First Oktoberfest

I went to Oktoberfest once when I lived in Germany. It is a Fest(ival) and there are more things to do than just drink, but once was enough.

I wore jeans and a sweater. Dirndls and Lederhosen are not required to attend.

Yea I know, and thats definitely crossed my mind for sure, butI just figure if Im going all the way over there, "do as the Romans do I suppose".

When I was there a few years ago for opening day of Octoberfest, there were many shops around Munich that rented the outfits. So unless you want to keep your lederhosen for a return visit, there shouldn't be a reason to buy. You may have to buy the shirt and other accessories, I wasn't completely sure (didn't feel the need to dress up) and things may have changed. There were actually very few people wearing the costumes unless they were working in the tents or other attractions (might be because it was rainy and very chilly).

It was completely impossible to get a beer at Octoberfest opening day! All the beer tents were packed. And the crowds were even worse as the day went on. I went back late in the day Sunday (almost dark) and was able to get in a couple places for a quick drink and some food. Later in the fest it might not be so bad on the weekend.

1) Wait until you're in Munich to buy the Lederhosen/Dirndl. The fit can be quite different from company to company and if you find it online for cheaper it will probably be poorer quality.

There are different quality and price ranges for tracht. Most expensive, and the best shopping experience, is Lodenfrey in the old city. Lederhosen start at 350€ and Dirndl for 400€. (Although last year they had some really nice Dirndl around 150€ for Oktoberfest.) More reasonably priced and by no means poor quality is Angermaier near Viktualianmarkt. Lederhosen start at 160€ and Dirndl at 130€. There are also some shops that sell a more costumey (and cheaper in price and quality) Lederhosen and Dirndl, such a Steindl Trachten across from Zum Augustiener. I think you can probably get a Dirndl there for 30€, but it will probably only last one evening. You'll find more shops pop up around the city as Oktoberfest approaches. There has to be at least 30 places in old city to buy Lederhosen and Dirndl, and that number doubles around Oktoberfest as department stores open up separate Tracht departments.

Also keep in mind, you will need to buy a blouse for the Dirndl separately (about 20-30€) and a shirt of the Lederhosen (35€-100€). The choice to buy is obviously yours, but you will find that in some tents, and especially in the evening, most people are wearing the traditional Tracht. I would say it definitely makes the experience more fun.

2) I'm sure you've read the weekends can be rough. If you arrive Saturday afternoon or evening it will be impossible to enter the tents. Sunday after 6pm you might have more luck. Maybe try going Saturday morning and if you don't get in you can wander around and then head back into the city. Then try again on Sunday in the evening. Definitely try to get in a tent and at a table, don't just hang out at the tables around the outside of some of the tents. Remember, you have to be sitting at a table in the tent to order a beer. Try to stay until at least 9pm in the evening, things get rowdy, but it is a very fun experience.

Thats what I was afraid of, just how things worked out, the last weekend was the only one we could do. I heard you need to get there early, but maybe Sunday after 6pm is the way to go. How bad are Fridays? We could probably get there by 11-12 on Friday.

If at all possible be sure to attend the parade downtown on Sunday morning opening weekend. It is amazing. After the parade, I went direct to the fest with a group of about 15. We walked right into a tent and found a table without much problem. We were served right away and stayed about 3 hours. Tables are reserved but lots of the reservations are for later afternoons and evenings. I sure would not splurge on a pair of lederhosen that you may never wear again. Rent if you can. Most men just wear normal clothing anyway. Most women do wear the dirndl's and that is where I would splurge. Buy your wife a good one.

Biggest party you will ever attend. Enjoy!

"do as the Romans do"

If my memory is not too clouded, it was the visitors (mostly from north Germany and overseas), who started »doing so« in large quantities some 40 years ago. The »Romans«, learning quickly how they were expected to behave (and how to make money out of it), followed.

1) Should we buy lederhosen/dirndl in Munich, or try to buy online before we go? I hear the stuff online is generally poor quality, but the authentic wear is expensive - what is expensive?

You can get good quality stuff online but getting the fit right can be difficult. A group of guys that I go to Oktoberfest bought these lederhosen sets: http://www.ebay.com/itm/German-Bavarian-Oktoberfest-Trachten-Package-Set-Lederhosen-Shirt-Shoes-Socks-/290952703537
I would terms these the "high" of the low end of quality if you know what I mean. They are good enough for at least three years worth of Oktoberfest and while not traditional by any sense you will see LOTS of visitors wearing similar quality ones. Many in the group did augment their lederhosen with new shirts, vest, etc once we arrived.

If you wait to buy it in Munich you should be able to find "good enough" quality for less than 200€. There is no need to go to a specialty shop as many pop-up shops appear selling traditional dress and even chains like C&A sells traditional dress during Oktoberfest (Heck, I remember one year Lidl, a low cost grocery store, even had bins of "lederhosen" for 99€!). Think of Lederhosen and Dirndl at Oktoberfest like cowboy hats and boots at a rodeo, chances most of those people are not herding cows as their day job and they are just there for the fun!

As far as getting in, with only two it should be possible but you will need to be good at making fast friends. A trick we use is to bring some cheap texas flag pins to give as gifts (people like to put them on their hats). Small unique pins go a long way in getting you invited to sit at a table.

DJ

You can try eBay.de for Tracht (Lederhosen, Dirndl etc.). Make sure they ship to the US, or ask. You will need to check the sizes too, with the difference between German and US. As mentioned sizes very. For Mens shirts GR. 43-44 is about XL-XXL. Lederhosen GR. 56-58 is US 40-42. Dirndel 36 is XS-S and 44 about M. A lot of Tracht on eBay.de has been only worn a few times. Even with shipping it can be purchased for a fraction of the original price. For Lederhosen, Meidl. Shirts and Dirndl, OS Tracht, Hammerschmid, Spieth Wensky, Alphorn, Julius Lang etc. Of course there is some buyer beware.

http://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=tracht&rt=nc&LH_Auction=1

Does anyone have any insight on whether or not it will be better to go Friday afternoon? If I could get there around 12-1 pm? Everything I read seems to separate Weekday/weekend, is Friday still a weekend crowd-wise?

You will have better luck right after the lunch crowd leaves on a Friday afternoon than you would on a Sat or Sun. But really I think you will find a way to get in on the weekend too it will just be more crowded.

DJ

We went to Oktoberfest two years ago. It was 4th trip to Germany, but 1st to O fest. We arrived on a Thursday (around 3 PM) and though we were jet lagged decided to give it a try getting in to avoid the weekend. We were able to get in and we were able to physically get in to the Späten tent, but could find no where to sit. The place we stay when we stay in the heart of Munich is a bed and breakfast type place (Jakobplatz) with an amazing host who speaks good English and is a great source of information. He told us to go to the back small tent where all the locals go, we would have a better chance to get in. After trying several other tents, we headed to the back. I can't rememeber the name of the tent, but we actually had to pay a small amount to get it and there was a display inside of old farm trucks and such inside. After paying there, it was a litttle less crowded, but still couldn't find a place to sit down. We left that tent, walked around the festival and left. We ended up going over to Hacker-Pschorr which was essentially empty. We sat outside, had one of our favorite beers, and we could see the O-fest from there.
Our host, Christoph, told us to try again on Sunday after a lot of the local tourists leave. We did this on Sunday, went to the local tent in the back again, and we were able to find a place to sit. They served the local Augustiner beer, which was nice, and we have a great time. So we didn't get the experience of drinking inside one of the big tents, but we were OK with that. We just wanted to see the place and and at least get a beer there.
In the end, this worked for us, because again, we wanted to see it and get a beer, but we didn't necessarily care about staying there all day. We were just as happy to then go hit other places which were much less crowded (like the toursity Hofbrau Haus- which we love) and again, Hacker-Pschorr or Paulaner. This would not be for everyone, but it worked for us.

Great info. Thanks for posting the question. We will be in Munich coincidentally during the second weekend. We get in Saturday night and will be there for 4 nights. My guess is that if we go Monday or Tuesday we should be able to get in a tent and get a beer. It isn't our big priority when we are there, buy while there we should at least go by.

The city comes out with a yearly Oktoberfest barometer to help visitors pick a good time to visit:

http://www.muenchen.de/veranstaltungen/oktoberfest/besucher-service/wiesnbarometer.html

This year the first Monday is a holiday here, so Sunday will also be quite busy.

That calendar is very helpful, thank you! I think Friday will be the day.