Due to full flights we can no longer automatically accept registrations for this trip. If you still would like to join, please contact us at info@expatclub.org or 0495-345144 (Edgar). We will try to find alternative flight routes or times for you.
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“Das tritt nach meiner Kenntnis … ist das sofort … unverzüglich.“
“It comes into effect, according to my information, immediately”
– Günter Schabowski, East Berlin, November 9th 1989
With these two words, Günter Schabowski (1929 –2015), the official spokesperson of the Socialist Unity Party of the DDR, accidentally mis-phrased his answer to a question of a reporter posed during a press conference. The question concerned a new policy that would lift travel restrictions for East Germans. His answer immediately raised popular expectations and caused an unstoppable chain reaction. Thousands of people flocked to the 6 official boarder crossings in Berlin, vastly outnumbering the border guards who were hesitant to use deadly force. At 23h30, only 4,5 hours after the press conference, Stasi officer Harald Jäger at the Bornholmer Strasse crossing, opened the gates. The images went all over the world. The Berlin Wall, which separated the city for over 28 years, had finally fallen.
During this unique weekend trip we will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. The program will take you to places in and around Berlin that ultimately led to one of the most dates of or modern world history. We will learn more about Berlin before and during WWI, the inter war period and the rise of the Nazi regime, during WWII, and the post-war communist period that divided the city for decades. And finally we gain a better understanding of the new Berlin, which is ever more developing into modern metropolis. We visit the city exactly 30 years after the Wall fell, 81 years after the Kristallnacht, and 101 years after the end of the first World War. It is therefore the perfect weekend to learn more about this fascinating, dynamic and beautiful city.
What is included?
direct return flights to/from Berlin
1 carry-on bag (12kg max)
1 carry-on personal item (e.g. umbrella or purse)
return transfer by taxi or private bus to/from our hotel
local public transportation (possibly private bus)
3 nights in a nice 3* hotel near Kurfürstendamm
3 delicious breakfast buffets
guided city tour by bus (and a bit by foot)
local transportation for city tour
visit to Checkpoint Charlie
visit to Haus am Checkpoint Charlie
visit to Berlin Wall Memorial
visit to Stasi Museum
visit to Potsdam
reserved visit to Berlin Fernsehturm (206 meter!)
all entrance fees of place we visit
… and more!
a great group of international people
a lifetime expat memory
Optional items
3 nights in a 5* hotel near Kurfürstendamm
Single room (both hotels)
23kg checked-in luggage
Amazing Vivid Grand Show, Friedrichspalast
Who can join this trip?
Expat Club is open to welcome everyone who feels like joining an open-minded international group of expats and Belgians. Most of us live and work in Brussels, but if you live elsewhere, you are equally welcome.
Families or small groups are more than welcome on this trip to Berlin. Children get a discount, but due to the nature of this trip we suggest a minimum age of 12. A discount of €200 is available for children from 12 to 17 years of age. Trip/quadruple and family rooms may be available upon request (contact us by at info@expatclub.org).
As with all Expat Club trips, our program for this Berlin trip will be carefully designed. The following program is only a first set up and will definitely change over the next few days. Still, this general outline gives a good idea of what we are planning. Be aware that we also “mix in” other elements of Berlin, such as visits to interesting districts or other touristic highlight, as well as good places for lunches / diners (e.g. Potsdamer Platz, Alexanderplatz, Unter den Linden, Kurfürstendamm / Zoo, Reichstag and Tiergarten).
Friday 8 November
– Direct flight to Berlin, check in to our hotels
Saturday 9 November We begin our trip to day with getting a better general view of Berlin by driving around in a private bus with a professional local city guide. She or he will show us around the city while driving by many famous places in districts like Tiergarten and Mitte. At several of the places we say we make short stops, whereas at other places we may come back at a later point during this or following days. In the afternoon we will learn more about Berlin before WWI, as well as the inter-war period with the rise of the Nazi regime, and the WWII period. We begin with a guided tour in the Mitte district by visiting the topography of terror exhibition, which is dedicated to the history of the Nazi regime. We also visit the impressive memorial to the murdered jews of Europe, before heading to Brandenburger Tor and look at the Reichstag from the outside. On Saturday evening you can optionally join us for an amazing show in the famous Friedrichspalast (read more below).
Sunday 10 November
We begin the day with a visit to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, where will enjoy a guided tour by a museum official, followed by a “Zeitzeugen Gespräch”, a talk with someone who can personally tell about his/her experience to live in the DDR and deal with the wall. We cannot say yet who this will be. It may be a guard, an officer, someone who tried to flee him/herself. For lunch (not included) we will go up the 206 meters high Fernsehturm for an amazing panoramic view of this metropolis. In the afternoon we visit the Stasi museum in the Eastern part of town, a museum dedicated to the SED regime created the Ministry for State Security as an institution to secure its monopoly of power. We finish the day by visiting possibly the most famous piece of the Berlin Wall, the East-Side Gallery with its many paintings and graffiti.
Monday 11 November Today you can take a bit more time to explore those things you would like to see in Berlin, such as shopping or visiting some museums (note that some are closed on Monday!). But for sure we would like to invite you to join us for a delicious lunch at possibly the most magnificent location in Berlin, namely on top of the Reichstag next to the beautiful glass dome. This lunch is included in the price already, so you’d better be on time! There is of course an alternative vegetarian meal choice available (indicate during checkout).
Starter: Trout & Beetroot
Entrée: Atlantic cod
Dessert: Käfer Classic Banana & Caramel
In the afternoon we propose a visit to Potsdam, where two major historical conferences were held: the Wannsee Conference (1942) and the Potsdamer Conference (1945). Potsdam is also home to the beautiful Sansoucci Palace and the surrounding parks. We travel back to Berlin in the later afternoon, and from there we go back to the airport.
Vivid Grand Show
Berlin is a world city in every single way. Wouldn’t it be nice to fully enjoy our time beyond the more serious parts of our trip? Of course our program is not all about the darker pages of Berlin’s history, since we also visit palaces, parks, nice shopping streets and even look at the city from 200 meters above ground! But we have another great idea for Saturday evening: The Vivid Grand Show. This is a superb show in the famous Friedrich Palast. This visit is optional, so you do not have to join, but since you’re in town you might as well treat yourself to a lovely evening!
VIVID is a declaration of love to life. Featuring more than 100 stunning artists on the world’s biggest theater stage. A production budget of 12 million euros for spectacular costumes and stage sets of unparalleled dimensions. A kaleidoscope of physical perfection and outstanding artistic performances that may prompt tears of joy. Welcome to Berlin’s #1 theater for dazzling entertainment. Welcome to your Palast.
Revue shows are not musicals. Coherence is primarily achieved through visual imagery rather than narrative storytelling. Meaning they are also perfect for guests with no knowledge of German.
Flights
We will fly as a group on Friday evening on a direct Brussels Airlines flight to Berlin Tegel, and back on Monday evening. You can take 1 small bag/suitcase (12kg) on board, as well as a personal item. A check-in bag is optional and you can indicate this during checkout (€25 per single flight, so €50). If you would like to leave earlier during the day, we may be able to offer you a morning flight to Berlin. Contact us about this.
Friday 8 November – Brussels (20h40) > Berlin (22h00)
Monday 11 November – Berlin (20h50) > Brussels (22h10)
Accommodation
For this trip we are staying in 2 outstanding hotels in an even better location! At just a stones throw from the Gedächtniskirche, the Kurfürstendamm and the Kaufhauf des Westens we have blocked rooms in the Park Plaza Hotel*** and the superb Steigenberger Hotel*****. Indeed, for a relatively small additional fee you can stay in a 5* hotel, right in the heart of Berlin. During checkout you can indicate in which hotel you would like to stay.
5* luxury at a stone’s throw from the KurfürstendammA good 3* hotel at just a few minutes from the Steigenberger
In both hotel you can choose between the following rooms:
Single room – One large bed Double room – One large bed for a couple or adult & child Twin room – Two single beds for 2 friends sharing Twin room – Two single beds for solo travellers who would like to share a room (only for Park Plaza***) Triple room – For 3 friends sharing, or for a family with 3 or 4 people (at request only)
Room options for solo travellers
If you travel alone you either opt for a single room, but a surcharge applies (price visible once you reserve your spot). You can avoid the single room surcharge by sharing a “twin room” with 2 single beds. For this trip we offer ONLY female sharing room, and only in the Park Plaza Hotel***. During the outbound trip we introduce you to all other ladies group who also want to share a room, and you mutually agree with whom you’d like to share the room. So you will never have to search for a room partner yourself, and do not have to worry about having to pay a solo surcharge. Since our participants are all adults, there is always a kind person to share the room with. It is a perfect way to lower your costs and to meet another friendly expat.
Comments
The flights will be carried out Brussels Airlines or partners.
This trip is carefully planned. Still, all timings are indicative and may change if required by circumstances.
The trip is sold as a package. You cannot go with your own transportation and/or arrange your own accommodation. If there are specific things that you do not want in the package, please let us know, and we may consider a small discount on a case by case basis.
You are personally responsible for getting a good travel insurance that covers you for any unforeseen emergencies and medical expenses during the trip. We also advise you to obtain cancellation insurance in case you cannot join anymore (e.g., due to illness or a family emergency).
You are personally responsible for appropriately using the hotel room. Any missing or broken items will be billed after the trip. If you share a room with someone, you are equally responsible for leaving it the way you found it.
Expat Club cannot be held liable for long delays (e.g. flight delays) that influence the program (e.g. missing a guided tour). Expat Club cannot be held liable either for weather-related cancellations or any other unforeseen events that influence the course of the trip, including, but not limited to technical problems with the aircrafts or bus, strikes, traffic, weather etc.
Expat Club cannot be held liable for personal injuries during the trip, such as, but not limited to, visiting certain places during the guided tour.
If you do not find a room partner on your own, we will find one for you (female/female, male shared rooms on request). We organise at least one get-together before the trip so you can meet the other travellers. During the outbound trip, we will connect you with others in the same position. If you opt for the room-sharing, you will not have to pay the single fee if there is no one else to share the room with, unless you decide to take a single room during the trip. In that case, you will have to pay for it yourself fully.
If you book a double / twin room and your travel partner cancels, either from the same order or from a separate one once you indicated you want to share the room with him or her, you will have to pay the single room supplement.
Expat Club may “upgrade” or “downgrade” you to another hotel. In the case of a downgrade, you will receive reasonable compensation.
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Single room – One large bed
