Zweite: 90 Year Old Trains?

Hallo zusammen!

Wow ! Hallo!
For me, it feels like it has been ages since I last wrote to you all, and that’s partially because, well in Deutsch Akademie time (where a whole language level only takes one month), it sort of has ! I do apologize for the inconsistency of Blog posts, as I’ve just been trying out a new way of posting! You see, last time I wrote a for Deutsch Akademie, I would have to think of new content every day, which then made it a bit more difficult to get the right pictures that went along with whatever post I had created that day. Instead,
this time, I am trying out a new method in which I create all the content beforehand, and then I can easily post it every other day! I know it is probably not a big deal to you all, but I thought I owed you an explanation haha
SO, today I had actually planned to talk about my experience with the 8 week Deutsch Akademie Kurs instead of the 4 week, but something came up and I decided that prompt can wait 
until tomorrow!
Today I decided to write about the S-Bahn/U-Bahn! You see, Today as I was on my way to Deutsch Akademie, taking the same route as always mind you, a big problem arose with the S-bahn lines. Apparently there was some Feuerwehr action going on, which was stopping the main trains I use! Because of this, I had to take four-yes, four!- different trains instead of one to get to my location, which ultimately resulted in me being then late to said class. Wow, can I just say, es war total blöd. Honestly, the only thing that saved me was the handy dandy S/U Bahn map I have downloaded onto my phone. Now this isn’t the last time this will be happening and I’m sure some of you have experienced this before. For those of you that have never experienced this, you’re lucky haha ! The S-Bahn system has been in existence for some 90 years now (started in 1924!) so there’s bound to be some complications every now and then. Because of this, and many other things, I just thought I’d give you a few tips and tricks to getting around with the S/U Bahn. 🙂

  • Always take a form of entertainment or distraction on board with you. This could be in the form of an App, eine Zeitung, you earphones for music, or even ein Buch. This is sehr wichtig as you don’t want to be caught in the middle of  long U-Bahn commute in a crowded Zug with the only form of entertainment being trying to avoid awkward eye contact with other commuters. Do yourself a favour and bring something with. P.S. if you have a long ride to and from D.A (Deutsch Akademie) you can even bring your homework ;-).
  • Download the VBB App! It provides times, maps, ticket information (as well as the ability to buy one on the app), complications with the city transportation, how long it takes between each stop, and much more! Trust me! If you use the bus, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, or all three, download this now!

    My handy dandy map! It is very worn from being used so much and even has a rip in it!

  • Have a copy of the VBB map with you at all times! I cannot stress this enough! This is very useful. You can either get a hard copy on a bus or more easily, you can download the map for free onto your phone. The map can also be pulled up on the VBB App.
  • Try to memorize the time that the U/S-Bahn nearest to where you live, leaves. This can come in handy at any time!
  • If you are trying to figure out how long your S/U-Bahn journey will take you, multiply the number of stops you have left times three. That will give you a great approximate guess!
  • Always always always have a ticket! I know this speaks for itself but I cannot tell you how many times I have talked to people who have gotten fined for not having a ticket. The fine is up to 60 times the cost of a ticket (which is around 2 Euros for one 90 minute ticket), so do yourself the favour and get a ticket! Oh, and validate it too! If you’re not staying in Berlin longer than a year, the best deal is the Monatskarte! They also have a Tageskarte if you just plan on using the trains a couple times in one day.
  • If with friends or on the phone, try not to be too loud. Especially in the morning or at night. Most of the people on the train are tired and do not want extra noise. I’ve even seen a group of friends get yelled at by an indignant man haha! Be kind to others on the train by being courteous.

If you have any other tips for this list, please comment and send them forward. We could use all the tips we can get. Have a good U/S-Bahn trip! Until then, bis bald!

-Milan