A few days in Berlin with a baby?

January 30, 2020 9:00 AM

We will have a few days in Berlin in April with a crawling but not yet walking baby. What can we do with said baby, particularly related to dining, and suggestions for where to stay?

We thought an apartment would be good with the baby but I'm not sure how to do this with the AirBnB ban. Maybe 4 days in a hotel wouldn't be the worst.

Suggestions for neighborhoods to stay in?

What about stuff to do with a baby in a carrier or stroller?

posted by k8t to Travel & Transportation around Berlin, Germany (8 answers total)

In 2018 Berlin overturned the 2016 ban on short-term apartment rentals. There are now strict conditions, but it's not banned anymore.

I've stayed in an apartment in Friedrichshain and also in a hotel on Unter den Linden very near the Brandenburg Gate (not with a baby both times). Being near the Tiergarten was the biggest benefit of the Unter den Linden location. But I preferred the apartment in Friedrichshain for the fact that it was a fun neighborhood to hang out (and the apartment was great too).

As far as things to do with a baby, it's very easy to spend a few hours in a beer garden on a nice day in spring. There are a couple in the Tiergarten that are in beautiful settings near small lakes and canals with lots of trees. It's also a great city for biking, and you can rent a bike with a tow-behind baby carrier.
posted by theory at 9:50 AM on January 30, 2020

Kurfürstendamm is nice and central and the Zoo is nearby
posted by soelo at 9:50 AM on January 30, 2020

Once we went as a family (16 people) to Berlin, and my sister shopped and bargained till she got a 4 star hotel right next to the Zoo for a airbnb price. It was a great place to be with children. The main sites were close by, and my brother and I took all the little ones to the Zoo and had great fun while the others shopped or looked at Holocaust memorials. At the time I knew Berlin well, and we had lovely dinners at fancy places where I had reserved tables in advance. There was not a single place where the kids were a problem, though I did advise in advance that we were coming with children, and some places we sat in a part of the restaurant that was less popular because you couldn't see the celebrities or something. This was so long ago that I won't suggest any specific restaurants, just say that Berlin is very child friendly and you will have a great time.
posted by mumimor at 10:43 AM on January 30, 2020

Prenzlauer Berg is a pretty neighbourhood that is the baby capital of Berlin.
posted by Beardman at 12:52 PM on January 30, 2020 [2 favorites]

There's a great city guide (and the comments are also excellent) on a blog posted today from a woman with kids -- might be helpful!
posted by caoimhe at 2:20 PM on January 30, 2020 [2 favorites]

I stayed at an adagio serviced apartment in Vienna and it looks like they have several locations in Berlin
posted by brujita at 4:44 PM on January 30, 2020

We had a very nice stay in 2018 with a four-month-old in an AirBNB in Prenzlauer. We just carried him in a harness and walked/took the train or tram most places. No stroller or car seat. Most restaurants had a high chair we could use and there were no objections to bringing him into anywhere we went.
posted by michaelh at 7:37 PM on January 30, 2020

Prenzlauer Berg is very kid friendly and chill and kind of an idealized version of Berlin. Totally recommend - shoot for a place near a park.
Also Kreuzberg, specifically Bergmann Kiez Or Graefekiez are also pretty chill. Neuköln is fun but in places a bit more raw (normal/ not idealized). BERLIN is easy with kids and restaurants are happy to have you/it’s no big deal.
BERLIN is also kind of huge, sprawling, so especially with a kid, try to find a place close to what you want to do.
Have fun!
posted by From Bklyn at 1:34 AM on February 1, 2020