Just back from a 6 night whirlwind trip from LAX to Munich.
We spent 3 nights at the Holiday Inn Westport from which we enjoyed a day at Oktoberfest, and a day recovering from that day at Oktoberfest. :)
We left LAX on a non stop to Paris CDG, and had 5 hours to clear passport checks, eat breakfast, and have a snooze on the floor before our flight to Munich. Arriving at the Munich airport and training to the central station were painless, and soon enough we were enjoying our first Maß of Dunkel at the Augustiener right across from the Munich main station. The beirgarten was filled with families and the trees were turning color, and it was just generally amazing and such a blessing to be able to come and enjoy! A short cab ride later we were at our hotel.
We chose the Westport area to stay in as it was only 2 Ubahn train stops from the south entrance of the Oktoberfest grounds, and just a few stops from Marienplatz. The Holiday Inn was a comfortable walk to both U and S bahn stations and I would stay there again. We hit the town square, but as it was Sunday, most things were closed down, and we were tired and full of beer and pork knuckle and sausage. Plus, we had the fest the next am and we wanted to get an early start. We had a nightcap at the HEAVING CRAZY Hofbrauhaus before heading back on the train to our hotel and bed.
Oktoberfest was everything we hoped it would be - such an amazing party!! It seemed like everywhere we went the whole week there were people coming from, or going to the fest - pregaming on the trains, but also just wearing traditional Bavarian dress out and about in general!!
We spent one day at the fest, arrived at 10am, ate breakfast and walked around a bit, then commenced drinking in the Augustiener tent where we would remain for the rest of our Oktoberfest experience. Too much beer and too much good food later, we were totally done by 6pm. We stumbled our way back to the hotel on foot, and passed out for the rest of the day.
The next morning we had the option of returning to the fest or going to Nuremberg on the train. We choose the later, and had a lovely visit, but the state of our stomachs and heads left us wanting to return to this charming awesome little town with much more of an appetite as the food and drink here looked AMAZING but we just couldn't participate.
We discussed going back to Oktoberfest for the evening and try some food, but we were totally exhausted and jet lagged by now, so a quiet dinner on the square and an early bed was what we needed.
I'd like to come back again some day and not go so hard the first day. Enjoying the fest as a place to eat little bites of a million things and then having one or two beers would be something I'd like to try next time. :)
We spent one night in Salzburg (AMAZING !!!) staying at a charming little place in the heart of old town called Hotel Wolf. The next night we had a grand adventure with a business associate staying the night a castle she is renovating in the Bavarian countryside. Dinner at one of 100 monasteries that have amazing beer and food, and then breakfast at another adorable tiny cafe in the countryside with the freshest food you can imagine.
Our last night was back in Munich and was the perfect evening. We had a starter at Viktualienmarkt, and then a chicken and gyro with HB Oktoberfest beer at the English garden for dinner. The band was playing and the locals and tourists were out and enjoying a cool evening wearing lots of traditional outfits and just having a generally chilled out amazing time. We stayed out of the city at the awesome Hotel Laimer Hof and enjoyed our last beer at the Hirschgarten close by. I could come to Munich over and over, and Oktoberfest is certainly something I will try and enjoy again before my time is done!