Oktoberfest Munich, Germany

Visiting Oktoberfest: what to expect

Initially, when I was planning a trip to Germany in late September it hadn’t crossed my mind that this was actually Oktoberfest. Yes, I know, Oktoberfest in September?! The well-known beer drinking festival actually starts at the end of September and extends into the first week of October. Now I will put the disclaimer that I am not a drinker, especially beer, but was semi excited to go to Oktoberfest as I figured it would be once in a lifetime. The fact that I am not a beer connoisseur may have skewed my thoughts a bit on this festival. I will try to keep personal biases out of it and merely provide you with the most pertinent information so you can survive your first Oktoberfest.

First, let’s get real about some of the things to expect which may be obvious (and may not be) when going to Munich’s Oktoberfest…

Inside Augustiner-Brau beer tent — Found a seat in a tent…Augustiner-Brau

Accommodations

Accommodations will be harder to find and more expensive. This probably won’t be a surprise to most but if planning to visit this time of year make sure you book accommodations much ahead of time and expect to pay quite a bit more than usual. I was fortunate and was still able to find a moderately priced hostel 1 1/2 months before. I paid about 50usd per night which I thought wasn’t bad at all. After all, I talked to others who stayed at a low-end hotel for 250 euro a night! The key to this story is book early and expect a little less for your money for sure.

Oktoberfest attire

Me standing outside Augustiner-Brau beer tent in my Dirndl — After landing at 7am I changed into my Dirndl and headed to Oktoberfest

Most everyone will be dressed up in the traditional Bavarian Oktoberfest outfits. Women will wear Dirndls and the men wear Lederhosen. This was one of my favorite things about Oktoberfest as nearly everyone dressed up. I highly recommend purchasing a cheaper outfit and wear it for fun if you are planning to go. Keep in mind, if you buy this in Germany they will probably start at 150 euro for decent outfits and go up to several hundred or more. I was just planning on going one day so I found one at a costume store online from Amazon, because I buy everything from there, and paid about 25usd. The quality was not great but it was the dress and blouse in one as well as the apron.

(So a side note on etiquette if you decide to dress up. If you are looking in the states especially you will find a lot of “slutty” versions of this outfit if you will. While it is more than normal for your breasts to be hanging out of your blouse the same can not be said for showing leg. The dress should be about knee length to be appropriate. Next, a few women wore lederhosen but as a whole, I learned this is really not a greatly accepted practice especially if they are super short. Again, just be a little modest on the bottom.)

Also a note for the ladies, the side you tie your apron on signifies your status. To tie on the right means taken and left means single and ready to mingle.

Etiquette

Oktoberfest may be about beer but is not all about being a drunk fest. Beers are served by the liter (mas) and people are drunk however they do monitor for drunk individuals. For example, there were some young Austrians at the table next to me one of whom puked then could barely stay awake. Needless to say, he was told he could leave or his whole group could get kicked out. Don’t be that foreigner!

Seating in the tents

Three men in Lederhosen walking into Schottenhamel beer tent — Quintessential Oktoberfest, beer tents and men in Lederhosen

Get there early! I can not stress this enough. The key with Oktoberfest is when you are in a tent you must have a table to order beer or food. A large portion of the tables get reserved up to a year ahead of time or are taken early. The beer tents open at 10 am and you should get there definitely before 2 or even noon. I went in with a group of three others around 11 and found a spot ok but by noon or one, it was nearly full of people. I was in the Augustine’s-Brau tent so others may be a little different but as a whole, I heard this is pretty typical.

The different beer tents

The tents are based on the brewery and are kind of known to have different feels to them. There were 9 tents on the main walkway when I went, the website says there are 17 large tents but only list 12 so I’m not sure. Additionally, they talk about small tents which are more like food and drink stands then tents themselves. The more nationally known beers tend to attract more foreigners while others tend to be more family-friendly or local tents. The tents were quite magnificent and one of my favorite things about Oktoberfest. I would say at least wander into every tent to see the inside, some will look very similar while a couple of others really stick out.

Inside Marsttall beer tent, pink ribbon ceiling with carousel — Marstall tent, definitely the most unique inside

Schedule

Beer tents open at 10 am on weekdays and 9 am on weekends. While Oktoberfest has a lot to do about drinking beer it actually serves last beer at 1030 weekdays and 1130 weekends. Click here for the official Oktoberfest site http://oktoberfest.de.

My impression

Overall I am glad I went to Oktoberfest for the experience but don’t know that I would go out of my way to return. The day I went was also raining and I had just landed at 730 that morning from my international flight so keeping my eyes open was trying. As a whole, I would compare Oktoberfest to state fairs here in the US except with giant beer tents. There are also food and beer stalls galore and carnival rides. Throw in some traditional outfits and an extra emphasis on beer drinking and you have Oktoberfest! Okay so there is more tradition to it than that but as I mentioned not a beer drinker so maybe a little less impressed.