It’s been quite a long time without any non-financial posts, so let’s dive back into Europe. Having drank our fill at Oktoberfest 2022 in Munich (we saw some other things as well), we hopped on the Deutsche Bahn to our next stop – Berlin! Read on for my Travel Hack Recap: Europe, Part 9 – Berlin below!
Full disclosure: I’m not sure how many parts this trip will be split into. Ninety days of continuous travel was a huge undertaking on our part! Documenting the details has been daunting enough for me to procrastinate nearly 6 months to start doing so. But I’ll do my best to share the highlights and travel hacks along the way!
Travel Hack Recaps of Europe so far:
- Europe, Part 1 – Baltic Sea Cruise
- Europe, Part 2 – Baltic Sea Cruise (Part II)
- Europe, Part 3 – London
- Europe, Part 4 – Edinburgh & Dublin
- Europe, Part 5 – Paris
- Europe, Part 6 – Brussels & Amsterdam
- Europe, Part 7 – Stuttgart
- Europe, Part 8 – Munich
Where We Went
The first thing to note related to our activities through most of this European extravaganza is that we pre-booked a lot of tickets weeks, if not months ahead of time. Given the precarious nature of COVID-19 throughout the world at the time, most attractions were open but requiring advance booking for a specific time slot.
This had its pros and cons: a designated time slot meant guaranteed admission and minimal time waiting in lines, as well as reduced crowds; however, our flexibility was greatly reduced by being locked in to nonrefundable tickets with a particular entrance time. All in all, I’d say the pros outweighed the cons, but note that your experience may be different than ours depending on the restrictions in place.
Day 1 (Day 44 of the trip) – Munich, Germany to Berlin, Germany
With a late afternoon train, we slept in and restocked on snacks for the 4-hour ride to Berlin. We had plenty more sightseeing on the docket for the capital city of Germany.
Upon arrival in Berlin, we walked from Potsdamer Platz to our digs for the next 3 nights: the Grand Hyatt Berlin. Though a bit dated, the Grand Hyatt Berlin had an air of sophistication and good location to serve our needs for our time in the German capital. Mrs. FIby35’s Hyatt status allowed us access to the lounge for breakfast and happy hour, and we made use of the on-site spa as well.
Day 2 (Day 45) – Berlin, Germany
Sandemans Walking Tour
Per usual, we started our time in a new city with a free walking tour. Starting at the Brandenburg Gate, our guide showed us several of the main landmarks while sharing some of the illustrious history of Berlin. Having studied German language, history, and culture for several years in school, I had a particular interest in this city. It was exciting to see in person so many of the streets and monuments I read about all those years.
After the tour, we visited the Topography of Terror Museum. Located right next to a still-standing section of the Berlin Wall, the museum presented the rise and fall of Nazi Germany in vivid detail. While informational, we found many of the museums and monuments in Berlin to be emotionally draining due to its heavy history.
We lifted our spirits with some currywurst and beer at the hotel lounge. Capping the night was a visit to the hotel pool and spa.
Day 3 (Day 46) – Berlin, Germany
Continuing our tour of Berlin, we plugged into the Rick Steves Berlin City Walk podcast and walked the city on our own. The well-known Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a must-see when in Berlin. We passed the site several times during our time in the city and it never ceased to stir some emotions.
The guided walk took us “Unter den Linden,” the broad, linden tree-lined avenue through much of Berlin’s rebuilt historic district. We passed the German Reichstag (parliament building), Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral, and the massive Berlin TV Tower – all the highlights.
After a late lunch/early dinner, we circled back to the hotel for happy hour and another turn at the spa.
Day 4 (Day 47) – Berlin, Germany
DDR Museum
The Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) was the post war-era political party controlled by the Soviet Union that operated under Communist ideals – commonly known as East Germany. This relatively small museum put into context what everyday life was like during those times, filled with Cold War-era goods to illustrate its points. For about 12 Euros each, it was worth a stop.
From the DDR Museum we continued towards the former Soviet-controlled part of town. We visited the East Side Gallery, which boasts the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall that has been covered with murals. Guided by my sweet tooth, we finished our extensive walking tour of Berlin at one of the largest chocolatiers in the country before heading back to the hotel.
Due to an early flight the next day, we actually switched hotels to the Holiday Inn Berlin Airport to reduce our commute the next morning. Per usual, we hit the hotel spa before bed. After walking 23.9 miles in just over 3 full days in Berlin, I’d say we earned it.
Day 5 (Day 48) – Berlin, Germany to Manchester, England
The hotel shuttle delivered us to Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport (BER) for a 6:25am flight to our next stop: Manchester, England.
How Much We Spent (and Saved)
Let’s take a look at the Travel Hack Recap spending breakdown for our 4 nights in Berlin. I should note that during our entire 3 months in Europe, the US dollar was extremely strong. The exchange rate with the Euro was at or near 1:1 for much of our trip, so everything was at a bit of a discount compared to historical exchange rates.
Spending in Berlin:
| Category | Budget | Actual | Notes |
| Flights | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Accommodations | $67.00 | $67.06 | 45,000 Hyatt points; $117 for one night at Holiday Inn Berlin Airport, offset by a Chase hotel credit |
| Food/Drink | $300.00 | $90.85 | Most breakfasts and dinners were free at the Grand Hyatt Berlin lounge |
| Entertainment & Misc | $40.00 | $45.83 | Walking tour guide tip, DDR Museum |
| Transportation | $94.00 | $127.43 | Munich-Berlin train; rideshare between hotels; shuttle to BER |
| TOTAL | $501.00 | $331.17 |
Huge savings yet again by booking our first 3 nights with points, and Mrs. FIby35’s Hyatt status was clutch for saving on meals. That allowed us to splurge a bit on private transportation (though Berlin’s public transportation is good as well).
Total savings from travel hacking:
- 3 nights at the Grand Hyatt Berlin would have been $660.
- 1 night at the Holiday Inn Berlin Airport offset by a $50 credit on our Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card.
- 1 fancy dinner at the restaurant in the Grand Hyatt Berlin offset by a $50 credit on our Chase Hyatt Business credit card.
Even excluding the savings of walking or taking public transit instead of Uber/Taxi/Rental car, we saved about $760 by travel hacking this leg of our trip to Europe in Berlin!
Conclusion
The vibes in Berlin are just…different. That’s not a new phenomenon, as Berlin is world-renowned for its punk/grunge/offbeat attitude. But particularly when sightseeing and learning about the history of Berlin, it’s pretty easy to get weighed down emotionally. Most of the city had to be rebuilt after World War II and the result is a series of reconstructed monuments and dense Soviet-era concrete jungle – at least the part of town we saw.
Despite the weighty feel, I enjoyed Berlin for its vast historical and cultural significance (Mrs. FIby35 was not a fan).
On the financial side, we continued to spend less than expected. We saved a good chunk of change using points for hotels and a more difficult to calculate sum on food thanks to hotel status. Spending less than $85 per day in a major Western European city is pretty impressive.
From Berlin, we called an audible and headed back to England. Find out why in my next Travel Hack Recap!
What are your thoughts on Berlin? Did you have a more uplifting experience than we did? Comment below!
