You absolutely must experience a traditional German Beer Festival while you are based here! If you are thinking of heading to Oktoberfest in Munich this year, then let me give you some tips to get the best of your trip…
Dress Up
You will feel quite out of place if you don’t rock up in Lederhosen or Dirndl (traditional German dress). So just go with it and commit! Find reasonably priced gear in C&A, eBay, Find-it Guide Classifieds or Yard Sales.
Go as a Group
If you can gather together 8-10 friends then its worth booking a table in one of the big tents. They get very busy and if you don’t have a reservation then you can expect a long queue to get in.
Go in the Day
The tents are busiest in the evening, so consider going during the daytime and you will find it easier to get in. The atmosphere is just as much fun and there is always live music from about 11am.
Hit the Fairground First
Don’t attempt any fairground rides after you have spent several hours drinking and dancing on tables in a tent. There is some magical spirit that keeps you upright whilst inside the tent, but once you step outside… the full force of the German beer will make itself known (and you probably won’t be able to get back inside). So best stay off any ferris wheels or you might end up wearing your lunch.
Trade Munich for Stuttgart
Instead of Munich for ‘the big one’, I thoroughly recommend heading to Stuttgart for the Cannstatter Wasen, which is just the same but much closer to Ramstein and can be reached by train via Mannheim. You can go there and back in a day. It’s a bit smaller than Munich but none of that matters once you are inside of a tent – it’s exactly the same!
Listen to our Podcast
Listen to our podcast episode all about Oktoberfest in Munich and Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart to get the low-down on how to do a beer festival the right way!
Leave the Car at Home
Of course our best tip for a day of German beer drinking, is to this time leave the car at home and make full use of the fabulous train and tram system in Germany. But when you did need a great car, come and see the good guys at UCG! Find a great new-to-you vehicle for your trip from The Used Car Guys. Locations in Ramstein, Kaiserslautern, Spangdahlem and now Wiesbaden!
