Berlin is… a bit special. I've lived in several different German cities for months at a time, and one of those stints was in Berlin. Some parts are remarkably o

Berlin is… a bit special. I've lived in several different German cities for months at a time, and one of those stints was in Berlin. Some parts are remarkably orderly. The Dahlem area in particular is quite tranquil and organized. Other sections of Berlin are a bit more lively. :) Tegel is a nightmare. It was designed for maybe half the capacity it currently serves. Hopefully opening the BER airport will relieve some of that pressure. That they can handle such a high volume at all is remarkable. Do avoid Tegel if you can help it though. In the other cities I've lived in, this article rings very true: you stop at crosswalks even when no cars are coming. Most people's houses are kept in immaculate order. (Exceptions of course exist.) "Deutcher pünklich heißt fünf Minuten früh sein" ("German punctuality means being five minutes early." — paraphrase of something I heard from a German friend of mine one time.) City transit is remarkably accessible: I used to visit unfamiliar parts of cities and small towns occasionally armed with a map—an never with a phone with GPS. I never got lost. Transit maps and signage are clear and easy to understand. I've visited Germany twice now since my two-year stay there. Each time I explore more—it's easy because of how much order there is in the transit to latch onto.