Berlin by Bike!

Berlin is an extraordinarily interesting city. The divide between east and west is still noticeable, and the transition is instant - not gradual like you would see in an organically growing city. It's like two cities have crashed into each other. It's the perfect place for us at Trippa to visit and pick out the very best of the city to help show you around with our travel apps!

Travelling around, you can take in the strange differences and fascinating clash of cultures by looking at the majestic architecture next to the vast, functional buildings of the Communists, the enormous green spaces such as Tiergarten in contrast to the bleak concrete squares of the east side, which are beautiful in their own way, and the striking changes in atmosphere which are just around the corner. It's a fascinating experience.

One of the best ways to take it all in is surely by bike. The city is a cycle-haven and getting out in the fresh air, travelling at your own pace down any road you want to take makes sightseeing even more of a pleasure.

Cycling is so easy in Berlin. Being such a flat city, cycling is never laborious. You can just peddle around leisurely and take in the sights, stopping only when you want to spend a little more time looking or for a lie down on the grass in the beautiful gardens and on the banks of the River Spree.

There's no need to worry about safety as a cyclist in Berlin. In the UK and other European countries, cycling can be a little hazardous even if you are the most attentive cyclist. But in the German capital, bikes have been such a large presence on the roads for so long that road users are more attentive and considerate when it comes to bike-riding road users. Drivers have had hundreds of cyclists sharing the road with them for decades, so bikes are respected as any other vehicle rather than a road-hogging nuisance.

The roads are much safer for cyclists due to both the considerate drivers and the sheer space afforded by the size of the roads. Berlin's roads were built to allow enormous military vehicles such as tanks down them, often side by side. That means that the city benefits from great wide roads and many of the widest avenues have dedicated cycle lanes with an abundance of space, well away from the other traffic. These are not narrow afterthoughts, but a welcome provision for the hundreds of people who cycle in the city.

As a visitor to the city, you will not be left out. If you start to feel a little jealous of the Berliners peddling around enjoying the breeze and the sunshine while you are forced to use buses and the U-Bahn, clean and efficient as they are, then you can join in! Berlin has a number options to get you on your bike, or at least a bike.

There are several bike rental companies that operate in the city, providing you with a bike for the day from as little as €9. Companies such as Pedalpower and Fahrradstation rent bikes to everyone – you just have to turn up at the shop, pay and cycle away.

Even easier than that, you can rent one of the thousands of bikes stationed outside stations and near major roads with Call-A-Bike. Armed with only a credit card and a phone, you can register and request a code to unlock one of the bikes. Then you ride it to wherever you want to go, park it in one of the Call-A-Bike stations and go on your way. The cost is €0.80 per minute up to a maximum of €15 in 24 hours.  Perfect for an easy, flexible way of seeing the best of Berlin.

Berlin is one of the upcoming Trippa Destinations. Check out what's going on in the city this month with Trippa!

Photo Credit: (vincent desjardins)