From our base in Rostock, we decided to take the train down to Berlin on a day trip. Compared to the UK, travelling by train in Germany is luxury. It would appear the German’s consider the train to be a service rather than a business where the shareholders are the highest priority…but enough of that.

As we were travelling on a Sunday, we were able to take advantage of a special weekend ticket (Schones-Wochenende-Ticket.). For 37EUR, up to 5 people could travel on 2nd class from Rostock to Berlin return on any of the direct trains plus travel in Berlin on the S-Bahn (city trains) was also included. The 250km (150miles) trip too around 2 hours 40 minutes on a fast, comfortable train.

As our time in Berlin was limited, I did what I always advise people to do when they want to see as much of a city as possible in a short space of time – we took a city tour by bus. The Berlin City Tour was one of a number of tour options we had and this one suited us perfectly as they had a stop at the Berlin Haptbahnhof (Main Station). The Berlin City Tour has a single route with 6 hop on/hop off points around the city taking in all the main sights of Berlin. The complete loop takes around 1 hour 45 minutes with short stops at the Brandenburg Gate, Alexandraplatz and the shopping street of Tauentzienstrasse. The tour commentary was provided in German and English by a guide sitting at the front of the bus.

Angel, Tiergaten

Most people know Berlin as the Capital of the Third Reich under Adolf Hitler and more recently as a city divided into East and West by the Cold War. However, the history of Berlin dates back to 1237 and there are a number of sculptures and landmarks in the city to mark its’ 750th anniversary.  Berlin is also the place where President Kennedy addressed the crowds in 1963 and made his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” quote in a speech were he was underlining the US support for West Germany. Today, there is a Kennedy Museum located a few metres away from the Brandenburg gate. More recently, Barack Obama addressed a crowd of around 200,000 people in Berlin from the Angel in the Tiergarten.

Between 1933 and 1945, the Nazi’s Gestapo Headquarters were set up on Prinz-Albrehct-Strasse just one block away from Checkpoint Charlie. Part of the original Berlin Wall still stands here. The original buildings were partly destroyed during World War II and were finally demolished in 1956. Since 1997, a permanent exhibitions has been in place called the “Topography of Terror”. Across the road (and the former Berlin Wall) is the building where Herman Goering’s Air Defence Ministry conducted their operations, including the Battle of Britain.

Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin

As the section of the Berlin Wall ends, you will see a double line of bricks along the pavement and road. This line marks where the Berlin Wall used to stand and there are plaques at regular intervals that read “Berliner Mauer 1961 – 1989”. If you want a brief taste of the old East, it is possible to hire an old East German Trabant car for a short time and take part in a Trabant Safari around Berlin. One block along from the “Topography of Terror” exhibition is Checkpoint Charlie, the iconic crossing point of the East/West Berlin border. After the end of World War II, control of Berlin was given to the Allied Forces. The British, French and Americans controlled West Berlin while the Soviets control the East. In 1961 as the Cold War intensified, the people of Berlin woke up to find the Soviets were ringing West Berlin with miles and miles of barbed wire. Over time, the wall was strengthen and fortified dividing the city. However, West Berliners were still permitted to cross into the East (and back again) and foreign nationals could also cross the border. Checkpoint Charlie was one of the crossing points and it was here in late 1961 that tanks from America and the Soviet Union were involved in a stand-off that some feared could have resulted in World War III.

In 1989, as the era of Communism was coming to an end, Berlin was the city where one of the main symbols of the oppressive regime finally fell as the Berlin Wall was opened allowing people in the East to freely travel to the West of the city. Since reunification, Berlin has once again been restored as the capital city of Germany and there is plenty of rebuilding and restoration work underway throughout the city.

A visit to Berlin is part of the itinerary on a number of the Battlefield tours or you may prefer to visit Berlin for a city break. These can both be arranged with Explorer Travel 0208 816 8789.

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Travel Channel’s hidden gem, NYATG, a hip travel guide show for hyper travelers. This episode Written, Directed, Hosted, and Edited by Shane Reynolds (aka Shane O) takes us out for a night on the town in the party mecca of Berlin!! …www.myspace.com/shaneotravels or www.colorearth.tv **look for clips of YOUR TRAVEL GUIDE for more of Shane O and the show as it is known today. Or just search SHANE O TRAVEL for all of it!

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From our base in Rostock, we decided to take the train down to Berlin on a day trip. Compared to the UK, travelling by train in Germany is luxury. It would appear the German’s consider the train to be a service rather than a business where the shareholders are the highest priority…but enough of that.

About gay travel

Gay travel has opened up significantly in recent years, both with the acceptability and the emergence of a wider choice of tempting places to head off to, right from old favorites like Amsterdam and Berlin, to London.

Gay visitors are assured of a warm welcome in Britain, considering that it is one of the gay-friendliest countries in the world today. Gay couples visiting London can easily combine bustling city culture and nightlife with beautiful scenery of various types.

In addition, gay travelers can renew their interest in experiencing royal life in the UK. Looking to bring this spirited new interest to life, a trip to London may just give you a chance to indulge your inner king or queen when visiting the finest regal destinations in and around London.

Gay holidays and vacations in London

When it comes to attractive destinations in Europe these days, the gay traveler is spoilt for choice, with most of the big cities openly flaunting their flourishing gay scenes. All cities, including London, is one of the hippest, most cosmopolitan and urbane cities around. London leads the way as a beacon of tolerance, diversity and inclusiveness, where everyone can create their own particular niche.

As a gay destination, London needs little introduction. It boasts of numerous exciting bars and clubs that would match a few other cities in Europe. Soho, London’s gay village, is undoubtedly the centre for the city’s throbbing gay community. With a thriving business at gay bars, restaurants, clothing and book shops, it is a haven of tolerance and piece. Wandering down the streets of London would be comparable to following in the footsteps of gay luminaries like Oscar Wilde, Quentin Crisp and the film director Derek Jarman.

Whilst most action is focused on Soho, the city is proud to accept that gay scenes exist throughout London. Apart from its extensive gay nightlife, London is by far the best all-round destination, with an incredible mix of art and culture, including historical monuments, art galleries, museums, parks and gardens.

On the shopping front, bargains can be found as well as high-class expensive stuff that can be bought at flashy boutiques and world-renowned fashion houses on Bond Street, and in Chelsea and Knightsbridge.

Gay tours

Acting as the highlight of London’s gay calendar, the annual London Pride, LGBT cultural festival is among the largest and the most exhilarating of its kind. It traditionally takes place from mid-June to early-July. Moreover, there are several other important events throughout the year that gays can participate in, taking specialty tours, bike tours, adventure tours, walking and hiking tours, senior’s tours, family tours, as well as study abroad and education tours.

Gay travel guide

Outside of London, the United Kingdom has one of the largest gay communities anywhere in the world, and is proud to lay claim to two other particularly important gay communities in Brighton and on Manchester’s Canal Street, as well as several other enclaves dotted around the country.

With its fantastic shopping, peerless nightlife and week’s worth of sightseeing, London can be immensely enjoyed as the region’s biggest and busiest city. Although, England on the whole, is an enormously varied place, even though relatively few visitors manage to make it to the country’s other cities – or its beautiful rural stretches.

All kinds of travel help can be got from:

• Mantrav: A gay travel guide, it has contacts with gay friendly travel agents and hotels all over the world.
• Atlantis: The largest tour operator, it brings together LGBT people from around the world creating a gay friendly environment.
• Sensations: They offer holidays to Europe’s top destinations, helping chalk itiniary from planning stage to getting travel insurance.
• Hivtravel: This Company specialists in travel insurance for the gay HIV+ people and advice on required issues.
• Throb: They specialist in gay holidays.

Watch the video related to berlin travel guide

Travel Channel’s hidden gem, NYATG, a hip travel guide show for hyper travelers. This episode Written, Directed, Hosted, and Edited by Shane Reynolds (aka Shane O) takes us on a bike tour of the Wall in Berlin, and more!! …www.myspace.com/shaneotravels or www.colorearth.tv **look for clips of YOUR TRAVEL GUIDE for more of Shane O and the show as it is known today. Or just search SHANE O TRAVEL for all of it!

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Webmaster associated gay related site. This site provides various information on gay health, gay travel, gay holidays and gay tours. Resources are available on site londongayman.co.uk

It is always good to carry a map with you when in an unknown city, and Berlin is no exception. But what maps should you get and where?

What’s special about Berlin is that if you know how to make good use of it’s public transportation and have a suitable map, you can easily get anywhere you want.

Berlin’s public transportation system includes two sophisticated train systems (U-Bahn and S-Bahn), many bus lines, and the Tram trains. No single map can show all relevant information about these, but a good map with the basic routes will usually be enough for a traveler.

There are tons of maps available, usually with streets on one side and the transportation system route on the other. You’d find them in books and travel guides, and in various shops and tourist information agencies. Some of the more decent maps are actually given for free, like those offered by the BVG service centers (BVG is the main operator of city transportation).

It’s better to find a good map of the city and mark the places you want to visit prior to your trip.

BVG offer an interactive map, which can be partially downloaded as a PDF file from here.

On my blog, Berlin O Philia, I offer a few other useful links to maps and other Berlin related resources.

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Springtime in Berlin had always been the time to get out and explore this ancient capitol of Europe…now now…in 1946…with the marshalled seeds of reprented humanity starting anew with the flowering of hope, some electricity and food pulls itself up from out of the ashes of the failed empire…tourism booms…all rooms are booked…be careful poking about for artifacts stroon out amongst the ruins of a city starting to slowly rebuild and intermingled amongst life starting to return and …

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Shooky is one of the authors of Berlin O Philia, a blog about Berlin with tourist guides, links to online Berlin resources, and fabulous photos of Berlin.