What hotel to stay in for Octoberfest 2026

You don't get tickets for the beer tents. They are free. Of course, the beer and food is a different matter.

You don't need to restrict yourself to hotels near the Theresienwiese as there is U-Bahn station right there.

Thanks so much!

This video might be helpful in your planning.

https://youtu.be/QrhHTmDI8Po?si=0bHfWD4OlQTquGwL

Hi Joan,
This website might be helpful in your planning: https://www.oktoberfest.de/en#:~:text=The%20189th%20Oktoberfest%20will%20be,21%20to%20October%206%2C%202024.
We were there last year for Oktoberfest and stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Munich city West, which was a bit of a walk but not too far. There was also a tram stop right outside the hotel if we didn't feel like walking off the beer. ;-)

I agree - you do not need to restrict yourself to a hotel near the grounds. Munich transportation is fantastic. Personally we liked the separation between the festival and where we slept.

Also, with 6 people you might want to consider getting reservations at a tent at least one day or night to guarantee seating. You pay for the reservation per person but that is a credit toward your food and drink. My friends and I did that two years ago and we thought it was totally worth it.

You don't want to stay near the fest grounds. Trust me on this. Stay in the Altstadt, Schwabing, or the University district north of the city center, near a Ubahn stop.

You do want reservations for the beer tents with a party of 6. Very hard to find a "free" spot for that many. https://oktoberfest-guide.com/oktoberfest-reservations/

Reservations are for a whole table of 8 to 10 people, and there is no central reservation, so you need to check with each tent. There is a minimum beer and food cost for each table, about 350 EUR. You should begin checking in March or April.
https://www.oktoberfest.de/en/tents/reservations-oktoberfest/booking-oktoberfest-book-table-oktoberfest-2025

For a midweek afternoon, you generally do not need a reservation as you can sit at a reserved table that shows the time it will start, usually 5 pm or so. Just be prepared to leave when the reserved party shows up.

If you have trouble finding a place, consider staying in Augsburg, 50 mies west of Munich. It is a short train ride and lodging would be much cheaper than what you will find in Munich.
We lived in Augsburg and did Oktoberfest three times. You can walk from the Munich HBH to the grounds of the fest.

We like Hotel Metropol on a quiet side street across from the train station. Fabulous breakfast. Easy access to the ubahn and 1 stop to the fair grounds.