Practical Information

Public transport

Berlin's public transport system is convenient and safe, and also provides a reasonable income to a host of musicians and newspaper-sellers. Tickets for one trip within Berlin ("Berlin AB") are 2 Euros, they can be bought at vending machines at the subway stations or inside buses, and have to be validated when you enter the station. The vending machines can be persuaded to communicate in a variety of languages. If you plan to make several trips on the same day, a day ticket ("Tageskarte") may be a more economical choice. Berliner Verkehrsgesellschaft (BGV) has a lot more information on this subject.

Getting to Hotel Ansbach

The hotel has some travel information on its website, in particular a map. You can also type its address, Ansbacher Strasse 4, 10787 Berlin, into some online map service, e.g. http://www.berlin.de/stadtplan/.

From Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten

In principle, a 10 minutes walk. You can also take subway U2 in direction Pankow and get off at the next stop (Wittenbergplatz). See e.g. BVGs maps of the surroundings of Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten and Wittenbergplatz for fine navigation, the hotel is close to the corner Ansbacher Str./Kurfürstenstr. Alternatively, take bus 100 (direction Alexanderplatz) and get off at Bayreuther Str. This is even closer, but the bus runs less frequently. Note: in any case, this is a short distance trip ("Kurzstrecke", 1.20 Euros).

From Tegel Airport

Take bus X9, get off at Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten. See e.g. the map provided by BVG or the schematic representation provided by the Airport authority for local navigation.

From Schönefeld Airport

The question whether or not it is worthwhile to take the (freee) shuttle bus in order to cross the parking lot to get from the terminal to the train station is an object of constant dispute among the experts (see e.g. the Airport authority's schematic representation of the matter, there is also a map provided by BVG).
Take the Airport Express (RE 4, direction Rathenow or RE 5, direction Rostock) to Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten (and then see above), trains run every half hour. If you just missed one, you can also take S-Bahn S9 (direction Grunewald), then change at Alexanderplatz to U2 (direction Ruhleben or Theodor-Heuss-Platz) and get off at Wittenbergplatz.
Note: We recommend you to buy a ticket (you will need a ticket "Berlin AB" which is 2 Euros) from one of BVG's vending machines inside or directly outside of the terminal building. In the train station, there is no vending machine on the platform from which the Airport express leaves (there is one on the S-Bahn platform, but in order to use it you would have to carry your luggage up and down another time).

Getting to the Guest house of Humboldt university

The Guest house is at Ziegelstraße 13, 10117 Berlin, 5 minutes walking distance from Bahnhof Friedrichstraße. Here is a map, here is another (or type its address into an online map, e.g. http://www.berlin.de/stadtplan/).

Getting to the Institute

The Institute is in Mohrenstraße 39, BVGs overview map of Hausvogteiplatz may be useful.

From Hotel Ansbach

Take subway U2 from station Wittenbergplatz in direction Pankow, get off at station Hausvogteiplatz. The ride takes approximately 20 minutes. Memorise the picture WIAS' home page for visual fine navigation on the last metres (but note that you will have to walk around the building, as the entrance is in Mohrenstraße).

From the Guest House

This is a nice half hour stroll (or a stiff 20 minutes walk) past some of the most beautiful buildings in central Berlin, here is a sketch to help you navigate (or produce a better one e.g. with http://www.berlin.de/stadtplan/). If you don't feel like walking, take subway U6 from station Oranienburger Tor (or Friedrichstraße) in direction Alt-Mariendorf, get off at station Stadtmitte, walk a few hundred metres along Mohrenstraße to the institute. (If you are really opposed to walking, change at station Stadtmitte to subway U2 in direction Pankow and get off at the next stop, Hausvogteiplatz. Then see above.)
Last reviewed: 25 February 2005, Matthias Birkner