Rumor has it that every tourist (mainly Brits, Irish, Americans and Aussies - basically the native English speaking cultures) finds himself or herself in the Hofbräu tent. And that story rings true to my experience of Oktoberfest. Without much research, we walked into a beer garden and saw lively chaps chugging beer on a table, and locals playing the accordion. Thinking, "Well this looks fun," we ended up in the most lively tent, packed with tourists craving for the traditional Bavarian experience.
After my venture into 24-hours in Oktoberfest, here's what I recommend to make the most of your Oktoberfest experience in Munich.
After my venture into 24-hours in Oktoberfest, here's what I recommend to make the most of your Oktoberfest experience in Munich.
Try the sweeter side of life. Although beer and sugar don't mix (or count as a necessity in our food chain), try the local flavor and be sure to experience some of the local sweets.
Depending on the weather, I suggest leaving your coat at home. The beer tents, specifically the floors, gets nasty. Beer, food scraps, broken glass, and maybe the occasional bloke who peed all over his shoes, gets onto the floor. It's gross and grimy, so if you can do without, leave the coat.
Oktoberfest is best enjoyed by wearing the local garb. Dirndls and liederhosen are for sale throughout the town.
Oktoberfest is best enjoyed by wearing the local garb. Dirndls and liederhosen are for sale throughout the town.
And if you'd like to get grandma a gift, there are plenty of stalls selling handmade trinkets and mass-produced magnets.
Don't forget to eat, and well drink, throughout the day. The tents are calmer in the late morning and early afternoon so its easier to get a beer and stand naturally without the feelings of being squished inside of a sardine can. The Maß (mass) is what you'll be drinking inside the tent. Depending on your perception 14 to 15 euros is either cheap or expensive.
The trick is that you have to keep drinking in order to remain inside the tent. Some tents have waiting lines, so once a certain amount of people leave, another batch can enter. The HB tent is the most wild, so I suggest checking out other tents to experience the local flare (which will be much calmer than the HB tent).
If you got the guts, stand on the table and chug your Maß. The only thing is if you fail, you'll be booed most likely get some fries, bread, cabbage and whatever else thrown at you.
Don't forget to eat, and well drink, throughout the day. The tents are calmer in the late morning and early afternoon so its easier to get a beer and stand naturally without the feelings of being squished inside of a sardine can. The Maß (mass) is what you'll be drinking inside the tent. Depending on your perception 14 to 15 euros is either cheap or expensive.
The trick is that you have to keep drinking in order to remain inside the tent. Some tents have waiting lines, so once a certain amount of people leave, another batch can enter. The HB tent is the most wild, so I suggest checking out other tents to experience the local flare (which will be much calmer than the HB tent).
If you got the guts, stand on the table and chug your Maß. The only thing is if you fail, you'll be booed most likely get some fries, bread, cabbage and whatever else thrown at you.
 It'll be hard to find your friends so some creative Aussies purchased children balloons and tied it on their liederhosen, so when you enter the tent, you'll look for the dolphin, unicorn or horse balloon.  |    |
Enjoy yourself and connect with others. It's quit an experience to hangout with so many people from around the globe. In minutes, you can have 10 conversations with people from various parts of the world, Switzerland, Ireland, Australia, you name it!
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The point is that you should always contain yourself. Things are messy in Germany and in 2016, the Oktoberfest was fenced in for the first time. Double check the Oktoberfest website to see if you can still bring in a backpack as day packs have been prohibited at various events due to terrorism.
In today's age, things happen so quickly so its important to have your wits about you. In 2016, a young man took advantage of a young female Asian tourist, but luckily cops noticed this in the park and aided the situation. The landscape of German culture has changed drastically since 2015 and there's no room to be naive in such situations that do not feel right.
What's your favorite part of Oktoberfest?
In today's age, things happen so quickly so its important to have your wits about you. In 2016, a young man took advantage of a young female Asian tourist, but luckily cops noticed this in the park and aided the situation. The landscape of German culture has changed drastically since 2015 and there's no room to be naive in such situations that do not feel right.
What's your favorite part of Oktoberfest?
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