How To Travel To Oktoberfest 2023
Getting to Munich’s Oktoberfest can be quite the ordeal, with all of the world’s beer lovers pining for a mega-pint of that delicious Bavarian nectar. But never fear, not only…
We know what you’re thinking, you’re thinking that we’re just going to say, Camping with Stoke Travel at Oktoberfest is the best budget option, and you’re right, we could say that, because it IS the best option, as written about by multiple independent bloggers like this gal, and this guy and, and over here too, and not to forget about these guys.
But we’re going to assume that you already know that Stoketoberfest is your best value accommodation option at Munich’s Oktoberfest. We’re going to move along from that, and show you ways to save your hard-earned euros/pounds/dollars/pesos/baht/rupiah/whatever when you’re on the ground in Munich. These tips are good to go even if you’re not staying with Stoke, in fact, if you’re not staying with Stoke you might need them more because you’re obviously paying WAY TOO MUCH.
Anyway, here we go. P-to the-motherflipping-prost!
Whet your whistle over here for our full guide to dressing for Oktoberfest.
OK, look while you can wear your civilian rags into the beer halls, that in no way means that you should. One of the great delights of Oktoberfest is to hit those beer halls dressed like a Bavarian beer-swilling legend! Almost everyone else is dressed in the trachten and you’ll feel like a prize pumpkin if you’re the only one wearing dickies and Limp Bizkit tee.
So while Stoke Travel sells authentic and cheap Oktoberfest costumes for guys and girls, we’re obviously not here to tell you about how awesome we are! We’re here to tell you that you can look the part just by throwing on one of the chequered-table-cloth style Oktoberfest shirts, for both girls and guys and forgoe the expensive leather pants and braces for guys, or the entire milkmaids’ dress for the gals.
Yeah, going all out and wearing the whole kit is a bunch of fun, but if you’re stretched for cash just throw an Oktoberfest shirt (you could go with anything chequered/plaid/flannel, but they’re cheap cheap so fork out on this) over some jeans, jean shorts, Daisy Dukes, chinos, cargos, a skirt – whatever! And you’ll fully look the part.
If you’re not feeling too tight, accessorise up with hats and pins and whatever and nobody will even notice that you’re not fully playing the part, and before you know it you’ll be dancing on tabletops with a bunch of Bavarian beefcakes and betties. What a result!
Dip your proboscis in here for a full guide to drinking beer in Oktoberfest beer halls.
One thing that’s unavoidable, no matter how tight your wad is, is that you will spend a small fortune in the beer halls. You just will, it’s one of life’s truths like dodging death and taxes. But DW, going to Oktoberfest to spend money on beer is precisely what you signed up for. If you haven’t put a king’s ransom into your budget for Oktoberfest beers then why are you even here. But, that said, there are some ways we can save money in the beer halls, and they are so important that we’re going to listicle them.
Here are five things that you just have to eat at Oktoberfest
One of the finer things in Oktoberfest life is the ability to devour, without concern for calorie or keto, the perfectly-paired beer drinking foods that come served alongside the beer. For the locals, and the visitors in-the-know, Oktoberfest is as much a food festival as it is an excuse to pickle your insides in amber ale. Pork knuckles, roast chicken, all the wurst, pretzels – even trout and radishes – are just some of the culinary delights that await is inside those hallowed halls. But boy-oh-boy are they expensive, and if you’re doing Oktoberfest right you might not even enjoy them, as you shovel the food into your sloppily masticating jowls like a St Bernard eating a valium hamburger.
The real pros put a meal aside, usually a pre-hall lunch, and visit one of Munich’s many permanent beer halls or beer gardens. In these year-round pleasure domes you’ll find the same beers and the same food at a much lower price, and yeah, sure, you’ll take a hit on Oktoberfest’s ambience for a more sit down vibe, but these Bavarian temples to indulgence are not by any means tame – think oompah bands, large groups of raucous locals belting out folk tunes at the top of their lungs, it’s more like being in a medieval wedding than a French bistro. And they’re everywhere, so you can get your Bavarian food fix on your way to the beer halls and then push yourself to the brink of throwing it all up again in the actual Oktoberfest. Win win!
Just look at how many breweries, beer gardens and beer halls a quick Google search turns up in central Munich alone!
Strap on your sightseeing boots before you head out to see these Munich hotspots
OK, this is the ultimate activity to tightwads for there aren’t many sights to see that are going to charge you – in fact the whole act of “seeing” implies doing it for free. How they gonna charge you for seeing? “Just looking” is the universal secret password for “I don’t intend on spending a gosh-darn cent”. The beauty of Munich is that once you get downtown, and we didn’t say this, but we’ve heard that many people ride Munich’s rail system without a ticket, you can walk around all day, see the most beautiful and wonderful buildings and people, lounge around in a park where people are surfing in a river surrounded by naked old people, drink store-bought beer in said park, stroll around some more, fall in love 800 times, and it ain’t going to cost you a deutschmark.
Get off at Hauptbahnhof and just walk – you can’t go wrong and you won’t spend a cent.
Here’s our complete guide on how to travel to Oktoberfest. You don’t need much more than that, just know that as far as a rule of thumb is concerned slower equals cheaper. Here’s a list in ascending order of expense: walking; hitchhiking; rideshare; public bus; private Stoke bus; hire a car; train; airplane; helicopter. Do with that what you will.
Tagged with: Stoktoberfest, Munich, Oktoberfest, Oktoberfest Munich, budget Europe, Springfest, backpacking