Although Mensa cafeterias are commonly found on campus at German universities and packed with healthy, athletically-inclined students, the dining halls are open to the public, and you’ll often find yourself dining alongside area businessmen and women. For the adventurous tourist, the cafeterias offer a unique and budget-friendly opportunity to get a taste of the real Deutschland.

Cafeteria food is, mildly put, not everyone’s culinary preference. But we enjoy it and embrace it for all of its qualities – healthy portions, light seasonings, regimented serving procedures, and unwavering value.

How the Mensa works

Most Mensa cafeterias require that you purchase a “MensaCard” onto which you can load – and reload – cash. These cards are for sale in the checkout lines for €1.55. Once you have procured a card, take it to the loading machine, where you insert money and load it up. At some cafeterias, you may also pay with cash, but you shouldn’t count on this.

Please note: Do not continue with your Mensa adventure until after you have fully loaded your card. The cashier can’t load up your card for you. Bad and embarrassing things could happen.

Your card activated, head into the cafeteria. Look for a big sign listing the day’s options (sometimes with illustrations), and note that most cafeterias offer daily options that are vegetarian, vegan, and “bio-essen” (organic). If you don’t speak or read German, it’s a pretty safe bet that you can ask any student around you for translation help. (“Schwein,” by the way, is “pork.” You’ll be seeing that.)

We usually head for the longest line, as it gives us a chance to survey the choices being dished up, and to overhear the ordering and practice our vocabulary. (English will probably not work on the women working behind the serving counter – but a smile and pointed finger usually does the trick.) Once your main entrée and side have been handed to you, slide down to the salad cabinet, and then head to the beverage dispenser. So many wholesome beverages are yours – milk, apple juice, orange juice, vitamin punch (Note: We’re still not quite sure what’s in the vitamin punch, but it does pack one)!

Now that your tray is filled with nourishing vittles, head to a checkout lane and be prepared to hand over your new Mensa card. If you’re a student, show your student ID before the clerk rings you up, as your prices will be markedly lower.

Our favorite Mensa cafeterias in central Berlin

In Mitte:
Mensa Nord
Reinhardtstrasse 30
Editors pick for dining in Mitte, north of Unter den Linden.
Monday – Friday, 9 AM to 3 PM

Near Alexanderplatz:
Mensa Spandauer Strasse
Spandauer Str. 1
Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 3 PM

Near Gendarmenmarkt:
Mensa Charlottenstrasse
Charlottenstrasse 55
Pop into this one when heading south of Unter den Linden or shopping on Friedrichstrasse.
Monday – Friday, 8:30 AM – 3 PM

Near Nollendorfplatz:
Mensa Kurfurstenstrasse
Kurfürstenstraße 141
Monday through Friday 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM

Read more

Still hungry? Read more posts on cheap eats in Berlin.

The post Berlin: Mensa cafeterias dish up cheap meals appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

What to look for

Cheapos with an appetite are well served by a number of low-cost eateries in the central district of Mitte, where most major sights are located, that turn out big, warm meals at surprisingly low prices.

Unless you’re in an adventurous mood, be sure to avoid Berlin’s more unusual specialties, including Eisbein (pickled knuckle of pork), Hering nach Hausfrauenart (pickled herring), and Gekochte Eier in Senfsauce (boiled eggs in creamy mustard sauce). Stick instead to filling classics like roasts, schnitzels, sausage, and vegetarian-friendly casseroles.

Where to get home-cooking in Mitte

Follow procrastinating Humboldt University students to Deponie No. 3 (Georgen Str. 5, U-bahn and S-bahn: Friedrich Str.) for a budget-friendly meal that will keep you fueled for hours. Near the pricey Friedrich Strasse and stately Museum Insel, this wood-lined, pub-like eatery is adorned with a hodgepodge of hokey antiques. Find a wooden table and peruse a huge menu of classic German meals like mama makes. Most entrees, including stuffed cabbage, big schnitzels, and vegetable Aufläufe (casseroles), cost less than €10.

Decorated with antique movie posters, cozy Sophieneck (Grosse Hamburger Str. 37, U-bahn: Weinmeister Str.) is steps from Hackescher Markt’s pricey boutiques and Sophien Strasse’s exclusive art galleries. Luckily, prices for dishes such as roasted pork, Bratwurst, and Boulette (meat patties), aren’t out of reach. Even with a beer, you can dine for about €10. Stop by for lunch to take advantage of the daily specials, which always include a vegetarian option (€5.90).

Quick eats that will still warm you up

If you’re in a rush or about the catch a train, head to the food court on the ground floor of the Friedrich Strasse Bahnhof (train station, U-bahn and S-bahn: Friedrich Str.) to find German classics served with speed at Damisch (across from the Edeka grocery store). Dishes like stew, schnitzel, Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes), and a plus-sized Currywurst usually go for €5–7. With a meal like this, you won’t notice the brisk temperatures outside.

The post Berlin Cheap Eats: Warm up with classic German food appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

When visiting Berlin, those traveling on a shoestring can find plenty of ways to save money on their trip, as well as hundreds of great activities that are absolutely free of charge.

Berlin is a lot more affordable than you think! Read on to find out more.

Related: Our favorite budget hotels in Berlin

12 Berlin budget tips

1.  Save with a tourist card or transit pass

If you plan to visit any museums or sights that charge an entry fee, the Berlin Welcome Card might work well for you. The card covers all public transportation and offers discounts on everything like museums, restaurants, and tours, as well as many other attractions.

You can buy the ticket for either 48 hours (€19.80), 72 hours (€26.70 or €40.50 for free entry to museums on Museum Island) or five days (€34.50). The Berlin Welcome Card can also be purchased online before you arrive and comes with a free city map. If you would like a ticket that is also valid in Potsdam (ABC region), you have to pay just a few euros more.

If you’d rather take it easy and not hit up too many of the museums, a regular BVG public transportation pass might be the better option. A regular adult seven-day ticket costs only €29.50 and a day ticket (valid for 24 hours from time of purchase) costs €6.90. Student discounts and children’s tickets are also available. For more information about ticket prices, click here to visit the BVG English website.

2. Avoid pricey bus tours with public transport

While commercial sightseeing tours will set you back at least €14, you can reach any of the major sights these tours cover by taking public transportation in Berlin. Especially good for hitting the big sights is bus lines 100 and 200 that ride right past the big attractions, all for the price of a normal transport ticket. Both lines will take you past such famous sights as the Berlin Cathedral (Dom), down Unter den Linden to Brandenburg Gate, and on to Tiergarten. Bus 200 also passes through Potsdamer Platz and the embassy quarter. Both lines use double-decker buses, which offer great city views.

If you have the Berlin Welcome Card or a BVG day or week ticket, feel free to hop on and off as often as you like. For BVG travel information in English, click here.

The lobby of BaxPax hostel in Kreuzberg. Photo: EuroCheapo

3. Sleep cheap with couchsurfing, hostels or a budget hotel

If you’d like to meet some open-minded locals and don’t mind crashing on someone’s couch, couchsurfing can be a great super-cheapo option. Berlin has a very active couching surfing community where you’ll likely find the perfect host for your needs.

If you prefer a bit more privacy, Berlin has many inexpensive hostels and hotels that we list on EuroCheapo. Kreuzberg is home to several of the best, including Die Fabrik (doubles starting at $60), an arty hostel housed in a restored factory building from the turn of the 20th century, and BaxPax (many twin rooms under $50), a backpacker’s paradise boasting billiards and spontaneous jam sessions.

If you want to take a break from hipsters and backpackers, venture further west to Charlottenburg to Hotel Pension Kima, a small hotel-pension with 13 rooms which, as they boast on their website, offers you “all the comfort and convenience of a home.”

Related: 33 Berlin hotels under $100 per night

Use a free app or take a free walking tour to explore sites like the Berlin Wall. Photo: Craig Nelson

4. Take free guided tours and use free iPhone apps

Several tour companies offer free tours that last between two to three hours long. New Berlin Tours and Original Berlin Tours both offer no-fee tours covering Berlin’s major highlights and historical sights. Alternative Berlin offers free walking tours that take you off the tourist strip and into the funky heart and history of alternative Berlin. Whichever you choose, be sure to give a generous tip to your guide!

If you brought your iPhone along (and you’ve figured out how to avoid huge data charges), you can also download several free apps like Street Art Berlin or The Berlin Wall.

Keep your eyes peeled for discount markets like Aldi. Photo: Mike Mozart

5. Buy snacks and drinks at cheapo grocery stores

An adventure unto themselves, grocery stores in Berlin are also the best place to buy snacks and beverages. Stock up on chips, bakery goods, produce, beer, and soft drinks at a fraction of the price you’d pay at most snack bars or convenience stores. Various chains have different price points, so be sure to stick with Lidl, Aldi, and Netto for the best deals.

Related: A Guide to Germany’s discount grocery stores

Grab a bottle of beer from the nearest shop and sip it anywhere! Photo: Diego

6. Enjoy a “Fusspils” (beer on the go)

“Fusspils”, “Gehbier”, “Handbier” or “Dose to go” – Berliners have many words for it, but they all mean the same thing: drinking a bottle of beer while on the go. Pop into Netto, buy a light Pilsner or dark Dunkelbräu for under €2, then enjoy it while strolling down the street, taking the U-Bahn, or hanging out in the park, anywhere. Berlin has no restrictions on casual public drinking, which is nice for tourists looking for more buzz for their buck.

Take a hike through lush Grunewald Forest. Photo: Rae Allen

7. Get lost in the woods

Although some might think of Berlin as your typical concrete urban jungle, the city is actually one of the greenest in Europe, with 18% of its surface covered in actual forest. If you need a break from big city living, do some wild boar and deer spotting at the two largest forests in the city, Grunewald and Spandauer Forest.

In Grunewald, you can also enjoy a beautiful view over the Havel river and Wannsee from Grunewald Tower (Grunewaldturm) or take a peek at Berlin’s oldest palace, the Renaissance hunting lodge Jagdschloss Grunewald. Spandauer Forest is home to three quagmire wetlands, many rare types of plants and birds and the “ice cellar” (Eiskeller), an area that is sometimes up to 10 degrees colder in the winter than any other part of the city.

You can reach Grunewald from the S-Bahn station Grunewald, and Spandauer Forest from buses such as the M45 leaving from the U/S Bahn station Rathaus Spandau.

8. Picnic in the park

If you’re not sure you want the full-on forest experience, Berlin is also home to hundreds of green spaces where you can relax in the sun with a nice picnic lunch and an inexpensive bottle of wine. Aside from the ever lovely Tiergarten, another great park to check out is Gleisdreieck Park, a relatively newcomer that integrates an old train depot into an urban green space and recreation area. The park also connects Kreuzberg to Potsdamer Platz and the government quarter.

The famous airport-turned-park Tempelhofer Park is a great place to relax with your bargain Fusspils while watching rollerbladers and kite surfers strut their stuff. If you’re spending time in the former East, check out the famous Märchenbrunnen (Fairy Tale Fountain) in Volkspark Friedrichshain.

Related: Explore these four great parks in Berlin

9. Snack on local treats

Stulle is Berliner slang for the simple sandwiches sold at bakeries all over the city, usually made up of a bread roll, lettuce, a tomato slice, and either two cold cuts or cheese. Priced mostly between €2-3, they can be an easy, cheap meal that you can enjoy anywhere.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, check out Rumkugeln (soft, chocolate cake balls with rum flavoring) or Quarkbällchen (deep fried sweet dough) which both run for about one euro.

Get out and see the city on two wheels for a cheap way to get around. Photo: Craig Nelson

10. Rent bikes a little off the tourist path

Truly a biker’s paradise, one of the best ways to see Berlin is atop a Fahrrad (bicycle). Although you can rent bikes all over the city, you can save a lot by going off the tourist path. While most hotels and hostels will charge you between €12-20 per day to rent a cycle, if you look around neighborhoods like Friedrichshain, Prenzlauerberg, or Kreuzberg, you can definitely find smaller shops charging €8 or less.

M’eierrad in Kreuzberg even offer bikes at the unbelievable price of only €3 a day!

11. Know your classic cheap eats

The most common Berlin cheap eat staples include currywurst, falafel, döner, and, of course, pizza. Although the prices may vary slightly from neighborhood to neighborhood, in most cases they will all cost under €5.

Though the price may stay the same, there is definitely a difference in quality: As a rule of thumb, any Imbiss (snackbar) attached to an U-Bahn or S-Bahn station is likely to be extra greasy. For currywurst, two of the best locations are Curry 36 in Kreuzberg and Konnopke’s in Prenzlauerberg. Two great falafel locations are Dada Falafel in Mitte and Mo’s Kleiner Imbiss in Kreuzberg.

If you’re döner-ed out after a few days, try another Turkish specialty like Pide (diamond shaped bread stuff with meat or feta), Gözleme (filo dough with feta, meat or spinach filling) or Lahmacun (“Turkish” pizza). Other options for cheap eats are burger joints (there lots to choose from in Kreuzberg and Neukölln) and Chinese or Indian restaurants scattered around town.

Go shopping at a Turkish market. Photo: Neil H

12. Shop at local markets

Although some farmer’s markets in Berlin are more upscale, most of them offer fresh produce, meat and fish at reasonable prices. They also usually have a large selection of food stands where you can get a quick lunch for €5 or under.

Most neighborhoods have a traditional Saturday market, but some are also open on Wednesdays, like the Winterfeldt Market on Winterfeldplatz in Schöneberg. For a taste of Turkish Berlin mixed with a nice dose of Berliner hipness, come by the Turkish Market on Maybachufer in Kreuzberg, open Tuesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Marheinike Markthalle in Kreuzberg is an indoor market open every day but Sunday. Although the produce is mostly too expensive for the budget traveler, they have over 10 food stands, including Thai, Greek, a creperie and rotisserie chicken, all at a nice price.

More ways to save in Berlin

Looking for more ways to save when visiting Berlin? Read these articles from our blog, and check out this list of recommended budget hotels.

The post Berlin: 12 simple ways to save big on your trip appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Finding affordable Kaffee und Kuchen is… well, a piece of cake in Berlin. But if you’re looking for something extra special, here are a few suggestions:

1. Albrechts Pâtisserie
Rykestraße 39 (Prenzlauer Berg near Kollwitzplatz)
Tel: +49 (0)30 440 172 73
Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Monday to Friday)
Web site

As the name suggests, Albrechts Pâtisserie draws from the best of France and Germany. Combining “German traditions with French finesse,” Albrechts offers up to 20 different kinds of sumptuous cakes and pies on any given day.

The owner’s personal favorite? Stephanie Albrecht recommends the Schokodom, a tower of fluffy sponge cake and two kinds of mousse au chocolat, topped with more chocolate. In addition to the Prenzlauer Berg location, there are shops in Schöneberg and Charlottenburg (see the Web site for details).

2. Koriat
Pannierstraße 29 (Neukölln)
Tel: +49 (0)30 288 791 79
Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Monday to Thursday), 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Friday to Sunday)
Web site

Israeli baker Aviv Koriat doesn’t bother delivering. Instead, folks from no less than 16 cafés personally pick up pastries from Mr. Koriat’s eponymous bakery in Neukölln.

The spartan shop has no seating inside, but it does offer a sidewalk bench. Try to look nonchalant as you balance your peach and pistachio cake on your lap while sipping espresso. You are on hipster-filled Pannierstraße, after all.

3. Der Kuchenladen
Kandtstr. 138  (Charlottenburg near Savignyplatz)
Tel: +49 (0)30 310 184 24
Hours: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Tuesday to Friday), 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday)
Web site

If you want to feel special without spending a fortune, check out this little shop. Der Kuchenladen serves handmade delicacies to a select few customers—that is, those who battle it out with young families and gay couples to grab one of the four tables in this tiny, pink-walled café. You’ll find all the usual suspects of German bakeries here, but always with a twist.

4. Alles Gute…
Simon-Dach-Straße 3 (Friedrichshain)
Tel: + 49 017 814 432 45
Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Tuesday to Friday), 10 a.m. to 5 pm. (Saturday), 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Sunday)

Follow the smell of freshly baked brioche and you’ll find yourself at Alles Gute. Whether you like your latte with organic or soy milk, this café on fashionable Simon Dach Straße caters to your whimsy. Plus, you won’t find a cheaper slice of artisan cake in the neighborhood.

5. Opernpalais
Unter der Linden 5 (Mitte)
Tel: + 49 (0)30 202 68-3
Hours: Open daily from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Web site

If you feel like splurging, you can mingle with the well-heeled dames at Opernpalais, which boasts “Berlin’s biggest selection” of over 65 cakes (including some for diabetics). The servers can be a tad impersonal, but you can’t beat the location on magnificent Unter der Linden.

The post Berlin: 5 great bakeries for coffee and cake appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.