3 Two-Wheeled Ways to See Berlin
Photos by Sean Gallup/GettyIf you rely on an underground subway to get around a new city, you often don’t get a chance to see the parts of the city you bypass when traveling from one station to another.
In Berlin, luckily the S-Bahn and Tram public transportation systems go aboveground, but the rails often travel through some of the less scenic parts of the city, or whisk you too quickly past points of historic interest.
One of the best ways to see a city is at the street level, but not everyone wants to walk everywhere, even if they know where they want to go. You can get in a car or hop on a bus but then you have to see the city through a window and hope the driver stops where you want. If you’re driving, keeping your eyes on the road might be tough.
For more control and a better connection with the city, Berlin offers many options for touring the city on two wheels.
1. Bicycle
Bicycles are taken seriously in Berlin, and not just by spandex-clad teams showing off their prowess. Most residents in Berlin use bicycles to commute to work or to school, for trips to the grocery store, or even just to go to a nearby park on a sunny day. Berlin has an extensive network of bike lanes and paths throughout the city, well-marked and often featuring bike-specific traffic lights. Tourists who want to see Berlin by bicycle have a variety of options.
Bike Tours
Many companies offer bike tours of Berlin’s top attractions. Choose from tours of noteworthy stops along the Berlin Wall, ride through the Brandenburg Gate to the Reichstag and around the heart of Berlin, or enjoy exploring Berlin’s hip neighborhoods such as Prenzlauer Berg or Kreuzberg. Most of the major tour providers offer public tours in English, while others offer individualized tours in French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, or Swedish.
The top bike tour companies are Berlin on Bike, Fat Tire Bike Tours, and Berlin Bike Tour. Meeting points and tour costs vary depending on the subject and the duration, but most basic tours start around €24 (about $25). Making reservations online ahead of time is the best way to ensure space on a tour for a specific day and time.
Bike Rentals
Some major hotels offer guests bike rentals. Hilton Berlin rents bikes for €19/day and Mercure Hotel Berlin Mitte rents them for €12/day. As part of the service, Hilton also provides guests with information about interesting routes in the city.
Many smaller boutique hotels—including Myer’s Hotel in Prenzlauer Berg and Casa Camper Berlin in Mitte—also offer bike rentals. Myer’s Hotel offers a special Berlin by Bike package that includes the cost of bike rental in the price of the stay.