BarleyMan mentioned some great day trips for first-timers. Another favorite of ours that BarleyMan did not mention is Kloster Andechs; a wonderful old monestary with great views, great food, and some good bier as well.
If you are planning four days in Munchen, I would suggest only two day trips though. Depending on your arrival date/time, Friday is usually a "get situated" day, which usually ends up with us at the Hofbrauhaus for most of the afternoon and evening. You probably would want to spend one of the days just wandering around Munchen and seeing some of the local sites; Marienplatz, Glockenspiel, and some of the local bier gardens like Augustiner Keller and Viktualienmarkt. Of course there is also Englischer Garden with its 3 huge bier gardens. You just need to have a general plan and be prepared to do something different at the last minute.
Tickets for the tents ARE NOT REQUIRED. While there are reserved seats that can be purchased, these reservations technically go on sale in January, and they are almost exclusively bought up by corporations, locals and travel groups. In the past we have been able to get reserved seats once or twice through other contacts, but it is not something you can count on. The fun part of Oktoberfest, especially for first timers like you, would be to just go to a tent, and wander around until you can squeeze into a table. These are the tables with the most party oriented people, and gives you the opportunity to meet people from around the world with the same common interests as you; good bier and fun! There are 14 tents, some seating 10k - 12k people, so you can only imagine the fun one can have.
Two good resoureces for you:
- Semi-offical Oktoberfest site. Lots of good information, trivia and history.
- Beer Drinkers Guide to Munich. While not especially about Oktoberfest, this book guides you through many of the city's great bier establishments. We have used this "bible" since our first trip in 1993, and I suggest this be your very next purchase. Myself, BarleyMan and Einfahrt are promently pictured as Field Researchers here ---> Linky
4 comments:
Btw I forgot to say:
- when at Hofbrauhaus Friday afternoon (no excuse for being too late) you need to sing the only decent song in reportoire called "in munchen steht ein.."
- all other songs at Wiesen vary from "who the f*ck and other songs you probably not sing at home.
- and then ofcourse Haxe! Some of the festians eat it for breakfast. A strong stomach is a must to survive
Well SchlumbergerLady just booked a nice Hotel. Deutsche Kaiser. Near to the Alfa.
Lots and Lots of good information. I feel ALOT better that we don't need tickets for the tents. It seems that just jumping in and joining the, "scrum" has its benefits. We are in the process of getting our lodging and finalizing our dates.
1) What's the story with Lederhosen? Some sites say you really should wear them, and others say not really.
2) Where can we get the songs you mentioned so we can learn them? One tip was that we could lead the band for $50. That's a sure thing if we get to do it.
1. Only Barbus has worn them Not a a requirement but totally appropriate. However, you really need to wear the leather ones, and they can be quite pricey >$1,000 for the outfit.
2. Yes, you can lead the band. I have done it once, but you walk up to the bandstand and offer a tip to lead the band. Its been my experience that they try to avoid looking at you because you're usually inebriated and out of step with the music. However, you feel great and are ready for the Philharmonic. ;-)
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