Berlin in 2026
This time I went to Berlin for work, InnoTrans fair. As decison that I will go as well came late, I didn’t get best flight (Ryanair from Trieste) or hotel (shared room close to airport).
On Monday morning I packed my backpack. At 10am we went from office with company car Renault Austral to Trieste (Sašo, Damjan, Matic). Before crossing border short stop for snack, drink (burek and sola, 6€) and toilet. After parking we moved to gate, most people had Priority ticket, 15 minutes delayed flight on B737 by Ryanair, window seat 23F, some nice views on Alps. After landing in Berlin we took S9 train to hotel Center Green Berlin, cheap but far from city. Two single beds, kitchen, bathroom, 280 per person for 3 nights. Breakfast 12€ per day. Walk in suburbs, ate burger with fries for 9€ and drink for 2.5€ at Batman, nice talk with colleges, Matic was sick a bit.
On Tuesday we woke up early at 6:30 am, not good sleep, quick shower and ok breakfast before train to Berlin Messe, 1h, S46, included in Messe ticket. Big venue, inital walk, first meating, another round, 2nd meating, hotdog 7€. We finished with meetings in afternoon. Took train to city center, main attractions Brandenburg door, Reichstag, jewish memorial. We had late lunch/dinner at Alt-Berliner Wirtshaus, roast beef and beer 26€. To Berlin shopping mall and two trains to hotel. I rested a bit and Sašo went for a run. Some talk before turning to bed early. In bed I was responding mails until 00:30.
Wednesday similar, shower, breakfast, train. On fair even more meetings with potential software vendor. In between short breaks for mails. In afternoon with Sašo we joined Damjan and Matic (still bit sick) for some visit of vendors on their side. We moved to center with shuttle (mistake) in late afterenoon. Sašo went around town, Damjan and Matic went to Siemens event and I got together with Žan for a drink (taxi 10€). We met at Augustiner auf Botzow (beer 7.5€, cigarettes 9.4€). He was already there with few of his collegues, interesting group of people. In the evening I would need to go back to hotel, but it would took 1.5 hours, so I decided to sleep on couch at Žan’s apartment that was 5 minutes away.
Thurstday early morning I went with S9 (wrong ticket, coffe and Coke 5.6€) train from Alexander Platz to hotel and on my way answered first batch of mails. In hotel, after shower and breakfast second batch of mails. We took train to city center (daily ticket 12€), left our bags at station (5€ 8 bags). Again we walked around basic places there. The rain forced us to go for coffee (6€). Later we stopped at Bavaria Berlin for beer (6€). We ate McDonalds (12€). Last train to airport, we arrived early, time for last batch of mails. Finally on plane to Trieste (similar flight, just in opposite way) with car home. Tireing experience but some work was done and I got to met with a friend along the way.
Thank you Sašo, Damjan and Matic for having me there!
