Wanderlusty

PHL-ORD CO3734 ORD-DEN CO909 DEN-SJC CO723 

purposely added a segment for the miles.

SJC-LAX UA6427 LAX-IAD UA584 (CPU, 2012 tally: 1 for 1) IAD-PHL UA3373 

purposely added a segment for the miles.

i went planespotting this morning at SFO (bayfront park) before picking up the bf (who was arriving on SQ16). this is a simultaneous takeoff of two Virgin America Airbii. 

slightly adapted from an email i wrote to my parents, who are planning a trip there. (i've been to berlin three times, the earlier two while i was living in germany: 2010 (for a concert), 2007 (met up with a friend), and 2006 (for loveparade).)

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what to do in berlin

the hemispheres 3 perfect days is actually pretty good, and then just add a day trip to potsdam as your fourth day, information here. a note for dad -- the dome of the reichstag is open in the evenings as well if he wants to get up there for nighttime shots of the city. just be prepared to wait in line for a bit (day or night).

in my opinion, checkpoint charlie is skippable. if you want more on the berlin wall i highly recommend going to the memorial, http://www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de/en/ and the ghost stations exhibit in the nearby s-bahn station http://www.berliner-mauer-gedenkstaette.de/en/geisterbahnhoefe-558.html. the 3 perfect days has potsdam listed on the last day, i think, so instead of that, do this instead and move potsdam to the fourth day.

also, don't forget to eat currywurst and döner. 

hotel  

http://www.motel-one.com/uk/hotels/berlin.html

really reasonably priced and new/trendy.

i've stayed in the ku'damm one which is by the shopping street and easy to get to from by public transit. they just opened the one at the main train station (where you will be pulling into) if you want that sort of ease. that's that Hauptbahnhof ("main train station") location. 

train

http://www.bahn.de/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml 

be sure to book from FRA FrankfurtAirport to Berlin Hbf. also, remember the pop-up calendar for date picking starts on a monday, so don't be confused. you will not be able to book until 92 days out, but it's best to wait until 92 days before your return trip because (at least the last time i bought tickets) the 50% off price (not sure what they call it in english, but in german it's sparpreis 50; there's also a sparpreis 25 for 25% off) requires a round-trip purchase (so basically you're buying a round trip ticket for the price of a one-way). remember that if you buy a sparpreis ticket, you will be locked to that particular train, so if you miss it, you will have to buy a full price ticket at the station (and forfeit whatever you spent on the first ticket).

if you print your ticket out at home, just bring the printout with you as well as the credit card you used to buy the ticket. you will need to show both to the conductor.

don't forget to reserve seats. you will be arriving during rush hour and there may be commuters going to berlin.

also, you will need to transfer at least once if you want to take a high speed train (there is a direct non-high speed train that takes 30 minutes longer but it leaves pretty late, around 8 AM). i would not recommend booking a ride that involves an "S" train (suburban rail) because you will have to transfer at the frankfurt main station and you will have to make your way from underground to ground level in 10 minutes, which is doable but if you don't know where you're going it might be dicey.

here is, i think the ideal one for you. Fernbf = fernbahnhof = long distance train station. the first train just takes you to the main train station -- you may get a reserved seat on it but it's not worth finding and settling down in just for a 10-minute ride. you will see that they give you the platforms already, so you know which one you will need to change to. 

i'm sure you will remember the following from your past train rides, but just to be complete: if you have time, there will be signs on the platform that tell you where to stand (i don't know if you remember from the last time we took the trains there). you find the car number on your reservation, look for your train on the chart, and find your car. the letters at the top correspond to signs along the track. here's a sample one i found online:

in any case, the car number will be on a display on the side of each car, as well as on a display in each car's vestibule and on the display inside, above the doors at the end of each car, next to the rectangle-shaped train car symbol:

was reminded of this song by a couple (unrelated) tweets from a friend. it was the unofficial official song of my 2008 trip to spain and portugal with my family (it was constantly on the radio and since we don't understand spanish, it wasn't until i got home that i learned what it was really all about).

if i'm at a concert for a band i love, it can be pure ecstasy. absolutely happy places.

Virginia Jetzt! - Berlin

Matt & Kim - Oakland

@ZipSetGo #TNI A1 from what i've seen, new zealand looks amazing (and still relatively untouched?)

— jonk (@jonk) January 12, 2012

@ZipSetGo A2 #TNI i'd love to go back to renaissance rome, but i'd like to bring back a shower and soap, thanks.

— jonk (@jonk) January 12, 2012

@ZipSetGo A3 #TNI i don't know about near-term, but 50 years? i'd like to see supersonic (and space) travel start to be a regular thing.

— jonk (@jonk) January 12, 2012

@ZipSetGo A4 #TNI my parents while they were dating. kind of curious to see what that all was like (without going into details!)

— jonk (@jonk) January 12, 2012

@ZipSetGo A5 #TNI gotta go with paris! flickr.com/photos/jonk/34… and flickr.com/photos/jonk/34…

— jonk (@jonk) January 12, 2012

@ZipSetGo A6 #TNI i'm hoping that more african countries will get better infrastructure by then so we can visit them easier!

— jonk (@jonk) January 12, 2012

@ZipSetGo A7 #TNI real meals (with real silverware) in coach

— jonk (@jonk) January 12, 2012

@ZipSetGo A8 #TNI went to argentina for work in 2010 -- should have extended it more than what i did (just one day). so much to explore!

— jonk (@jonk) January 12, 2012

@ZipSetGo #TNI A9 would have gone with my mom up in the prague clock tower elevator and prevented her from being pickpocketed

— jonk (@jonk) January 12, 2012

@ZipSetGo A10 #TNI do i have to go back in time? ok, then i will go back to yesterday and choose anthony bourdain

sometimes i enjoy looking up locations in films to see where they are and what they look like today. 

top: Google Street View, today

bottom: a still from More, a 1969 film, about 23 minutes in. 

(my first one!)

@theexplorateur A1 #TRAVEX greece for sure, hopefully vietnam or thailand as well.

— jonk (@jonk) January 11, 2012

@theexplorateur A2 #TRAVEX i don't even look at those lists

— jonk (@jonk) January 11, 2012

@theexplorateur A3 #TRAVEX definitely value, since my free time will likely be limited, so i want the most experience in short time/$

— jonk (@jonk) January 11, 2012

@theexplorateur A4 #TRAVEX definitely. if i could take more time off work, i'd totally head for these destinations!

— jonk (@jonk) January 11, 2012

@theexplorateur A5 #TRAVEX i've gone to the last two winter olympics (to watch curling, my favorite sport), hope to make it a tradition!

— jonk (@jonk) January 11, 2012

@CruiseGuy #TRAVEX A6 not at all. i won't (normally) risk my life for travel, but if you're prudent and cautious, i say dive right in

— jonk (@jonk) January 11, 2012

@LuxTravelBible A7 #TRAVEX if someone would foot the bill, i'd be ready to take unpaid leave from work right now!

— jonk (@jonk) January 11, 2012

@LuxTravelBible A8 #TRAVEX perfect adventure? any one that takes you so far out of your everyday life (and comfort zone) your mind is BLOWN

a friend tweeted a link to this page, and i have to say, as much as i appreciate his "hip look" and all, there is no way i am going sockless to the airport (even if it means not traveling in my fivefingers, fugly-yet-incredibly-comfy) as long as the TSA is having us remove our shoes. i'm sure that floor is hella nastay. 

one of the reasons i refuse to fly 757s TATL. (the main being well, i just prefer a widebody for longer flights.) i remember actively choosing flights/times/stops that did not have a 757 overwater segment on last year's glorious SFO-LHR-JNB-FRA-AMS-ORD-SFO trip.

after taking my first Alaska Airlines flights in a while this past weekend, i was reminded that you can board before the rest of coach boards (and ensure yourself overhead bin space) -- even if you are not elite -- if you choose a bulkhead row during check-in. they will call for elites and "row 6" after boarding the first class cabin.

normally you have to have elite status on Alaska or one of their close domestic partners (American, for example) to get assigned into row 6 (the usual bulkhead row) prior to check-in, but once check-in opens up 24 hours prior to departure, you should be able to put yourself into an open seat in that row. of course, it all depends on how full and elite-heavy your flight is, but it doesn't hurt to check if there are any left. just be sure to do it as close to the beginning of the online check-in window as possible because you don't want someone else beating you to the punch (err, seat, as the case may be).

i assume they do this because on some of their planes the partition between first and economy is a full wall, meaning you don't have underseat stowage as an option for your carry-on(s), so they're thoughtful enough to let you board first to make sure you have somewhere to put your things. of course, you could luck out and be on a plane that only has a curtain, meaning you have the room under the first class seat in front of you, too! just be sure to check seatguru to see how your plane is configured.

note that Alaska also allows people who gate-check their carry-ons to board early as well, but this is, imho, a preferred option since you don't have to gate-check (and thus wait at the carousel at your destination), and you get to board early. just be aware that you may not be able to stow your belongings under the seat in front of you depending on the plane.