Decided to spend a week in Berlin.
Flew into Schonefeld (SXF) with EasyJet direct from Glasgow - only 2 hour flight and well under ┬г100 return. Included in that was "Speedy Boarding" which allows you to select your seats during or after booking, and avoid the usual low-cost airways scramble for a seat. We were in a row of 3 (with a stranger) and after the cabin doors were closed we were offered an empty row just 1 behind which allowed extra room to stretch out. We consumed a variety of 18cl bottles of wine at around ┬г4 each and assorted nibbles - which all made for a very pleasant flight.
In the past I have just taken a taxi from SXF to the City - usually around 35-40 Euro - but this time we decided to take the train from the Airport to the Banhoff Zoo and change to Wittenburgplatz which was handy for our Hotel. All in all it cost about 8 Euro each and took about 90 mins. If we had been more familar with the system it might have been quicker - e.g. none of the ticket machines at the Airport rail link displayed any instructions in English, but a very helpful German lady came to the rescue.
Arriving at Wittensburgplatz it was a pleasant 5 minute stroll to the "hetero-friendly" Axel hotel. Well, I honestly have never been in such a large gay hotel in my life (4 floors) and would thoroughly recommend it. At approx 40 Euro for a spotlessly-clean double room with six nozzle shower and mini-bar, I can't remember when I paid so little for so much (even in Thailand). The exterior and interior of the hotel is decorated in black and gold - I think Marc Almond must have been consulted (re: Sex Dwarf). Lifts go to all floors and at the top there's a spa on the roof with lots of guys walking about with towels wrapped round them or reclining in little glass cubicles waiting for who-knows-what. I seem to remember theres a hot tub or a jacuzzi (can't remember - not my scene). At ground level there's a bar which always seemed to be open, restaurant, and breakfast area. I hadn't booked breakfasts in the room rate but I heard they were quite expensive at 13 Euro per head, so we went elsewhere (huge variety of places to find breakfast - but a search for an "English Breakfast" will leave you hungry, as it was very difficult to find) All in all, hotel thoroughly recommended, and the Room Book said they have hotels in Barcelona and Buenos Aires as well.
The other great thing about this hotel was that it was only a 5 minute stroll to the gay area - where you can find all kinds of things to cater to all tastes, from rubber fetishes, bear clubs, sex clubs, rent bars, - even gay Antique and Book shops if that's your thing. It's a BIG scene.
I was only really interested in the 4 rent bars (which I already knew) - Blue Boy, Pinocchio, Tabasco, and Eldorado - and I noticed some changes in them (more later)
Found a very nice little Italian restaurant in the Fuggerstrasse - midway between the hotel and the rent bars - called "Il Pianoforte" - and we ended up there every night before hitting the bars. Really nice food (Steaks, Pasta, Pizza etc) - Starter and Main plus 1/2 litre of Chianti = 30 Euro total (i.e that's the total for TWO!). Again highly recommended and half the price of the restaurants around Nollendorfplatz.
Eldorado bar - empty as usual - how it stays open I dont know.
Plenty of boys in Blue Boy, Tabasco and (less so) Pinocchio - BUT it appears that Berlin is going the way of Amsterdam in so far as almost all the boys are Eastern European - specifically Serbian, Croatian, Romanian - all around 21+ and pretty aggressive. They are not at all shy of asking for cigarettes or drinks (Vodka & Red Bull of course) or money for food (which they then spend in the gambling machines in the next bar).
You have to constantly be on your guard and my friend had 30 Euros pickpocketed from him - now he did have his pants round his ankles at the time so you might say it was his own fault!
We got the overall impression that these bars are now pretty dangerous and we witnessed 2 things that really disturbed us: 1) when, on the way home, we realised we were being followed closely behind by 3 of these lads and we dived into a hotel bar till they were out of sight and 2) when we witnessed the aftermath of a tourist customer being mugged/jostled for his wallet by 3 boys- and the bar not being in the least interested in calling the police. All credit to the punter who called the Police himself and had the 3 boys taken away in handcuffs - but it doesn't exactly give you a feeling of security. I must give a positive mention to a bar called the New Old Time Bar run by a tranny called Connie - good atmosphere and the sight of Connie with her frock and hairy arms is worth a laugh in itself.
However, putting that aside - we did some "touristy stuff" like going on the 2 City Bus Tours which you can pick up from outside the KaDeWe department store (3 mins walk from hotel). These are really informative and of course you can hop on and off as you please - for lunch or just a beer, or whatever. There are 2 tours - a City tour - and a tour of what was East Berlin. Pick up discount vouchers from your hotel for these as they are not cheap.
So, basically, had a good time. Loved the hotel, loved the non-rent bars (the German people are SO friendly), disappointed that the rent-scene is now so dodgy (prices quoted were from 30 Euro for bj in toilet to 150 Euro to go back to hotel - but frankly nothing appealed and after the 2 incidents we skipped going to those bars).
Verdict - enjoyed it but won't be back for a few years. If anybody has any questions, send a PM
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Originally Posted by egel
