Beer is something to be really enjoyed and celebrated. When I have a really good beer, then I cannot wait to down it and try the next one just as good. Everyone I know says that I love to party and get out and dance 'til my feet go numb. So where can I do all this? Beerfest! Which is more commonly known as the Oktoberfest in Munich.
This gigantic festival celebrating beer is held in Munich every year commencing in September. One thing I have to warn you about though, Munich is so crowded during Oktoberfest that getting there and actually sitting at a table inside a beer hall can take longer than you expected. If you're going to go to Oktoberfest then you have to factor in that there will be huge crowds in Munich. I knew this before I went, so I got in line early on the opening day just to get ready for the Beerfest.
If you really want to get into the tradition of Oktoberfest then I suggest you get yourself the costume. If you are a girl then look into getting a Dirndl, the traditional dress for Bavarian girls. If you're a bloke then get some Lederhosen, the Dirndl's male version. You can rent or buy these traditional outfits from a numbers of shops across Munich. They cost somewhere between 80 and 300 Euros, but I recommend that you definitely consider the costume, it will make your experience so much better.
The Theresienwiese is the area where the Beerfest occurs in Munich and it is very central to the main centre of Munich. Depending on your budget, Munich has plenty of accommodation options from camping, hostels, cheap hotels to 5 star places. Camping prices start from around 50Euro per night though, so you're going to have to factor in high prices for accommodation whilst the Oktoberfest is on.
There are cheaper options for accommodation a bit further out in the suburbs of Munich and the city has great public transport to get you into the Oktoberfest grounds. The Metro will take you right to the heart of the festival with a train arriving around every 10 minutes at the most. The two closest lines to the Oktoberfest grounds are the U4 and U5 lines.
When I first got there I was dazed and confused seeing so many Bavarian people ready to start to party. One wise solution for meeting new people to spend time with, particularly if you are by yourself, is just start up conversations with the people around you. The party people at Oktoberfest are very friendly and if you get the chance to meet locals you will have a more authentic trip and probably learn a thing or two about Munich or the Oktoberfest along the way.
I caught up with some local Bavarians in the Paulaner beer hall who mentioned that there favourite Oktoberfest food is a 1/2 metre long Bratwurst sausage in a large hot dog bun. It is basically a gigantic grilled pork sausage hot dog! Im not normally a big pork eater, but I found out that it is very popular in Germany. Now of course it would not be the Beerfest without beer would it? I found out very quickly that the Oktoberfest beer is much stronger than normal beer and that is just not the alcohol, because the glasses are HUGE! The beer comes in a gigantic 1 liter glass stein. This is also called a Mass in German. So if you want one beer, remember "Ein Mass". A Mass costs around 9euro, but a tip is pretty much mandatory, so a beer will cost you at least 10Euro. After a few drinks you will definitely be singing drinking songs, dancing on the tables and having so much fun. The atmosphere in a beer hall is fantastic with everyone dancing and singing all night long. I left the Oktoberfest when my beer hall, the Lowenbrau, closed at 10.30pm. The trip home in the Metro was hilarious with everyone still partying from the beer halls.
I heard that there is plenty of companies that organise tours to the Oktoberfest. They are offering a place to sleep, sometimes with breakfast included, as well as transport to the festival ground. Apparently some even offer transport options in and out of the UK
I highly recommend that everyone celebrates beer at least once in their life. Oktoberfest should definitely be on your to do list. I will be back next year for sure.
This gigantic festival celebrating beer is held in Munich every year commencing in September. One thing I have to warn you about though, Munich is so crowded during Oktoberfest that getting there and actually sitting at a table inside a beer hall can take longer than you expected. If you're going to go to Oktoberfest then you have to factor in that there will be huge crowds in Munich. I knew this before I went, so I got in line early on the opening day just to get ready for the Beerfest.
If you really want to get into the tradition of Oktoberfest then I suggest you get yourself the costume. If you are a girl then look into getting a Dirndl, the traditional dress for Bavarian girls. If you're a bloke then get some Lederhosen, the Dirndl's male version. You can rent or buy these traditional outfits from a numbers of shops across Munich. They cost somewhere between 80 and 300 Euros, but I recommend that you definitely consider the costume, it will make your experience so much better.
The Theresienwiese is the area where the Beerfest occurs in Munich and it is very central to the main centre of Munich. Depending on your budget, Munich has plenty of accommodation options from camping, hostels, cheap hotels to 5 star places. Camping prices start from around 50Euro per night though, so you're going to have to factor in high prices for accommodation whilst the Oktoberfest is on.
There are cheaper options for accommodation a bit further out in the suburbs of Munich and the city has great public transport to get you into the Oktoberfest grounds. The Metro will take you right to the heart of the festival with a train arriving around every 10 minutes at the most. The two closest lines to the Oktoberfest grounds are the U4 and U5 lines.
When I first got there I was dazed and confused seeing so many Bavarian people ready to start to party. One wise solution for meeting new people to spend time with, particularly if you are by yourself, is just start up conversations with the people around you. The party people at Oktoberfest are very friendly and if you get the chance to meet locals you will have a more authentic trip and probably learn a thing or two about Munich or the Oktoberfest along the way.
I caught up with some local Bavarians in the Paulaner beer hall who mentioned that there favourite Oktoberfest food is a 1/2 metre long Bratwurst sausage in a large hot dog bun. It is basically a gigantic grilled pork sausage hot dog! Im not normally a big pork eater, but I found out that it is very popular in Germany. Now of course it would not be the Beerfest without beer would it? I found out very quickly that the Oktoberfest beer is much stronger than normal beer and that is just not the alcohol, because the glasses are HUGE! The beer comes in a gigantic 1 liter glass stein. This is also called a Mass in German. So if you want one beer, remember "Ein Mass". A Mass costs around 9euro, but a tip is pretty much mandatory, so a beer will cost you at least 10Euro. After a few drinks you will definitely be singing drinking songs, dancing on the tables and having so much fun. The atmosphere in a beer hall is fantastic with everyone dancing and singing all night long. I left the Oktoberfest when my beer hall, the Lowenbrau, closed at 10.30pm. The trip home in the Metro was hilarious with everyone still partying from the beer halls.
I heard that there is plenty of companies that organise tours to the Oktoberfest. They are offering a place to sleep, sometimes with breakfast included, as well as transport to the festival ground. Apparently some even offer transport options in and out of the UK
I highly recommend that everyone celebrates beer at least once in their life. Oktoberfest should definitely be on your to do list. I will be back next year for sure.
About the Author:
The events and festival travel specialists, FOMO Travel, has developed a new site that provides an extensive array of information and advice for the Oktoberfest in Munich, including travel options, travel tips, party spots and other activities.
