Octoberfest

dartsplayer

I'm thinking of going to this this year. Has anyone been? Any advice?

L1011

I'm assuming you mean the Erdinger-sponsored one in the IFSC and not actually going to Germany:

Eat something more substantial than a sauerkraut hot dog if you're going straight from work.

You can upgrade to the 1L stein later on in the night if you suddenly realise you've got an iron constitution, so probably best to just go for the 500ml one.

Tables are often are in short supply by about 6pm and if its raining it really is dismal outside so you'll want to be in.

The oompah band will play the same songs every 45mins or so, so that's normally the max time you can stay in the tent except when its raining (see above)

I've never had to pay in or pay for much in the way of drink there as I work for a 'media partner', so I actually don't know how much you'd expect to spend.

BeerNut

For Munich my first advice would be forget 2015, start planning for 2016 and get things booked in about February. If you are going without space in the tents pre-booked, I'd say just get there early and avoid the weekends altogether. There's a sweet spot around noon to 2pm on weekdays where the atmosphere is building, the bands are playing, but the corporate bookings haven't yet descended to take over your table. Get your festival drinking done then and go off somewhere nice for the rest of the day.

dartsplayer

Cheers beernut. I was thinking this year but it looks like hostel wise it won't happen plus I've no tickets for anything. Ahh whims where would you be without them. Anyway thanks for the advice

newacc2015

dartsplayer wrote: »

Cheers beernut. I was thinking this year but it looks like hostel wise it won't happen plus I've no tickets for anything. Ahh whims where would you be without them. Anyway thanks for the advice

Germans will have been booking Hostels for next year, since June(although every one from Munich, hates going to it). A ton of rich Americans and Aussies go over every year. Meaning a lot of the hostel beds arent even sold to the public.

Whether you get the place in the tent depends on the Beer. Some tents fill a lot quicker than others. The Atmosphere is different in the each tent too. The wildest one is supposed on a Sunday, when one of the Beer companies has Gay oktoberfest and their tent is full of LGBT people.

The tents close pretty early and since its Germany, the nightclubs have open end. I have seen people still drinking outside clubs at 7am in Munich on a week night

huskerdu

If you are interested in the going to Munich for the beer and not just the bucket list experience, consider the Spring alternative, the Fruhlingsfest. Its a smaller event, not nearly as frenetic or busy, but authentic German beerfest.


http://www.wherevent.com/detail/Theresienwiese-Fruhlingsfest-Munich-Spring-Fest-2016

poitinstill

"although every one from Munich, hates going to it" ..not the case at all. maybe on a Friday or saturday in certain tents (HB pig pen etc.) but not in the more traditional like Fischer mainly Bavarians.

Ravelleman

I went to the Gäubodenvolksfest in Straubing a few years ago and found it to be an excellent alternative to Oktoberfest in Munich.

Patser

Ravelleman wrote: »

I went to the Gäubodenvolksfest in Straubing a few years ago and found it to be an excellent alternative to Oktoberfest in Munich.

Similar the Cannstater in Stuttgart is Germany's second biggest beerfest, has a huge funfair built around it and a proper market. I've been there 3 times now and each time the locals have been curious where we were from - as tourists are still a relative rarity.

Also where it's held is right beside the Mercedes museum and the Stuttgart football stadium, so there are other distractions.

munchkin_utd

Patser wrote: »

Similar the Cannstater in Stuttgart is Germany's second biggest beerfest, has a huge funfair built around it and a proper market. I've been there 3 times now and each time the locals have been curious where we were from - as tourists are still a relative rarity.

Also where it's held is right beside the Mercedes museum and the Stuttgart football stadium, so there are other distractions.

em.....
The Munich one also has a gigantic funfair, plus a separate old style vintage oktoberfest area which costs a euro or 2 admission and serves out of the ceramic mugs like in the original fest
And for the (young) family theres a special family area with a family beergarden with buggy parking area and microwave for kids food jars and a changing table for babies.

I live in Munich and think oktoberfest is the business, but, at this stage I simply cannot be arsed with the drunken tourists on a Saturday so stick to going on a reservation during the week or early of a sunday morning with the kids (and scarper come 1 o clock or so when the place becomes bunged again).

slayerking

Another pretty good looking, less well known German festival is Sandkerwa in Bamberg. It's specifically labeled as a folk festival, but make no mistake about it being very beer oriented (being in Bamberg and all). It's also on in a more favorable time of the year for nice weather, some time in August.