Berlin Corporate Traveller Guide

Berlin, Germany

Liberal, artistic and progressive, the streets of Berlin are alive with personality and steeped in heritage. With a tumultuous history, the city today is built on a strong ethos of freedom in every sense; inspired creatives, musical pioneers and searching souls continue to shape Berlin’s cultural blueprint as somewhere you can be whoever you want to be. As the German capital, Berlin is the country’s largest and most powerful industrial centre. A principle European production hub, the city is a major technology and trading base specialising throughout history in textiles, transport and media.  

Whether you’re a history buff looking for a new favourite urban exhibition or a music fanatic keen to see Bowie’s city muse, travelling to Berlin on business is bound to be a jam-packed trip. Aside from all the activities for your itinerary, we’ve compiled all the basics you need to know as a corporate traveller in Berlin – read on for our guide.

Berlin Key Information

Weather in Berlin

Berlin’s temperate, seasonal climate manifests as cold winters, warm but comfortable summers, and rainy all year round. Summer temperatures average 25° and scarcely exceed 30°, while winters sit around 0° and regularly drop below freezing. A varied wardrobe and good waterproof jacket are essential for relocating corporates and anybody visiting is advised to pack their umbrella. 

Currency in Berlin

Euro (EUR)

Euro is the currency in Berlin and cash has always been the preferred payment method here, but an increased focus on hygiene since the pandemic has accelerated the city’s shift towards card payments. Locals tend to pay using an EC-Karte (euro cheque card) as you may find limited places that accept Visa and MasterCard. Nonetheless, you are likely to need both a supply of cash and a debit card if visiting and it will be worth looking into getting an EC-Karte if moving for good.

Health & Well-being in Berlin

Like locals in Prague, Berliners are keen on outdoor urban gyms and a ‘natural’ approach to exercise. Parks in Engelbecken, Mariannenplatz and Bethaniendamm offer an ideal space and playground equipment for an outdoor workout. For the colder months when an outdoor workout may not be as appealing, Berlin also has a wide variety of classes to try. BECYLE offers barre, pilates and HIIT classes as well as a café serving healthy food for pre-workout fuel or a post-workout reward, BEAT81 will push your cardio limits in strength and HIIT circuit classes, and ŌHIA is a popular meditation experience for a good winddown.

Data in Berlin

Whether researching the best coffee shops when on the go, or looking up the directions to your next meeting, internet is essential for modern-day travelling. O2, T-Mobile and Vodaphone are Germany’s main mobile internet providers, we recommend heading to one of their stores and getting your SIM fitted there. Bring your passport with you in case they need photo ID for setting up your SIM, and make sure your phone is SIM-unlocked before you get there. 

Plug Shape: Types C & F

Cuisine in Berlin

Hearty, wholesome and homely, cuisine in Berlin is packed full of winter warmers. The currywurst is an iconic local dish and can be found from vendors on most central streets, Spätzle is a rare veggie dish amongst the meaty Berlin menu and is a carby, cheesy side dish, and schnitzel is traditional crispy, battered veal. 

Berlin District Breakdown

- Greenest, largest and least populated district: Köpenick
- Great for families: Pankow and Prenzlauer Berg
- Foodie paradise: Kreuzberg
- Lively nightlife and street art galore: Friedrichshain
- Central business district: Mitte
- Banking district: Frankfurter Allee

Germany has strict local registration rules, make sure you read our handy European residence permit guide before relocating to Berlin!

Language in Berlin

Locals can often be heard speaking Berliner, a local dialect of German, however most people in Berlin can communicate in English. A basic understanding of the language is handy for visitors, but those conducting regular business here or relocating to the city would benefit from getting to grips with German.

Berliner language is, naturally, heavily influenced by German just with different spelling and pronunciation. For example, ‘auch’ is the German for ‘also’ but is commonly pronounced ‘ooch’ in Berlin. A common rule of thumb is that in Berlin dialect, German Ss become Ts and Gs become Js. Here are a few other examples to try:

Ich (German) / ikke (Berliner):  I or me

Aber (German) / aba (Berliner):  or

Gehen (German) / jehen (Berliner):  go

Etwas (German) / wat (Berliner):  something

Guten morgen (German) / moin (Berliner):  good morning

Alles gut (German) / allet comes (Berliner):  everything is alright

Transport in Berlin

Belonging to such a pragmatic and logical country, public transport in Berlin is well-developed and efficient. The network includes buses, trams, underground and light-rail trains that all fall into three fare zones: zone AB, zone BC and zone ABC. Purchasing a ticket gains you access to all types of public transport. Single tickets throughout the zones range from €3 to €3.80 but 24-hour and 7-day tickets can also be purchased.

The S-Bahn is Berlin’s overground light-rail service with 15 lines covering the city centre and outskirts. S-Bahn trains run from 4:30am-1:30am on weekdays and run 24 hours on weekends.

The U-Bahn is the underground subway network with 10 lines running 4am-1am on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends.

Buses have the most extensive coverage of the city and include day lines, MetroBus and night buses. The upper deck on double-decker buses also provide a bird’s eye view of the city sights as a bonus while you travel.

Finally, trams and MetroTrams – also known as streetcars – consist of 20 lines particularly in the east of the city where there are less subway stations. The MetroTrams are more frequent than normal trams and also run through the night.

Public bike sharing has also grown in popularity in recent years so if you fancy a cycle, look out for the dockless Lime, Byke or Donkey Republic bikes. If in doubt, Citymapper is the easiest way to get to grips with public transport in Berlin. Use it to find stations, plan routes and time your commute.

Berlin Map

Now that you’re armed with all the necessary knowledge for relocating to Berlin, browse our selection of Berlin serviced apartments and get in touch to book today.

SilverDoor offers a large and varied portfolio of serviced apartments in Berlin. From five top tips for relocating to Berlin to an insider's guide to successful business travel in Berlin, you'll be sure to fall in love with the German capital as an ideal industrial centre.