A Long Weekend at Oktoberfest

Ever since we started planning our European adventures, Mary Frances and I have dreamt of Oktoberfest. We really wanted to experience the traditions, tents, and more importantly the beer!

How?

Similar to every Oktoberfest planning site, book everything as early as possible. From hotels to flights, the city becomes extremely expensive! Since we knew back in August 2017 that we wanted to go, we had a leg up on the competition! Unfortunately, I forgot about this golden rule and didn’t book until late October. Since Oktoberfest happens in September, this was almost a month too late!

For lodging, since we also had friends supposedly coming, I booked an entire two bedroom AirBnB apartment for $600 for three nights. Unfortunately, the friends cancelled so we had to rebook a smaller AirBnB in August 2018… It meant we were on the outskirts of Munich, but it was cheaper and still had a direct tram line to Oktoberfest grounds. In the end, while it was a private room, our host was amazing and truly made us feel special!

Our flight was probably the easiest part! When you book a budget airline months in advance, it is even cheaper than usual! To get around the city, we relied on the excellent German train, subway, and tram system. At the airport, we bought the 3 day tourist ticket for 24 euros each that gave us unlimited public transportation rides.

The easiest part of the trip was deciding the activities! We would obviously spend a day at the Oktoberfest grounds! To avoid a three day drunken fest, we decided to go to the beautiful Neuschwastein Castle on Saturday. We would then either spend Sunday exploring the city and/or going to Oktoberfest!

Fixed Costs:

• AirBnB: £600 -> £150
• Flights: £75
• Public Transportation: €24
• Beer: €11 a litre
• Memories: Hazy…

Onto Munchen

For our flight to Munich, we went through the Luton airport and everything went off without a hitch! From lounge access to timely departures, we actually had a pleasant experience!

Once we arrived in the modern Munich airport, we rushed to the train ticket machines to avoid the long lines. We bought the tourist train ticket and headed to the city center. Our trip took longer than expected as it is a 45 minute train ride, plus another 20 minutes on an old school tram. We were tired!

Our host greeted us and showed us our modest private room. Unfortunately, I forgot it was going to be a futon, but we were too tired!

Oktoberfest

Our long day at Oktoberfest began and ended earlier than either of us imagined!

What to Do…

Our day began with many decisions. First, I had to decide if I should wear my Amazon purchased Oktoberfest costume. Thankfully, I decided not to! Next, we had to decide what tent to visit throughout the day - we decided to go to Spaten as we had reliable sources! For the final decision, perhaps the most fateful one, we declined to buy our traditional outfits in favor of getting to the grounds as early as possible!

To get to Oktoberfest is extremely easy - one just has to follow the crowds!!! People emerge from all corners and stations, dressed in lederhosen, and all ready to drink! Yes, even at 10am…

Spaten

For our first tent, we chose the legendary Spaten tent - one of the original German beerhouses. Once we walked in, we asked a waiter and were seated in an already full table! Fortunately, we sat next to two NY couples who were so nice! When Mary Frances was surprised at the large liter beer stein, we all laughed and I felt slightly embarrassed that she didn’t realize this would be a lot of beer!

For our first tent, I definitely expected live music, rowdy crowds, and people standing on tables. At Spaten, it felt very family friendly to the point where we were a little bored! Thankfully, our NY friends kept us very entertained while we drank our large beer and ate our spaetzle. Eventually, we were kicked out of the table since it was reserved.

Lowenbrau

For the second (and final) tent, we chose Lowenbrau! Instantly, we knew we were in the right place! There was loud, rowdy American and German music and loads of steins! We easily found a table, even at 1pm, and just

soaked in the awesome atmosphere! Everyone was simply happy!

At our table, we sat next to a Kiwi (New Zealand), 2 Swiss, and 4 Germans. It was really fun to hangout and talk to them. Some even offered to hangout after this crazy festival! All I can say what happened next was it all went downhill very quickly...

Before we realize what was happening, the litres keep coming and the drinking songs occur much more quickly! We were standing on tables, welcoming more people, getting more beir, and  drinking them far too quickly. At some point, Mary Frances and I were standing on opposite ends of the table and we all were having fun. Enjoy![video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.theunchartered.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Oktoberfest-2.mp4"][/video]

[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.theunchartered.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Oktoberfest-2.mp4"][/video]

It’s the Walk

Suddenly, Mary Frances came to me and said it was time to go. I quickly gather our belongings and rush after her as she decided she was leaving with or without me! Thankfully, for Mary Frances, we are now married meaning I had to carry her home. This is where I immediately regret having a BnB that is a 15-30 minute subway ride away...

Unfortunately, during the Great Escape from the tent and Oktoberfest, we realised Mary Frances left her sunglasses somewhere. They weren’t in our getaway bag. When we got home, we checked the video and we believe at some point they were on the table. At the end of the day, we believe they were stolen by a random Frenchman who was hitting on Mary Frances at some point...

The walk was tough as MF just wanted to nap. I just wanted to get home safely! At this time, it was 5pm on a Friday night and the crowds were at its peak. It was a struggle to walk through these crowds to the tram. Lesson learned - just pay the money to stay close!

Hangout with a Local

Once we arrived at our BnB, MF immediately went to bed. Leaving me to my own devices, I decided to hangout with our BnB host, Michael. We went to the grocery store and bought more beer and pizza!

He told me his life story and how they arrived in Germany. I had loads of fun just learning all sorts of things as he and his wife have been everywhere. We could buy a full aged ham from Spain and bring it home! How neat!

After a long, crazy, hazy day, I am glad we had a relaxed evening! I am not sure how we would have survived if we didn’t leave at 5!

Key Oktoberfest Tips:

• Buy an outfit before you go into the festival! If not, no worries, you will not be alone!
• Bring at least 100 euros in cash - that is easily too many beers and food for one day!
• Do not bring anything valuable! From sunglasses to an expensive watch, no one will notice and it’ll be easier to keep track of your things!
• Bring a small bag or a sturdy garbage bag so you can toss your jackets. Makes for an easy getaway bag!
• Depending on the price point and budget, consider a hotel within 10 minutes walking of the grounds. It is just easier!
• Easier said than done, slow and steady wins the race! Eat between beers and just pace yourself!
• Despite the high price, stay as close to the grounds as possible! It will be worth the extra cost to avoid the drunk hassle.

Disney’s Castle

After a fun, yet insane, day at Oktoberfest, we decided to take a break and visit the enchanting Neuschwastein Castle - better known as Disney's castle!

Our Calm Morning

For most people, getting to and from Neuschwastein is in theory quite difficult so most decline to visit. Since MF hasn’t been, we booked a bus day tour from Munich. We had a (somewhat) comfy two hour bus ride, a guide, and the ticket into the legendary castle!

After arriving in the charming village of Schwangau, we had around an hour of free time! Since we were struggling a little bit, we purchased our lunch and opted for a charming picnic lunch by one of the most beautiful Alpine lakes! This is exactly what the doctor ordered after an insane Friday!

Shortly after our lunch, we strolled through the charming village and admired the castles from afar. We were tempted to buy some very tourist items. Unsurprisingly, our tour began promptly at 12:45pm, in typical German efficiency, and we marched off UP to the castle. MF was not happy about that one! Just kidding, she was thrilled to hike in the Alps after a rowdy Oktoberfest day...

Our Walking Tour

On the way up to the castle, our guide began an interesting tale of German kings, gossip, and grief. Ludwig II was the king who commissioned the Disney castle in the 1800s. He grew up in the nearby Hohenschwangau castle, thus felt an unique connection with this region of Bavaria. Ludwig was an interesting fellow who came close to marriage with Sophie???, but kept calling it off because he was nervous or just didn’t want to get married. From birth, he was considered an unique kid as he was thrust into power very early and didn’t really care to be king.

Ludwig preferred the finer things in life such as opera and art. He successfully avoided most governmental tasks as he loved Richard Waggoner, in more ways than one, and tended to be at the theatre or opera. Since he was one of the few remaining modern kings in the 1800s, combined with both his lack of ability to run a country and Parliament limiting his powers, Ludwig felt unwanted. Unsurprisingly…

Therefore, Ludwig did what kings do best: build castle (and loads of debt!). In a very short span of time, Ludwig commissions three castles. Due to his lack of money, none were completed so most of them represent an old golden age of kings and queens.

The End of Ludwig

Sadly, his life ended in a sad way. Ludwig was going a bit mad - most likely due to the alcohol and opium! Since he wasn’t really contributing to Bavaria in a meaningful way, the President and company (allegedly) decided to get rid of him. They deemed him crazy, although none of the pycharists met him in person, then sent him to a remote village. Suddenly, on a walk with his psychologist, he drowned in knee deep water…

As one can imagine, the conspriacry theories loom over the end of the last Bavarian king. His death didn’t make sense, so our guide offered his two cents. Firstly, Ludwig was killed because he owed debts to the wrong people. Secondly, he still had high connections so it could have been a botched kidnapping. Lastly, it is what it is - an assignation! Or just plain, ordinary death!

Castle Tour

In typical German fashion, the castle tour is a time based ticket system. Everyone has a time slot and you cannot miss it! Moreover, to maximize our tourist dollars, we cannot take photos inside the castle and can only buy the picture album… Our guide also warned us that the castle tour guides are not great story tellers, but he said the tour would be worth it as the inside is spectacular.

As we began the tour, it was exactly as advertised - extremely monotone and boring. Our guide had probably done this tour 10 other times this morning and likely would do it another 5 times. Inside the castle, there are three noteworthy rooms: the throne room, bedroom, and singer’s hall. Outside of those main rooms, most of the castle remains unfinished.

Without pictures, it is hard to describe. The throne room is simply gorgeous and covered in gold. Surrounding the throne, he had painted the twelve apostles, the six holy kings, and then jesus. Sadly, Ludwig never sat in his throne room!

His bedroom is unique for one reason. On top of his bed frame, there is one of the finest wooden sculptures of the castle’s exterior walls. The intricate design is magnificent! Other than that, it was dark and dreary and I am glad I don’t sleep there!

Finally, the last “cool” room was the unfinished singer’s hall - otherwise known as a theatre! The impressive room has beautiful murals and painting adorning the sides and roof and were all based on classic German tales. I think Ludwig fancied himself to be similar to these heroes, but in reality, he just wasn’t! Shortly after the singer’s hall, the tour ended. It was a quick and easy 30 minute tour!

Evening in Munich

Since we did not get back into the city until 8pm, we decided to find a great schnitzel and explore the city at night! Using our guide’s recommendation, we went to Augustiner Klosterwirt for a bier and schnitzel!

Despite Oktoberfest being in town, Munich was still very busy! The beer halls appeared packed and loads of people were on the street. In my mind, I guess I would have thought people would flock there and we would have the city to ourselves!

Inside Augustiner, we were transported to a slightly less loud Oktoberfest! We were at a shared table and I ordered the classic German food. Everything was delicious per usual. After a crazy first day, our second day was more ‘normal’ - especially as it ended in one of our favorite meals!

Exploring Munich

On our final day, we wanted to take the typical tourist day inside the city. We would even venture back to Oktoberfest!

A Two Hour Tour

Since our AirBnB was at least 20-30 minutes from the HBF, we decided to store our luggage in the main train station. For €6, we rented a large luggage locker right next to the U-Bahn (which takes you straight to the airport!). From the HBF, we took a quick subway to Marienplatz where we just made it for the 10am tour!

Karl from Dublin is a fantastic tour guide. When a guide has a booklet of pictures, it’s an automatic win! He began with the story of Munich through the ages. The name is from St Mary as the saint saved the city from enemy forces in the 1600s. Thus, the citizens raised the beautiful Marienplatz and cathedral! In WW2, it avoided Allied bombing since it was the most recogniseable landmark and needed for future bombing runs!

After our beginning in Marienplatz, we made two very different stops - the first at the Onion Dome, or Cathedral Church of our Lady, and the Michael Jackson Statue. The Onion Dome is the oldest church in Munich and has two very distinguished towers. They were partially destroyed in the war, but they still look very impressive! At the Michael Jackson statue, upon his death, people began decorating it and now it is one of the most unique statues in the world! If you disrespect, the locals will be furious!

While our next stop, Odeonplatz, was famous for great and sad things. Before WW2, it was a square to celebrate war victories and other great paradises. Nowadays, the platz is known for the Nazi regime and the infamous rallies. For so many, it is a reminder of a person who only achieved 37% of the popular vote, yet destroyed the country.

One of the cool defiant acts of the locals during the war was “Dodger’s Alley” which lies just behind the Odeonplatz. Before the war began, the Nazis raised a memorial to one of their killed leaders. Every time a person passed, they required the person salute. Rather than do this constantly, they used a back alley! This was no easy task as they had to avoid a main platz!

Our final stop of the tour was the marketplace. During the weekdays and Saturday, it is a much livelier place with food and beer stalls. Of course, on a Sunday morning, things are much quieter! In the middle of this market is the famous Maypole. In the old days, the maypole described the city for travelers - even pointed them in the direction of the nearest beer hall! Nowadays, it is a traditional pole with a price. If someone steals the maypole, they can demand a bribe. Most ask for free beer!

Oktoberfest, part 2

Since Mary Frances lost her sunglasses, we were going back to Oktoberfest to the lost and found tent. Unsurprisingly, we were not the only ones in line! The Germans are very efficient as we had to stand in line and wait our turn before we went into the tiny room. Because I am easily bored and restless, I began to wander the fair grounds. I swear I didn’t do anything interesting…

[photogrid ids="3208,3200,3201,3202,3203,3204,3205,3198,3199,3197,3196,3195" captions="no" columns="two" fullwidth="no" ]

During our time in line, I gathered my fun random facts about Oktoberfest. If one loses a phone, make sure you have the phone ID or SIM card number as that is the one way to reclaim it. In terms of tourism numbers (2016), about 7 million people visit Oktoberfest during the three weeks with more each year! We tourists spend 1.3 billion euros a year in Oktoberfest! Overall, hotel and airplane tickets rise 85% and 220% respectively, or about $200 more a night! Sadly, my fun facts did not help Mary Frances cope with the lost of her sunglasses or her patience while in line.

English Garden

Rather than tempt fate again at Oktoberfest, we decided to explore one of Munich’s most famous spots, the English Garden! From my travels in 2014, I remember that it is one of my favorite spots. Perhaps on one of the last days of autumn, we cannot sit down and enjoy a picnic, but we lazily strolled. Luckily for us, we did not see any naked old men (perks of the chilly weather!) and we saw the famous surfers!

In the middle of the park, there is the famous Chinese beer garden. I seriously wonder why it is called that other than it has a Chinese tower in the middle of it! Since I was rather full of beer and fries, we were tame and only had a radler! There is still live music in the beer garden.

The Last Schnitzel

After meandering for a long time through the English garden and the surrounding area, we went to the largest beer garden in Munich (supposedly!) outside of Oktoberfest, the Augustiner. As we expected, it was fairly empty as most people were in the fairgrounds! We still immediately sat down and ordered way too much food!

For a starter, we ordered the traditional cheese and other delights. For our mains, I ordered pfferschnitzel and Mary Frances ordered spetizel. Safe to say, we could not even come close to finishing our food! That does not mean it was not delicious!

The UnChartered Summary:

Oktoberfest lives up to the insane hype - if you embrace the traditions and “expectations.” We thoroughly enjoyed our long weekend at Oktoberfest and cannot wait to return!

• Read the Oktoberfest tips and tricks - easy one liners to make your stay more enjoyable!
• When in Munich, if you do not want to only do Oktoberfest, make reservations.
• Neuschwanstein Castle is well worth the day trip.