Getting there and around
Just a quick one and a half hours away from London, Berlin is the perfect weekend city break pick with it’s broad streets, excellent public transportation and greenery make it an easily navigable city for families with small children. Flying into Berlin's Tegel Airport is convenient, with it’s easy to reach services. You will find it a breeze to make your way to the Public Transport connections which will take you into town. Bus connections to the underground are located just outside the airport terminal. If you prefer to take a taxi into central Berlin (East or West) it will cost about € 15.00 - 20.00.

Berlin has an extensive and convenient underground system called the U-bahn as well as an above-ground train system the S-bahn. Get a "Small Group" ticket (up to five persons) for the day, or a Welcome Card 2 or 3 days pass, and go anywhere within Berlin city and children under 14 are free. Perfect for the family!

Like any other major city, Berlin has numerous open top tourist buses which is a great way of getting a feel for the city. The little ones will love riding on the open air bus and it’s great for avoiding tired little feet. Choose one with an English-speaking guide. It has 15 stops around the city, including Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, Kurfurstendamm, and more. Tickets are valid for 24 hours and you can board the double-decker bus anywhere on the route.

Where to stay
Berlin is a large city where using public transport is a must. The best area to stay in would be the Mitte district, Berlin's historic eastern city center. The symbol-of-the-city, the Brandenburg Gate is situated in Mitte, making it a natural starting point for anyone exploring Berlin! The area is very well connected to public transport. The Potsdamer Platz, the site of the old Berlin Wall is also a good area to stay in with children as it’s close to the Berlin Zoo, Legoland Discovery Centre and is situated between the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. A fantastic option is the Hotel Residenz 2000 in Potsdamer Platz which is perfect for families with small children. The hotel is like an apartment and comes equipped with cribs and microwaves and a mini-fridge, perfect for storing and warming up baby’s bottles.

Berlin has a variety of hotels which cater to babies. Try the Hotel Swissotel or the Hotel Melia both in Mitte. These hotels are baby-friendly and offer a babysitting service.

What to see and do in Berlin
Berlin is brimming with cultural things for mum and dad to do, from the fabulous art galleries, museums and famous monuments you will be spoilt for choice. Berlin has plenty for the little ones to enjoy while visiting. Berlin is known for it’s ‘Berlin Bears’ which are colourful painted bears all over town. The little ones will enjoy spotting them and they are able to climb and play on them to their hearts content (a fabulous game to keep them occupied while mum and dad check out the sites!)

First stop for the little ones- The Tiergarten, Berlin’s biggest park where there are rolling lawns to run on, hidden paths to explore, pitches for footballers, a lake to paddle on and fabulous little cafes! The Tiergarten also is the sight of the famous Berlin Zoo, the Zoologischer Garten. The zoo has more species living in its luxurious parkland than any other zoo in the world. Children’s highlights are the giant panda, an Amazonian Jungle, gorillas, a trip under the great Barrier Reef, a hippo aquarium where they can see them swimming under the water and the cutest, littlest baby polar bear, the famous Knut, the polar bear who was brought up by keeper Thomas Doerflein. The little ones will love the Baby Zoo, where children are allowed to touch and feed the young of various animal species. There is also a massive playground in there as well to keep them busy.

A visit to the Labyrinth Kindermuseum, Berlin’s Museum for Children is a must. It’s a great place for children at the preschool stage and in the early school years. Three or four themed exhibitions each year deal with subjects in a child-friendly and entertaining way – for example “Snoops and Detectives”. Every exhibition is interactive, allowing children to join in and experiment, becoming independent through their experiences in play. A real treat!

The Machmit! Museum For Children is also a must-do while in Berlin. This museum caters for children from ages 1-16. It offers interactive programs, including art labs, and a vintage printing press where kids can create their own texts. One of the highlights is a 21-foot-tall wooden maze featuring winding stairs, dead-ends and mysterious rooms! Fun for all ages.

Another thrilling spot to visit with the little ones is the Puppen theater museum. This museum specializes in dolls and puppets. Children are allowed to perform their own puppet shows and have a go at being puppet theatre directors. They will love it!

The German Museum for Technology is a must-do. It has a real airplane on its roof which will thrill the kids! This museum has over a dozen different exhibition areas with everything from ships to paper making with the emphasis very much on hands on family activities to everyone to enjoy!

Try out the Kindercity, which is a play and learning centre where kids can learn about science in a playful exciting way! They cater for children as young as a few months old.

They will also love the Legoland Discovery Centre situated in Potsdamer Platz. Legoland has medieval castles, industrial landscapes and Berlin in miniature which will thrill them to no end! They will really enjoy the fantastic exhibits and hands-on building opportunities and rides.

Star-struck children will enjoy Filmpark Babelsberg – a movie based theme park located on the Babelsberg film studio campus. Stunt shows, a 4-D cinema, and scene sets including a submarine can be visited, and kids even have a chance to become stars themselves in a fully equipped TV studio!

Take them to Berlin’s largest indoor leisure park Jacks Fun World. It has all the usual attractions for very active children from trampolines, go-carts, dodgems, bumper boats and slides.

A trip on the water is always a popular choice for the little ones if the weather is nice. There are many Boat Tours on the River Spree available, which flows right through the historic center of Berlin including the Reichstag and Berlin Wall.

If you visiting Berlin from late November and December, you will encounter Berlin’s famous Christmas Markets that are in every corner of the city. Children will just love the lively atmosphere with Christmas lights, decorations, entertainers and the myriad of stalls.

Where to eat
Berlin is a city with cafe culture, to its easy to find places to sit and eat with children. The little ones will love the traditional ‘Berliner’, which is kind of doughnut, filled with jam and covered with sugar available throughout the city. Berlin local fare is big on cheeses and sliced meats and of course sauerkraut. Sausages such as Bratwursts and meatballs are also a local delight. The little ones will enjoy eating Wurst and Frites, incredibly good German sausages and french fries.

The Tiergarten is popular for dining with the little ones. It has a variety of cafes and ice cream parlours with the children’s play park nearby. This is great for lunches in the outdoors. Try Cafe Schonbrunn for traditional Bavarian fare.

The Cafe Charlottchen near the Charlottenburg train station is perfect for families. Mum and dad can can enjoy the tasty wholefood while the little ones play in the creche next door. Children's plays are put on at the weekend and are always warmly received by the pint-sized audience. In the evenings there is satirical cabaret for adults. A must-do.

The Steingarten, situated in Lutzowplatz is a beautiful spot with a small waterfall, a babbling brook and exotic plants. This is the perfect place to relax and enjoy a good barbecue. There are events and special offers for children are organised at the weekend.

Tips
When in Berlin and you are looking for a chemist, look out for Die Apotheke will be clearly marked with a red "A" displayed on the front of the shop. For emergencies every chemist has a pharmacist on duty round the clock called die Notdienstapotheke.

Happy travels...