If you’re looking for a family-friendly destination, Berlin is a fantastic city to visit. During our three-day stay, we had an absolutely amazing time, and I’m excited to share our experiences with you. Let’s start with our journey. Although the flights weren’t as cheap as our previous trips with Ryanair, costing me £290 for basic hand luggage, I learned that booking well in advance can save money.
I used Skyscanner to search for the best deals and even booked through Topcashback to get some cash back. To travel from London to Stansted Airport, we once again relied on National Express, which cost us £31 for a round trip.
I’m a huge fan of early morning flights. It allowed us to reach Berlin Brandenburg Airport early in the day, giving us more time to explore the city. Upon arrival, I picked up my Berlin WelcomeCard from the information desk at Terminal 1, and we were soon on our way to our accommodation.
Berlin WelcomeCard
The Berlin WelcomeCard is a popular tourist pass that provides numerous benefits for visitors to Berlin. Some of the main advantages of the card include:
1. Free public transport: The card allows unlimited use of public transport in Berlin and its surrounding areas, including buses, trams, and trains. This can save a lot of money on transportation costs during your visit. Please see the website for TS&CS.
2. Discounts on attractions: The Berlin WelcomeCard provides discounts of up to 50% on more than 180 attractions, tours, and museums in Berlin.
3.Guidebook and map: The card comes with a free guidebook and map, which provide helpful information about the city, as well as recommended itineraries and travel tips.
Getting to our accommodation from the airport was incredibly easy. We simply used Apple Maps, which provided clear directions for using public transport to reach our destination. We arrived in just over an hour. Check-in wasn’t until 3pm. Fortunately, the hostel had a storage room where we could leave our bags, and so we headed out to Tierpark to begin our sightseeing.
Tierpark
Tierpark Berlin is an excellent destination for families with children. Tierpark is one of the largest zoos in Europe and is home to more than 10,000 animals from over 900 different species. Children will love seeing and learning about animals from all around the world, including tigers, elephants, giraffes, polar bears, and many more.
Tierpark has playgrounds and play areas that are designed to keep children entertained and engaged. These include a large adventure playground, a climbing tower, and a water playground. There are daily animal talks, guided tours, and other events that are designed to be both fun and educational.
Online tickets are cheaper than at ticket booths on site. Tickets start from €8.50. Under 4s are free.
A&O Hostels
There are four A&O Hostels in Berlin, and I’m going to tell you about our stay at A&O Berlin Mitte. It’s in an excellent location, being just a brief stroll away from Ostbahnhof station and in close proximity to all the exciting offerings of Berlin. There’s even a Lidl store that can be conveniently reached by foot.
Despite being on the smaller side, our room was tidy and functional, serving its purpose well. As first-time hostel guests, we were pleasantly surprised by the family-friendly atmosphere. It was great to see that even hostels can cater to families.
While there wasn’t a safe in our room, we were able to utilize the ones available in the reception area for a reasonable fee of around €2 for 24 hours. We stored our passports there for safekeeping as we didn’t want to carry them around. The process was straightforward and hassle-free.
The reception area also featured some enjoyable games for children, such as air hockey and a giant version of connect four. There was even an outdoor play area, although we were unable to experience it due to the continuous rain during our stay.
A&O hostels provide family-friendly amenities such as baby cots, high chairs, and baby changing facilities, making it easier for families to travel with young children. These factors make A&O hostels a great option for families looking for an affordable and family-friendly accommodation option while traveling.
Tropical Islands
Tropical Islands is an exceptional day out that left us in awe. We had never experienced such an incredible adventure before. Our journey began by taking a direct train from Ostbahnhof station to Brand Tropical Islands station, which involved seven stops and took a little over an hour to reach. The return tickets cost me €19 and €14.40 for little miss.
Upon arriving at the station, we were delighted to find a free shuttle bus waiting outside, which conveniently transported us to Tropical Islands. The shuttle bus schedule is aligned with the train schedule, making it incredibly easy for us to navigate our way there.
The shuttle bus conveniently drops you off at the entrance of Tropical Islands and is also available to take you back to the train station. As day visitors, we accessed the facility via the day visitors entrance, where we received a wristband upon entry. This wristband serves as a key to a locker in the changing room and is also used throughout the stay to make purchases for food and drinks. The balance is settled upon checking out.
It’s important to note that the number on the wristband and the locker may not match, so make sure to take note of your locker number to avoid any confusion.
Tropical Islands Resort in Germany is an excellent destination for families with children for several reasons. Firstly, it is one the world’s largest indoor waterpark, offering a range of exciting water activities, including water slides, pools, and a lagoon. There are also shallow pools for younger children, making it a safe and fun environment for the whole family.
The resort offers a variety of additional activities and attractions suitable for children, including mini-golf, an adventure playground, an arcade, and a tropical village. These options provide plenty of entertainment opportunities for children of different ages and interests.
Tropical Islands features family-friendly amenities such as changing rooms, baby-changing facilities, and family-sized lockers. The wristband system for purchasing food and drinks is also a convenient feature for families with children.
Take a look at my Instagram reel to check out its true magnificence. We’re eagerly anticipating our visit again next year.
The cost of a day visit to Tropical Islands Resort in Germany varies depending on the age of the visitor and the time of year. A day ticket for adults starts from €47 and for children between 4 and 11 years old, it starts from €37.50. Children under the age of 4 enter for free. It’s worth checking the latest prices and deals on the resort’s official website before planning your trip.
Legoland Discovery Centre Berlin
Legoland Discovery Centre in Berlin is an fab destination for families with young children. The indoor attraction boasts a range of exciting activities, including interactive rides, 4D cinema experiences, and an abundance of Lego-themed play areas.
Children can explore different Lego zones, including a Duplo area for younger kids and a Ninjago City Adventure area for older children. The attraction also offers a variety of Lego building workshops, providing a fun and educational experience for children to learn and create.
The attraction’s staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is welcoming, making it a perfect place for families with young children to spend an enjoyable and stress-free day.
It’s easy to spend the whole day here, with fantastic fun for LEGO enthusiasts of all ages. Ticket prices begin at €21, and children under the age of three can enter for free.
ANOHA
ANOHA is a unique attraction in Berlin that offers a one-of-a-kind experience for families. Located in the heart of the city, ANOHA combines technology and nature to provide a fun and interactive learning experience for children.
While entry to ANOHA is completely free, it is essential to book tickets online to avoid any potential disappointment. ANOHA is undoubtedly a must-visit attraction for families with children during their trip to Berlin.
ANOHA is inspired by the story of Noah’s Ark from the Torah. The Children’s Museum centers around a large, circular wooden ark filled with hundreds of animal sculptures that children can touch, pet, and feed. They are encouraged to explore the museum in a playful manner and take control of their own learning experience.
Every moment spent at ANOHA was thoroughly enjoyable for us. I would suggest bringing a spare change of clothes for the water play area and €2 for the lockers, which is returned at the end of your visit. Additionally, non-slip socks are necessary for children, so do remember to bring them along.
Gamestate
Gamestate in Berlin is an ideal destination for families due to its wide range of interactive games and activities that cater to all ages. The arcade offers a vast selection of classic and modern games, including virtual reality experiences, racing simulators, and even games for young children. It’s a great place for families to bond and have fun together, with plenty of options for everyone to enjoy.
After leaving Legoland discovery centre, we stumbled upon Gamestate by chance and it turned out to be a wonderful surprise. For €26.99 (around £24), we purchased a game card that included 60 credits and 2 complimentary games. Most of the arcade games were only 3-5 credits, so we were able to play numerous games and accumulate a large number of tickets on the card. In fact, we ended up with over 1000 tickets, which little miss was thrilled to redeem for a cool ice cream prize at the end of our visit.
Gamestate’s location in the heart of Berlin makes it easily accessible for families to reach and enjoy.
Home time
We had an amazing three-day trip to Berlin, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the trains and buses run throughout the night. This meant that we could easily use our WelcomeCard to travel back to the airport instead of spending a load of money on a taxi. There was a bus stop located just outside our hostel, which took us to the train station. From there, we hopped on a direct train to the airport, and the entire process was straightforward. Once again, I relied on Apple Maps to navigate around the city, and it worked like a charm.
Overall, we had a fantastic time in Berlin, and we definitely plan on returning. I hope this blog post was informative, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments.
I would like to clarify that we were provided with complimentary admission to Legoland Discovery Centre, Tropical Islands and Tierpark, as well as a Visit Berlin WelcomeCard during our visit. Additionally, our stay at A&O was also complimentary. However, I would like to emphasize that all opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and truthful.
