What to Pair with Munich/Oktoberfest 2026?

Hi emfcs, Salzburg is 1:30 from Munich by train, Vienna is 4:00 away; Berlin 4:30; Prague 5:30.

You also might just want to relax in a historic German city that was spared the devastation of war and has its medieval architecture intact. **Bamberg and Regensburg are two such cities and are each less than two hours by train from Munich. Bamberg is considered one of Germany’s most beautiful towns and was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.
An easy-to-use website that I use all the time to check airfares is www.Skyscanner.com
If you choose a city just 2-4 hours away from Munich, it will likely save you money to simply return to Munich for your return flight home.

You can take a look at train times for other cities you might be interested in at www.TheTrainline.com

I would suggest staying somewhere closer to Munich if you only have a week. You will essentially lose 2 days just on the long haul flights, and each change of location loses at least another half day. There are many things to see and do in Munich besides Oktoberfest . And Salzburg is a natural add on, since it's only 1 1/2 hrs away by train. You can easily spend a couple of nights there. Keep in mind that whether you book a round trip ticket in and out of Munich, or a multicity ticket into Munich and home from a second city, you need to be in that city the night before your return flight.

Does it need to be a big city? Do you enjoy the outdoors at all? How about a few days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen?

I think Berlin is a fantastic city, but it is a distance from Munich and you have limited time. You may wish to consider Salzburg and Berchtesgaden.

Both Berlin and Prague are direct train rides away, 4 hours and 5 1/2 hours respectively, and both have international airports. .

But if you need more beer drinking festivals, the Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart is more or less concurrent with Oktoberfest and a direct train ride away (2 hours), also with an international airport. It is a bit lower key than Oktoberfest.

With only a week, I would visit Salzburg, 2 hours away. Charming city with tons of gorgeous scenery in the surrounding countryside. Visit Berchtesgaden, Hallstatt, a fabulous fortress in Werfen. It will be gorgeous at that time of year.

Friends have suggested Bruges, Berlin, or Prague but I'm not sure what would make the most sense logistically.

Bruges? 8+ hours away from Munich? Add 1.5 hours to BRU airport when you leave. Seems like a logistically "unfriendly" suggestion to me.

(Munich itself is some distance from MUC airport - like 40 minutes.)

Oktoberfest has been on our bucket list, but we think doing it for a
few days is plenty for us...

We like art, history, food & drink.

O'fest offers the latter but not much else along these lines; beer, pork knuckle, pretzels, etc. might be good for 48 hours or so, but these things can be had elsewhere in Bavaria. It can be fun but it is also somewhat artificial - you don't experience much of the real Germany at O'fest. 2 days might be more than plenty. Rooms during O'fest are pricey too.

Why not stay in Germany to see what the country is really like?

We are active and happy to walk all day.

Nuremberg would be my suggestion. 2 days of sightseeing there would not be too much.

• Sights: https://tourismus.nuernberg.de/en/discover/places-of-interest/

• Old-world charm: https://img.fotocommunity.com/altstadt-nuernberg-efa800b3-84be-4b9a-b839-87ca97e73790.jpg?height=1080

• Kaiserburg Castle: https://www.kaiserburg-nuernberg.de/englisch/tourist/index.htm

• Just 1 hour by ICE train from Munich

• Bavaria's 2nd largest city - but with a small-ish old town zone that is very walkable - has a large network of pedestrians-only streets. N'berg walking tour:

https://www.orangesmile.com/common/img_city_maps/nurnberg-map-2.jpg

• Tons of museums: https://tourismus.nuernberg.de/en/discover/museums/

• Nuremberg is a train hub and you can visit nearby towns quickly... Bamberg, Würzburg, and Iphofen are just an hour from Nuremberg:

Iphofen: old walled village with towers, wineries/wine tasting (Vinothek) and art
https://tramino.s3.amazonaws.com/s/iphofen/752858/160927-iphofen-ortsprospekt-eng-web.pdf

On your last full day in Germany: Save this day for sightseeing in Nuremberg. Deposit bags at front desk of hotel in morning - fetch them that evening and catch a train to your hotel at FRA (Frankfurt airport) or MUC (Munich airport) so that you have no transport worries on the day you fly home.) Both airports are about 2 hrs. from Nuremberg.

Salzburg is an okay place, but you are too close to a world class city to spend time in Salzburg.

Sat: depasrt for Munich
Sun: Arrive Munich / half day in Munich
Mon: Munich
Tue: Munich
Wed: Morning train to Vienna
Thu: Vienna
Fri: Vienna
Sat: Vienna
Sun: Fly home

I am already offered my suggestion, and there is no reason to repeat it. You have received several good options. Only you and your husband can decide, given the length of your trip and your interests, what is the best option for the two of you.

And often we have to actually visit a city or a country before we know whether we think it is a special place. For example, I have visited places that I thought were fantastic and could not wait to return to (Berlin), and places that for me did not meet expectations but that others love (Rome). Not everyone on these foums loves Paris (I do). There's only one real way to find out--go there

Read up and watch video on the places you are considering. And keep in mind your logistics with travel given your limited number of days. Good luck on finalizing your itinerary. You do have several great places to choose from.

Oktoberfest has been on our bucket list

What do you want to accomplish at Oktoberfest? If part of your answer is "the beer" then I'm in favor of a trip up to Bamberg. Great medieval town with their unique smoked beer. Good for two full days.

Salzburg is an interesting side trip from Munich, but IMO you need to be a fan of Mozart or the SOM to get the most out it. If the train ride to Vienna is acceptable, that would be a better choice than Salzburg.

I just returned from a three week trip that included Oktoberfest and Bamberg. We also went to the Volksfest in Stuttgart. Similar to Oktoberfest, but about half the size if another, different festival is what you seek.