Anyone been to Oktoberfest in Munich?

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benko

benko

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SWMBO and I are looking at a vacation to Germany next year after I get back from Iraq, probably in the late September timeframe. We'll be rolling through Munich (I'm definately going to the Brauerei Weihenstephan) and were considering checking out Oktoberfest. I'm just worried that it will be some mass-market, commercial, Six Flags-esque tourist bonanza, and am thinking about not even going. Squeezing my way through thousands of drunk tourists isn't my idea of fun (I understand the irony in this statement as I will also be a tourist, and more than likely drunk). I'd rather hit up some of the smaller, less commercial places (Bamberg breweries, for example). Is it worth going?
 
There are lots of smaller fests in Germany on the outskirts of Munich. Freising has a Volksfest and it's where Weihenstephan is located.

Freisinger Volksfest

Smaller, more gemütlich, and easier on the wallet.
 
That's what I figured. I'll probably steer clear. On a related note. After we leave Munich, we're heading south to Garmisch. The army has a resort called the Edelweiss Lodge there that I've heard good things about. We plan on using that as a staging point for several day trips. I'm thinking Mittenwald, Innsbruck, and possibly Neu Schwannstein. Any other ideas for that area? Also, anybody been to Innsbruck?
 
Neu Schwannstein is cool. Innsbruck is Ok, but a little closer (only 80 minutes by car) is a town called Kufstien. It has an old fortress that is great to tour. Loads of bed and breakfastes and not as touristy as Innsbruck. We'll go back there next time Here's a pic of the Burg and the River Inn.

Webcams in Tyrol : Kufstein Webcams

7.jpg
 
benko said:
SWMBO and I are looking at a vacation to Germany next year after I get back from Iraq, probably in the late September timeframe. We'll be rolling through Munich (I'm definately going to the Brauerei Weihenstephan) and were considering checking out Oktoberfest. I'm just worried that it will be some mass-market, commercial, Six Flags-esque tourist bonanza, and am thinking about not even going. Squeezing my way through thousands of drunk tourists isn't my idea of fun (I understand the irony in this statement as I will also be a tourist, and more than likely drunk). I'd rather hit up some of the smaller, less commercial places (Bamberg breweries, for example). Is it worth going?
Click to expand...

I went to Oktoberfest for a week about 10 years ago and had a blast. By dinner time probably half the crowd was drunken tourists, especially if you go to the Spaten or Haufbrau tents. But the deal is this - they won't serve you a beer unless you're sitting at a table. And table reservations are sold out at least a year in advance. So pretty much the only way to get a beer is to walk up to a table full of revelers and ask if you can join their table. So this means that those drunken tourists are pretty soon your new best friends and you'll pretty soon find yourself arm in arm with a bunch of Austrians, or Danes, or Spaniards, etc., standing on the benches trying to out-polka the Bavarians. It was a pretty evenly mixed international crowd. Some of the tents are really more for the Bavarians, so if you want to surround yourself with a predominantly German crowd, you can do so.
 
We took a day off skiing in the Italian Alps a few years ago and train tripped up to Innsbruck for the day. A very long day of travel for a very touristy city,but I'd go back again tomorrow.

Never been to Octoberfest, but I will be hosting the second annual HBT Masstoberfest again next fall. Not nearly as many drunk tourists and Kaiser is the only drunk German.

PTN
 
You can also go to the Volksfest in Stuttgart. About 1hr by car from Munich and it is the 2nd largest after the Octoberfest (to my knowledge). However, you really don't have too many tourists there at all. If you want to see a bunch of castles and stuff within walking distance, I recommend the 'Donau Tal'
 
-Dan- said:
You can also go to the Volksfest in Stuttgart. About 1hr by car from Munich and it is the 2nd largest after the Octoberfest (to my knowledge). However, you really don't have too many tourists there at all. If you want to see a bunch of castles and stuff within walking distance, I recommend the 'Donau Tal'
Click to expand...

Donau Tal = Danube (River) Valley...;)
 
I've been to Neuschwanstein via Fussen. It's worth a gander. I've also been to Innsbruck. Edwort's right... it's OK. The baroque architecture is pretty cool.

Side story: The main thing I remember from Innsbruck is being belittled by an Austrian waiter when I asked for the bill in German. Apparently, I didn't trill my 'R' enough... "RRRRRRRRRRechnung, bitte!" I guess he expected me to speak like Hitler in "Triumph of the Will".

My German is extremely limited, but I was trying and my pronunciation wasn't half bad. He proceeded to have a good laugh about my lack of German with a couple Austrian girls at a nearby table, knowing I couldn't understand them. So, I paid my bill, called him an Arschloch and left.

At that point I understood firsthand why Bill Bryson wrote, "That's the trouble with Austria. It's a beautiful country, but it's full of fcuking Austrians."
 
I've been to Oktoberfest 3 times now and I have a couple of suggestions. If you are fairly young and enjoy the party scene, then going for the evening is great, although it gets very noisy and somewhat rowdy. If you do plan to go in the evening you need to be in the good tents by 4-5pm because as soon as they fill up to capacity, they shut the doors and it's hard to get in. If you are a little older or have children, i would recommend going for lunch (get there when the tents open around 10:30-11am) and have a few pints and a roast chicken (hendl) and a pretzel (brez'n). The bands will be playing at the time and you will have more room to breathe. Also outside the tents will be a little more managable. Don't forget to ride the ferris wheel to get a great aerial view of the whole park. When the tents close at 10:30 (because it's in a residential area) everyone leaves at once and it is almost impossible to drive on the surrounding streets. If you are still up for a party, many of the local clubs will have "after oktoberfest" parties that kick off around 10:30-11pm at night. if you do go, do not drive your car- parking is impossible and the subways are way better option.

The last time I went we took my fiance's parents with us and went during the day and it was a great time - they are almost 60 and going at night would be too much for them.

Good luck!

p.s. Garmish-partenkirchen is a great little town south of munich (about 1hr drive) and it has a huge US army base there. From what I hear if you get sent there it is somewhat of a "gift" because it is so nice. The winter olympics were there in the 1930s.
 

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