The new Hauptbahnhof in Berlin is a spacious marvel. At different levels it accommodates long-distance trains, regional trains, the S-Bahn and the U-Bahn. Signage is clear and helpful; the escalators are always running. This is a model of what railway stations should be.

An fabulously modern and clean station but daunting to the uninitiated. The station is huge and we didn't find it easy finding the right platform to catch our trains. It was only with the help of the apps like Citymapper and Google Maps that we found the correct platform. We we really struggled when we tried to catch the U5 line into town, as the signage is very poor and the apps couldn't help this time. The escalators heading up have an 'S' sign next to the platform numbers and those going down have a 'U' sign. We assumed this meant all the platforms downstairs were U platforms, but it was not the case, so we spent ages looking for the U5 on these platforms without success. The Tourist Information office were unable to direct us, so we gave up. We were frustrated as we are used to the underground system in London where the tube lines are very clearly signposted. The next day, we found a Youtube video which showed an extremely discreet entrance to the U platforms near platforms 7 & 8. Only once passing into this entrance did we spot the first small sign to the U5 line. Once we had this knowledge, we found the line to be an excellent way to get to the centre of the city. In all other respects, this is a fantastic station and the trains run with incredible efficiency.

Central train station of Berlin. Catch all the trains you need from here. We stayed close by to take advantage of this. Can be a bit confusing to work out which platform to take for which trains but you certainly get the hang of it.