UF in Berlin 2005

E-mail from Professor Freeman - Arriving...

pdate 12 - arrival and Day 1 plans
 
Arrival in Berlin: ** DAY 1*** (PRINT THIS OUT AND HAVE WITH YOU)
 
According to Prof. Oren from the Political Science department at UF, Berlin’s Tegel airport (TXL) is very user-friendly. He says the baggage conveyer belt is located at the arrival gate itself, along with the passport control and customs.
 
Lost Luggage: If your luggage did not arrive…after you exit the gate, look for the signs (in English) for the Lost and Found office. Missing baggage complaints are handled at one location regardless of the airline. An employee will fill out a claim form—she will ask you for a forwarding address (make sure you have the hotel’s address and phone # -- see below) and a description of the missing luggage. It will be delivered to the hotel.
 
Money Exchange: One thing you will probably need is some EURO-cash. If you have an ATM card, look for the nearest ATM. Otherwise, look for a “currency exchange” counter. The rate should be close to US $1 = .77 EU. The other way to figure it is it takes about 1.30 EU to make US $1. ** Be sure to notify your bank that you‘ll be using your ATM and/or credit card overseas. Banks sometimes freeze accounts thinking cards have been stolen. Call them now! **
 
Transportation Pass: Look for the BVG sign (inside?) the airport. You’ll want to buy a 7-day Berlin “AB” pass. This will be good on all the subways and buses in the primary zones (A&B). It cost 24.30EU. Two of these 7-day passes are included in program fees you’ve paid, so if Prof. Freeman is not with you buying the pass, buy it yourself and get a receipt (or the ticket may have the paid price) and you’ll get reimbursed.
 
Getting from TXL to the Transit Loft Hotel:  The Transit Loft’s full contact information is: Greifswalder Straße 219 · Entrance Immanuelkirchstr. · 10405 Berlin-Prenzl.Berg Tel.: +49 (0)30 / 484 937 73 · Fax: +49 (0)30 / 440 510 74 -- email: loft@hotel-transit.de
The word after Griesfwalder above is Strasse, which means Street. In German, double S’s can be written with a symbol like a capital B. Your print-out may or may not have that symbol. There are about 10 districts in Berlin and we’ll be in Prenzlauer-Berg, one of the trendier rebuilt areas.
 
Options to get to the Hotel:
 
·        Option 1: If you don’t do the bus transfer route (Option 2), take a taxi but it’ll be at your own expense. The trip will take 20-30 minutes and will cost approx. 21-22 Euros (to which you’re expected to add a 10% tip). In Prof. Oren’s experience, Berlin taxi drivers are honest and they understand English. Have the hotel information handy to show the driver.
·        Option 2: TXL Express Bus. When you exit the gate, look for the sign saying “bus” or “public transportation” or something like that. At the bus ramp, look for the TXL Express bus stop. The regular, yellow city bus has a luggage rack and runs every 15 to 20 minutes. If you bought the ticket from a vending machine, or a ticket counter, you must validate it in the validation machine on board the bus. If the ticket is not validated, it’s as if you did not pay for the trip. Now it’s good until midnight of the 7th day. Take the bus to its final stop—Alexanderplatz – the location of Berlin’s tallest structure—the 1,200-foot TV tower. The trip will take 30-40 minutes. From A-platz, you have either (1) Walk, if you’ve looked on a map and can handle your luggage for 20-25 minutes, (2) Take a taxi. The trip will take five minutes and set you back something like 5-7 Euros. (3) Hop on the M4 tram traveling in the direction of “Zingster Str.” or “Falkenberg.” Remember your ticket is already validated. The direction will be posted on the tram stop and on the front of the tram itself. Do not board M4 in the direction of S Hackescher Markt—it’s the opposite direction. After about 5 minutes, get off at the stop designated Hufelandstr. (Hufeland Strasse). You will find yourself in the middle (median) of Greifswalder Strasse. Cross the street to the North sidewalk (Left sidewalk, if you face the direction of the tram). Walk 1-2 minutes back on Greifswalder Strasse to the corner of Immanuelkirch Strasse. Turn right onto Immanuelkirsch Str., then left into the hotel’s driveway (see below).

 
Finding the hotel: The hotel’s official address is 219 Greifswalder Strasse. But you will not actually find it on that busy street—the entrance is located around the corner, at 14 Immanuelkirsch Strasse. To find the Transit Loft, go north (right, if you arrived on the tram; left, if you walked from A-platz) on Immanuelkirsch Strasse for approximately 50 yards. You will see the Transit Loft sign. Turn left into the driveway. The hotel occupies two of the upper floors of the building—take the elevator to the lobby/reception level.
 
Upon arrival, ask the receptionist for a free map of Berlin and the public transportation system. They tell me the earliest check-in would be 2 p.m. on Friday, May 13, but they can store luggage earlier.
 
First Activity: Starts at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 13, once you’ve dropped your luggage at the hotel. We’ll meet with The Los Angeles Times Berlin Bureau chief, Jeffrey Fleishman, at a coffee shop. This is the only time he can meet because they are sending him to Iraq the next day. This visit would seem like a great one for the writers in our group. If you are not with the group headed there, here are Mr. Fleishman’s instructions on how to get there: “We'll meet at the Kant Cafe on the corner of Kantstrasse and Schluterstrasse in Charlottenburg neighborhood. Take the S-Bahn to Savigny Platz. Walk to Kantstrasse and take left to Schluterstrasse. Depending on where you enter Kantstrasse, it will be one to three short blocks to the cafe.”
 
The rest of the day should be spent checking into the hotel rooms, resting if necessary, and/or attending the Karnavale  http://www.karneval-berlin.de/  -- I mentioned earlier, looks like 4 p.m. – midnight.
 
Saturday, May 14: meet with AFP photographer John Macdougall at the hotel, probably after the hotel closes down its breakfast, NOON.
 
Sunday, May 15: Walking Tour, Discover Berlin, in the morning (10 a.m.?), lasts 3 hours.
 
Monday, May 16: not firm yet, perhaps the boat tour, or Checkpoint Charlie Museum
 
Tuesday, May 17: 5 p.m., Tour of Der Taggespiegel newspaper with the photo chief

posted by Morgan @ 11:02 AM