Mention the words: “das Bier” or “die wurst” and people from around the world will know you are about to discuss an exciting story that involves attending Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Beers, sausage, men, pretzels, Bavarian folk songs and the festive spirit of over six million people will bring a smile to anyone’s face and I couldn’t wait to be part of something so amazing.
When my girlfriends called to ask if I wanted to backpack across Europe, I agreed,with one exception: we go to Oktoberfest.
We landed in Berlin as this was the least expensive option from Minneapolis. After the best nightclub scene I have ever been a part of, we took the train to Munich. We purchased the Rail Europe pass, which was the most economical option for visiting 5 countries. With a 6.5 hour train ride to Munich, I used this time to sleep. A budget traveler, never knows what could happen next. You may be stuck somewhere preventing you from sleeping. As I dreamt of beer, boys and Bavarian songs, I knew we would be arriving to Beer Mecca shortly.
We arrived into Munich! The city was flowing with beer, people were singing in the streets, every man was dressed in his lederhosen and every girl in her dirndl. My dream had come true! I couldn’t wait to throw my backpack in the hostel and immerse myself in the Bavarian culture.
We found our first hostel and asked if there was room for the three of us, there wasn’t. No problem there are plenty more hostels in the city. So it began; the unsuccessful search for accommodations. We went from hostel to hostel hearing “No room here, ” “Are you crazy for not booking a room ahead of time?” and “Dumb Americans.” Alright, no problem we may have to spend a few extra Euros and find a hotel; no, that was not going to be an option either: sold out. We did not think we would have trouble finding sleeping arrangements showing up to one of the biggest festivals in the world. We were wrong.
Night one: A very sympathetic bartender said we could sleep on the floor of his bar located inside one of the hostels, we were overjoyed for free accommodations. However, sleeping on the floor of a bar is not as comfortable as it sounds.
Night two: The bartender would not allow us to stay on the floor another night so we decided to try our luck outside of the city. We caught word that there were tents set up mainly for people in our situation or people who thought camping sounded fun in Germany in September and October. We took a 15 minute bus ride and found a very large field with what looked like 500 tents set up. Once inside the tent city we were asked to pay 65 EUR each for the one tent to share. I was thinking to myself “was this a gold plated tent with a memory foam mattress inside?” No. Being the prepared travelers, we were, we had not thought to pack sleeping bags or blankets. Please keep in mind we are in Germany in October, we slept inside our backpacks to ward off the cold.
The next day we show up to the beer tents around 8:30 a.m. since we did not exactly feel the need to sleep in. We had all caught pneumonia at this point so we figured beers and pretzels would cure us. Lucky for us, showing up early was a good idea because the tables started to fill up immediately. We found three spots at a table and ordered our beers and food. PROST! Eating and enjoying the festival will be an expensive part of the experience-beers inside the tents cost around 12 EUR.
We did not dress in the authentic outfits instead we opted for the 10 EUR Oktoberfest T-shirts. If people didn’t know we were American before, they definitely knew then. If you want to look the part, purchase your outfit before you get to Munich, this will save you a significant amount of money. Expect to pay around 200 EUR for your authentic attire once you arrive to Oktoberfest.
Night 3: We were able to find a hostel, with it being one of the last days of Oktoberfest, for approx. 90 EUR each. The thin mattress felt like heaven to us. Our last day consisted of drinking more beer and exploring the festival, we needed to sleep if we werere traveling to Interlaken via train in the morning.
I came to Oktoberfest for the beers and Bavarian music but I left with so much more than that.
Oktoberfest was such an amazing and unforgettable experience. I learned a very valuable lesson from this trip: book in advance to avoid wasting time searching around for sleeping accommodations and paying ridiculous sums of money for just a few hours of sleep. Look for hostels that include all linens or go the alternate route and plan on Couchsurfing to experience Oktoberfest like the locals.
Cites all over the world try to replicate the experience, but nothing can ever come close to those 16 days that make up Oktoberfest in Munich. Of course, Oktoberfest in Lacrosse, Wisconsin will provide you with a less expensive option but not as authentic.
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