How to do Oktoberfest in Munich

Getting there

I flew with EasyJet and went on the last weekend of Oktoberfest. The prices for this flight were hiked up. Munich airport is nowhere near Munich. It’s over an hour by train so make sure you plan everything in time.

What to wear

You have to dress up. It’s so much more fun if you do – I still have my dirndl.

I turned up without an outfit but luckily my German friends knew where to go. I bought the lowest end dirndl for €50. They were a lot more expensive than I realised. The top end ones are around €300. It is best to buy the outfit in advance on the Internet – eBay or Amazon it.

Guys get yourself a button-up shirt (either white or checkered) and leather lederhosens.

How it works

If you don’t have a table reservation then the only way to get in is to be there at 8am when the tents open and run in to claim your seat.

Each tent is owned by a brewery and the tents are huge but the seats get taken very quickly. Reserved benches have signs on them, do not sit on them. You have to be sitting at a table to be served a beer. Hence having to get there when it first opens. Once you have a seat – do not leave! Remember to tip the server, otherwise it’s impossible to get their attention again.

Take cash

You can’t leave the tent and get back in if you need cash. Any cash points have huge lines. It’s better to be safe than sorry so make sure you have enough and put it in a safe place so you don’t loose it if you get totally drunk.

Some tents even charge 1 euro to use the toilet.

Be prepared to drink

Drinks come in steins which are 2 litres. This is a lot of beer! I was floored after 3 steins. My friends however managed 8 steins each. This really is all about drinking so to be worth it you need to like beer. If you want to pace yourself, order a Radler which is half beer and half lemonade. This way you can drink more and stay upright longer.

Watch out

There’s also a lot of prostitutes around. Prostitution is legal in Germany, so if you meet a hot girl it might be too good to be true….

Go, Have Fun, Drink