Berlin

Google I/O Connect + GDE Europe Summit 2026
Wed 24 Jun – Fri 26 Jun 2026 · 3 days

Planning — book and confirm

🚆 Train (booked)

LegTrainTimesSeat
Out · Wed 24 JunICE 1508München Hbf 12:21 (Gl. 19) → Berlin Hbf 16:22 (Gl. 5)Wg. 21, Pl. 56 · Ruhebereich
Return · Fri 26 JunICE 605Berlin Hbf 18:29 (Gl. 3) → München Hbf 23:10 (Gl. 18)Wg. 1, Pl. 34 · Handybereich

Booked Order 596518364222 · 2nd class · BC25 · €75.48 · no cancellation, train-bound

DB Navigator 📄 Ticket PDF

🏨 Hotel (booked)

Numa Berlin Checkpoint Charlie

Friedrichstr. 31, 10117 Berlin-Mitte · 4★ apart-hotel

In: Wed 24 Jun · 15:00   Out: Fri 26 Jun · 11:00

Studio room, breakfast incl., free Wi-Fi, gym

Prepaid Ref #6546771600

⚠ Numa is app-checkin only — no reception desk on-site. Watch for arrival instructions email. Bring ID + card for incidentals/city tax.

Agent (24/7): agent@worktrips.com · +48 609 009 386

Hotel page 📄 Voucher

🎤 Event registrations (confirmed)

  • Wed 24 Jun · 18:00 · Community Happy Hour
    Holzmarkt 25, Holzmarktstr. 25, Friedrichshain
  • Thu 25 Jun · 08:30 · I/O Connect Berlin
    Wilhelm Studios, Kopenhagener Str. 60-72
  • Fri 26 Jun · 08:30–16:00 · GDE Europe Summit
    Google Berlin, Tucholskystr. 2

I/O Connect RSVP

🍽 Restaurant reservations

To Book

Katerschmaus — Wed dinner ~20:30

Modern German, on-site at Holzmarkt. Walk straight from Happy Hour. €40–70.

Book by Sun 14 Jun · Friedrichshain riverside fills up fast in summer

Reserve via OpenTable →
Decide + Book

Thu dinner — pick one

Splurge: Nobelhart & Schmutzig (Friedrichstr. 218, 1★ Michelin, ~€200 tasting). 8 min walk from Numa. Reserve →

Bistro: Lokal (Linienstr. 160, ~€40-60, chef-driven new German). Site →

Easy: Schwarzwaldstuben (Tucholskystr. 48, ~€25-40, walk-in usually OK). 2 doors from Friday's office.

Decide by Fri 12 Jun · Nobelhart needs weeks; Lokal a few days; Schwarzwaldstuben walk-in.

📋 Open items

  • Action  Email GDE Summit organizer to confirm luggage storage at Google Berlin for Fri (deadline Fri 19 Jun)
  • Action  Reserve Katerschmaus for Wed (by Sun 14 Jun)
  • Action  Decide + reserve Thu dinner (by Fri 12 Jun)
  • On arrival  Buy 24-Stunden-Karte AB in BVG Tickets app (€11.20) — covers Wed PM + Thu AM. Buy second one Thu morning.
  • Day-of  Check ICE 605 platform in DB Navigator on Fri morning

💳 Budget (out-of-pocket only)

ItemEst. €
BVG transit (2× 24h-Karte AB)22.40
Wed dinner (Katerschmaus)50
Thu dinner40 – 200
Coffees / Hbf snack15
Berlin city tax (~5% of room)~10
Cash buffer (Friedrichshain)40
Total~180 – 340

Train + hotel + breakfast covered (DB ticket already paid; hotel via Google GDE travel program, 2 nights).

🛡 Travel coverage

ProviderCovers
Revolut Ultra (XCover)Cancellation, travel, baggage
Allianz AuslandskrankenversicherungMedical (intra-EU = mostly covered by GKV anyway)

Domestic German trip — basic GKV + Revolut overlap is plenty. No insurance forms needed.

Info — Berlin reference

🗺

Orientation & transit

Hotel area: Numa is at Friedrichstr. 31, between Checkpoint Charlie and Stadtmitte. U Kochstraße/Checkpoint Charlie (U6) 1 min walk; S+U Friedrichstraße (S1/S2/S25/S26/U6) 8-10 min walk north — your gateway for everything north + east.

BVG fares 2026:

  • Einzelfahrschein AB: €4.00
  • Kurzstrecke (≤3 stops U/S, ≤6 bus/tram): €2.80
  • 24-Stunden-Karte AB: €11.20 ← buy via BVG Tickets app
💡 Buy a 24h-Karte AB on Wed late afternoon (covers Wed Holzmarkt + Thu morning to Wilhelmsruh). Buy a second one Thu morning (covers Thu return + Fri to Hbf). Cheaper than 5 single tickets.

BVG reliability is at a 10-year high: 98.6% on-time U-Bahn through 2026 thanks to the new train rollout. No major construction on U6, S1, S5, or S7 affecting your routes.

🍽

Berlin food culture (mid-2026)

What's "in":

  • Natural wine + small plates — Standard, Tisk, Lokal all fit
  • Neue deutsche Küche — fermented this, foraged that, regional sourcing. Nobelhart pioneered, Lokal continues
  • Levantine-modern still huge (Coda, Yafo)
  • Specialty coffee — Berlin leads German specialty coffee. Light roasts, V60/AeroPress, oat-milk default

Tipping: 5–10% rounded up, hand it directly when paying ("stimmt so" or specify amount including tip). Same as Munich.

Cash: Many Friedrichshain bars/cafés are still card-shy. Carry €40-50 for Wed Holzmarkt drinks just in case.

🤝

Berlin etiquette for a Munich German

  • Berliner Schnauze — service staff are direct to the point of brusque. Not personal, just the local default.
  • Rechts stehen, links gehen on escalators (same as everywhere in DE).
  • Don't expect "Grüß Gott" — it's "Hallo" or just nothing. "Tschüss" on the way out.
  • Friedrichshain/Kreuzberg is dressed-down; Mitte is more polished.
🚨

Emergency & contingency

ServiceNumber
Emergency (police/fire/ambulance)112 (EU)
Police non-emergency110
Berlin Hbf info+49 30 297 1055
Hotel agent (WorkTrips, 24/7)+48 609 009 386
Revolut card block+370 5 214 3608
DKB VISA block+49 116 116

If S1 disrupted Thu morning: fallback U6 from Friedrichstr. → Kurt-Schumacher-Platz + bus 122 to Wilhelmsruh (slower, ~50 min). Have BVG app ready.

If ICE 605 cancelled Fri: next ICE Berlin→München is typically 19:29; you have BC25 + flexible Zugbindung if delay >20 min.

📱

Connectivity

Domestic Germany — your German SIM works fine. No eSIM needed. Numa + Wilhelm Studios + Google Berlin all have guest Wi-Fi.

BVG Tickets app + DB Navigator app should be installed and logged in before departing.

Pre-Trip — 24h checklist

☑ 24-hour checklist

🎒 Packing — cabin only

0 of 0 packed

Clothes (3 days, dressy-casual for events)

Tech

Documents

Toiletries (cabin-compliant if liquids)

🌤 Weather forecast (climate normal — verify ~17 Jun)

DayHigh / LowRainNote
Wed 24 Jun~24° / 14°C~40%Pack umbrella for Holzmarkt evening
Thu 25 Jun~24° / 14°C~40%Long day in Reinickendorf — comfy shoes
Fri 26 Jun~24° / 14°C~40%Walking with luggage Mitte → Hbf

Daylight: ~16.5h, sunrise 04:50, sunset 21:30. June is statistically Berlin's rainiest month.

📞 Quick reference

HotelNuma Berlin Checkpoint Charlie · Friedrichstr. 31, 10117
Wed first stopHolzmarkt 25 · 18:00 (S5/S7 → Jannowitzbrücke)
Thu first stopWilhelm Studios · 08:30 (S1 → Wilhelmsruh) · leave Numa 07:30
Fri first stopGoogle Berlin · 08:30 (12 min walk N up Friedrichstr.)
Emergency112

Day 1 · Wed 24 Jun

München → Berlin · Hotel check-in · Community Happy Hour
🌤
Berlin · partly cloudy 24°C / 14°C 💧 ~40%
Bring umbrella + light jacket for Holzmarkt evening
11:30
Leave Methfesselstr. for München Hbf Transfer
U1 Mangfallplatz → München Hbf
25 min door-to-platform · target Hbf 11:55
  • U1 from Mangfallplatz direction Olympia-Einkaufszentrum, ride to München Hbf direct (~14 min) or change at Sendlinger Tor for U2
  • Or U1 → Marienplatz → S-Bahn one stop to Hbf
  • Buffer 25 min at Hbf for ICE 1508 at 12:21 from Gleis 19
Get directions →
12:21
ICE 1508 München Hbf → Berlin Hbf Train
Gleis 19 · Wagen 21, Pl. 56 · Ruhebereich
4h 01min · arrives Berlin Hbf 16:22 Gleis 5
  • Order #596518364222 · Reservation #804220209501
  • Ruhebereich = silent zone, no calls
  • BahnCard 25 + ID required at inspection
  • Bordbistro Wagen 16-17 if hungry; or eat at Hbf before boarding
Live status (DB Navigator) →
16:22
Arrive Berlin Hbf Arrival
Gleis 5
Buy 24h-Karte AB (€11.20) in BVG Tickets app on platform
~25 min
Berlin HbfNuma Berlin Checkpoint Charlie
🚇 S5/S7 to Friedrichstraße + 8 min walk · €4.00 single (or already on day-pass)
Directions →
16:50
Hotel check-in — Numa Berlin Checkpoint Charlie Hotel
Friedrichstr. 31, 10117 Berlin-Mitte
App-checkin only · ref #6546771600
  • Watch Numa email for door code / digital key
  • Drop bags, freshen up, change for Holzmarkt (smart-casual is fine)
  • ~70 min until you need to leave for Holzmarkt 25 at 17:30
~22 min
NumaHolzmarkt 25
🚶 8 min to S+U Friedrichstr. → 🚇 S5/S7 1 stop to Jannowitzbrücke → 🚶 5 min along Spree
Directions →
18:00
🍻 GDE Community Happy Hour Event
Holzmarkt 25, Holzmarktstr. 25, 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain
Riverside venue · expect Pampa, Katerschmaus terrace, Kater Blau atmosphere
  • Kick-off for I/O Connect Berlin + GDE Europe Summit week
  • Casual networking — likely 100+ GDEs/Googlers
  • Cash-friendly area (Friedrichshain bars are still card-shy)
  • Nights drop to 14-17°C — keep that jacket on you
Holzmarkt 25 →
~20:30
🍽 Dinner — Katerschmaus Food
Holzmarktstr. 25 (on-site)
Modern German, riverside, zero transit · €40–70 · reserve via OpenTable

Fits Fabian's profile exactly: traditional German with modern technique, regional sourcing, no tourist-trap vibe. The terrace overlooks the Spree.

If too full / off vibe: walk 4 min to Pampa (also Holzmarkt grounds, pizza + bar) or back to Mitte for a late kitchen.

Reserve →
~22 min
Holzmarkt 25Numa
🚇 Jannowitzbrücke S5/S7 → Friedrichstr. → 🚶 8 min · last train ~01:30 · or Bolt ~€10
Directions →
~23:00
Back to Numa, sleep Wind down
07:30 alarm tomorrow — Wilhelmsruh is 38 min away
Don't go past midnight — Thu morning needs you out the door at 07:30 for an 08:30 I/O Connect start in Reinickendorf.

Day 2 · Thu 25 Jun

Google I/O Connect Berlin · Wilhelm Studios
Berlin · variable 24°C / 14°C 💧 ~40%
Layer up — early start in Reinickendorf
06:45
Wake, Numa breakfast Breakfast
Hotel breakfast included · grab Brötchen + coffee
07:30
Leave Numa for Wilhelm Studios Transfer
Allow 38 min door-to-door
Buy second 24h-Karte AB before tapping in

Espresso option on the way: Einstein Friedrichstr. 206 (opens ~7:00) on the walk to S+U Friedrichstr. THE BARN doesn't open until 8:00 — too late.

~38 min
NumaWilhelm Studios
🚶 8 min to S+U Friedrichstr. → 🚇 S1 dir Oranienburg/Wittenau → 10 stops to S Wilhelmsruh → 🚶 3 min
Directions →
08:30
🎤 Google I/O Connect Berlin Event
Wilhelm Studios, Kopenhagener Str. 60-72, 13407 Berlin-Reinickendorf
Full-day program — sessions, demos, networking
  • Bring: laptop, charger, badge (digital from rsvp.withgoogle.com), ID
  • Lunch + drinks typically provided at I/O Connect events
  • Wilhelm Studios is industrial-chic former machine hall — comfortable shoes
Wilhelm Studios → RSVP →
~17:30
Event ends · head back to Mitte Transfer
Reverse S1 ride · ~38 min back to Numa
~19:30
🍽 Thursday dinner — pick one Food

Splurge — Nobelhart & Schmutzig (Friedrichstr. 218) · 1★ Michelin · brutally local tasting · ~€200 · 8 min walk from Numa · Reserve

Bistro — Lokal (Linienstr. 160) · chef-driven new German · €40-60 · M1 tram or 15 min walk · Site

Easy — Schwarzwaldstuben (Tucholskystr. 48) · modern Black-Forest · €25-40 · 12 min walk · usually walk-in OK

Backups: Standard Serious Pizza (Templiner Str. 7), Mädchenitaliener (Alte Schönhauser 12)

~22:30
Back to Numa · pack for Fri Wind down
Hotel checkout 11:00 Fri · luggage to Google Berlin event
S1 contingency: If S1 disrupted, fallback U6 → Kurt-Schumacher-Platz + bus 122 (slower, ~50 min). Have BVG Fahrinfo open on phone.

Day 3 · Fri 26 Jun

GDE Europe Summit · checkout · train home
Berlin · mild 24°C / 14°C 💧 ~40%
Walking with luggage to Google office — pack light
07:00
Wake, breakfast, pack Breakfast
Final pack · everything in cabin bag for the day
~10:30
Checkout — Numa Hotel
Officially due by 11:00 · app-checkout · settle any incidentals
~12 min
NumaGoogle Berlin
🚶 Walk straight north up Friedrichstr. → right on Tucholskystr. (~1 km, with luggage)
Directions →
~10:50
🎤 GDE Europe Summit (already in progress) Event
Google Berlin, Tucholskystr. 2, 10117 Berlin-Mitte
Drop luggage with organizer · join sessions · ends 16:00
  • Hands-on tracks, PM feedback sessions, GDE community
  • Lunch provided
  • Note: you'll join late — Summit starts 08:30 but checkout forced ~11:00 push
  • If summit allows early arrival of luggage Thu evening, drop off Thu after dinner instead — confirm with organizer
Google Berlin map →
16:00
Summit ends Event
Grab luggage · say goodbyes · head out by ~17:30
~18 min
Google BerlinBerlin Hbf
🚶 8 min to S+U Friedrichstr. → 🚇 S5/S7 westbound 1 stop · target Hbf 17:50
Directions →
~17:50
Berlin Hbf · grab dinner-on-train Food
FOODFACTORY Cube (across street) or Dean & David (inside Hbf)
~30 min for food · check ICE 605 platform on departure board

Pick: FOODFACTORY Cube > Dean & David > REWE To Go (basement). Avoid McDonald's/BK lines at peak.

Wagen 1 is at one end of the platform — check Wagenstandanzeiger to position before train pulls in.

18:29
ICE 605 Berlin Hbf → München Hbf Train
Gleis 3 (typically upper Stadtbahn level — verify) · Wagen 1, Pl. 34 · Handybereich
4h 41min · arrives München Hbf 23:10 Gl. 18 · calls OK in Handybereich
  • Order #596518364222 · Reservation #804220209502
  • Handybereich = phone calls allowed area
  • BC25 + ID required at inspection
23:10
München Hbf · home Arrival
U1/U2 to Mangfallplatz · ~20 min to Methfesselstr.

Post-Trip — follow-ups

📝 Follow-up actions

✍ LinkedIn post draft

Three days in Berlin for Google I/O Connect + the GDE Europe Summit. The energy of seeing the European GDE community in one room — directly engaging Product Managers, hands-on sessions, candid feedback — is exactly the kind of signal you can't get from any livestream. Grateful to the GDE program team for making it happen.

Highlights: [add 1-2 specific sessions or product reveals]
Conversations that stuck with me: [add names + topics]

For everyone who couldn't make it — the keynotes are on YouTube, but the corridor conversations are why you show up.

Edit before posting · add 2-3 specifics from the days · keep it real, no AI-vibe.

👥 Contacts made

Add as you go:

NameWhereTopicLinkedIn

💸 Expense summary

CategoryEstimate €Actual €
Train (paid up-front)75.48
Hotel (sponsored)0
BVG transit22.40
Wed dinner50
Thu dinner40-200
Misc (coffee, snacks, cash)30
City tax~10

🔁 Trip retro

What worked? What didn't? Worth repeating? Add notes here for next year's I/O Connect prep.