Driving Inspiration: Germany
Destinations and ideas for places to go and things to do on road trips in Germany.
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Keep the costs downYou don’t have to go on a spending Spree when you’re in Berlin! There is incredible architecture, hearty street food and plenty of low-cost attractions to enjoy in Germany’s beautiful capital. Mark our words, your Euros will endure in this city of currywurst and cabaret.
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Driving to BerlinDriving to Berlin from our Calais terminal is a journey of around ten and a half hours. The quickest route takes you through Belgium and the Netherlands, passing close to Ghent and Eindhoven and then into Germany. If you’ve never driven to Germany before, get some tips before you go. Taking the Autobahn 2, you drive towards Hanover and then all the way to Berlin.Find out more about driving to Germany
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Accommodation optionsAirbnb offers some affordable apartments for rent if you’re in a group. For single travellers, cheaper hostels are a great way to meet people and save money. Berlin is packed with them! The city has some affordable and quirky hotels, like Huttenpalast, Berlin’s caravan hotel, which offers quaint caravan rooms, loft spaces and wooden cabins.
Have a blast in budget-friendly Berlin
Berlin is such a fascinating city that sometimes the best way to appreciate it is on foot, although getting around on the tram network or U-Bahn (underground) is still cheap. Some museums are free and there are wonderful parks like the Tiergarten to explore.
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is Berlin’s most iconic landmark, and has been witness to many momentous moments in history, most notably the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Viewed today as a symbol of peace, and of the trials and tribulations of Europe’s history, the gate was the creation of Frederick II of Prussia and built in the 18th century. It’s free to visit. The best time for photos is early evening, when the setting sun shines through the gate looking west.
Reichstag
The monumental Reichstag building houses Germany’s government, and visitors can take a free ride up to its modern glass dome, reconstructed by the British architect Norman Foster in 1999. You’ll have to book quite far in advance, as this free journey draws in heavy crowds, but it’s well worth the wait.
Once you reach the top, you’ll get panoramic views over Berlin and the free audio guide will teach you about many of its sights and monuments.
Museum Island
Museum Island in the Spree river houses five separate museums – the Altes and Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Pergamon and the Bode Museum. They house some of Germany’s finest collections of art, sculpture and antiquities, including the 3,000 year old bust of Nefertiti and The Thinker by Auguste Rodin.
Entry isn’t free, but a Museum Island pass is available for only 19€ - or you can get a pass for any museum in Berlin for 3 days for 32€.
Berlin Wall
Since the fall of the Berlin wall, parts of its remains are today used in museums and as a living monument. The Topography of Terror is an immersive museum that tells the story of the rise and fall of the Nazi party, the Cold War and the Wall, and is one of the best history museums in Berlin. Entry is free.
Large parts of the wall still stand in squares like Potsdamer Platz, and the wall serves as a canvas to street artists. The East Side Gallery features over 100 paintings side by side along the longest surviving section of the wall in Friedrichshain.
Gendarmenmarkt
A few blocks walk down Friedrichstraße from the Spree lies Gendarmenmarkt, a square thought by many to be Berlin’s most beautiful spot. Another free place to visit, the square is home to the Konzerthaus (a concert hall), as well as French and German cathedrals, and was originally built in 1688.
In the centre you’ll find a huge statue of poet Friedrich Schiller. The square is arguably best visited on a clear night, when lights illuminate the buildings and they take on a dreamlike quality.
Begin your budget Berlin adventure with LeShuttle
If you want to keep costs down while you’re away, travelling with LeShuttle is a good start. A Short Stay Saver or Standard ticket could be ideal, depending on how long you want to stay in Berlin. The crossing from Folkestone to Calais takes just 35 minutes.
What to eat: currywurst
There are some delicious foods to be tasted in Berlin, most notably the nation’s classic of currywurst – chopped up sausage served with a tomato-curry sauce, often with chips. You can find currywurst at many stands throughout the city. Try the organic version at Witty’s on Wittenbergplatz or Friedrichstraße.
One of the city’s oldest currywurst establishments is Konnopke’s Imbiss, which has been run by the same family since 1930. You’ll find this Berlin institution under the Magistrate’s Viaduct at Schönhauser Allee.
