Oktoberfest (1 Viewer)

I am heading out to Oktoberfest this year in Munich with Mrs. Dweeze and some friends.

Have any of the FBGs been out there? Looking for tips, places of interests, things to do, things to avoid, and the like.

TIA for the help.

PM Doctor Detroit, he lives in Germany

The Dweeze said:

I am heading out to Oktoberfest this year in Munich with Mrs. Dweeze and some friends.

Have any of the FBGs been out there? Looking for tips, places of interests, things to do, things to avoid, and the like.

TIA for the help.

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Tremendous Upside said:

PM Doctor Detroit, he lives in Germany

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I think Z Machine also took advantage of the festivities while he was traveling/living abroad.

Always wanted to go, for obvious reasons. Make sure to provide a recap of the festivities.

Yes I went last year w/ the wife and her female cousin and sister. So me plus 3 girls and way too many drunk, groping Italian guys. Hofbrau House tent is the place to be if you're American, otherwise you run the risk of wandering into a tent w/ all Liederhosen wearing Munichers who will give your random looks like "who are these idiot Americans and why are they in our tent?" HofBrau tent is filled w/ Aussies, Brits, Americans and aforementioned Italian men. They play lots of great American sing alongs (Sweet Carloline, Country Roads, etc) It's funny to watch all the foreigners try and sing along. It's a great time though, but just keep an eye on your valuables and if you plan on attending on a Friday, Sat or Sunday, YOU MUST GET THERE BEFORE 9:30 or your won't get a seat. This is a problem because waitresses don't serve people who aren't seated.

But aside from that Munich is great, beautiful city, very clean and everyone is friendly. So certainly try and take a gander to the rest of the city while you're there including the Brewery related beer halls which are great. Most of the Munich breweries own a few scattered around the city, ie LowenBrau, Spaten, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbrau, Paulaner etc. Unless you go for lunch on a week day, you can forget trying to get in the Hofbrau House, it's a nightmare and there's a mob scene out front of people trying to get in. All in all, it's a great time and the ultimate answer to anyone who's ever said they've been to "the best party ever". They really haven't unless they've been to Oktoberfest.

Anyone can feel free to PM me if they have other questions re: hotels, travel, trains, etc.

What is this place?

BEER FEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:sehorn:

I have family in Munich/Munchen. Trying to decide if I should go to Oktoberfest this year and finally take advantage of a standing invite. A place to stay in a nice house would be provided. Long time vet of Mardi Gras so I'm not really looking for that kind of atmosphere. Is there any time which is preferred, how crazy is it, should I think about September in Munich instead, etc.?

I love good great beer. How much of that will be going on as opposed to late September? - Talking quality over quantity here, what are they serving by and large? Great stuff?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

While there you may want to drink some beer.

Leroy Hoard said:

While there you may want to drink some beer.

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There will be loads of awesome beer.

How insane is the atmosphere?

Bourbon Street at Carnival but en masse?

Was there in 2012. Wouldnt call it an insane environment like Mardi Gras, just a lot of people having a party enjoying a LOT of beer.

When they are serving a litre at a time and you are drinking them as though they are pints, how can you not enjoy yourself?

Go all out and get a costume and live the experience. All the better for hooking up with a well endowed party goer.

Seeing my wife carry the costume VERY well was worth the trip alone

SaintsInDome2006 said:

Leroy Hoard said:

While there you may want to drink some beer.

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There will be loads of awesome beer.

How insane is the atmosphere?

Bourbon Street at Carnival but en masse?

Click to expand...

Per your earlier post, Oktoberfest starts in Sept. If you can, go earlier in the day during the week if you want to beat/avoid the crowds. Weekends, especially Italian weekend, are crazy. It's a ton of fun. Only gets out of hand later in the night but it's all shutting down by 10pm. You'll see quite a few people on "the hill" sleeping it off. I almost wound up there the first year/visit.

Don't think he really keeps it up anymore but my friend has a good info site. http://www.theoktoberfest.com/HTML/index.html

SaintsInDome2006 said:

I have family in Munich/Munchen. Trying to decide if I should go to Oktoberfest this year and finally take advantage of a standing invite. A place to stay in a nice house would be provided. Long time vet of Mardi Gras so I'm not really looking for that kind of atmosphere. Is there any time which is preferred, how crazy is it, should I think about September in Munich instead, etc.?

I love good great beer. How much of that will be going on as opposed to late September? - Talking quality over quantity here, what are they serving by and large? Great stuff?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

This year it runs 9/20 - 10/5 (sometimes there is a local day the following Monday which is a low traffic time to get into a tent.)

First weekend id hectic and difficult to get in a tent. Tried last year and got lucky (buddy was here on business for that weekend.) Second weekend is generally regarded as Italian weekend. Never been there for this but have heard stories about Italian dudes thinking they can just grope whomever they want. If you have a choice I think the last weekend is the time to go.

You definitely want to go in lederhosen/dirndl. You will feel uncomfortable getting dressed but not nearly as uncomfortable as you will being the only guy not in tract. Not sure if everyone will be eyebballing you but it will feel like it. Better to get there early than late. Tents shut down at 10 and you can be waiting outside for more than an hour. It is well wortth the wait IMO.

PM BAbe for details.

there are tons of people not in lederhosen. both locals and foreign.

Went there in 2009, freaking blast.

Bought a leiderhosen-print t-shirt in China when there for work a few months earlier, similar to a tuxedo t-shirt. Huge hit, people were me at the breakfast buffet. Highly recommend. Ask your front desk concierge where to go for dinner that is not a tourist trap, like Hofbrau-Haus. They sent us in a cab to St. Augustiner, freaking awesome place. Huge outdoor space, great roasted chicken and red cabbage, and awesome beer. Place was a blast, people getting after it aggressively, great time.

Saturday took the train and walked to where they put the "pop-up" structures, which are incredible. You'd never believe they were temporary, exceptional with that said. It's an L-shape setup, with the first end of the L amusement rides with the names all in German, pretty cool to walk through. Hang a right, and there's beer tents on each side. Each tent is a different German brewer. Went the last weekend in September, and around 12PM didn't have to wait more than 5 minutes to get a seat in the Paulaner tent, went there and the Spaten tents. So incredible. Seated at a table with other Germans at the Paulaner tent, gave us a hard time for not speaking German but were otherwise OK. It is freaking insane, band plays constantly and people cheers and chug ever like 5 minutes. You just order beers, since it's the house beer only. Beer was awesome, and a great time. We walked around, some German families reserve tables around the center where the benches are situated, this is the "VIP" area, I thought that was so cool.

Outside, they have their equivalent of the Budweiser horses marching around advertising the respective brands, thought that was awesome and took lots of pictures.

Went to the Spaten tent later in the day, and it was drunkenness like I've never seen in my life. Band playing cover songs, and people just going nuts. Saw people easily 2x my age dancing on the tables of the benches, saw a few people fall right off the tables and just laugh it off/get up and keep going. Saw one guy try to straddle two benches and fail miserably to do so, got up and immediately chugged his beer.

Amazing time, life mission set to do it again at some point in my life.

Surprised there isn't anything other than this on Oktoberfest.

Will be in Berlin at the end of September and will be looking to head over to Munich for a day to check out Oktoberfest. It'll be on a Monday, arriving around lunch time and planning on flying out the next day in the early afternoon.

Any tips/suggestions/things to do/things not to do would be greatly appreciated.

--Good recommendations on where to stay?
--Best way to maximize the 24 hours there?
--What to wear and where to get it?
--Reservations?

TIA and will answer yours!