Good morning, afternoon, evening, friends) I would like to tell you why my blog is called "Center of Europe". I'll start by saying that in 2014 I applied for a US visa through the Work and Travel USA program, but I was denied. At that moment, it felt like a total fiasco, a crushing failure, and many other things I could have called it. BUT after the rejection, an even greater desire to visit America ignited in me, and I think I will succeed in the near future) A few minutes later, I called the director of the center and reported the refusal. She sympathized, of course, and told me not to be discouraged, as there are other programs. She suggested "Study in Prague" to me, specifically for the English language. Having set my goal, I "headed" there. And so begins the story of "Prazhka" (as I started calling it so affectionately after the trip). I got the visa without any problems. From the very first moments, it delighted me: when leaving the airport, I saw a bunch of signs with the word "POZOR"—which actually meant "Attention". Here I was in the center of Europe, where everything is "within reach": Berlin, Dresden, Vienna, Munich, and other European cities and capitals. Those lovely red-tiled roofs, uneven roads where you can only walk in flat shoes, people speaking different languages everywhere, of different nationalities, who are also kind and sweet. I made new friends with whom I still keep in touch)) ALL of this so charmed my heart that I realized travel is a door to new discoveries for the soul. So, people who are only striving for America, turn your gaze to Europe as well; don't be crushed by visa refusals, because there is always a choice and an opportunity. I can only add one thing: the desire to go to America will always remain, but now it's just another country to travel to)

Berlin: Travel guide, prices and free housing · 2026
New arrivals spend weeks auditioning for shared flats in Neukölln and Kreuzberg, where a private room averages €633 once you land a lease.
- Housing
- ≈ €500
- Food
- ≈ €220
- Transit
- ≈ €43
- Other
- ≈ €587
Sources: 2 · As of September 5, 2026
- FEX Airport Express
- €5
- Single ticket
- €4
- Local SIM card
- €10
- €1 today
- $1.12
- Monthly pass
- €11.20
Tickets cover all public transit across designated fare zones and require validation before boarding.
- Coffee at the counter
- €3
- Lunch at a canteen
- €8
- Dinner out
- €18
- Beer at a bar
- €6
- Museum ticket
- €8
Sources: 3 · As of September 5, 2026
- Public transit hubs and automated ticket machines
- English and German
- Police encounters and emergency inquiries
- English and German
- Residential leases and rental listings
- German
- Hosts who speak English
- 3,949
«Sprechen Sie Englisch?» — Polite opening inquiry before addressing staff or police officers.
- 1 day
- Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Alexanderplatz
- 3 days
- + Neues Museum, Checkpoint Charlie, Kreuzberg
- 7 days
- + Tempelhofer Feld, Charlottenburg, Potsdam
Berlin operates as a decentralized metropolis of self-contained neighborhoods shaped by partition and rapid reinvention.
Berlin functions as an independent city-state divided into separate administrative boroughs rather than a single centralized downtown. Daily life revolves around localized neighborhood pockets known as Kieze, where residents find groceries, dining, and workspace within walking distance. Mitte and Charlottenburg preserve formal civic architecture, while Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain house countercultural communities.
Read on
Living here exposes practical frictions that surprise long-term arrivals. Many independent restaurants, bakeries, and bars refuse foreign credit cards and insist on physical euro cash. Pervasive indoor tobacco smoke remains standard across neighborhood pubs and music venues that do not serve meals. Street food anchors daily routines, with Turkish döner kebab stands and currywurst stalls providing fast meals across every transit station.
Getting around depends on extensive cycling lanes and an integrated rail network connecting underground trains, elevated lines, and trams. Commuters routinely take bicycles onto urban trains with dedicated permits. Relocating requires navigating leases split strictly between base cold rent and building operating charges. Competition for shared flats is fierce, requiring deposits and extensive background dossiers before signing.
- Club culture
- Cash dependency
- Museum Island
- Rental competition
- Bicycle transit
- Berlin functions simultaneously as a German municipality and as an independent federal state.
- The Museum Island cultural ensemble is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Commercial air passenger operations are consolidated at Berlin Brandenburg Airport outside the southern border.
- The main passenger airport station sits directly below the central terminal and provides direct rail service to Berlin Hauptbahnhof.
Money
- Room in a shared flat
- ≈ €500
- Food, cooking at home
- ≈ €220
- Monthly transit pass
- ≈ €43
With a free host you keep ≈ €850 per month.
- Coffee
- €3
- Lunch at a canteen
- €8
- Dinner at a café
- €18
- Beer at a bar
- €6
- Single transit ticket
- €4
- Museum ticket
- €8
- Room, per month
- €633
- SIM card
- €10
- Taxi, per km
- €2.80
Up to 50% of exchange programmes, internships and other IEC services can be paid with points.
8 sources · As of September 5, 2026
Getting there and staying
Host languages: english, german, spanish, french, and russian
Set your departure city to see flight prices by month.
- FEX Airport Express
- €5
- Regional rail from BER
- €5
- S-Bahn from BER
- €5
- 01Obtain local mobile connectivity using a prepaid SIM card.
- 02Withdraw cash at an airport ATM because local businesses frequently reject foreign bank cards.
- 03Purchase an airport transit ticket from the railway station vending machine.
- 04Board the Airport Express train to reach the central railway station.
- 05Check in to your reserved hostel dormitory bed.
5 sources · As of September 5, 2026
Visa and practicalities
Choose a passport
Set your passport — processing time, fee and documents differ between passports.
- Pedestrians must keep off dedicated cycle paths.
- Single transit tickets cover travel in an outbound direction only; round trips and return journeys are barred on that validation.
- Bus drivers do not accept cash fares on board.
2 more rules
- Taking a bicycle onto commuter trains, trams, or night buses requires a separate bicycle transit ticket.
- Bars often levy a refundable deposit on glassware that requires returning a specific token alongside the glass.
- Cards
show more
Municipal buses require card or mobile payment methods.
- Cash
- Tipping
show more
Formal service surcharges are rarely encountered outside high-end restaurants.
How do travelers get from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to the city center?
Regional trains such as the Airport Express run directly from the airport terminal station to Berlin Hauptbahnhof. S-Bahn suburban lines also depart regularly from the airport platforms. Passengers traveling into the city must hold a transit ticket valid for fare zones A, B, and C.
Source: Wikipedia · Wikivoyage · BER Transfer Cost Calculator — Compare Price & Time (2026) | Berlin Brandenburg AirportHow does the public transit fare system work in Berlin?
Berlin operates an integrated public transportation network covering subway trains, commuter rail, trams, and buses. Fares are divided across geographic zones labeled A, B, and C. Standard transit tickets permit onward transfers between different transport modes without returning within the allotted validity period.
Source: Wikipedia · Wikivoyage · Tickets, Fares and Route Maps - Berlin.deIs cash necessary for everyday purchases in Berlin?
Many local restaurants, casual eateries, and bars strictly prefer cash payment and reject foreign cards. In contrast, local city buses do not accept cash and require payment by card or mobile wallet. Visitors should carry paper currency to avoid payment issues at food vendors and small shops.
Source: Wikivoyage · Tickets, Fares and Route Maps - Berlin.deWhat do Kaltmiete and Warmmiete mean in Berlin apartment listings?
Kaltmiete refers to the base rent for an apartment before any heating or operating charges. Warmmiete includes essential communal costs such as heating, water supply, and general building maintenance. Renters must budget for the warm rent to reflect total recurring housing expenses.
Source: Berlin Cost of Living 2026: Monthly Budgets & Rent - expatsworld.net · Berlin Cost of Living - 2026 - LostInBerlin · The ultimate guide to the cost of living in Berlin - HousingAnywhereCan bicycles be transported on public transit in Berlin?
Bicycles are permitted aboard regional trains, U-Bahn lines, S-Bahn carriages, and trams. Transporting a bicycle requires the passenger to purchase a dedicated bike ticket before boarding. Cyclists must use designated multi-purpose compartments inside the train carriages.
Source: WikipediaWhere are the main museum collections located in Berlin?
A major concentration of historical collections sits on Museum Island along the Spree River, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. This complex holds institutions including the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, and Pergamon Museum. Another cultural cluster, the Kulturforum, houses the Gemäldegalerie and Neue Nationalgalerie near Potsdamer Platz.
Source: Wikipedia5 sources
Safety and health
Getting here
What is around
Everyday needs within walking distance
When to go and itineraries
- 09:00ReichstagExamine the seat of federal parliament and view the surrounding government district along the Spree.
- 11:00Brandenburg GatePass through the neoclassical landmark connecting Tiergarten to Pariser Platz.
- 12:30Memorial to the Murdered Jews of EuropeWalk through the field of concrete stelae dedicated to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
- 14:30Checkpoint CharlieInspect the historic Cold War crossing point along Friedrichstraße.
- 16:30Potsdamer PlatzReach the modern commercial quarter rebuilt after the fall of the border wall.
- 10:00Neues MuseumView ancient Egyptian artifacts including the bust of Nefertiti.
- 12:30Altes MuseumExplore classical antiquities in the neoclassical museum building facing Lustgarten.
- 14:30Berlin CathedralObserve the prominent dome and historic Protestant church on the river island.
- 16:30Fernsehturm BerlinConclude at the television tower standing over the transit hub at Alexanderplatz.
- 10:00Berlin WallWalk along preserved barrier fragments and open-air documentation panels.
- 12:30FührerbunkerView the informational marker designating the underground site in central Mitte.
- 14:30AlexanderplatzInspect the spacious public square in the former eastern sector.
Language and culture
Five phrases for the first day and where you can’t do without the language
English functions reliably across hospitality, transit systems, and central commerce. Police officers and transport staff handle basic inquiries in English.
- Sprechen Sie Englisch?shprekhen zee eng-lish
- Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kann ikh mit kar-tuh tsah-len
- Zahlen, bitte.tsah-len, bit-tuh
- Warmmietevarm-mee-tuh
- Kaltmietekalt-mee-tuh
2 more phrases
- Kautionkow-tsee-ohn
- Ablösevereinbarungap-loo-zuh-fer-ine-bah-roong
| Situation | Language |
|---|---|
| Public transit hubs and automated ticket machines | English and German |
| Police encounters and emergency inquiries | English and German |
| Residential leases and rental listings | German |
| Cafes, bars, and street food vendors | English and German |
| Municipal registration and local bureaucracy | German |

People who have been here
PASTA — FOOD OF THE GODS As the song goes: "Do you think I have millions? But I've always loved pasta, and I'll love pasta all my life!" Especially with fried sausage! Mmm, finger-licking good! "Golden church domes above the river. Ripe wild strawberries with fresh milk. I run through the mown grass, And above me the blue sky is so-o-o high!!! I'm still a boy of five. And my joy is singing, and my happiness is fly-y-ing Grandma's tales about love and courage, Where kindness and truth protect the world! Grandpa was sent past Berlin and Prague And the festive spring fireworks-s-s! I know that together we are a people And my happiness is flying. And my joy is sing-ing! This is all mine, native, This is somewhere deep inside. This is the most sacred thing that remains in me. This protects and heals us, Like God's grace. This is something you cannot buy or take away. Indifferent time will pass through the neighborhood, Erasing the addresses dear to me. We will learn profit and calculation, But we will stop seeing the heavens in each other-r-r! And when it gets hard for me, I will tell myself again, In spite of all times: This is all mine, native, This is somewhere deep inside. This is the most sacred thing that remains in me. This protects and heals us, Like God's grace. This is something you cannot buy or take away. This is something you cannot buy or take away..." Sergey Trofimov "Rodina" (Motherland) A beautiful song. It reminds me of my homeland. October 14, 2008. Sunny Cape Town NINJA Yeah, there are a couple of my brothers here — Petrukha and Vasyok. I wonder what they're doing there, how they're living? Two ninjas. And I'm a bit of a ninja with them too. The world is full of all sorts of "ninjas"! I dreamed today that I was driving my car. I love my car so much! It's so comfortable, powerful, fast, and in general — the best and most beautiful. Its color (which is relevant right now) is yellow sand! And there isn't a single left-hand drive 41st "Moskvich" here. Can you imagine? Actually, there isn't a right-hand drive 41st "Moskvich" here either. And not a single "Moskvich" of any model at all. Because they stopped producing "Moskvich" cars quite a while ago, and now they make, pardon, crap! That's why there are no new cars of ours anywhere. And thank God! You'll say I'm not a patriot? I'm an honest patriot. I always tell everyone everything as I feel, think, and see it. For example, I often refute with my words and my own example the stereotype existing in the world that ALL Russians love vodka indiscriminately and guzzle it all the time. I don't think this is 100% true or worthy of special attention. Why paint everyone with the same brush?! And what about our positive qualities? A Russian person is the smartest in the world! Just pay attention... For example, to how lightning-fast (it's just incredible!) our entire country became telephonized and computerized! Where, in what other country have you seen such brisk, rapid changes happen in literally about five years? And quite voluntarily, in peacetime, when there's no rush at all, in theory?! Only in Russia! Because our country is the best in the world! We should be proud, we are very lucky to be Russian! And that's the truth! The future is behind Russia! Even the sun is with us! Did I bring a strong argument? ? (in Old Slavonic, Russia is Raseya: Ra-se-ya — sun-is-me!) So we are all little suns. It's not for nothing that we call our loved ones "sunshine." We don't just call them that affectionately — we tell them the pure truth. For Russia! And peace all over the world! Festive fireworks! I periodically bash the USA and Europe. You probably think I don't like them? Well, not without that. But, to be honest, I have a positive attitude towards them in many things. Just this morning I was thinking that I would gladly go on a bus tour of Europe again. Only I would choose a different route than the one in 2006. And I would go to America to see Niagara Falls. I think it would imp
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