Towns near Munich to rent house during Oktoberfest

If you are specifically going for Oktoberfest I would stay much closer to Munich. There are many villages on the outskirts of the city that will have train connections. Garmisch is great but I wouldn’t use that for a home base for Munich. We’ve spent a lot of time east of the city- Ebersberg and surrounding villages and it’s an easy commute into the city. Dachau would be another option. There should even be options in Munich itself if you just get out of the city center that time of year.

Two key concerns.

1. You have left this to quite late by Oktoberfest standards for that specific large lodging.
2. G-P is way too far for Oktoberfest, although I love visiting and staying there.

We solved our Oktoberfest lodging issues by staying in a hotel right next to the S1 line in Neufarhn. (Hotel Gastoff Maisberger). My suggestion would be to focus on the towns next to the stations on the S1 and S2 lines.

My wife and I commuted once from Mittenwald to Oktoberfest. We left the grounds mid-afternoon and it was still a long day of travel. GP is also too far, IMHO.

We have stayed in Neufahrn, at the Maisberger, it was very nice. Excellent, very large room, good food. Not much else in Neufahrn for entertainment, though. The reasons we were there were: (1) Very convenient to take the S1 to Munich airport in the early morning, and (2) the day before, we took the train to Freising, and I took a 2 hour tour of the World's Oldest Brewery, the Weihenstephen Brauerei (from 1040AD). Then a great meal at the Weihenstephen Bierstube. To take the tour (in English or German), one must reserve in advance, cost was 15 Euro.

How much time do you expect your group to want to spend at the festival?

Like many Americans, you probably have not heard of the "other Oktoberfest" in Southern Germany:

https://www.thirstyswagman.com/german-beer-festivals/stuttgart-beer-festival-2025/
https://www.cannstatter-volksfest.de/en/landing-page/

With the usual throng of Munich-bound international tourists that you are competing with largely out of the picture, perhaps you will have better luck finding lodging.

Where to stay? One of Southern Germany's nicest smaller towns at a reasonable distance is Tübingen, which will put you about 50 minutes from the Fest by direct train. Tübingen is a very handsome "undiscovered" old-world town with few tourists:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g198539-Activities-oa0-Tubingen_Baden_Wurttemberg.html

Things to see/do near Tübingen: The Swabian Alps...

https://www.swabianalb.info/top-20-highlights

Housing for your group available (I checked dates 9/26-30)... both get good marks on booking.com...

• In Tübingen: "Beautiful big house with garden" at 3 Friedhofstraße

• Option in Rottenburg (just a few minutes by train from Tübingen... 1 hr. to reach the Fest by train) ... "Hotel Anker"... at Tübinger Straße 15: (1) apt. for 4, (1) apt. for 3, + (1) double room, breakfast included every day.

Prices look reasonable to me.

Note that the Fest is in Bad Canstatt, very near the famous Mercedes Museum.

Take a look at Landshut. 9 adults in one place will be hard to find. Maybe two Fewo in one location?

Have look at Fewo-direkt for Holiday Houses and Appartments near Munich and all over Germany

Link to a House near Aying 38km/45min southeast of Munich Very remote spot Car recommended

We lived in Augsburg for four years and did the big fest three times.
Augsburg is only 50 miles west of Munich and trains run frequently.

Lodgings in Munich is more expensive and difficult even when the Oktoberfest is not going on.
Augsburg is cheaper and you are likely to find accommodations there. Suggest the downtown area or close to the train station.

Thank you all for the great suggestions. We plan to attend the Munich Oktoberfest for one day - possibly another half a day. I will check out all of these areas.