What to Wear

Come in the right dress code. Loads of people from other countries try to dress in the right etiere but there are some common mistakes that could make your stay a bit uncomfortable. 

If you like to find a cheap but good looking Dirndl or some Lederhosen you can get some from Amazon or even in the local H&M or New Yorker. Just make sure you won't purchase a costume version for halloween or dress up parties since that could seem a little disrespectful. Traditional Dirndl dresses sit just below the knee and should never be shorter or made to look sexy with netting or feathers! However, there’s no need to splash out on Alpine dress for a one-off visit. Jeans and a shirt or sweater or a nice dress are absolutely fine.

But if you find a Dirndl there are different ways to wear the apron bow with different meanings. 

• Apron bow on the right hand side = in a relationship

• Apron bow on the left hand side = single!

• Apron bow in the middle = widow 

Lederhosen can just be worn without telling your relationship status! 

The Beer Tents

Once you're ready to go make sure to check out the big tents like Löwenbraeu, Kaefer Wiesn Schaenke, Paulaner Festzelt  and Augustinen Brau first or ideally make a reservation beforehand via phone or email. Every tent has its own unique character with guests standing on the benches to sway and sing as the live bands play. Stick to the benches though – dancing on the tables is strictly prohibited. Last rounds are served at 10:30pm  and it’s all out at 11:30pm. 

The traditional drink of choice is a light beer “Helles' ' but you can also get a dark beer which has a higher alcohol percentage . If beer’s not your thing try a glass of Prosecco or a litre “Mass” of shandy. Most tents serve shandy, but if not simply order a separate glass of lemonade and mix your own.

Food and More

And what’s the food like? Expect roast chicken, giant soft pretzels , sliced radish and the sweet treat “Kaiserschmarrn”.

A bit cheaper and quicker will be the food stools outside the beer halls, you can get sausage buns, schnitzel, Leberkaese (spam like slice of meat in a bun) and loads of other yummy snacks. 

Besides the food stools on the festival side are many rides that you can go on like bumper cars and  roller coaster rides but my personal favorite are the fun houses which are built like a maze that you have to get through which can be quite entertaining when you have had a couple beers already.  

All in all the Oktoberfest experience can be quite pricey especially if you stay in accommodation in the city center. But there are a couple other options to save some money and then also meet loads of international people and create unforgettable memories. 

The two well known European  Party Companies PartyBookers Budapest and Stoke Travel offer a Oktoberfest package with accommodation,  Breakfast, Lunch and dinner and unlimited Beer and Sangria. That way you save a lot of money that you would have spent on the festival side. And the biggest plus would be the guidance of experienced Party guides which bring you back and forth to the Camping side and will help you with all other possible hiccups. 

Get your tickets here or on the Stoke Travel website to reserve a spot on the wildest campside in Germany.