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The London Heathrow Club Lounge with Bmi is a great start to any break - spacious, with comfortable sofas and excellent work stations; a wonderful distraction from the otherwise ugly Terminal 1 experience.
Berlin has so much to see, (especially the museums) that I would recommend a minimum 3 nights there. The city is also quite spread out so using the U-bahn or S-bahn is the best way to get around, as well as being very reasonably priced.
Hotel Adlon has the best location, right by the Brandenburg Gate on the East German side, and if staying there I would recommend the deluxe rooms as they are in the main building.
My favourite hotel is the Brandenburger Hof. Just 5 mins by taxi to the Museum Island in the east (8.5 Euros fare), it is situated in a quiet residential side street in the west of the city. It is very close to a main shopping boulevard called the Kurfürstendamm (or Ku‘damm) which is home to the famous department store Ka De We, with its tempting 6th floor food hall. The hotel is very elegant, with an a la carte breakfast that warrants a couple of hours before starting the day (the best breakfast I’ve ever experienced).
Berlin’s HBF main station is an amazing modern glass structure on 4 floors with shopping and many restaurants. If travelling 1st class you also get access to the 1st class lounge with complimentary drinks. From here, we travelled to Dresden which is approx. 2 hrs by direct train.
Extensive renovation has turned Dresden into a fascinating, safe and beautiful destination for opera fans and lovers of the Baroque. It is easy to walk around and I was amazed at how some of the buildings we see today had only recently been resurrected from their ruined state.
I would suggest no less than a 2 night stay, then you can visit central Dresden, with its churches and museums (the Frauenkirche and Green Vaults are unmissable), and also take a trip by paddle steamer along the River Elbe to see the surrounding countryside, with its pretty castles and impressive villas. Why not stop off for lunch at one of the many riverside restaurants, all serving local food, or take a ride up the cable car to the panoramic cafe - restaurant Louisenhof, to enjoy tea and cakes?
I would definitely return to both cities; winter would be lovely to see the Christmas Markets.
Senior Reservations Consultant
A native Venetian, Pat has been Kirker's resident expert of the hidden gems of Venice for many years and can offer a useful insight into the non-tourist side of Italy.
Being a mother of three children means she has an understanding of the needs of family holidays and can put together itineraries and suggest hotels, which will make a holiday with the whole family both enjoyable and relaxing. In addition to Venice she has also lived in Lake Como, Venice, Milan and Rome, and has travelled the length and breadth of her home country, visiting Kirker hotels in from the Cinque Terre and the Italian Lakes to Sicily and the Amalfi Coast.
Our expert reservations team regularly travel to a wide range of destinations to explore new cities, visit hotels and to research museums, galleries and restaurants so that we can offer the most up-to-date advice and recommendations.
