Instead of a city guide this is more of a guide to Oktoberfest! To be completely honest large portions of it are a bit of a blur but I will do my best to outline things I would have loved to have known pre-arrival!
- You do not need to plan a year or even months in advance besides a flight… and even then
Depending on your budget, group size, & vacation time available it may help to look into various hotels early however my entire trip was planned 2 days before arriving in Munich via train from Burgundy… so it is 10000% possible to plan last minute. How??
What is needed for any type of trip:
- Flight
- Hotel/Airbnb
- Travel to/from Festival
- Outfits
- Table/Reservations
- Food
FLIGHT:
- This one needs some planning early – if you aren’t already in Europe
- Could still find cheap flights from the US to Munich even as the date approached
- Personally I took a cheap train from France to Munich
HOTEL:
- MANY options. Personally used hotel tonight app the day before I arrived in Munich
- Downtown Hotel for $200/night during Oktoberfest week: H’Otello
TRAVEL TO/FROM FESTIVAL:
- Easy 5min train ride there & back from oktoberfest grounds
- Bought tickets but no one checked, about 3Euros per ticket
OUTFITS:
- Only need 1
- Found dirndl at a shop in Munich morning of
- $ can vary on how aggressive you want to get
- Picture minimum of $125 on a quality dirndl
- Do NOT buy on costume shop online… most looked like idiots & better off just wearing street clothes
TABLE / RESERVATIONS:
- YOU DO NOT NEED A TABLE
- This one is the trickiest part for those in the US to get their head around
- Unless you plan on going to oktoberfest with a large group (5+), you do not need a table – if anything it is way cheaper and more fluid without one
- Simply table hop to various parties to get beer then onto the next one! Not just for women, plenty of men did this as well and not at all rude or awkward
FOOD:
- Have you ever been drunk and needing food? Cool me neither…
- But if you ever fear that scenario the festival has TONS of german food inside & outside the tents to soak up all that booze!
- Warning – water is as expensive as the beer – come hydrated
WHAT IF I AM SOLO?
- Bite the bullet and be brave on this one – I suggest blasting Lizzo jams in your hotel room before heading outside in your killer outfit
- Getting to the tents sober and alone is 100% scary I won’t lie. Key to success here is to simply join a table that seems nice enough, order a beer, say hello to the men/women. If they’re being awkward or rude do not fret and simply make your way to another table
- Once you have the first stein down you’ll be feeling completely at ease
- After more you will feel 100% in your element and meet some incredible people… and dunk ones too – simply bob & weave!
