tips for planning group trip to oktoberfesr 2010

augustus gloop

hi all, i have taken on the task for planning a large lads trip to oktoberfest 2010, there should be approz 30 lads going and this is the first time i have orginised something of this magnatuide so i would appriciate some pointers, along with some tips for munich itself, thank you

mikedragon32

I organise my rugby clubs trips every year and have usually 40 lads travelling. I've been doing it for a few years now and the numbers keep growing!

It's not really a big deal once you're organised, but you'll need to make some decisions for the group:

Flights: Do you book all the flights yourself and have the group pay you, or do you get everyone to book their own and let you know when they've done it? Each option has it's pros and cons. I usually pay for all the flights myself and collect the money, but this year, finances dictated the latter option and this was much easier for me! Yes, some lads paid more than others, but it's first come first served and if the lads moan about it then they really should think about organising it themselves...

Hotel: This really is the tricky part and the bit that used to cause me the most stress. Finding one hotel that can take 30+ lads can be tricky. A couple of years ago, I thought I was sorted when the hotel I had booked came back two weeks before departure and changed the terms of the booking and started looking for a hefty deposit, refundable on an inspection of the rooms after we'd left. Luckily I managed to get another hotel (albeit in another city, but just as convenient for where we were due to play) with the help of booking.com and they really did save the weekend! This year, I just went straight to booking.com and was well looked after with a decent hotel and a very good price!

Lastly, transfers: Make sure you have a clear plan in mind for getting from the Airport to the Hotel and back. Look up connections by bus/rail/taxi and decide on the best option for yourself and stick to your plan! If you know what you're doing, the herd mentality will kick in for the rest and you'll have no problem.

Do your research early and have a rough itinerary made out when you're e-mailing the group, particularly if you're getting them all to book their own flights. Be sure to include flight details such as flight codes and departure/arrival times. This will help to ensure that they all book the right one!

Hope that's helpful. My outlook has always been to worry as little as possible, they're supposed to be adults. If someone gets lost en route to your destination, just make sure he has your number to let you know he's lost. Maybe you can help, maybe you can't but it's your weekend away too so don't stress!

If you need more tips/advice, PM me!

P. Breathnach

Be warned that the EU Travel Package Directive applies not only to professional tour organizers, but also to individuals or voluntary groups arranging trips that involve two or more components (such as flights plus accommodation).

I learned a little about it at a formal presentation with a legal adviser present, and there is almost no way to avoid being burdened with legal responsibility should anything go wrong. I used to organize group trips, but it frightened me off. Now my approach is to work out what is required and get a travel professional to implement things. The professionals have the necessary insurance.

BigDuffman

TBH your already pushing it timewise! So get booking soon. From experience, you need to get in contact with one of the breweries featuring at the festival to book a table ( with most of them, they are "free" to book by free you have to pre-book a certain amount of beer + food).

First time I went we were left wandering around for about an hour trying to get in somewhere as all the tents where full and there was not a hope of getting served in the public beer gardens.

The festival goers usually go early in the morning and crawl home early evening, so get there in the morning to get a good spot.

A major case of beer, beer everywhere but not a drop to drink!

With a group of lads best thing to do is get everyone to stick the hotel card with the address in their pockets so as that they can just point at the address to the taxi driver (despite the general high level of English spoken over there trying to pronounce German addresses with a skinful is not fun ! )

finbarrk

Midweek doesn't be as crowded but that probably won't suit you. Accomodation gets booked out at the weekends so you better get on it soon.