Alexis' Travel Tips: no3

Written by Alexis Worthing

Tip 3: Trackwork happens in other countries too. 

So going back to Berlin, now on my final day. I had worked out the trains, or so I thought, and was ready to set off to the airport to head back to London. I had it all planned, and got on the train. I made it maybe three stops before the train came to a stop. I realised the train was trying to say it had reached the last stop and got off. Big signs with a picture of a bus and a list of what I assumed were station names were scattered around the station. Ok. Got to catch a bus. 

My perfectly timed arrive at the airport had not catered for this delay, but I reasoned that it would be fine as long as I worked out which bus to catch, and in which direction. Pulling the map the hotel had given me out of my bag (see the previous post where not carrying this map caused many many issues.) and worked backwards from the airport to work out where I was and where I needed to go. 

Having picked a station, the only problem now was working out which bus I needed to get on. The bus was not going to take me all the way to the airport, so I'd need to get on a different train line at a later station to get to the airport. Right. I could do this. After 10 minutes of deliberation, I picked a bus which I hoped was going the right way and hoped on. 

Luckily, I had picked right. I was getting off at the second last stop and watched as the clock ticked closer and closer to my flight. Don't panic, yet. Off the bus, I raced to the platform and waited for the train, pacing back and forth as minute after minute passed. 

One train trip later and I'm at the airport. It's pretty much deserted, other than two people sitting behind the check in desk. I race up at them and hand them my passport. After a bit of confusion about my age, they hand me my boarding pass and I make it to my flight just in time. 

Moral of this tale is always check for trackwork in the morning, you wouldn't want to miss your flight.

If you want to see the Berlin rail map, to see just home confusing it can look to a panicked non German speaker, click here