Anyone ever been to Berlin?

[philmophlegm]

Change of plans with the whole Frankfurt thing. I now have to go to Berlin first, and then get from Berlin to Frankfurt. (This might be a challenge for my German - when bunn and I went to Bavaria on holiday, we found that between us we could just about converse in German. I could work out what to say and bunn would be able to understand what was being said. This time I'll have to do everything! And what is the German for "First class ticket to Frankfurt please"?)

Anyway, the convenient flight from Bristol doesn't go to Templehof but to the semi-obscure Schonefeld. Anyone ever gone to Schonefeld? Is it far to the city centre?

Comments

[the-marquis.livejournal.com]

I think Shoenefeld is quite close to Berlin and the train ticket should be "Erste klasse nach Frankfurt am Main, bitte" (after all Frankfurt an der Oder is near enough Berlin that you might go to the wrong place) but that won't help if you don't know what they're saying back to you. I'd stick with slow English or a phrasebook and a pleading look.

[kargicq.livejournal.com]

Nah! Be brave & do your bit to boost our nation's image. Ask for the ticket in German -- after all, even if you don't understand the answer, it's almost certainly going to be an amount of money, so all you have to do is shove euros at the person until they look satisfied. If all else fails, then by all means the English, the phrasebook & the pleading look, but give it a try auf Deutsch first!

I remember being thoroughly wrong-footed in Trieste once. I'd got my phrasebook Italian all psyched up to ask for "Una biglietta per Treviso, per piacere", and was confidently expecting the answer "Cinquanta mille duocento" or whatever it was. It took me a second or to to even place the language when I got the answer "Fuenfzig tausend zwei hundert lire, bitte". The ticket clerk had assumed from my accent I must be an Austrian tourist, and had thoughtfully answered accordingly!

Neuromancer

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

My parents once ordered "Zwei Mineralwasser bitte" in Austria, only to have them arrive with a flourish and "Duo minerale...."

Mind you- every time I try to order anything in my execrable Dutch, get a reply in German.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

This might be very British of me, but I think it's only polite to at least be able to "say please" and "thank you" in the native language. When I was in Amsterdam, I demanded that my Dutch colleague taught me the words even though English seemed to be just as common a language as Dutch.

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

Schoenefeld isn't that far out and is on the UBahn network. From what I recall the ticket machines can be used in English. If your german fails then bear in mind that a lot of people will be able to speak English if you get stuck- most of the non-english speakers will be East Germans over 30, or ethnic minorities who tend to speak their own language and German.

In any event they usually listen politely to your attempts to speak their language, then politely help you out when you get stuck.

A phrasebook might come in handy anyway.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

UBahn? But wouldn't that be public transport? I try to avoid the underground when I'm in London, let alone Berlin. I'll probably get a taxi. In any case, you don't see much of a city when you're under it!

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

The Ubahn is partly underground in the city centre, but mostly overground. Unlike the British version it does actually get you to where you want to go and sticks to the timetable. Oh and is clean, although for some bizarre reason, graffiti'd.