Students, international students, interns, backpackers, roomates and digital nomads can book cheap dorms and safe private rooms in downtown Berlin, close to boarding schools, high schools, colleges, halls of residence and universities, close to buses or train stations, airports or major attractions in Berlin.
The A&O Berlin Mitte is located in the Berlin district of the same name and is just two underground stations from the Alexanderplatz station and 10 minutes by foot from the Ostbahnhof station. With its central location the hostel is easy to reach by car, train or public transport and is the ideal starting point for excursions into the metropolis Berlin.
The A&O Berlin Hauptbahnhof is just 10 minutes by foot from the Berlin Central Station. In spite of its central location the hostel is on a quiet side street. Due to its excellent location, the A&O can be easily reached by car, train or bus, and with its superb connections is an ideal starting point for excursions into Berlin.
The A&O Berlin Friedrichshain opened right by the central intra-city Ostkreuz train station in the popular student district. The former factory building features 233 rooms with modern furnishings.
Generator Prenzlauer Berg is a stone’s throw from a Velodrom concert hall and an Olympic swimming pool. Not much further by tram, you’ll find some of Berlin’s big attractions, like the Stasi Museum, TV Tower and Alexanderplatz. A short walk away, Mauerpark is a local cultural hive of activity with public karaoke, inspired street art and Fleamarkets full of hidden treasures. Generator is the perfect launch pad for you to explore the city from.
The most central borough of Berlin, Mitte is home to many of the city’s attractions – making Generator Berlin Mitte the perfect place to stay to see the city. Not only full of all the spots you’re guaranteed to want to hit up, you’ll find hundreds of restaurants, cafes and bars – not to mention ample shopping in both stores and some truly incredible markets.
The A&O Berlin Kolumbus is located in Lichtenberg. Perfectly connected to the public transport, the A&O is an ideal starting point for city tours in Berlin. Just 5 minutes from 'Genslerstraße' tram station, the newest Berlin A&O welcomes its guests. Perfectly accessible by public transport, the hotel makes an ideal base for discovering the sights of Berlin, especially the nearby Hohenschönhausen memorial. Parking is available, so arrival by car is also convenient.
Well connected by public transportation we are only a few minutes from the historical center, Brandenburg Gate, Zoo, KaDeWe, the central station and the biggest and most famous shopping promenade Kurfürstendamm.
You’ve also got the Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz U-Bahn station directly outside our front door.
Berlin is a bit of a puzzle. Out of a turbulent history has come a city buzzing with counter-cultural energy – run-down warehouses have become spaces for experimental art, or throb with cutting-edge techno. Sections of the wall, that potent symbol of the city’s struggles, are now covered in colourful graffiti and eye-popping murals. And doing Berlin from a cheap hostel isn’t just possible – it’s the best way to do it, full stop. This is no place to hide away in a fancy hotel. Join groups of like-minded backpackers in one of the city’s huge variety of youth hostels, from the Mitte city centre area to the downtown area south of the River Spree. Step out of your hostel dorm and discover world-class museums and galleries, über-cool design shops and underground clubs. Berlin’s a puzzle alright – and it’s one you’re going to love solving.
Airport
Berlin has two airports, Schoenefeld and Tegel. To get from Schoenefeld to the city centre and hostels, take train RE7 or RB14 (the airport express) to the main station (Hauptbahnhof). The journey takes about 30 minutes. You can also take the S9 S-Bahn line, changing at Ostkreuz – it takes longer, but it’s a bit cheaper.
Or you can get a flight to Berlin’s Tegel Airport, which is closer to the city but not on the rail network. It is served by four bus routes: the TXL JetExpressBus, X9 JetExpressBus and the 128 and 109 routes. The TXL will take you right to the Hauptbahnhof.
Rail
Backpackers travelling by train will arrive at Berlin Central Station (Hauptbahnhof). It’s served by the S5, S7 and S75 S-Bahn lines, the U-55 U-Bahn line and many interregional and international rail services.
Bus
If you travel to Berlin by bus you’ll end up at the Central Bus Station (ZOB). It’s located to the west of the city, and is less than half a kilometre from the Messe Nord U-Bahn station (lines S41, S42 and S46) and the Kaiserdamm U-Bahn station (line U12).
Getting around
Berlin has a great public transport system, with a network of buses, trams, overground trains (S-Bahn) and underground trains (U-Bahn). The city is divided into tariff zones: AB, BC und ABC. AB covers the main urban area. Within AB a single fare costs €2.70, and a day ticket €6.90.
Language: German
Currency: Euros
Voltage: 230v
Timezone: Central European Time Zone (UTC+01:00)
Dialing codes: International callers should use the prefix +49, the Berlin prefix is +30
Post office
General Post Office
Zimmermannstrabe, 12163 Berlin
Tel: 030 7919618
Postbank
Mullerstrabe 156B, Berlin
Tel: 0228 55005500
Deutsche Post
Ostbahnhof, Koppenstrabe 3, Berlin
Tel: 0228 4333111
Hospital
Charite
10117 Berlin
Tel: 030 45050
Tourist information
The Berlin Tourist Information office is located in Central Station. The staff are trained in multiple languages. Find them at:
Erdgeschoss/Eingang
Europaplatz 10557 Berlin
Tiergarten
Tel: 030 25 00 25
There are other offices dotted around the capital. The Visit Berlin website has plenty of information that’ll help you to locate the one closest to you.
Opening hours
Berlin is a great place to shop. The city has some of the most liberal business opening hours in Germany. Most shops are open from Monday to Saturday from 10am – 8pm. Banks are open Monday to Friday from 8am – 12pm, and then from 2pm – 4pm.
Emergency number
Call 112 for emergency fire, police and ambulance services.