People who say Germans don’t do small talk are lying – there are a couple of topics (very few to be fair to stereotype), that will probably rouse your average German to passionate speech. One of these, and perhaps the most important, is the bemoaning of the Deutsche Bahn. Germans love to have a good whinge about the trains – for such an efficient, well-run country, the trains can be surprisingly expensive, run-down, delayed, and all round inefficient. However despite this, using the train network is usually the easiest, economical and quickest way of zipping round the country. To assist you on your journeying, I’ve compiled a list of handy hints and some ways to get around some of the most common train issues I’ve faced throughout multiple trips throughout the country.

Describing Berlin is nigh on impossible –at best (and least), it’s a crazy, hustling, bustling metropolis and melting pot of culture, history and all out wackiness. With approximately a third of its 3.5 million residents hailing from international waters, the social and cultural climate of the city is expansive and inclusive, complete contrary to the stereotype of the cold, snappy Berliner. In addition to this Berlin also considers itself to be a bilingual city, which makes it perfect for English speaking travellers. It is also still comparatively cheap compared to other Western European capitals (think: London, Paris, Rome), so you can get quite a few bangs for your hard earned bucks Euros.

As a result, not including Berlin as a stop in your European trip would be a huge shame – which is where this handy guide comes into play. If you only have 24 hours to play at being poor and sexy, here is your perfect list of the classic must-see (mostly free) items that you can easily get through in one day (repeatedly tried and tested).

Melt is not the most traditional of ‘Bucket list’ festivals – but continuously earning a well-deserved place among the likes of Resident Advisor’s Top 10 July Festivals, and entertaining some of the world’s best electronic acts, it was enough to catch my eye. However the main draw (which clinched the deal) was the location – the ‘Iron City’ of Ferropolis, an old, lake-side mining site in East Germany, revamped to accommodate a couple of thousand international music lovers to celebrate summer, love and freedom.