I’m thinking about traveling to Germany, my first overseas trip since the pandemic began. I would be arriving Friday, October 6 and staying until Thursday, October 13. Oktoberfest will have ended by Monday, Oct 3. Is arriving that weekend and staying 6 days a good time to be in Munich weather-wise and are hotels less expensive after Oktoberfest ends? I’m thinking about a day trip to the Zugspitze (via DB to G-P) and/or a day trip to Salzburg. Will there be fewer crowds after Oktoberfest ends? I have not been to Munich since I was 12 and thought it might be fun to return. I’ll be traveling on my own. I am 52 year old woman & have been doing solo travel since my 20s. What do you think of this idea? Thank you.
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
8033 posts
I was in Munich the week before Oktoberfest and there were no real problems with crowds. And hotel prices were still in the normal range, so I'm sure that would happen after Oktoberfest as well.It was fun to watch them setting up everything for Oktoberfest, too.
I enjoyed Munich - we spend 3 nights there - but I loved my time in Salzburg. We spent 2 nights in Salzburg, which you might want to consider. It's a beautiful city and there is a lot to do there - it warrants more than a day trip. You could spend 3 nights in Munich, take a day trip to Zugspitze and then easily get a train to Salzburg for the rest of your trip.
Posted by
OP
New York, NY
4071 posts
Thank you. As I’m on my own, I want to stay in one city for those 6 days. I’ve been to Salzburg before & thought about returning for the day.
Posted by
white plains, ny, usa
4162 posts
I'm arriving in Munich on the 6th , there through the 17th . I had planned to arrive on the 5th , but the rates and availability , were still insane . From the 6th onward , things are much calmer . My hotel - https://all.accor.com/hotel/8657/index.en.shtml?y_source=1_MTUzNjE0ODgtNDgzLWxvY2F0aW9uLndlYnNpdGU%3D I have stayed here on six visits , really nice and convenient place . Quiet residential area , UBahn stop just outside the hotel , ten minutes to Marienplatz
Posted by
OP
New York, NY
4071 posts
Thank you. If I may ask, are you going to bring a Covid test kit with you to return the US and if so, which brand? I ask because I thought BinaxNow was being used by people here but when I saw it at Duane Reade, it said that this product was not CDC approved to return to the US.
Posted by
white plains, ny, usa
4162 posts
I'll be returning to New York from Vienna in November . I think that there is a distinct possibility that the pre return test may not even be in force at that point . If it is , there are numerous convenient locations near my Vienna hotel to do it just prior to my flight home
Posted by
Southeast US
4046 posts
I agree with steven that there is a good chance the COVID-19 reentry test requirement will be gone by October. As it stands now, though, there is no real standard for the return test other than needing to have a third-party document that shows you have had a negative test; a traveler cannot say, "Hey, I had a negative home test!" and have that count.
So, as long as the BinaxNow test is done with the company's proctoring protocol which generates a document with the result, it is fine. If it is done as a "home test" without proctoring, it would not be adequate for return. Having said that, I returned to the US from Germany twice in fall 2021. Both times, I just got tests done in Berlin by companies there offering tests. Both times, it was very easy.
Interestingly, enforcement for the US testing requirement falls on airlines. You show your negative test document at check in for your return flight as a requirement for getting your boarding pass. No one will ask for it again.
Posted by
Southeast US
4046 posts
By the way... if you want my thoughts on the original questions...
I was in Erfurt, Leipzig, and Berlin early to mid October 2019 -- back in the good ol' days! I had good weather for that trip. Temperatures were comfortable -- some days required a jacket but not all.
I did a day trip to G-P from Munich in 2016 for Partnachklamm and the Olympic Stadium (including the small exhibition about the 1936 Olympics as Nazi showpiece located behind the ticket office for the stadium -- exhibition is entirely in German). G-P and Salzburg make for long day trips, but if that is how you roll (it's how I roll) -- go for it!
Overall, I think your Munich stay sounds like a great opportunity to relive old memories while enjoying new experiences. Have fun!
Posted by
Niagara, Ontario
1678 posts
We were once in the Hofbräuhaus for lunch on the immediate Monday following Oktoberfest, and it was half empty.
Posted by
OP
New York, NY
4071 posts
Great points about the likelihood of needing a negative Covid test in October. My assumption whether right or wrong is that the federal government will not change that 24 hour Covid test requirement this year perhaps due to anticipation of another variant coming in the fall. I certainly hope I’m wrong! It would be a lot easier if they were to maintain some requirement to revert back to the 3 day requirement.