OKTOBERFEST?

kilograms

I am thinking of going to Oktoberfest Munich 2013 for my 30th birthday but cant really find any useful information in regards to prices, accommodation and where to book it.

I am living in Dublin and would like to find out is there and travel agents or tour operators that i can book with or is it better to book flights and accommodation separately. Ryanair fly to Memmingen Airport which is an hour away and Aerlingus fly to Munich Airport for an increased price.

Any help on what way to go about booking it and any recommendations from people who have been there will be greatly appreciated.

conor86

I'm booking it for this year, I look at the flight to Munich because they're a group of us going, so the chance of someone missing the flight at Munich airport is less likely than in Menningen airport.

Accommodation is going to cost us way more than flights, cheapest I found so far was €50 per night for 12 room hostal. So where look at the hire camper van for the week.

You have the right idea for 2013 and if you can get someone to show you around. Their some useful video on youtude about Oktoberfest?

rossie1977

forget anything in town, in addition to paying through the nose you won't get much sleep either because everyone without accommodation (and there are lots) congregate around the main train station and make alot of noise

there are a number of b+b type accommodations a few miles from central munich that are ideal for the festival, we used these to book, try and find a place within walking distance of a railway station http://www.checkin-muenchen.de/index.php?

kilograms

Never thought of getting a hostel but the camper van idea sounds brilliant. From what i read up about it, i dont think i be going for an over priced city centre accommodation for the same reasons that you have mentioned about noise.

I was looking at the prices yesterday on ryanair and aerlingus. I'm wondering is it better to book months in advance or wait until it gets closer, like August.

Conor do you know the cost of getting through the eurotunnel in a campervan.

Do you's know if taxis and public transport are reasonably priced, if so i dont really mind the distance to travel.

conor86

Having worked out any fine detail, but I know a camper is around €500 to 5 people with shower and bathroom for a week. I must fine camping area and I would assume that there be a shuttle bus from the site, to the festival.

Another reason why that camper might be good is that I heard that the places close at 11pm so might be a bit of craic at the site afterwards.

I was thinking of hiring one over when went we get off the plane.

Public transport is good I think it's €60 return for a Menningen airport return, I have read other tread saying to allow €100+ for food and drinks, however you’ll spend that here on a good night.

kilograms

Good man Conor, very useful info. cant wait to go, it looks like my kinda place.

Any other comments, tips and info is welcome.

rocksimmo

Hi Kilograms.
You could always try Stuttgart for the beer festival. We did the trip for the last two years and it is a super beer festival. We went to the Furstenberg tent the two years. Hold 5000 people and had live bands and all. Serious crack. You pay 30 euro for a reservation and you get 3 beers and a chicken for it. The accomodation is reasonable too. If you decide to try this festival plan it around the public holiday which is the last Friday in September. We flew to Memmingen and took the train to Stuttgart.. If your going in a group you can buy a group train ticket for €28.00 which will allow up to 5 travel on it.

hardybuck

Looking at booking a trip over with a group ourselves in the last weekend of Sept. Someone told me that different parts of Germany have things going on depending on what dates you hope to travel - has anyone any info or advice on this?

random_guy

If you don't want to wait till Oktober you could just go to the Frühlingsfest in Stuttgart in April. It's a bit smaller than Oktoberfest. Or as someone mentioned, to the Volksfest in Stuttgart where you don't have to deal with the massive queues.

http://www.stuttgarter-fruehlingsfest.de/

Regardless of where you go, bring loads of money. Stuttgart is at €8.80* a litre (not including tip, just say goodbye to €10) and I imagine Munich must be getting close to €10 a litre at this stage.

Someone asked about public transport - as was said earlier, to travel from Memmingen to Munich you can get a Bayern ticket to cover 5 people for about €30 (only on the regional trains so about 90 minutes).
To go to Stuttgart you can use the Baden-Wurttemburg ticket. The same deal, covers 5 people for €30 odd euro.

If you're determined to come in Oktober then I prefer the one in Stuttgart, simply because there isn't the massive crowds you get in Munich, but still loads of people. In Munich it's not unheard of to queue from 8am just to get into a tent. And Stuttgart is maybe a bit more local than what is a bit of a tourist trap in Munich. It's true that Munich is a nicer city than Stuttgart, but if it's just for the beer then that won't matter so much.

*Super secret tip - At Frühlingsfest or Volksfest on Tuesdays from about 4pm or so you get 2 litres for the price of 1.

finbarrk

If you avoid the weekends in Munich you won't have as many people and cheaper hotels too.

munchkin_utd

finbarrk wrote: »

If you avoid the weekends in Munich you won't have as many people and cheaper hotels too.

its the one tip I give anyone considering visiting.
flights, accomodation, crowds, tents all more pleasant/ cheaper if you can avoid the weekends.

the one improvement in 2013 should be that the tents are being forced to reduce the number of reservations at the weekend to allow more folks who turn up on the day into the tents so you should have a better chance of getting into a tent at the weekend than currently if you really really must go at the weekend.

regarding accomodation, from looking at germanys biggest hotels site hrs.com you probably are looking at a minimum of 150 a night but at this early stage a lot of hotels have their prices jacked up real high to catch early bookers and others arent available to book yet. To be honest thats about as cheap as it gets and theres some rooms at that price that you can reserve now with no cancellation fee if you do it through HRS.

regarding flights, to munich (/memmingen) Ryanair are often as dear if not dearer than aer lingus not to mention you also have to take into consideration the 30euro return for the shuttle bus into account to get to Ryanairs airport compared to 8euro return if you go to Munich airport proper for the Aer Lingus flight and share a group ticket between 5.

conf101

I'm going this year and staying at a campsite just outside Munich called Wiesn Camp (http://www.munich-oktoberfest.com/en_EN/index.php) it's pretty reasonably priced and you don't need to bring a tent/campervan with you, just rend one of theirs, which is pretty handy.

A friend of mine stayed there last year and said it was geat

munchkin_utd

just to add to the planning for 2013,

maybe consider staying somewhere like Augsburg which is only a 40 min train journey from Munich.
Its just as near timewise to the octoberfest as any of the campsite's

Accomodation wise, you can reserve a hotel in downtown augsburg for 55 euro a room compared to 150+ for Munich.
(i.e. now in September 2012 you can reserve for next year with no fee/ prepayment and cancel till the day before travel! See www.hrs.com)

Travel wise you are only looking at 6 quid a head RETURN!
Theres a group day ticket for regional trains AND all local busses/ Underground in Munich and Augsburg called the "Bayern Ticket" which is about 30 euro for up to 5 people. Last trains for Augsburg leave munich at midnight and at weekends also 2am.
(intercity trains also leave at 3.30am and 5.30am but thats another tarif and is 20euro walk up price each)

Edit, the shuttle bus from memmingen also operates to Augsburg which is west of Munich so flying with ryanair to "Munich West" would be very handy if staying in Augsburg. Its 15euro each way (NOT 60return !)

munchkin_utd

conor86 wrote: »

Having worked out any fine detail, but I know a camper is around €500 to 5 people with shower and bathroom for a week. I must fine camping area and I would assume that there be a shuttle bus from the site, to the festival.

Another reason why that camper might be good is that I heard that the places close at 11pm so might be a bit of craic at the site afterwards.

I was thinking of hiring one over when went we get off the plane.

Public transport is good I think it's €60 return for a Menningen airport return, I have read other tread saying to allow €100+ for food and drinks, however you’ll spend that here on a good night.

re camper vans, if staying for a more extended stay its probably not a bad idea although picking one up in Munich might not be the easiest.
Still, if you could pick up a really cheap ryanair flight to Frankfurt Hahn or Düsseldorf and make your way down from there. For a stag though maybe a little overkill?
EDIT: theres a gigantic special Octoberfest campervan site on the grounds of the trade fair centre which is connected to town by underground (mostly every 5 or 10 min except late at night every 20 or 30 mins) from 4am all day till 1am with trains running till 2am on the weekends. The stop is literally 100m from the camping area.
Normal camping is also possible @35 / 2 person tent and use of toilets and showers etc is included in that price!
Heres the info leaflet : http://www.oktoberfest-camping.com/fileadmin/user_upload/okoberfest_camping_2012.pdf

re cost per day on expenses.
If you have 3 (one litre!) beers you are out 30 euro. A decent feed at the fest is 15/ 20 euro bringing you to €50 already. Add the cost of an odd taxi, a burger on the way home, buying random strangers beer at the fest (@ a tenner a pop! ), silly hats, a spin on the amusements, a feed of pints in the pub afterwards .... and you are easily up on 100 euro a day.

Gavman84

I'm going again this year it's my third year in a row! I'm staying in city apart hotel which is ideal for the fest is ten min walk to the site. We stayed in this hotel last year too so said its ideal and booked again.
It's also not far from city either! I booked back in February and it's costing 75 a night each for the hotel. Booked through hrs no deposit either there are 4 of us staying in room. I'm budgeting for 100 a day too and going on last 2 years that's fine. Can't wait for it now always a great time had only 12 days til I'm there! Booked flights with Aer lingus at later date hotel is main thing to book ASAP.
Gav