11: Settling Into Berlin in Visual Studio .NET

Maker QR Code 2d barcode in Visual Studio .NET 11: Settling Into Berlin

You can buy your ticket at any U-Bahn station (at windows or machines that have English translations) or from a bus driver You can also buy tickets and passes (and receive a free transportation map) at the BVGPavillion on Hardenbergplatz, directly outside Zoo Station; the office is open daily from 6 am to 10 pm The fare is based on three zones (A, B, and C) One ticket enables you to change from U-Bahn to S-Bahn and to a bus or streetcar during a twohour period All your sightseeing within the Berlin city limits will be in zones A and B Zone C extends far beyond the city s borders, all the way to Potsdam A regular Normaltarif or Einzelfahrscheine (one-way fare), good for two hours in zones A and B is 210 ($280) For short hops (three consecutive U- or S-Bahn stops or six stops on a bus or streetcar), you can get a Kurzstrecke (short-stretch) ticket for 130 ($175) When purchasing tickets for public transportation, you have several money-saving options, including the following: A Tageskarte (day ticket) is good on all forms of transportation from validation until 3 am the following day and costs 610 ($825) for zones A and B If you re in Berlin for two days, consider the Berlin Welcome Card, which costs 17 ($22) for 48 hours or 22 ($30) for 72 hours The card is good for all public transportation in central Berlin (zones A and B) and provides price reductions of up to 50 percent at many tourist attractions in Berlin If you re going to Potsdam to see Sans Souci, the same card is available for zones A, B, and C The 7-Tageskarte (seven-day ticket) costs 26 ($35) for zones A and B The entire transportation system runs on an honor system you won t find turnstiles or ticket collectors You must validate your ticket by sticking it into one of the validation boxes on all U-Bahn and S-Bahn platforms or inside buses and streetcars Long-term tickets are validated only once, before your first trip Ticket inspectors may suddenly appear to check everyone s ticket If yours hasn t been validated, you re guilty of Schwarzfahren (black travel) and fined 75 ($101) on the spot

U-Bahn (underground train)

The subway in Berlin is called the U-Bahn Nine lines crisscross the city in all directions and extend to the far reaches of Brandenburg A large U in a blue box identifies each station, and the routes are clearly marked in all stations and in the trains Service is fast and efficient, but after midnight only two lines U9 and U2 run on a limited schedule;

S-Bahn (elevated train)

The venerable elevated train system in Berlin is called the S-Bahn Thirteen lines cover most of central Berlin; each car contains a map of the stops, which are announced A large S in a green circle identifies each station S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations sometimes overlap, so you can change from one to the other Service is basically nonexistent after midnight The S-Bahn is particularly handy if you re going from Bahnhof Zoo east to the Friedrichstrasse/Unter den Linden area or southwest to Gr newald and the lakes

Riding atop one of Berlin s double-decker buses (single-deckers also operate) is a fun way to see the city A green H (for Haltstelle, or stop) in a yellow circle identifies each stop Regular service begins about 5 am and ends about midnight Night buses (designated with an N) leave every half-hour, going west and east, from Bahnhof Zoo and Bahnhof Hackescher Markt (near Alexanderplatz in eastern Berlin) One of the best and cheapest sightseeing routes is on bus no 100 or 200, which leave from Bahnhof Zoo and travel through the Tiergarten, passing Bellevue Palace (the Berlin residence of the German president), the Reichstag, and the Victory Column all the way to the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden, Museum Island, and Alexanderplatz

Strassenbahn (streetcar)

Streetcars, called Strassenbahnen, run in eastern Berlin only Because you can get practically everywhere on the U-Bahn or S-Bahn, you probably won t be using the streetcar Ticket prices are the same as for the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, and buses