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.
I stayed in a hostel that was a bit of a walk from Theresienwiese (the area where the Oktoberfest is held). Munich has a large variety of hostels where you can stay during the festival starting from around 200Euro for 4 days. Of course if you are ready to spend more on your comfort you can choose hotels, or even apartments if you're with a larger group.
Like most European cities the public transport is incredible in Munich and you can easily get into and out of the Oktoberfest grounds. The U4 and U5 Metro Lines will take you right to the Oktoberfest grounds with a train arriving around every 10 minutes at the most.
One thing that I found straight away was that the people at Oktoberfest were really friendly and were always up for a chat. If you find yourself sitting with some locals you might find you could probably learn a thing or two about Munich or the Oktoberfest whilst you're there. I can highly recommend that if you are at Oktoberfest by yourself then just start up conversations with the people around you, everyone is there to have a great time and enjoy themselves.
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.
I stayed in a hostel that was a bit of a walk from Theresienwiese (the area where the Oktoberfest is held). Munich has a large variety of hostels where you can stay during the festival starting from around 200Euro for 4 days. Of course if you are ready to spend more on your comfort you can choose hotels, or even apartments if you're with a larger group.
Like most European cities the public transport is incredible in Munich and you can easily get into and out of the Oktoberfest grounds. The U4 and U5 Metro Lines will take you right to the Oktoberfest grounds with a train arriving around every 10 minutes at the most.
One thing that I found straight away was that the people at Oktoberfest were really friendly and were always up for a chat. If you find yourself sitting with some locals you might find you could probably learn a thing or two about Munich or the Oktoberfest whilst you're there. I can highly recommend that if you are at Oktoberfest by yourself then just start up conversations with the people around you, everyone is there to have a great time and enjoy themselves.
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.
