Do's & Don'ts of Oktoberfest
It is the best month of the year... Oktober! In reality, I was only looking forward to this month because of Oktoberfest 🍻
A trip that was always on my bucketlist was a visit to Munich to celebrate Oktoberfest and drink some good beer. The experience inside the tents is really unique... it is a party atmosphere! Everyone visits Munich with one thing in mind... to drink the day away! Oktoberfest really delivered and exceeded my expectations! I also picked up a few tips during our visit. Here are our top tips of what to do and not do in Oktoberfest:
DO’S
Visit as many tents as possible. All the tents are unique and offer a different atmosphere. On the first day we decided on some “tent-hopping”. We didn’t make it to all, but we sure visited a good chunk. We later returned to the ones we enjoyed the most.
Drink as much beer as your body can handle. It’s all part of the experience, but also don’t forget to drink water too! Keep in mind that German beer is the best beer I have tasted and the strongest! It’s very smooth and then out of no where it hits you.
Eat the chicken! You will notice the tents selling a chicken dish. I don’t recall the correct terminology, but make sure you taste it. Some locals even told us this chicken is specifically grown and made for Ocktoberfest. You won’t find it anywhere else.
Make some friends! We are all there for one reason... to party and have a good time. We made many friends that bought us a round of beer when we told them we were on our Travel Moon around the world.
Attend on different dates to get a different experience. We went one day to walk around the fair and enjoy all the atmosphere. We sat down and people watched for a while (specifically the hill of shame, since we found ourselves here the night before). This was very interesting and entertaining.
Dress appropriately. Everyone and I do mean EVERYONE wears a Dirndl dress if you are a girl and a leather Lederhosen shorts if you are a guy. Don’t be slick and try to pull off a costume you wore for Halloween, Bavarians will notice right away and you will be laughed at. If you don’t have the proper attire, just wear your regular clothes.
Ladies, make sure you tie the bow of your dirndl correctly. If you tie it on the right side, it signifies you are married. Tying it on the left side indicates to everyone you are single. Tying it in front and center means you are a virgin and tying it on the back and center means you are widowed. Don’t let this catch you by surprise.
Take public transportation to the festival. The U-Bahn is very cheap and drops you off very close to the festival grounds. This will be the quickest and most economic way to get to Oktoberfest.
Get there early and stay late. This is a marathon.. not a sprint. Pace yourself and enjoy the day.
Dance your butt off on the benches! The atmosphere is great and even if you don’t understand some songs you will be dancing and singing along with your new friends. You can dance on the benches, just make sure to not stand on the tables since you run the risk of getting kicked out.
Tip your waitress. Lets be honest, your waitress will be your Oktoberfest superhero! She will be the one bringing you that nice cold beer at your request. Be nice and considerate, they work long hours and long days carrying 5-6 steins on each hand at a time to make sure you have a great time.
Bring cash! Credit cards are not taken in any of the tents. A one liter stein will typically cost between €9-10 ($10.45-11.61 USD).
DON’TS
Try not to end up on the hill of shame. The hill can be easily spotted behind the tents. This is the official place were people pass out from drinking too much. This is also the location all the sober people go to sit down and laugh at the drunks. Just take it easy and watch your alcohol intake.
Attend the festival at peak times. Peak times can be considered the weekends. We attended during the week and found it less crowded and found cheaper accommodations too. Even during the week, Oktoberfest has a great atmosphere. You also have higher chances of getting in the tents since some tend to get full quicker.
Drink on an empty stomach. Make sure to have a big breakfast or lunch before heading out for the drinking festivities. There is also plenty of food available at the fair.
Don’t book accommodations last minute! Accommodations sell out quickly and tend to be higher priced in Munich during this time of year. Try to book early so you can get a good price and a good location.
Do not bring your valuables to Oktoberfest. The chances of you losing your cell phone or an expensive camera is very likely if you get drunk.