Munich during Octoberfest

We were there during Oktoberfest this year and besides the Oktoberfest grounds themselves and the train station, I didn't find Munich to be much more crowded than I did during a summer visit. Of course there would be less people before Oktoberfest, but if you have any desire to attend the Fest it would be worth it. If you don't want to experience Oktoberfest I would choose a different date.

What Amy said.

The train station and the Oktoberfest grounds are very busy. But getting away from those areas and it is not that crowded. Maybe busier, but I would not call it crowded. Also, if you do have any interest in Oktoberfest, I highly recommend going.

What Andrea, Amy, and Reg said. I have been to Munich twice during Oktoberfest. I have never experienced a bigger crowd than in the U-Bahn station for the Oktoberfest grounds. The beer tents can be absolutely packed. Crowds are worst at night and weekends. Oktoberfest was a highlight of my trips. I believe that tour lodgings may not be central in Munich during Oktoberfest.

What part of Munich is best to stay during Oktoberfest???

I've stayed at the Muchener Kindl and Hotel Uhland a couple of times. The Muchener Kindl has a very good location. It's just a couple of blocks from the Marketplatz and about a mile from the Oktoberfest grounds.
The Hotel Uhland was a nicer place but closer to the Hautbahnhof, and fest grounds. I prefer the Muchener Kindl because it seems to be more centrally located to most things. Prost!

Lori, I have seen many people recommend Hotal Uhland which is very convienent to the fairgrounds. However, when I attempted to book this location - their policy was 1) pay only in cash - no credit cards 2) pay full amount at time of reservation 3) pay only in Euros. So I would have had to get a PayPal or something...I don't know. Too complicated. I just wanted to use my normal credit card. During Oktoberfest, they can afford to be fussy. I instead went with Hotel Munchner Kindl. Great place and pretty convienent location. Maybe 6 blocks from the train station. Tiny bathroom, but otherwise great location and the owner was so nice and helpful. I have also stayed and Pension Seibel but that was a fair jaunt away from the fairgrounds. Very close to the market area, but a hefty walk to the action. My friends stayed at the Four Points Sheraton and you couldn't get more convienent than that - but I think they hiked their prices up in the last years since we were there in 2006. Spendy place now.

We went over 10 years ago for our honeymoon and purposely wanted to visit for Oktoberfest...but crowds and even getting a place was a trick. A savvy travel agent booked us a beautiful hotel in Kufstein, Austria and we took the train in to Munich a couple daysworked perfectly! We did some sightseeing, not all that we'd like to again some timeand crowds weren't horrible (since many were at the festival grounds). Train was easy and we had a lovely, quiet place to stay and also got to sightsee in Austria. Another note re: Octoberfestif the weather is rainy, and you therefore wish to be inside the beer halls, it can be a challenge if you don't have a reservation w/a group. In the evenings, most spots are reserved and not much room for others inside.

My old friend Herr Hoos (now retired) owned a wonderful pension right at the opening of the Octoberfest Meadow called Pension Westfalia. He sold it to a young couple who I hope have maintained his high standards. Worth checking out. As to the Octoberfest itself, it is fun to visit ONCE, at least in my opinion. There are a lot of what I call one stop places in Europe and this would be one of them. It's a huge party - plenty to eat and drink - good traditional German music - big crowds - Again, worth seeing once - you will have no regrets. Richard

If you are on a tour, the place to stay is included, no? The biggest hassle around Oktoberfest is a place to stay - so that won't be a problem. The next biggest hassle are the crowds - both at the fest itself and on public transportation. IMO it's worth the hassle to visit Oktoberfest at least once. After that you can decide if you want to go back. I've been twice. Both times I had a great time that I wouldn't trade for anything but the crowds and expense have me wondering whether I'll go back. There are other fests in the same timeframe. A group of us visited Bonnfest when it was still the Capital. In many ways it was better than Oktoberfest - one giant beer tent rather than a half dozen, two stages with one rock band and one oompah band, the opportunity to buy a beer without first being seated, standing on benches or tables to sing along was allowed, plus it went all night (we left at 4:30 am while Oktoberfest kicks everyone out by 10:30 pm). It was also more German and less tourist than Oktoberfest. Still, there's something special about the "real" Oktoberfest that must be experienced. September is a great time to be in Germany, with or without Oktoberfest. Grapes are harvested, which spurs a lot of local celebrations.

Dennis, My husband and I did the BOE tour with Rick Steve's during Octoberfest a few years ago and loved it. It is crowded at Octoberfest and it is hard to find a table, but we have been in Munich two times for it and loved it. You have to be on the look out for a table and be patient. We are planning on doing the Germany, Austria and Switzerland tour in 2012 during Octoberfest with friends because we enjoyed our tour so much. It was a good time to travel because school was back in and it was not too crowded at the other stops like Venice and Rome. The weather was really nice in Sept too.
We just had a stop in Munich with our tour to visit Octoberfest. About 8 of us went to the festival, I think the others from the group walked around Munich to see the sights. Have a fun trip!

Dennis, if your main objective is to take 1 of the ETBD tours, than that should PROB override any potential issues of being in Munich during Oktoberfest. But, IF you could avoid overlapping w/ Oktoberfest, I would. I've been to Munich a few times; my 1st time was in early October, JUST after Oktoberfest ended (most of it is actually in Sep.) and I was glad. Munich is a great, fun, vibrant city with so much to see, and I was glad to be able to enjoy it without having to deal with the tremendous Oktoberfest crowds, much higher prices and difficulty securing a hotel room and eating in restaurants of my choice. I also think that one's age (or age-range) has a lot to do with it. Yes, I'm sure that experiencing Oktoberfest once WOULD be a lot of fun. But on the other hand, as a guy in his late 30s, although I DO love beer (especially German beers!), it's not THAT huge a priority for me to be at a beer drinking festival w/ thousands (& thousands!) of others. When I was in my late teens/ early 20s, sure, that would have been heaven on earth (!), but now, not so much! Regardless of when you go, enjoy. The ETBD Tours sound great (have personally always traveled independently, but have heard nothing but rave reviews for Rick's tours) & Munich is a great city anytime of the year.