First Time in Berlin ? Top Tips for Your Trip

Plan on doing most of your sightseeing by foot. Only by walking will you truly experience Berlin at eye level. To cover larger areas quickly, rent a bicycle. Otherwise, public transport is the best way of getting around.
Go local – Berlin's spirit reveals itself to those walking around a neighbourhood, people-watching in a park or simply being curious about local food and drink.
There is no curfew, so pace your alcohol intake on bar-hops and in clubs to keep your stamina up.
When picking a place to stay, consider which type of experience you're most keen on – shopping, clubbing, museums, the outdoors, urban cool, partying, history – then choose a neighbourhood to match.
Don't be shy about striking up a conversation with strangers. Most Germans speak pretty good English and are happy to help.

What to Wear

The short answer is: whatever you want. Berlin is an extremely casual city when it comes to fashion. Basically anything goes, including jeans at the opera or a little black dress in a beer garden. Individuality trumps conformity and expensive labels at any time. In fact, flaunting your own style – any style – is often the ticket for making it past a picky club bouncer. Venues or restaurants with official dress codes are extremely rare.
Berlin weather is immensely changeable, even in summer, so make sure you bring layers of clothing. A waterproof coat and sturdy shoes are a good idea for all-weather sightseeing. Winters can get fiercely cold, so be sure you bring your favourite gloves, hat, boots and heavy coat.

Be Forewarned

Berlin is one of the safest capital cities in the world, but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down.
Pickpocketing has dramatically increased, so watch your belongings, especially in tourist-heavy areas, in crowds and at events.
Crime levels have risen notably around Kottbusser Tor in Kreuzberg and the RAW Gelände in Friedrichshain.This includes drug dealing, pickpocketing, assault and sexual assault. Exercise caution.
Carry enough cash for a cab ride back to wherever you're staying.
On the U-Bahn or S-Bahn, and increasingly at outdoor cafes, you'll encounter homeless folks begging or selling street newspapers (called Motz or Strassenfeger). Buskers are also quite common. You're free to give or not.

Money

Germany is still largely a cash-based society. International chain hotels, department stores, supermarkets and taxis usually accept credit cards, but make it a habit to enquire first. ATMs are ubiquitous in all neighbourhoods.Machines do not recognise pins with more than four digits. Debit cards featuring the MasterCard or Visa logos are fairly widely used. Chip-and-pin is most common, but contactless payment systems have also started popping up.

Taxes & Refunds

Value-added tax (VAT, Mehrwertsteuer) is a 19% sales tax levied on most goods. The rate for food, books and services is usually 7%. VAT is always included in the price. If your permanent residence is outside the EU, you may be able to partially claim back the VAT you paid on purchased goods.

Tipping

Hotels Room cleaners €1 to €2 per day, porters the same per bag.
Restaurants For good service 5% to 10%.
Bars/Pubs 5% to 10% for table service, rounded to the nearest euro, no tip for self-service.
Taxis 10%, always rounding to a full euro.
Toilet attendants €0.50.

It's considered rude to leave the tip on the table. Instead, tell the server the total amount you want to pay. If you don't want change back, say 'Stimmt so' (that's fine).

Language

You can easily have a great time in Berlin without speaking a word of German. In fact, some bars and restaurants in expat-heavy Kreuzberg and Neukölln have entirely English- (and sometimes Spanish-) speaking staff. Many restaurant and cafe menus are now available in English and German (and sometimes only in English).

Etiquette

Although Berlin is fairly informal, there are a few general rules worth keeping in mind when meeting strangers.
Greetings Shake hands and say 'Guten Morgen' (before noon), 'Guten Tag' (between noon and 6pm) or 'Guten Abend' (after 6pm). Use the formal 'Sie' (you) with strangers and only switch to the informal 'du' and first names if invited to do so. With friends and children, use first names and 'du'.

Asking for help Germans use the same word – Entschuldigung – to say 'excuse me' (to attract attention) and 'sorry' (to apologise).
Eating and drinking At the table, say 'Guten Appetit' before digging in. Germans hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand. To signal that you have finished eating, lay your knife and fork parallel across your plate. If drinking wine, the proper toast is 'Zum Wohl'; with beer it's 'Prost'.