Tips for Oktoberfest

Try going in the late afternoon. Plenty of people but not a mob scene. Should not have any problems getting into any of the tents -- try to at least go into all of them as they are all a little different.

Be there before 4pm! The Hippodrom is suited best for international visitors as they not only play German sing-along songs but also the likes of "summer of 69" etc etc. Dress in layers as it can get very warm and sticky inside. Wear boots rather than sandals as the floor can get very sticky (plenty of beer spills). People do dress traditionally Bavarian so feel free to follow along. No matter if you're planning on not drinking too many beers you will end up drinking more than expected as you'll just catch up on the great party atmosphere. My advise is to drink one or two table spoons of olive oil prior to entering the tent as this will coat your stomach and basically not let it digest all of the alcohol. You can buy a small bottle of olive oil and any grocery store in Germany, including Aldi and Lidl. The waitresses always try to also order some Schnappses. Our of 1st hand experience I strongly recommend you don't follow the temptation. The combination of liters of beer and...

... and schnappses can cause the loss of your cell phone and other valuables - which by the way I would never ever take with me to an oktoberfest tent again!

My wife and I went last year and had the time of our lives. We went in the morning to the Hofbrau tent and found seats in a few minutes. We got to be best friends with some Norweigans after a couple hours. We enjoyed it so much we're going back this year.

A couple of tips. 1. Go on a full stomach and be sure to eat through the day. 2. Don't wear your best clothes you will get beer spilled on you. 3. If you can't put something into your front pants pockets then don't plan on taking it. 4. Here's a good site with other tips and opinions on the other tents.
http://www.theoktoberfest.com/HTML/index.html

Enjoy

Prost!

Kelly, I went last year with my wife on our honeymoon and we went at about 4 pm on Oct. 3rd I think. It was a Tuesday but the day before a holiday and we could not get in any of the tents. The people in front of us had reservations and they still couldnt get in because the people at their table did not want to leave. I would plan on going very early when they open and start your day with a beer. If you really want to hop around from tent to tent you need to go early. We knew we were in trouble when the first 3 trains going towards Oktoberfest were to full for anyone to get on. It can be a mad house but it can also be fun. We still had fun having dinner and walking around for a while but we eventually went to the Hofbrauhous for a beer. Have fun!!!

Hi Kelly:

I was there back in 1999. One advise, instead of going to the Tents you can go to the Main Hofprahaus in Central Munich, I had the time of my life, I am not a beer drinker, but that beer was so tasty I had 2 litres that day, If you go to the tents go early between 10 AM & 11 AM & go around the Oktoberfest grounds & Augustiner is a nice tent to visit, the food in the tents is expensive, is better to buy from the vendors within the grounds. Around noon the tents start to fill out & the U-Bahn (Subway) gets crowded. We went on a Monday early & left around 1:00 PM as it was our last day in Munich, after that we went to the Olympic Park & after to the English Gardens.

Hope it helps & enjoy Oktoberfest.

Pilar

Toronto ON CANADA

I've been a couple of times.

I go when it is still light but after eating an early dinner. You will see a lot of emergency workers literally carting off people who have been there since morning.

Considering the quality of beer, the Hofbrauhaus tent is inordinately crowded (though I admit I bought a t-shirt there).

My favorite is the Lowenbrau tent (It has a big Lion that occasionally belts out a deep "LOWENBRAU"). The music is pretty standard oompah music, which is what I like when visiting Germany (where did I put my lederhosen?).

It's not hard for two to get a seat. The first time I went, I stood for a couple of minutes before a barmade asked if I wanted to sit down, "You can't order a beer unless you're sitting down."

She ushered me to a seat and 5 minutes later brought a group of New Zealanders to join me. We had a great time.

The biggest surprise was when they shut the festival down tight at 10:30. I had been to the Bonnfest and didn't leave until 4am.

Prost!

We went to Oktoberfest last year with our son and daughter-in-law and had a blast. I didn't expect to enjoy the music and comeraderie as much as we did. I certainly second the above advice to eat through the day before going. I didn't, had way too much to drink and was barely able to catch our train the next day! Have fun!