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Hotel Information
The Hotel Scandic is at Potsdamer Platz, now one of Berlin’s busiest areas, just where the “death strip” of the Berlin Wall was situated. Entertainment (e.g. Sony Center), shops and restaurants are in the immediate vicinity, as well as the Landwehr channel. The Bundestag and Reichstag buildings and the Brandenburger Tor are a 20min walk to the north, Checkpoint Charlie 18 min walk to the east. Many other attractions like Gendarmenmarkt, Museum Island are also within walking distance or a short public transport journey away.
Venue Public Transport
The Scandic has excellent public transport connections, being situated in-between two stations: the subway station Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park (line U2 and busses M29 and N1) and the train station Potsdamer Platz (served by regional trains RB10, RE2, RE3, RE4, and RE5, local trains S1, S2, S25, and S26, and several busses). Kindly consult the Travel Information section below for more information on public transport in Berlin.
City Information
Berlin is centrally located in Europe and the greater Berlin area is a vibrant hotspot for cultural and vocational activities and central Europe’s capital for startup culture, particularly for IT and CS.
The area features the three world-class Berlin universities, as well as University of Potsdam with the HPI as separate, privately funded department.
The area is home to several UNESCO world cultural heritage sites like the Sanssouci palace managed by the Foundation for Prussian castles and gardens. Several world renowned museums can be visited in the area as well, from the Museum Island in Berlin to the novel Barberini in Potsdam. Finally, the capital is also well known for its vibrant nightlife and international culinary scene. Wikitravel has some more details.
Find a list of events happening in Berlin at the time of ECOOP’22 in June here.
Travel Information
Berlin’s new airport BER hs been operating since 2020 and has replaced the previous airports. Local train tickets in Berlin can be bought at vending machines or online in DB’s or BVG’s app, both apps allow payment via PayPal, credit cards or SEPA debit. Note: Be sure to buy a ticket for the fare zone Berlin ABC when driving into the city coming from the airport
The local provider VBB provides detailed timetables and ticket fares. Daily and 7-day tickets are available and cheaper than single tickets if you travel regularly. You can find more information on the public transport system in the greater Berlin area. CityMapper may also prove to be useful for trip planning. Note that paper tickets as sold e.g. by vending machines may have to be stamped in order to be valid. Failure to present a valid ticket while in public transport or on certain platforms may result in a severely higher fare (60€). Please consult the following explanation on how to buy and validate paper tickets.
Alternatively, taxis from BER to the Scandic Hotel at Potsdamer Platz should be ~50€.
General Travel Information on Germany
The German Federal Foreign Office has a website with general travel information on Germany. Also, you might want to check germany.travel or Wikitravel as well as potential travel advice issued by our home country.