Oktoberfest

ShreddedHumans

Me and some friends are thinking about flying over to Germany for a few days for Oktoberfest this year. Anyone ever been , have some good / bad experiences to share?

Jim_No.6

I went last year - it's great fun. I'm going back this year; You should go!

Bring loads of money though - the food & drink don't come as cheap as is usual on the continent (7 Euro per Mass(litre), a good bit for food in the tents).

You have to arrive early to make sure you get into the tents. Otherwise, you get stuck outside, and can't get in. If you get in, *stay there!* You won't get back in if you leave.

Hmm... can't think what else to say, really - just ask if anything comes to you.

Incidentally, if you're over, we'll be in the main camping place outside the city - look out for a bunch of (drunken) Irish guys and come say hello!

As a word of advice:
i.) Try not to drink too fast - it's impossible to avoid, but those litres seem to disappear! I found myself drinking litres at the same speed I'd usually drink a pint in. Not good if you're planning on staying all day!
ii.) Learn some drinking songs - otherwise you'll feel left out when all the Germans start. (You pick up the words to the German songs really fast though - it's mad!)
iii.) To a North German offering you a toast - Clink Glasses, Bang glass on table, drink.
iv.) To a South German offering you a toast - Bang glass on table, Clink Glasses, drink.
v.) Mixing up iii. and iv. is an insult. Pretend to be American. :cool:


Edit: Just realised that you may be one of the people I'm going with... :eek:

ShreddedHumans

Will do! I'm not worried about the money, I've been out in Dublin heheh. Is a Mass = 1 litre?

Jim_No.6

Heh... yeah - I though of more to say, so I edited the post just to keep things confusing :rolleyes:

drunkenfool

been there great buzz, more of day thing really then a night piss up which is good!
stayed in a campsite full of australians and new zealanders near the zoo in munich, was a good banter! Remember walking in not knowing what to expect of this beer festival and walking into the campsite trying to register and seeing 2 families getting rejected and then seeing people running around naked, i was in heaven!!!

Civilian_Target

Was at belgrade beer festival at the weekend and I second what they say - don't drink too fast, you will regret...

drunkenfool

its not a matter of drinking too fast if you want to last a days drinking, its eating thats the key!!!

eat eat eat folks!!

rubadub

It is pure gluttony there. I was at it about 8 years back when I was still able to drink properly, but those savages don't even serve pints, only those litres. The smallest bite to eat was 1/2 a large chicken or a bratwurst hotdog as long and thick as my arm. We just wandered from tent to tent, always let in but hard to get seats. There is a fun fair at it too, though 7litres of lowenbrau + the "magic carpet" do not mix too well. Weather was good so we sat out on the grass drinking. We were on the real cheap and got a case of booze from the off licence, nobody batted an eyelid at this, cops were fine.

fischerspooner

Munich is a good city. Great drinking city. Never there for Oktoberfest though. Check out the Augustiner Keller and Augustiner Braurei, definitely serve the best Masses in Munich. I think Oktoberfest finishes at 11. Get your ass into town and check out the Irish bars. They're usually full of Germans too so it's not that bad. The girls are pretty easy, especially if you can speak ein bisschen deutsch, it is worth your while ein paar worter zu lernen!!! Although munich also boasts the most stuck up girls in all of Germany too, but you'll avoid them as long as you don't go to fancy "schicke micke" bars.
So get drunk, speak german to chicks, and before you know it you'll wake up in some obscure part of town with a pounding head and an overweight German girl lying beside you. Enjoy.

drunkenfool

Bavarian girls are amazing btw!!

dictatorcat

It's fantastic fun....and yes, watch how fast you drink, there's only so many litres of beer you can drink before you physically can't fit any more without first vomiting....also watch out for raw fish sandwiches, they're nothing like sushi and the bones hurt your throat on it's way back up from your stomach. The Germans are great fun, avoid the international tents (when i was there you could stand on the seats in the german tents but not in the international tents....they didn't even have seats).

bullrunner

yes was there for the last weekend last year...on the last day was walking in at 10.30 am..and some guy in an italy jersey was getting carried out hammered drunk!! brilliant...expensive...but great craic..just dont drink too fast..eat lots and if the weather is nice sit outside in the biergarten!

scojones

Been there once, was absolutely amazing, warsteiner tents rocked. The women, oh god the women! Bring lots of cash.

BossArky

Jim_No.6 wrote:

Incidentally, if you're over, we'll be in the main camping place outside the city - look out for a bunch of (drunken) Irish guys and come say hello!

Talkirchen? Good place that is.

Munich is an excellent city to party. Just don't fall asleep and miss your stop on the u-Bahn and end up spending the night in the airport as I did many a time on the S8 home.

Besprechen

iii.) To a North German offering you a toast - Clink Glasses, Bang glass on table, drink.
iv.) To a South German offering you a toast - Bang glass on table, Clink Glasses, drink.
v.) Mixing up iii. and iv. is an insult. Pretend to be American. :cool:


Might be stoopid question but how can you tell the difference?

BossArky

how to tell the difference:

1) the accent if you speak German... the use of hoch Deutsch or Bavarian
2) the lederhosen (leather trousers)

Peteee

Skinner: Theres no such thing as scotchtoberfest
Willy: Theres not! YA USED ME SKINNER!

Oh wait this is Oktoberfest....disregard!

fjon

Great place Munich, but probably the most expensive city in Germany.
The only bad thing about the Oktoberfest is the awful, awful music. And if you stay around before or after the festival you may be surprised. The Germans will get absolutely out of their face during the Fest, but afterwards everything will be tidied up, and they'll go back to work like nothing happened. It's a strange feeling - "did that really happen, or did I imagine it?"

Flukey

I've never been to the Oktoberfest, but I've heard it is very good. I have been in Germany and the beer was good.

thegills

I'll be going for Fest No. 12 this year. I always go to the 1st weekend and always the Hofbrauhau tent (HB). Great craic and don't forget to nip out to the Strip Bars on Schiller Strasse. On the same street is the Schiller Cafe which only closes between 6-7am for cleaning. Gunther Murphys, Killians and The Shamrock are the best bars in town by a long shot. If you want any directions drop me a PM.
thegills

rubadub

fjon wrote:

The only bad thing about the Oktoberfest is the awful, awful music.

I remember them blaring out "the Hoff" a lot, couldnt stop laughing at them all singing along.
It is expensive but probably still cheaper than here.

fischerspooner

Yeah and die deutsche leute seem to get offended if you don't look them in the Augen when you're clinking glasses! And if they're drunk they don't stop clinking glasses with you, every 30 seconds, gets irritating after a while.