Be A Guru (Should knows)

*Not applicable for the Bike Tour only package 

• Stoke Travel campsite opens on September 16th and closes October 4th
• Opening ceremony September 19th. At 12pm on that day the mayor will tap the first keg, signifying the start of Oktoberfest
• 24 hour check in 
• Check-out is by 11am 
• Bottomless brunch times 8am – 11am
• Bar times 8am – 11pm
• Merchandise / Stoke Threads (Swag) tent tours 8am – 10pm
• Guru tent hours 8am – 11pm 
• Meal tickets – When meal time rolls around, you’ll need to head over to the Guru tent to grab a meal ticket. The lovely staff will mark your wristband and give you a ticket and you’ll be good to go and lineup for your food. It’s super important you do this because if you don’t, you’ll get to the front of the line and they won’t be able to serve you, meaning you’ll have to go and get your ticket and line up again, which no one wants to do. 
• Sharing a tent with a friend on a separate booking – If you and a friend have booked separately, but want to share a tent, it’s super important that you check in together. It is the same if you’re in a big group and want your tents to be next to each other. You need to be at reception together so that check in crew can tent you appropriately and everyone wins! 
• Sharing a tent with a member of the same sex – Our tents are twin share, so unless you have upgraded to a solo tent, you will be paired with someone of the same sex to be your tent buddy. All our customers are like minded and down for a good time, so you might just meet your new best friend, but if you like your personal space, or think you’ll be needing the whole tent later, it’s best to upgrade. Email info@stoketravel.com to request this for €20 a night.
• Hot showers – It can get a little chilly in Munich around this time of year and what better way to warm your bones (and wash away your sins) than with a hot shower. In order to do this though, you need to purchase shower tokens. This can be done at the Guru tent for €1 per token, cash only.
• Phone charging – If you didn’t bring a portable charger (which we highly recommend) you can charge your phone at the Guru tent, for €1. All the proceeds from phone charging goes directly to the 3 charity programs in Greece that we support, which help feed, educate and improve the quality of life of refugees on the island. It’s a win-win, your phone gets charged and you do your good deed for the day all at the same time! 
• Cups – Here at Stoke Travel we are trying to reduce the amount of single use plastic we have on sight. This is why we have reusable cups available for €2. These can be purchased at the Guru tent and it’s super important you keep them safe, otherwise you’ll have to purchase another one. Once the festival is over you can take your cup with you as a souvenir, or you can return it to the Guru tent for your €2 back. If you choose to keep your cup, 100% of the profit will go straight to the refugee programs mentioned above. Drinking never felt so good!
• Bus times and departure locations – If you’re on a Ride With Us package, you need to make sure you’re thoroughly checking your itinerary for the exact departure times and locations. The same goes for when you’re leaving the campsite. It’s your responsibility to make sure you’re up, packed and checked out in time to make your bus. We won’t wait! 
• It takes about 25 minutes to get to the beer halls from the campsite and it will set you back a couple euro each way. We’d recommend buying group tickets as they work out cheaper per person. While you wait, you can stay at the campsite and pre-party, then head in when with the different groups heading in throughout the day
• Expect to pay around €11 a stein. Remember to tip if you want to be served again!

Facilities

*Not applicable for the Bike Tour only package

AT THE BEERHALLS:

• The beer halls double as huge restaurants, serving thousands of plates of delicious, hearty German drinking food
• Shared bathrooms/toilets
• First aid 
• Carnival rides 
• Security, if you have any issues

AT THE CAMPSITE:

• Hot showers (€1 per token, cold showers are free!)
• Pop up food stalls – our Stoke Eats food trucks will be up and running ready to serve you some delicious snacks when our kitchen isn’t running
• Our open bar of unlimited beer and sangria for when you’re not inside the beer halls (€10 per person per night)
• Laundry facilities – €5 laundry token from campsite reception
• Kitchen and hot plates to cook your own food
• Bus and metro tickets – you are able to buy from the campsite reception (don’t risk not buying one, if you’re caught the fine is hefty!)
• Vending machines
• A little essentials store
• Lockers
• Chicken nugget, chip and pizza machine at the campsite 
• Public transport close by to get you to a huge shopping centre (not open on Sundays)
• First Aid station at the front of the campsite 

STOKE TRAVEL’S COMMON SENSE GUIDE TO STAYING SAFE IN THE FESTIVAL 

*Not applicable for the Bike Tour only package

Some of the festivals that we attend obviously come with some risks attached. Fear not though, we’re pretty much pro’s at this point. We’ve put together a list of our hot tips, follow them closely and in a perfect world, we all leave the festival unscathed. 

• We are living through a health epidemic, and while it isn’t of any particular danger to us, the greater community can really benefit from us being sensible. Wash your hands, cough into your elbow, avoid touching your face, and don’t stop living your normal life unless the local authorities, or health specialists, advise you to do so. And if you come down with a cough, fever AND shortness of breath stay home, call the hospital, and await further instructions. 
• Wear closed toe shoes – Inside the beer halls there’s always a lot going on. People are dancing and jumping around, and sometimes smashing stein glasses. Please protect your toes by wearing appropriate footwear. 
• Don’t smash stein glasses – Smashing stein glasses is pretty dangerous, for obvious reasons. Imagine thousands of people in an enclosed space, throw lots and lots of pure German beer into the mix, add in smashed glass and you’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster.
• Only take what you need into the festival, leave the rest behind – Festivals like this can be a goldmine for pick-pockets. While you’re busy drinking beers, they’ll reach in and steal your phone from right under your nose. Be savvy and keep your wits about you and you’ll be fine. 
• Keep an eye on your friends – It’s a big, big festival with looooots of people around. No one likes losing their friends and things like this are way more fun with people you like. When you enter, stick together and even choose a meeting point incase you get lost. There’s nothing worse than being lost in a crowd of thousands of people drunk off German beer when all you wanna do is find your pals. 
• Don’t stand of the tables – As tempting as it may be to jump on the table and start up a singalong, it’s frowned upon to do so. Some tents will let you stand on tables during certain times of the day, but standing on the tables is a no-no. Don’t be that guy.
• Tip the waitress – It’s super important to tip the waitress on the first round of steins. It only has to be €1- €2, but feel free to tip more if you’re feeling generous. If you don’t tip her on your first round, she will ignore your table for the rest of the time you’re there.
• Pace yourself – Oktoberfest is a marathon, not a sprint. We’ll often head in anywhere from 10am – 12pm and the beer halls don’t close until 11pm. You’ll be there awhile, so pace yourself accordingly.
• If you get hurt inside the festival, head to the medic onsite straight away – Don’t wait until you’re back at the Stoke campsite to get fixed up, make sure you get it done straight away so you can party again sooner! 
• Don’t be scared to ask for help – If you’re feeling unwell, your friend is not responding or you think you’ve had more than just beer notify, one of our onsite First Aid crew at the front of the campsite or any of our onsite security who are trained to respond to all kinds of situations. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

STOKE TRAVEL’S COMMON SENSE GUIDE TO STAYING SAFE AT THE CAMPSITE

*If at any time you feel unsafe, please don’t hesitate to contact the onsite Noble Security team, or any member of the Stoke Travel crew who will radio for security.

As far as situations go, a Stoke Travel trip is amongst the safest. Unlike in the ‘real’ world, everybody here is intent on having a good time with new and old friends – your fellow Stokies are way more likely to hold your hair back while you puke than steal your wallet.

That being so, we’re more in danger of hurting ourselves while on a Stoke Travel trip than falling foul of our fellow travellers. Here’s a quick little guide to partying safe with Stoke Travel.

• Drink plenty of water.
  You’re going to drink heaps of beer and sangria, and you’re going to have a plenty big hangover, but you can really limit it by smashing a few cups of water throughout the day and evening.
• Remember to eat!
  We’re going to hook you up with a bottomless brunch each day, and as the bare minimum that should keep your stomach lined and engine running. Do not skip this meal, even if you are suffering horrifically from one of the aforementioned hangovers. We also strongly advise getting a lunch and dinner in there too, maybe even every day.
• Zip your tent up when you’re in it and when you leave it.
  Seems basic, but you’d be surprised how often drunk us forgets to do this. When you get in your tent at night make sure you zip it up to prevent unexpected rain showers from disturbing your slumber. Same goes for when you leave your tent. It’ll take two seconds to zip it up, but that’ll save you from wet clothes, chafe, and maybe even pneumonia. If you also brought your favourite pair of socks and want to make sure they’re safe, you can purchase a lock from the guru tent for only €5. 
• Don’t be a creep.
  Like, seriously, has that ever worked out for you? Similarly, if you see somebody being a creep and making people uncomfortable let us know and we’ll have a friendly word to them. Sometimes they just don’t realise how gross they are.
• No means no, consent matters.
  At a very basic level if you hit on somebody and they say no then you’ve just got to cop that. They’re just not that into you. It sucks for about three seconds, but you’re literally surrounded by hundreds of young, like-minded travellers. Suck it up and move on. When you do find somebody who’s into you and you want to move through the bases, make sure you get consent. It really, really, really, really, really does matter.  
• If you see somebody having a bad time, make sure they’re ok.
  We are all brothers and sisters and gender non-specific relations out here. If you see somebody struggling in any way, check on them, grab a Stoke staff member and just do what any decent human being would do.

Staying safe at Stoke Travel is super easy, but sometimes we get a little out of control and forget the basics. If you ever find yourself in any kind of situation do not hesitate to contact Stoke staff, or security, and we’ll sort you out immediately. We’re here to help – help you have the best time possible. Mwah.

What to Bring

*Not applicable for the Bike Tour only package

• Cash. There’s only one (and not the most reliable) ATM on site, so you may not be able to get cash out until you’re in the city centre
• We need your passport details! Either send them through to us with your booking number to info@stoketravel.com, or bring your passport with you to camp so we can check you in
• Try to bring a small bag if possible – The tents are cosy and we don’t have onsite lockers. To make sure you have enough room for activities, make sure you minimise what you pack if at all possible
• Your dirndl/lederhosen. You can purchase these onsite from the swag tent, or you can add them to your booking beforehand. PRE-PURCHASE AND GET 20% OFF!
• When you arrive follow the signs to the Stoke Travel check in desk
• Phone charging is available at our guru tent for €1. This is cash only. Our charging stations are often at capacity. We’d recommend bringing a portable charger to ensure your phone stays charged, so you can get all those snaps!
• Tents are allocated on arrival. If you want to be in the same tent as your friend please check in together
• If you are travelling solo we will tent you with someone of the same sex
• We can cater for dietary requirements, please email us at info@stoketravel.com to let us know if you have any
• Your best party shirt – If you don’t have one, don’t worry! Check out our Stoke Threads store for some absolute doozys! 
• Warm clothes (it can get a quite chilly at night, and sometimes even during the day)
• A towel (we don’t sell or rent them on site) 
• A pillow if your backpack won’t do
• Condoms (better safe than sorry, right?)