Oktoberfest is one of the best parties you’ll ever get to attend in your lifetime. It’s a 16- to 18-day festivity held annually in Munich, Germany. It started on October 12, 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig wedded Princess Therese. Citizens of Munich were invited to attend the celebration in the same fields where it’s being held today.
The atmosphere is lively. The crowd is wild and happy. You can get all the beers, German Hallertau hops, sausages, and grilled meats that you want. An estimated seven million visit Oktoberfest every year, and the festivity is also celebrated across the world. In Munich, 85% of the attendees are German, and it isn’t impossible to see them in traditional Bavarian clothes. You can get your hands on these traditional clothes if you want to feel like a local.
Accommodation
It is expensive to stay near the Oktoberfest grounds during the actual festivities. Accommodations can go up as high as 400 euros each night. Reservations will be closed months before the actual event. So unless you’re swimming in a lot of money, you might want to be smart about where you stay. You don’t have to be at a walking distance to the field. You have to book something close to the U-Bahn station on the U4 or U5 line. This way, you can get to and from the grounds without any hassle.
Budget
You can’t enjoy Oktoberfest fully if you’re not set to spend thousands of euros. Yes, euros. Every October, the field is turned into a carnival complete with stalls and tents. Inside those tents is where the beers and sausages get served. A bottle of beer costs 11 euros, while meals range from 12 to 15 euros. The snacks are for 5 euros. You can get food and alcoholic drinks (not beer) from outside the tent. That will cost around 8 euros.
You can reserve a tent, but you’ll have to order food that’s equivalent to 30 euros per person. So to get a table for 10 people reserved, you’ll need to pay around 300 euros. You might want to consider sharing a table since Oktoberfest is all about mingling and having fun.
Clothing
It’s not a requirement to dress in traditional Bavarian clothing, but isn’t it more fun to dress in lederhosen (for boys) and dirndls (for girls)? These don’t even come cheap. Good quality lederhosen sells for 140 euros, while dirndls go for 100 euros. You can rent it for 40 euros a day, too.
Hydrate
Drinks lots of water when you drink beer and eat sausages to your heart’s content. Make sure that you have a bottle in your bag to keep you hydrated. When you get back to your hotel room, make sure that there are bottles of water waiting for you there, too. You need these for the impending hangover.
Schedule
Get to the grounds and tents early. Midday will give you enough time to go around the grounds and enjoy the carnival-like atmosphere. You can start early chugging beer. Make sure that you visit the tents that you want to try out (though the differences between tents are not drastic). By the reservation hour, which is around dinnertime, you’ll get kicked out of your table and need to find the unreserved ones.
Cash
Finally, bring cash so that you don’t have to make it hard for the servers. If they need to process your credit card for payments, that will take a lot of time. Save yourself and the servers a lot of time by bringing cash.
Staying safe during the festivities should be a priority. Although it is generally safe as almost everyone wants to have a good time, it’s still wise to bring only what you need. Be mindful of your belongings and safety no matter how drunk you get. It’s also good advice to practice beforehand. If you haven’t had beer for the past year, don’t expect to last during Oktoberfest.
