Berlin · Backpacking

The fixed numbers you can check: a single AB fare is 4.00 €, a 24-hour AB ticket 11.20 €, the Museum für Naturkunde 11 € and the Deutsches Technikmuseum free if you are under 18. A döner or falafel plate runs 5–8 € and a Späti beer around 2 €, so transport plus one paid museum plus food lands near 35–45 € before your bed.

Zone AB covers everything most visitors want, including the whole S-Bahn ring; a single is 4.00 € and the 24-hour ticket 11.20 €, so it pays for itself on the third ride. Buy in the BVG app or at a machine before boarding, and validate paper tickets in the yellow or red box on the platform.

The glass dome over the parliament chamber is free, but you must register beforehand through the Bundestag visitor service, or take a same-day slot at the service desk on Platz der Republik if any are left. Everyone 16 and over needs an original photo ID — photocopies are refused at the door.

Free, and the one Wall site that explains how the border actually worked, with a preserved strip, watchtower and documentation centre. The outdoor exhibition is open daily 08:00–22:00; the visitor and documentation centres run Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00. S-Bahn to Nordbahnhof, or U8 to Bernauer Straße.

32 € (16 € reduced) for three consecutive days across more than 30 museums, including the Museum Island houses, the Jewish Museum and the Gemäldegalerie. Worth it only if you will do three or more in a row, and remember the state museums shut on Mondays and the Pergamonmuseum is closed for rebuilding.