Oktoberfest

So, I've decided to belatedly write about travels from the past, this time a trip from September 2011. Who would've guessed that little ole me would go to Oktoberfest? I'll be saving the rest of the Munich trip for another post and just focus on Oktoberfest here. It is fair to say though, that getting around the main parts of Munich were fairly easy on their subway system, the best way to get there for this event.

Some advice for those planning on going to Munich/Oktoberfest/ good travel advice period:

• Visit the Hofbrauhaus.
• Get your hotel room early, earlier than normal, as in at least 6 months in advance
• Get said hotel room along a good subway line.
• When you get to Munich, get a visitors rail pass for however many days (they sell 3, 5, 7 day ones) sometimes there are also ones for groups.
• Bring cash for Oktoberfest, and only cash, leave credit cards etc back at the hotel. If you don't want to lose it, don't bring it. Beer is pretty expensive per liter, (7 euro in 2011), and you will probably have several liters over the day, never mind getting food during the day.
• If you want to reserve a table for you and your friends, you have to book one early, several months in advance, and it's usually ~50 Euros, not including spending minimums a table usually has to make.
• Under the general good travel advice: Make a copy of your passport, scan it and send it to your e-mail and a trusted family member. 
• Along those lines, write down your credit card numbers and debit card numbers, the phone numbers for those vendors (the international and local number). I prefer to have them listed as phone numbers under false names in my travel info, so no one else knows what they are, but you can get the information in the worst case scenario.

At Oktoberfest:

• Make a general plan with your friends about at what point you'd want to leave (aka, before anyone gets sick or the spins). 
• Remember that any alcohol can make you or your friends do stupid stuff, try to work out what stupid stuff is allowed before the drinking begins.
• Practically speaking, wear comfortable shoes and clothes, and don't bring anything you don't want to carry. Most tables are standing, with no hooks to hang coats etc on.
• It will be cold and possibly wet, expect this.
• Pick a tent and stick with it. Weekends will always be packed, during the week, earlier is better and more roomy. Around 3-5, when the locals get off of work, they come to the tents and it starts getting really crowded.
• The loos weren't as bad as I was expecting, but bring some change to tip the attendants.
• I can't emphasize this enough- make sure to eat something during the day (I recommend snacking through the day), maybe have some non-alcoholic beverages! Bring in a bottle of water.
• Oktoberfest beer tents are surrounded by essentially a county fair, so there are kids wandering around, there are rides (even swings!), there are games.
• Beers are served by the liter, and only a liter, and there is only the one style of beer served. Sometimes people selling pretzels come around, otherwise, you have to leave the tent for food.
• Make sure you leave with everyone you came with.
• Know how to get back to your hotel. Take a hotel business card before you leave and put it in your pocket, it can come in handy later, if by chance you forget which train line to take and need help.

Seriously, Oktoberfest was a blast, and I have wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Of course, like Vegas, what happens at Oktoberfest, stays there, or at least amongst your friends. You meet people from around the world, some strange, some friendly, and some may become friends for life.

Have fun and Prost!

One of the tents

Prost!

Hofbrauhaus

Inside the Paulaner tent