As a group who has been to Oktoberfest twice (2012 and 2014), we would like to help our fellow travelers check off this bucket list item. To help you out, we’ve come up with a list of a few things you might be wondering as you are starting to plan. Read on for more Oktoberfest tips and tricks!
So when exactly is Oktoberfest?
Aright, we realize this feels like a silly question and you may now wonder about our credibility, but truthfully we had no idea when Oktoberfest started before we went the first time. A simple Internet search will reveal that it starts at the end of September and runs into the beginning of October. So plan accordingly. Also, October 3rd is a bank holiday in Germany (The Day of German Unity). Keep in mind that it’s extra crowded in Munich that day.
Whew, now that you know when Oktoberfest is, where the heck should you stay?
Munich is a very easy city to navigate. Despite this fact, it is still a good idea to pull up a map–on your phone, we are not fools who think you actually have a real map! When looking at hotels/places to stay, see where the property is in relationship to the Oktoberfest grounds and if you can manage it, staying somewhere within walking distance is ideal. If you are booking closer to when Oktoberfest starts, there may not be as many choices, but there are plenty of public transportation options to get you to the grounds as well. Another thing to be aware of, is that this is high tourist season for Munich so don’t be surprised when there aren’t great lodging deals out there. But trust us, it is absolutely worth every penny spent! Pro Tip: Find a place with a kitchen and make breakfast at “home.” Groceries are much cheaper than buying all of your meals out!
So you know the dates and you have a place to sleep, but how long should you stay for?
The length of time spent at Oktoberfest comes down to money, money, money, money! Or really, how long you want to be traveling and what your budget is. We ended up in Munich for about 3.5 days our first time around and we didn’t feel like we had enough time (probably one of the reasons why we went back in 2014). Oktoberfest can be like a black hole. You might try to just “swing by,” but before you know it, an entire morning or afternoon has passed and you didn’t make it anywhere else. We wouldn’t change anything we did, but beware of the black hole if you want to see more of Munich as well!
Now what?! You have your dates, you’ve figured out where to sleep and how long you’re staying, but what on earth should you wear? What are those silly outfits everyone has on?!?
If anyone tells you not to dress the part when attending Oktoberfest, they are dead wrong. Tell them thanks, then don’t listen to anything else they say, they don’t know! Lederhosen for the guys and Dirndls for the girls are seen in abundance at Oktoberfest. Now we will say this; ladies, please, please, please DO NOT wear any type of sexy beer maiden outfit as seen at every Halloween party here in the states. It is considered disrespectful and rude. But if you don’t come with an outfit, you’ll want to buy one in Munich and that can be really expensive. We saw some that were 300 Euros! Roughly converted about $350…oh hell no! Pro Tip: Check out eBay. There are plenty to choose from and they range in price. All us girls got traditional knee length dirndls on eBay and we were so glad to have them. Some of us were even mistaken for an actual German! Score! It is also ok to wear tights with the dirndl, which is awesome, since it can be kind of cold that time of year. The guys did not wear lederhosen the first time, but ultimately admitted they wished that they had and purchased some for our second trip! Also from eBay!
Listen up! If you’ve fallen asleep, this is the time to pay attention!
How on earth do you get a spot at a tent?
Ok, we are going to be honest with you. As if we’ve been lying before now. Promise we haven’t been. We did A TON of reading and researching on this before our first trip, so here’s an abridged version of what we learned. Despite the number of tents available (14!), the fact is, getting into one can be tricky. We had 5 people our first trip and decided not to try and get a reservation. This is because you have to reserve and pay for 10 people, even if your group is smaller than that. Most of the time a reservation involves drinks and food so it’s not inexpensive. Instead of going the reservation route, we decided to go down to the Oktoberfest grounds EARLY to try and get a seat. The deal is, if you don’t have a seat you can’t get any beer (which is the entire reason you’re there). Therefore, at least one member of the party has to be sitting. If you are going to try this tactic, get there EARLY and take the first open spot you find. Our group got REALLY lucky and we found a table at Hacker-Festzelt. Our luck did run out in the late afternoon, when they clear everyone out for evening reservations. This is ok though because sometimes you might find spots outside, or you can wonder through the Oktoberfest grounds enjoying tasty treats and fun rides. Last but not least, if you go at night, a lot of the time you will find the doors to the tents closed. This is because they are full. If you happen to pass by one that’s open, RUN in and grab a spot because luck is on your side! This happened to our group one night and we got EXTREMELY lucky and got into the Hofbrau tent!
What if I want a reservation? LISTEN UP THIS IS SOME PRO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT TO DROP!
There are different rules for getting tickets to each tent. There are 14 big tents for you to choose from. Check out Oktoberfest.de for a rundown on the different tents’ vibes. For example the Hofbrau tent, where we were lucky enough to get a reservation for our second trip, is known more as the young party tent (maybe a bit touristy but so much fun!). Go to the website of the tent(s) you are interested in and they will specify the date they will start taking reservations. We did this on the date they opened up for general reservations and we didn’t get a response for a few weeks. Just when we were starting to give up hope there it was in our inbox, like the golden ticket in Charlie’s chocolate bar. Needless to say we had a hard time controlling our excitement while attempting to pretend to continue working our desk jobs that day. We had to wire transfer the payment for the table reservation. We are not sure if this is still the case as this was 2014, so it may have changed. After that we got our confirmation number and stashed it away for safe keeping, we went to the ticket box at the tent a day early to pick up our tickets with no issues. On the day of our reservation there was a placard saving the assigned table for our group with our name on it. We could lie and say it wasn’t cool or awesome but we won’t. It was freaking amazing!
Wow, that was a lot of work! You’ve made it into a tent, hooray! But how much is it going to cost you?
Every year the price of a Mass (beer at Oktoberfest) goes up. But the official prices are released in advance, so you do have time to plan accordingly. Also keep in mind a Mass is a liter of beer, so even if the price feels high, just think about the last tall boy you bought at a football game and you’ll feel much better. This is important to think about though especially since the tents are CASH ONLY. Let us repeat, CASH ONLY. Pro Tip: Tip your server well the first time she/he brings you beer, chances are she/he will come back more frequently. Tipping is generally done by rounding up to the next whole number. Again, bigger tip upfront = generally more frequent and better service. Traditional German food is also available at the tents and is usually really good. They all sell pretzels too, but those can leave a rather dry taste in your mouth. Guess that’s what the beer is for! PROST!
Auf Wiedersehen!
About the authors:
Courtney is originally from New York and currently lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband and two pups. She’s a self-diagnosed travel-a-holic and always planning her next trip.
After studying abroad in London during college, Lisa was bitten hard by the travel bug and hasn’t stopped globetrotting since. Currently she lives in Tampa, Florida.
Stefanie was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and resides there today. She spends as much time as possible traveling and exploring the world with her friends.
