01 Validate your ticket, nobody checks at the gate

There are no barriers. Paper tickets must be stamped at the small validator on the platform before you ride, otherwise they count as invalid. Inspectors travel in plain clothes, and an unvalidated ticket carries the same fine as no ticket at all.

02 Almost everything closes on Sundays

Supermarkets and most shops stay closed on Sundays, by law. Museums, restaurants and cafés are open. If you need water, snacks or a beer on a Sunday, you go to a Späti, the Berlin corner shop found on almost every block.

03 Carry cash

Card payment has spread in Berlin, but far from everywhere. Many bars, small food joints and some cafés still take cash only. 50 euros in your pocket saves you the hunt for the next ATM.

04 Deposit bottles go next to the bin

Most bottles carry a deposit. Berliners therefore leave empties visibly next to the bin rather than in it, so collectors can pick them up. Do the same, it is one of this city's small silent agreements.

05 On escalators: stand right, walk left

The left side is for walking. Stand there and you will hear about it. Politely, usually.

06 The bike lane is not a sidewalk

Many bike lanes run on the sidewalk, often marked only by paint or paving. Stand on one and you will get the bell, without warning. In Berlin, glancing down before you stop or step out of a doorway is part of walking.

07 Say the tip when you pay

Around 10 percent is common. Unlike in some countries, you do not leave money on the table. You state the total when paying or say "stimmt so", keep the change.

08 Berlin bluntness is not hostility

Waiters, bus drivers and shop staff can sound gruff here. That is dialect, no attack. If you reply short and direct instead of taking offense, you have understood the principle and will usually be treated with surprising warmth.

09 You can drink the tap water

Berlin tap water is drinking quality. In restaurants free water is uncommon, you order still or sparkling, and both cost money.

10 Trains run all night on weekends

On nights before Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays the U-Bahn and S-Bahn run all night. On weekdays night buses take over. A taxi back to the hotel is rarely necessary.

11 Club doors: talk less, smaller group, no photos

Berlin bouncers decide by instinct and do not explain themselves. Small groups, no loud party mood in the queue and the camera kept in your pocket improve your odds. A rejection is not up for debate, you simply move on to the next place.

12 Budget time for distances

Berlin is huge in area, and the map makes it look more compact than it is. Charlottenburg to Friedrichshain takes a good half hour by train. Explore one area properly per day instead of ticking off 3 districts and you will end up seeing more.