Today it’s Berlin vs the London Underground! WHO WILL WIN?
Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring! Sign up today to get a huge discount on a 2 year plan! https://nordvpn.com/evan
Vlog channel https://youtube.com/EvanEdinger
Thank you so much for watching! Hope you enjoyed it!
A big thank you to Geoff Marshall for joining in!
https://youtube.com/geofftech2
Video Chapters:
0:00 Hook & Intro
0:58 The history of the London Underground
2:12 The history of the Berlin U-Bahn
4:03 Comparing types of public transport in London vs Berlin
9:54 How well does each city’s transport provide coverage?
11:45 Price – Which system is more expensive?
16:14 Transport maps and navigability of the network
19:26 Regularity – Which system offers a higher rate of trains?
20:33 Noise – Which system is louder?
21:58 Cleanliness – Which system is dirtier?
22:47 Reliability – How often do disruptions occur?
24:53 Accessibility – Which system offers better access to all?
25:49 SPON
27:24 Conclusion
28:51 I nearly got stuck in the Thames
If you’re new to my channel and videos, hi! I’m Evan Edinger, and I make weekly “comedy” videos every Sunday evening. As an American living in London I love noticing the funny differences between the cultures and one of my most popular video series is my British VS American one. I’m also known for making terrible puns so sorry in advance. Hope to see you around, and I’ll see you next Sunday! 🙂
If you want to know HOW I make my videos including gear, lighting, all the tiddly bits that connect it all together, (with cheaper alternatives and kit I used to use), I’ve listed each item, what it’s great at, and why I use it on the gear section of my website here:
https://www.evanedinger.com/blog/my-gear
Otherwise: here’s a quick list of some of my kit without descriptions from the above link:
Camera: Sony A7siii
https://geni.us/Evana7siii
Main Lens: Sony 24mm f/1.4 G-Master
https://geni.us/Evan24
Secondary Lens: Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G-Master
https://geni.us/Evan1635
Main Light: Aputure 120d mkii
https://geni.us/Evan120d
Shotgun Microphone: Sennheiser MKH-416
https://geni.us/Evan416
Really useful SSD: SanDisk Extreme Portable 2TB
https://geni.us/EvanPortSSD
The background music I use is all from Epidemic Sound! I highly recommend it: https://geni.us/EvanEpidemicSound
Store: (LUTs, Presets, & Prints) ► http://evanedinger.com/store
Patreon: http://patreon.com/EvanEdinger
Second Channel: http://www.youtube.com/EvanEdingerTravel
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/EvanEdinger
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/EvanEdinger
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EvanEdinger
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/aH5jSEC
Twitch:(4 days a week!) ► http://twitch.tv/EvanEdinger
32 Comments
Good video thanks, lots of interesting points, especially those about London from an American's perspective
I love my Berlin Trams. More please.
I hope your shoes survived!
I would be really interested in seeing London’s metro compared to maybe Madrid or Barcelona. On a trip to Barcelona, was really rudely surprised with how inaccessible the system is for wheelchair users. Nearly impossible to access!
My biggest gripe with London public transport is how UN-connected transfers are from one system is to the next, even between tube lines. It is so tiring going through a maze for transit inside the same station and often causes people to miss their transfers with so many lines on different ground levels. Bus stops are also never conveniently grouped outside the station. We frequently have to cross roads between bus stop and train station causing us to miss them. God forbid you have to go from train to coach at Victoria!
Visiting NL has made me realise how efficient it is to have one system next to the other. Trams, buses, all immediately outside a station, grouped together for convenience and speed. Made me think how tiring it is commuting in London and for a higher fare. It's all well and good if you live somewhere that only needs 1 line to commute but not when you need 2 or more.
You got the French marine to float into your shot just to get a transition to the sponsor??
Respect!
If you get the Deutschland ticket for a shorter trip make sure to buy and cancel it before the tenth of the month otherwise the fuckers charge you for next month too.
Dodie !
The Deutschlandticket does permit you to ride on regional rail and it is completely possible to travel across the country for just €58 a month. Takes a while, sure, but you'll make it. I live more than 500 km away from Berlin and I'd only need to change trains 3 times. It'll take you 8 hours but for no extra cost quite impressive.
Outside Berlin RB and RE lines are commuter trains connecting the sorrounding cities/communes with Berlin. They cover a great area outside Berlin. But inside Berlin they also function as express trains taking the same two important west/east and north/south routes like the S-Bahn but stopping at less stations and therefore travelling at a higher average speed through the city. So RE and RB lines are clearly a +1 for Berlin .You schould also consider greater London beiing twice as big as Berlin and Greater London has twice the inhabitants.
Maybe an interesting background information. Due to the division of Berlin citizens avoided the S-Bahn as it was operated by the east german reichsbahn. In West-Berlin the underground was extendend massively but could not expanded outside city borders like the london tube does. For East Berlin it was too expensive to expand the underground network, that's why the network is concentrated in the western part of the city. East Berlin expanded trams and S-Bahn instead.
Sorry the €58 per month for national travel makes the Berlin system an instant win. You can spend that in a week commuting within London and easily go over that if you commute from outside the city in just one return trip at peak.
Evan plus a cameo from Geoff and a call-out to Jay. Is it Christmas already?
Woah, the ending! Glad you're still alive!
14:32 'honor system' lol
With the dirtbags running around who fine you even if you have a pass, i dont think so.
23:41 58,4% of long distance trains arrived on time. While this is quite terrible for sure, it's A LOT better for regional (-express) or local trains, including all S-Bahn services of the country.
For these modes of transport it's 90% punctuality (nation-wide) which is actually quite good.
I am convinced all Berlin bus drivers are washed out rally drivers the way they set off and come to a halt at stops, for the 150m distance between said stops.
I was very impressed by Berlin’s public transit system when I visited, I think the fact it’s this neck and neck even though Berlin has less than half the population of London is a testament to how impressive it is.
This was actually a really great and entertaining video have been to both cities multiple times both good systems London just so extremely expensive
very gud again, i dare not ask how you maintain such a schedule
Having been to both cities. Comparing London to Berlin is a crime. Berlin is in a different class compared to London
Sir, some of these numbers are unfair. You will have less routes etc. when your city is half the size and has less than half the population… Conaidering Trams take away bus routes (trams are kinda upgraded bus lines), the comparison about buses is very unfair… And so is the underground etc.
Honestly? I would be happy to pay some more for a less smelly transportation network.
Love seeing this video while being stuck at home because of the BVG strike today👏
Well today the BVG are striking! The BVG apps are useless because when they crash you can't even prove you have got a ticket!
On accessibility, you didn't account for the fact that many disabled people can use public transport in London without charge by using a Freedom Pass. And most elderly can do so off-peak whether they're disabled or not. Even the elderly or disabled who don't live in London but do live in England, can use London buses off-peak without charge using an English Concessionary bus pass. Does Germany have a similar system in place? Admittedly whilst most of the elderly can access these passes, the criteria to obtain a pass on disability grounds is a lot stricter so quite a few of the disabled miss out.
Another thing is the exits. I got lost last month inside that multilevel labyrinth you guys call Bond Street station, while trying to get to the surface. There's no clar way out.
I was supposed to meet a friend and when I got out, I realized we were 10 min away from each other. As far as I can remember, the Berin ubahn has numbered exits, and you can follow the signs out just like following the gate sings at an airport.
Really convenient.
The French want a London Paris comparison
On accessibility, there are few toilets on the tube, so can be a nightmare if you have IBD. Although TfL are working on this. What's the situation in Berlin?
I buy a Welcome Card in Berlin, I can take up to 3 children under 14 years travelling for free with me. The price is very reasonable! Greetings from 🇳🇱
I have used the cable cars a few times going to and from Comic-Con. Not any more since the Elizabeth line opened but still.
I think the comparison to Area and Population should have been made especially for the capacity and the types of transit
Referring to minute 5:15, May I draw some attention to the fact that the population of Greater London is 8.9 million inhabitants,
while the city and federal state of Berlin has only 3,7 millions. So, way I suggest the comparison be multiplied with a correction factor of 2.6,
so that Berlin's 147 km x 2.6 = 382 still remains less than London's 402 km, but the difference is much smaller now.