Source
r/travel•
Hellshock

Going to Germany and Oktoberfest in 2010 - What should I know?

The current plan right now is

  • Arrive in Frankfurt on Sept 11th
  • Stay in Frankfurt the 12th
  • Day trip up the Rhine on the 13th
  • Drive from Frankfurt to Zurich, through the Black Forest on the 14th.
  • Stay in Zurich 15-16th
  • Drive to Munich on the 17th
  • Munich 18-19th for Oktoberfest
  • Drive back to Frankfurt on the Romantic Road in Bavaria on the 20th
  • Fly home on the 21st.

Questions

  • Should we plan for more time in Munich?
  • Is there something in this general area of Germany that we should make the time to see?
  • When it comes to Oktoberfest, what do I generally need to know? (Beer tents, things I'll miss by leaving early, etc)

Thanks in advance.

Posted Feb 27, 2010, 5:41 PM UTC · edited

917
Slangwhanger•

Bavaria is Germany's most popular tourist destination, so you might plan one day to take a look at what it has to offer beyond the Oktoberfest:

Apart from that, Nuremberg is worth a trip, especially if you're interested in German history as you could visit the Nazi party rally grounds.

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Xornok•

Nice Info. I've been to most if not all of these, and they're really great sites.

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iolothebard•

You're packing a lot into a short time. Zurich is probably 50% more expensive than anywhere in Germany, you might stay there one day less and add one to Munich.

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HellshockOP•

Zurich is mostly a family visit as my wife has family there.

I'm worried about how much we're trying to see, especially with the entire point being to get there and see Oktoberfest. We might have to adjust for more time in Munich since it looks like there are some other sites there that we'd really like to see.

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iolothebard•

The train from Zurich to Salzburg was fucking breathtaking. I can't wait to visit again. If you get to stay in Zurich for free, then by all means stay. :)

Have a great trip and be safe.

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Xornok•

I envy you. I used to live in Germany and miss it greatly. Don't take the trip for granted; experience everything. Say yes to everything.

About your trip, looks good. Your first time visiting Germany?

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HellshockOP•

Yup, this is the first time to Germany for myself. My wife has family in Zurich so we are going to use the chance to visit them.

We're really excited about it. The last European trip we did was a two week stay in Tuscany and we still talk about it to this day. We're eager to capture that again but in a new place.

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Xornok•

Oh man, Italy. I've spent some time there, but no more then a few a days in each place. Loved what I saw tho.

If you plan on taking another trip to Germany, stay in Grainau. My family was only suppose to stay for ~5 days, but we ended up staying near 2 weeks. It's the perfect little village, at least that's I remember it. The Eibsee lake was so beautiful.

I'd also recommend visiting the Netherlands. I lived there for 4 years (before I moved to Germany). Go see the Zaanse Schans Windmills and the Keukenhof Garden. These are the 2 greatest memories I have, outside of Amsterdam. I lived in Veghel, near Uden and Oss, and I have a lot of fond memories of those places. I'd recommend staying in a smaller town then a major city, just to get that experience of another life, instead of the typical tourist experience.

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HellshockOP•

Having issues getting that to look like a bulleted list :-/

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HellshockOP•

Got it.

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[deleted]•

Mind if I ask how? Reddit Markdown apparently uses the same symbol for "italics" that it does for "bullets."

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HellshockOP•

I had to put a carriage return between the line above and the line i wanted the bullets to start occurring on.

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drrevevans•

I was in munich for oktoberfest back in 03. Plan a hostel/hotel far in advance... like yesterday. Get to the beer tents early... i.e. when they open. The tables are often reserved after a certain hour and on weekends. You won't even get into a tent after a certain hour let alone find a seat on a weekend if you are not there very early. They do not serve beer to people who are not sitting at a table. Do not try to steal a stein, buy one at a shop. The fines are heavy. the best way to get a seat is to spot a few kids at a table who look wasted. Wait till they drink themselves silly and then cram into their table one at a time as they pass out and bouncers kick them out. We never found room for all three of us at once so the others just waited nearby and hopped a fence or something. You can stand on the benches but never stand on the tables. Try making friends with locals. They usually are more than happy to share their tables if you meet them ahead of time. Don't think you are gonna get to tent hop... as soon as you find a place to drink... stay there. That is all I can think of at the moment... Any questions... let me know.

*edit... forget what everyone else is saying about visiting the rest of munich... If you are there during oktoberfest, you should enjoy the festival. You can go back at anytime and see the rest of the city, but the festival is a once in a lifetime thing so enjoy it while you are there...

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webauteurUnited States•

I plan to spend a week in Berlin next year. I don't know why that city is not more popular. Oktoberfest does not interest me because there are plenty of German heritage folk festivals in Pennsylvania. I'd rather visit a cosmopolitan European city like Berlin. I'd rather sit in a Berlin café or a cabaret than a beer hall. Last month I went to the Café Sabarsky in the Neue Galerie, NYC to get a taste of the Vienna café experience.

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estherschindler•

I'd plan more time in the Black Forest, but then I LOVE the Black Forest (I've visited three times). Your current schedule has you mostly zooming through, which means the Autobahn. There's no place that's best seen from the highway!

Actually I think you aren't permitting yourself enough time to SEE anything, just drive furiously from one place to the next. You can easily spend an afternoon, if not a day, at Rotenburg ab Tober.

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jceez•

I went to Oktoberfest this past year. I have a friend living in Germany and he recommended we go to Volkfest also (it's pretty much the same time as Oktoberfest).

To be quite honest, I had more fun at Volkfest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannstatter_Volksfest

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menge101•

Anyone have answers to the OP's third question?

I have that same question, but with a specific twist. Since I'm vegan, finding food is always a specific challenge.

I know of a few vegan places in munich, but does leaving to find food jive with Oktoberfest participation? Do businesses, restaurants, etc close during Oktoberfest at all?

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