Want to buy four tent tickets for two nights the last weekend at Munich Oktoberfest - October 4 - 5th. Our travel agent is having trouble with concierge at our hotel in purchasing tickets.
What is best way to buy tickets? I see many warnings not to buy tickets online.
Usually because they are not necessary. They are simply reservations and your prepay for one mass and a half chicken. Have you checked on-line yourself? Each tent is its own entity.
The reservations are for 10 person tables; you pay in advance for the beer and chicken as PP noted. The only way you’d be able to get reservations for fewer people is to either buy out a table or find someone with a full reservation and share theirs. Many evenings are booked way in advance. My husband and I went in the afternoon and had no problem getting seats, but all the tables appeared to be reserved for all evenings past 5pm.
The trip advisor Germany forum usually has a lot of info about Oktoberfest, tent descriptions, and tips and tricks for attending.
Others have described the reservation system, and at this point in the year, trying to secure a reservation in one of the major tents, the two of the busiest nights of the fest (opening and closing nights and weekends are the busiest) is not likely.
Your travel agent going through a Concierge probably won't work and will be expensive if it did. I woud also question whether either of them know any more than you about securing a seat, if they did not immediately explain how the system works.
Your best bet, might be to a bit of research yourself, and wind up going with a ticket reseller. People will buy blocks of tables, then sell "tours" that take you around for a bit then take you to their table for a while. Just verify that the place is recognized business, and how much time in the tents you get, what is included (beer? Food?)
Otherwise, as others said you could just go in the afternoon and try to find a seat. It works most days during the week, tougher on weekends, rarely on a weekend night for a group of four.
Edit: Should add, Yes "scalping" reservations is not allowed and buying tickets privately, or on Ebay is not advised, however if time in a tent is included in a "tour", then that is allowed. The tour part ups the cost, sometimes it is linked with hotel rooms or just a walking tour, they may not include beer and food (the people who secure the reservation can strip off the food vouchers and sell separately), and as I implied above, they may limit time, with the plan of seating multiple groups in an evening.
Unless you just must go in the evening, you might not need a reservation. We went in the early part of the afternoon and didn't have a problem getting in any of the tents, and there were plenty of activities going on in all of them. It is also much less crowded then, but there are enough folks there that you get the real feel of the fest.
Went to Oktoberfest three times, in 88, 89 and 90.
Never purchased tent tickets. I suggest you go earlier in the afternoon, before the tents fill up.
