ZDF) in Mainz, and so on. Since Berlin has regained its status as capital, the various TV channels have opened studios and antennas there, while keeping their provincial headquarters. Many newspapers of national importance are printed in the country's other major cities: the liberal-conservative FrankfurterAllgemeine Zeitung is based in Frankfurt, the center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung is headquartered in Munich, and so on. Germany's most widely read daily newspaper and tabloid, the conservative Bild-Zeitung, is headquartered in central Berlin. The city's most important dailies are Berliner Zeitung, Tagesspiegel and Berliner Morgenpost.
Berlin also boasts a quality fortnightly: Tip Berlin (www.tip-berlin.de). It features in-depth articles on the city's current affairs and comprehensive cultural diaries. If you don't read German, you can turn to the monthly English-language magazine Exberliner (www.exberliner.com).
If you're looking for other inspirational blogs, here are a few in French: www.aberlin.fr et www.goodmorningberlin.com
