Berlin is 6 hours ahead of Washington DC. Washington DC uses Eastern Time (ET, UTC-5/-4) while Berlin uses Central European Time (CET/CEST, UTC+1/+2). When it's 12:00 PM in Washington DC, it's 6:00 PM in Berlin.
Both cities observe daylight saving time, but they switch on different dates. This can temporarily create 5 or 7-hour differences during transition periods in spring and fall.
Best calling time: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Washington DC time. This corresponds to 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM in Berlin, catching afternoon business hours in Germany.
Washington DC and Berlin are both important political capitals with strong diplomatic ties. The US Embassy in Berlin is one of America's most important diplomatic posts, and there are constant government-to-government communications between these two cities.