U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Bus: A Berliner's Means of Transportation

          In order to get around Berlin one must become very comfortable with the transportation system if they wish to go anywhere because the city is so big that walking will honestly get you no where. Now I have used public transportations systems before, both in the U.S. and Europe, but never alone and I got thrown into using them alone real fast here.
            On my first night, I used the S-Bahn, which is an above ground subway, to go to and from a party, but I was with my host sister, Luise, and her friends so I pretty much just followed them around. However, on my second day here, I was not so lucky as to have the comfort of having Luise there to show me around. I had to go to orientation that day at the main campus of Frei Universitat and since I did not know how to get there Luise drove me there. However, we did not know what time it was going to end and I did not have a working phone yet nor did anyone else that I knew so there was no way for me to contact her and it was clear that I was going to have to find my own way back. When she dropped me off she handed me a piece of paper that had directions on how to get back, but when I looked at them I was so intimidated. The idea of me, an American who spoke very little German, trying to find my way around a huge, foreign city without getting lost was so scary, but I knew I had to do it at some point.
             Luckily when I left orientation the other CMU participant, Dan, did not know how to get back to his dorm so we decided it would be best for him to come back with me so my host family could give him directions. Therefore, I was not alone on my first adventure using Berlin’s transportation. After walking for a good 20 minutes and trying to read a map on where the U-Bahn station was, which is the underground subway, we finally spotted it. Surprisingly enough though, once on the U-Bahn it was quite easy to figure out where to go from there. We had to ride the U-Bahn for 4 stops, then hop on a bus and take that for 2 stops, and then walk 10 minutes to my house. I honestly was so relieved and proud of myself when I made it home and my family was too.

            However, that night I was looking at where I had to meet for class and soon realized that it was at a completely different location than where we met for orientation. So once again I started to get nervous because I had little idea on where I was going, but I figured when I woke up I would just ask my family the best way to get there and I would figure it out. Horrible idea though…. When I woke up for class no one was to be seen, so all I could do was just suck it up and attempt to find my way on my own and that’s exactly what I did. It ended up being almost the same route except I had to ride the U-bahn for a few more stops.
            After I found my way those two times I have not had a fear at all of the transportation and am confident in being able to figure out how to get anywhere. If you look at the maps in the S-Bahn and U-Bahn station you can easily pick out where you need to go. The only thing I find kind of confusing is the buses and I don’t really like them, therefore I only end up riding them when completely necessary.
            My commute to class is between 30-40 minutes. I have to walk 10 minutes to the bus stop in Mexikoplatz. From there I ride on the bus for 2 stops to Krumme Lanke where I hop onto the U-Bahn. I then ride that for 6 stops to Bereitenplatz and finally I walk probably about 5 minutes to my classroom. It seems like a lot, but it is really not bad at all. Commuting with public transportation is just a normal aspect of everyday life for a Berliner.

         My one suggestions to people traveling alone and not knowing where your going for the first time, whether being on an airplane or on public transportation, is to stay calm. As nervous as you may be tell yourself you got this, have some fun with it, and know that no matter what at some point you will figure out where you are suppose to be.