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We have been in Germany for almost a year now and I’m gearing up for my very first Oktoberfest! Two of my sisters and my brother-in-law are flying in for the occasion and I can’t wait to explore this famous festival for the first time. This year Oktoberfest runs from September 19th through October 4th and as usual they are expecting upwards of 6 million visitors.
So! I have searched the interwebs for the best info on Oktoberfest and here is the best of the best:
How To Survive Oktoberfest by Nomadic Matt
His best tip: Don’t reserve a table for daytime hours unless you plan to be sitting down the whole time! He does recommend booking a table for the evening hours since that’s when it’s nearly impossible to find seats.
Oktoberfest: Everything You Need To Know by the Economical Excursionists
“In many parts of Europe, including Germany, sharing a table with strangers is no big deal. If you see a table that has people on it but think you can squeeze in, just ask if those spots are free. If they are, you are in luck! Pop a squat, order a beer and start chatting it up with your fellow table mates! Most people at Oktoberfest will be able to speak English, but if the people at a potentially free table are clearly German speaking, just ask, ‘Ist das frei?'”
19 Essential Tips for Celebrating Oktoberfest by Samantha Angell
“Bring plenty of cash. Most-if not all- of the tents will only accept cash, and even at that the exact change is preferred. On top of wanting to have cash to purchase food and drinks, you will also want cash for the various attractions at Oktoberfest grounds, transportation, and tips.”
Gearing Up For Oktoberfest by the Oxford Dictionary Blog
Here you will find 18 essential German words and phrases for Oktoberfest! Here’s a few of them:
Bayern (das) German name for Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria. It is the largest of the 16 German Bundesländer (states), with Munich as its capital.
Lebkuchenherz (das) A gingerbread heart. These are very popular at Oktoberfest and also generally at German fairs and Christmas markets.
Prost German for ‘cheers’ (not only useful for Oktoberfest). Alternatively, you could also say ‘Zum Wohl’ (‘To your health’).
Maßkrug (der), short Maß (die) A Maßkrug is a beer jug, either made out of glass or stoneware, which contains exactly 1 litre of beer. All you have to do is order a Maß.
Oktoberfest With Kids by Must Board First
“Go on Family Day! Tuesdays during Oktoberfest are family days, which means rides and games cost less. This doesn’t mean that the beer-loving crowd won’t be there, but it does mean there will be tons of other kids there as well (so you won’t feel so guilty bringing your own) and you won’t spend as much keeping the kiddos entertained as on the other days.”
Now it’s time for a Giveaway!
In the spirit of the season, I have joined forces with my friends at MilliGfunk and the Economical Excursionists to giveaway some very festive Oktoberfest gear!
Eligibility: For this giveaway, only U.S. residents with U.S. or A.P.O. addresses are eligible to win!
And don’t forget to check out the amazing blogs of my friends below!
MilliGFunk blogs about travel, healthy living, and home at MilliGFunk.com. Follow her on Bloglovin’, and Instagram!
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I think seeing the costumes and trying the food would be fun!
I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how dressed up people are! I think I will be one of the few not in a dirndl :)
I would love to try the food!
I absolutely LOVE the big ol’ pretzels! They are always so fresh.
Sounds like FUN!!
I sure hope it is – I’m looking forward to checking it out for the first time! If it sucks I’ll let you know ;)
Beer and pretzels – perfect combination!
It definitely is!
Ooh, all the beer and rich foods. Yum!
The beer here is amazing! Can’t say I love the food, besides the pretzels, but everyone else seems to love the food!
Celebrating Oktoberfest in Germany is on my bucket list – what fun it would be to be part of the national celebration.
Well if it’s on your bucket list you’ll have to cross it off at some point! I hope you get to experience it soon!
The delicious food!
The best part would be visiting all the tents, socializing with people, drinking & just having fun! My family is from Germany, it would be amazing to go once in my life!
I hope you get to go one day, Emily!
the food
I would love to see all the people from all over!
My son at UF is taking German. It would be great to take him to Germany so that he could practice speaking the language, and our ancestry is from there.
I think the best part would without a doubt be the food!
seeing the costumes!
I would have to be all the people and the delicious food!
Embracing a new culture and meeting the people.
I think the costumes and the music would be the best part for me, since I don’t drink beer!
The best thing would to see where my family is from and experience Octoberfest they way they did
All of the amazing food
The beer, sausages and drinking songs.
Being a part of where it all began, there’s something EXTRA special experiencing an authentic part of a country’s culture.
Drinking authentic German beer and food would be the best part of going to Oktoberfest in Germany. That and the Lederhosen.
The best part of Ockoberfest is beer gardens and friends.
The Beer
This is all such great advice!!! Ugh, I can’t believe I still haven’t been to Oktoberfest!!!
Hello! I am trying to get in touch with you and I’m not sure the best way… Would you mind emailing me so I can send you a reply?
very interesting post, you shared great advice.
i want to check these food. its looking good to me.
Glad to read this article, love your blog so much!
Grüß dich! Great blog. Oktoberfest is awesome. Booze and more. Missing Germany. Thanks for the blog.
Great post Jamie! I was on a hunt for an article about traveling to Germany, and came across your post. I especially liked how you compiled information from other blogs! It saved me a few clicks :)
Actually, I just put together an infographic about “10 Must Do’s in Black Forest”. Let me know if you’d like to check it out. If you have any ideas about Black Forest in particular, I’d like to know! -Leah