Getting there: There are very few intercontinental flights into Berlin. Probably the best way to get there is to fly to Frankfurt and get a connecting flight or take the train (about a four-hour journey).Getting around: Berlin is a huge city with excellent public transportation that includes buses (No. 100 is popular with tourists because it passes many of the major attractions; pick it up at the Zoo Station) and trains that go above and below ground.
Lodging: If you want to splurge (and get a room overlooking the Brandenburg Gate) there's the Hotel Adlon (Unter den Linden 77, D-10117 Berlin; phone 011-49-30-22-610; fax 011-49-30-22-612-222). Doubles start at $283.
The Hotel Hackescher Markt (Grosse Prasidentenstrasse 8, D-10178 Berlin-Mitte; phone 011-49-30- 280-030; fax, 011-49-30-280-031-11) is an elegant boutique hotel, with bar and restaurant, right in the heart of the Mitte district.
Sights: The Reichstag (parliament; you can walk up inside the new glass dome); Checkpoint Charlie (a guard tower still stands and there is a good museum); the Tiergarten (huge expanse of woods, lakes and zoo in the center of the city); the Info Box (with displays on the future of Potsdamer Platz); the Jewish Museum and countless others, including the Pergamonmuseum; and the remaining section of the wall, which is covered with paintings. Two great streets for strolling are Unter den Linden and Kurfurstendamm and, for a feeling of what East Berlin used to be like a walk through, Alexanderplatz is a must, preferably on a cold, overcast day.
Information: Contact the German National Tourist Office, 122 E. 42nd St., 52nd Floor, New York, NY 10168-0072; phone 212-661-7200.