Poland & Berlin: Part 13 - Day 13: Krakow to Berlin

Here is a summary of what is spent on Day 13.

2/8 Day 13: Train from Krakow to Berlin. Departed at 9.56am and arrived at 5.35pm.

Costs
(A) Food
(1) Breakfast at Bistro Bene - Sourdough bread with chorizo PLN22, Cappucino PLN15, tips PLN1. Total PLN38 / SEK107,87

(2) 2 pieces of  local bread - PLN5 / SEK16,19 (we paid with the cash we withdrew at Zakopane that has an expensive currency exchange rate)

(3) Lunch on the train - Caesar salad PLN30,50, tomato juice PLN6,50. Total PLN37 / SEK100,46
(4) Banana at Carrefour - 626g at PLN6,99 per kg - PLN4,38 / SEK11,92
(5) Dinner at Ye-mc Döner Kebap restaurant, Berlin - Kebab döner with a canned soft drink EUR7,20 / SEK83,95

(B) Transport and Accommodation

(6) 2nd class train ticket from Krakow to Berlin - SEK657,42 per person
(7) 3 nights stay in an apartment in Spandau for 3 persons (booked from Bookng.com) - Total SEK3023,58. SEK335,95 per person per night.

The Story

02082023: Today, we leave Poland and enter Germany by train! Unfortunately, there is no overnight train from Germany and such a waste to spend a whole day on the train! I cannot remember where I got the information from but Germany does not have overnight trains anymore or maybe they might continue again in the future, who knows? Germany sold their overnight train carriages. 

First, breakfast in a random cafe. We wanted to finish up our Polish currency as we don't know when we will come back again. I used to love to collect coins from the countries I visited for souvenirs but I realised after many years that I am not able to use the coins or dollars again and it is money lost for me!

After breakast, we walked to the train station. On the way, we bought the local bread. They have these bread stalls everywhere. There is no special taste with the bread. It is just plain bread.

The train arrived in time. For lunch, we went to the restaurant carriage. I had caesar salad and tomato juice. 

We arrived Berlin at 5.35pm and took the commuter train (S-bahn) to Spandau. 

I did not realise that it was quite a distance to Spandau from Berlin. It took us 45 minutes! I could not find any affordable Airbnb in Berlin town, hence I booked in Spandau. I thought the distance was bearable but it was not when it was late at night after dinner and we were so tired. I did not realise it will be tiring taking the train and the bus. Thankfully, the bus is quite frequent.

It was troublesome with the check-in as the host informed me that I had to ring the neighbour's doorbell to let us in. It was my first time experiencing this! All of the Airbnb I booked with has a lockbox with keys inside so we could check in anytime. For this, we had to make sure we did not arrive too late for the neighbour or be specific with the arrival time. When we arrived at the apartment, thankfully, the neighbour was at the balcony waiting for us and she let us in. The apartment was neat but the toilet is not user-friendly. The toilet bowl is reversed as in a person's pee or poo does not slide into the water bowl but on a dry bowl. It does not smell good, of course. Once the person is done, flush the toilet long and hard so that the water flushes down the poo. Gosh! 

Near the apartment, there is a nice kebab restaurant. So, I did not know that kebab döner is a must-eat food in Berlin. I was really full from the kebab meal. 

Then, we went to a small pub in the neighbourhood where one has to ring the doorbell to be let in. Also, cash only. Then, we called it a night.