I've just got back from my Berlin city break, and was told by the tour manager that a comment form should be waiting for me. However, none was and when I phoned JY, I was informed there was a 'technical problem' and the forms would be delayed, so I wanted to send this whilst it was still fresh in my mind!
Departure was much too early. Why did we have to get a 7am flight? We could not check into our rooms until 3pm and that meant there was a lot of hanging about. Stephen, our tour guide, arranged with the hotel reception for us to buy travel tickets for three days, which was useful, although it seemed to take an inordinate amount of time as there were of course other parties at the hotel besides ourselves. What would have been really helpful is if the hotel could have laid on coffee and a snack after so early a start.
After everyone had bought their tickets we then proceeded on a walk around the local area of Alexanderplatz and beyond. I and others at last got a coffee at a small scruffy Starbucks in the station, standing as there was no room to sit. Normally this wouldn’t have mattered, after all, I’m used to getting around London, but I was tired by this time and to be honest I thought Alexanderplatz and the station, as an introduction to Berlin, to be a bit of a dump!
Although I cannot fault the hotel, I’m afraid its location leaves something to be desired. It is in the former East Berlin and whilst some may find its charm attractive, I found the graffiti, weeds growing beside the tram tracks and general run down air of a former communist era brutalist housing block unattractive. Plus, it was some way into central Berlin. On the plus side, transport links were good.
The ‘Farewell Dinner’ on Sunday evening, for which I was charged £56.00 was a ’rip-off’, there’s no other way to describe it. The TV tower is a spectacular venue with wonderful views across the city, if only the food and service came up to the same standard. We had to make our choice for the main course almost as soon as we arrived at the hotel on Friday morning, as it seemed the management were being awkward and needed to know a week in advance! It was either beef, fish or risotto, with a standard ‘tomato soup’ for starters. When I asked about a dessert choice, I was informed that it would be chocolate mousse, there being no other choice. We were sat on tables according to our main course choices, ie meat or fish (why, I never understood). Drinks were not included in the price, which I and others thought were poor. The staff obviously didn’t like their jobs and were surly and unhelpful, and the food, when it eventually arrived, was poor tasting – the tomato soup consisted of hot water with bits of pepper and other things floating in it and the fish (my choice) was dry. The chocolate mousse was in fact the best bit! I’m afraid it wasn’t worth £56. We would have done better to go to a local restaurant at half the price.
On the plus side, I enjoyed the many things I saw in Berlin, especially the Reichstag which was spectacular. I should like to come back one day to explore the city more fully.
Stephen was a great tour manager and was just the right sort of person for this job. He was very friendly, personable and helpful and I had every confidence in him.
I think that Just You needs to make a few modifications to this Berlin Trip and it will be much improved.