Skip to Content

Berlin on a Budget – 5 Summer Travel Tips

Berlin has a reputation for being “poor, but sexy,” and there’s a reason for that. It’s a city full of cheap thrills and easy nights. Beer is often cheaper than bottled water—and sometimes cheaper than tap water!—and art is available just about anywhere. Here are five things to do in the City of Affordable Hedonism.

5 Budget Travel Tips for Berlin

1. BBQ in the park

berlin cheap bbq

Berlin may not have the best weather; but if and when the sun comes out, the locals are sure to be outside. And, with beer prices so low and a culture of cheap street foods, it’s rather easy to put together a spontaneous barbecue in one of Berlin’s many parks. Head to Templehof — the site of the former airport — now converted into a vast (and flat!) green space. There are designated areas for BBQ grilling, or else a wonderful, little Korean street food stall at the northeast corner great for takeaways.

Other parks popular for barbecues include Volkspark Friedrichshain (with beach volleyball courts and an outdoor cinema every summer), Görlitzer Park (with abandoned-train-station-turned-hipster bar Das Edelweiss), or Prüssen Park in the west, which is the weekend home to a street food Thai market every summer.

Read more: My Favorite Summer Parks in Berlin (Besides Templehof)

2. Drink on a bridge

berlin bridge oberbaumbrucke

Hey, when the weather’s good and the sky is blue, why would you want to be cooped up inside? In Berlin, where the parks are nice but not that nice — where are the flower gardens and prim, green lawns?? — you might as well hang out on a bridge. Sunset is obviously the best time to do it, but if you’re looking for somewhere to scope out guys and gals, the bridges are where it’s at. Head over to the Maybachufer canals in Kreuzberg, bring a takeaway beer and maybe a pizza slice, and just enjoy the views.

Read more: Where to Stay in Berlin (Berlin’s Best Neighborhoods)

3. Eat cheap, and eat well!

doner kebab berlin

Street food is one of the easiest things to come by in Berlin. And with a city full of starving-artist types, you won’t go hungry…unless you have a problem with grease. Because, though the food is cheap, it’s often greasy! But that’s good, because it makes a perfect snack after your bridge-drinking. Döner kebab is the street food king, with Mustafa’s Imbiss drawing the largest crowds. Sausage is also pretty easy to come by in Germany — who would’ve guessed? — and currywurst is readily available throughout the city. Look for “Imbiss” (snack) stands to find the cheapest (and greasiest) street foods.

Read more: My Hipster Guide to Berlin

4. Go gallery hopping

Warhol banana in Berlin

PRO TIP! Look for the banana symbol next to art galleries around the world – ones that especially cool

What makes Berlin such a cool city? Besides the cheap rent, the greasy food, and the free-spirited culture that drives the city’s festivals and events, Berlin is full of people trying to “make it” in the world. Artists, entrepreneurs, etc. — you name it and you’ll find that type of person in town. And most likely, they’ll have a gallery or a show space and will be more than happy to brag about their awesomeness to strangers. Potsdamer Strasse is home to countless galleries, often changing ownership and names, but you can’t miss them. They’ll be the places with obnoxiously large windows and (sometimes) weird art on the whitewashed walls.

Read more: That Berlin Style

5. Ride a bike

berlin bike

Berliners like to be out and about, and bikes are the only way to go. You can rent ’em for usually under 10€, but if your budget is really straining, some kind souls in the city will offer up their wheels for a day or two. Or you can always steal one. (Please don’t steal one.)

Don’t forget! My free guide to Berlin is always available right here on travelsofadam.com!

Save this post!

Berlin on a Budget - 5 Summer Travel Tips

  1. We’ve been getting a lot of signs that we need to visit Berlin. We’ve heard about accommodation/rent being cheap but never made the connection that it could be an all-around inexpensive place to see (assuming it can be expensive if you want it to be). ‘Eat cheap, and eat well!’ may have just sold us :)

  2. Love the resources you’ve added here! The food in your pictures looks delicious, too!
    Great article – RW

  3. Hodo says:

    Thanks, you open our eyes to great ways to enjoy Berlin without spending a bomb. Definitely worth a visit. Will look out for the bananas too!

  4. Hitesh says:

    Your post is fantastic and the information you provide is great! I will definitely make them as my reference before going Berlin.

  5. Rick Stevens says:

    Berlin is a city made for twentieth-century history buffs. From Imperial Berlin to the Weimer Republic, to the Third Reich, to World War II, to the Cold War, no city saw more drama in the last century than this one.

  6. justin says:

    Berlin looks awesome. I hope to visit there one day. Great article

  7. Suman says:

    Thanks for helpful tips…Berlin is must seeing place in the world..

  8. I have heard that Berlin is affordable and a must visit. Will get a plan for it.

  9. Juhi Ella says:

    Must be there in Berlin by the next year on a holiday.

  10. Getting to it. Thanks for info bro!

Comments are closed.