Oktoberfest is back! Are you ready for it? After being cancelled for two straight years, the world is ready to celebrate again! So much so that it’s happening this year with so much food, so much beer, and absolutely no coronavirus restrictions! Happy days are here again! We have written about living in Germany before, now we bring you a post purely about drinking and celebrating with beer in Germany, yay :)
5 Things to Remember to Have an Excellent Oktoberfest Experience
The world is ready to return to normal and Oktoberfest is ringing the new era in for two straight weeks! That is 14+ days of partying, drinking, singing, dancing, and merry-making from September 17 – October 3, 2022! The whole world is definitely ready for it! Six million+ visitors are holding their breath! Will you be part of this year’s Oktoberfest comeback? Have you finalised all your plans? If you’re still in the planning stage and you want to consider the most important things when it comes to planning Oktoberfest, this post is perfect for you.
#1. Know the best days!
Oktoberfest is a two-week-long event that can easily confuse clueless visitors and tourists. Do you just pick any given day and go with it? Do you just pick a random date and hope for the best? No and no! You should definitely carefully pick your chosen date if you want to maximise your Oktoberfest experience. First things first: avoid Saturdays! Saturdays and October 3rd if it falls on a Friday. This year’s October 3rd won’t fall on a Friday so you’re safe on that end. You’d still be safe for that day if you're planning for an Oktoberfest Munich 2023 as October 3 would then fall on a Tuesday. The next concerning October 3 that will fall on a Friday would be in 2025! So yes, consider yourself warned.
But why skip Saturdays and October 3 (if it falls on a Friday)? Well, it’s the crowd. Saturdays and October 3-Fridays are the most crowded days during Oktoberfest! They are not advisable if you want to have a chill good time because you’d be dealing with too many people. So much that you’d even have a hard time ordering beer! So yes, it’s not advisable for you to arrive on a Friday afternoon! If you must insist on a Saturday schedule though, the festival’s first Saturday is the least crowded.
#2. Intelligent hotel booking
Oktoberfest brings in an average of 6 million+ visitors to Munich every year. This is pretty problematic as Munich only offers 80,000+ beds through lodges and hotels. You see the great gap right? To be honest, the best time to book a Munich hotel for this year’s Oktoberfest was last year. And we are not exaggerating. But you can still check your luck and look for hotels now. In booking though, take note of the following tips:
- you should book a hotel that is within walking distance of the tents;
- staying at a hotel near the main station is also extremely convenient for nights of partying;
- you could also stay at traditional houses to level up your Oktoberfest experience.
#3. Remember: no tickets needed!
The first thing that you should remember when it comes to Oktoberfest tents is that there are no tickets. Entry to the festival is free and entry to the tents is free. You don’t have to pay at all so do stay away from people who would try to sell tickets to you (there will be some). On a chill day, you’d enjoy checking out large tents as they offer large free-seating areas and totally unreserved beer gardens.
Do take note though that it’s a whole different ball game when it comes to reserving tables. Table reservation can be tough, especially on the following tents that can get fully booked even before noon: Hacker-Festzelt and Augustiner-Festhalle. When it comes to tables, do take note of the following:
- each table can seat at least ten people;
- feel free to ask for free seats when a table does not look fully complete;
- you’d easily find free spots in the middle of central aisles during evenings;
- you can always ask waitresses for assistance if you’ve been having a hard time looking for free seat.
#4. Know your way around!
Munich is home to one of the best airports in the world. The airport is also the second-largest airport in Germany and as Germans are all about efficiency, you can rest easy and relax when it comes to transportation. The main train and bus station are both within walking distance to the festival so everything would be convenient. You need to take note though that parking will not be provided near Theresienwiese. If you’d be driving to Munich by car, you’d get to have a parking space at Park and Ride.
#5. Last but not least: sightseeing in Munich!
Lastly, you should never forget that you’re in Munich! Munich and its rich culture and beauty is a total treat apart and separate from all the joys and treats of Oktoberfest! It’s been continuously rated as one of the cities with the highest quality of living so you can be sure that you’d enjoy every minute of your stay in the city. You should check out the following spots:
- Marienplatz;
- Frauenkirche;
- Deutsches Museum;
- Schloss Nympehburg;
- Englischer Garten;
- Hofbräuhaus am Platzl;
- Alter Peter;
- Pinakotheken;
- Residenz;
- Olympiapark;
- Odeonsplatz;
- Viktualienmarket.
Wrap Up: Oktoberfest in Munich, 5 Things to Remember!
Well, there you have it , we enlisted five of the most essential things to take note of, secure, and plan ahead for to secure an excellent Oktoberfest experience. Knowing all of them and acting promptly will ensure that you’d have the time of your life in Munich! Enjoy your beer and próst!
What about you, have you been to Oktoberfest yet? If you have, feel free to share any tips & advice with us below :)
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
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