Cómo sobrevivir a Oktoberfest
Última actualización: 7/11/20 | 7 de noviembre de 2020
“¿Cuántos días estás en el Wiesn (Oktoberfest)?” La niña alemana que llevaba su Dirndl bávaro estándar sobre la mesa me preguntó.
“Estamos aquí durante cinco días”, respondí, dejando mi enésimo stein de cerveza.
Su rostro se convirtió en una mezcla de shock, incredulidad y horror.
“¡Cinco días! ¡Eso es loco! Estás un poco loco, ¿eh? ” ella dijo. “Solo necesitas un día para los Wiesen. Espero que sobrevivas “.
Resultó que ella tenía razón. Mis amigos y yo fuimos un poco escandalosos al pensar que cinco días no fue tan largo en el Oktoberfest. Aprendimos rápidamente que muchos alemanes vienen por un día porque eso realmente es suficiente en el Wiesn (el nombre alemán para el Oktoberfest).
Son los turistas que se quedan más tiempo.
Cinco días en el Oktoberfest eran algo que no volvería a hacer. Fue exagerado. Incluso el grupo con el que estaba, lleno de bebedores endurecidos y con cuerpo, estaba agotado para el día 3 y no estaba interesado para el día 5.
Al final, nunca quise volver a ver una cerveza.
Pero sobreviví a la experiencia, y en el proceso lo pasé muy bien, hice muchos amigos nuevos, endurecí mi hígado, conocí a otros bloggers de viajes geniales y aprendí cómo planificar el mejor viaje al Oktoberfest.
En esta publicación, lo guiaré a través de todo lo que necesita saber sobre la planificación de un viaje al Oktoberfest.
Planeando su visita al Oktoberfest
¿Qué es el Oktoberfest?
Qué esperar en Oktoberfest
¿Cuánto cuesta Oktoberfest?
Una lista de tiendas de campaña Oktoberfest
Cómo hacer reservas de mesa en Oktoberfest
Reserva de alojamiento en Oktoberfest
Cómo obtener su atuendo Oktoberfest
Consejos de supervivencia del Oktoberfest general
Cómo visitar Oktoberfest
¿Qué es el Oktoberfest?
Oktoberfest fue uno de los mejores festivales a los que he asistido. Es un festival de cerveza de 16-18 días que se celebra todos los años en Munich, Alemania, desde finales de septiembre hasta el primer fin de semana de octubre.
Todo comenzó cuando el príncipe heredero Ludwig se casó con la princesa Therese el 12 de octubre de 1810. Los ciudadanos de Munich fueron invitados a asistir a las festividades celebradas en los campos frente a la ciudad, que los lugareños llaman “Wies’n” (que indica hierba, y por qué el Oktoberfest es apodado Wiesn en Alemania). Siempre considerando que entonces, se ha convertido en un evento importante, especialmente en las últimas décadas, ya que mucho más y muchos más viajeros internacionales se han sentido atraídos por el festival gracias a giras, vuelos baratos y mejores opciones de alojamiento.
Es tan importante que encontrarás actividades del Oktoberfest en ciudades de todo el mundo (aunque nada supera al original).
Qué esperar en Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest es un festival de bebida salvaje y sin restricciones. ¡Se estima que 7 millones de personas visitan cada año, con la mayoría de esos alemanes (representan el 85% de los asistentes)! Verás a casi todos vestidos con ropa bávara estándar (lederhosen para chicos, dirndls para niñas), pasar un buen rato y beber mucha cerveza. Estas fotos y videos ayudarán a pintar la escena para ti:
Tienes mucha gente tomando cerveza …
… y muchas personas que fallan en eso …
… pero pase lo que pase, hay mucho canto.
Fuera de las carpas de cerveza, encontrarás un ambiente de carnaval. Literalmente. Los terrenos consisten en un carnaval con juegos, paseos e incluso casas embrujadas. Es como un parque temático en cualquier lugar, EE. UU. Si no fuera por personas vestidas, no habrías sabido que estabas en Alemania. (¡Aquí también es donde encontrarás que todos se desmayan por demasiada cerveza!)
Dentro de las tiendas es donde encuentras el Oktoberfest estándar que has venido: ¡mucha comida abundante, música estándar, grandes carpas decoradas, gente amigable, grandes Steins of Beer y un ambiente encantado comunitario que genera amistad y alegría! ¡Todos están aquí para pasar un buen rato y de buen humor!
¿Cuánto cuesta Oktoberfest?
Todas las carpas son complementarias para entrar. La cerveza es típicamente alrededor de 12 EUR y muchas comidas completas son de 12 a 15 euros. Puede obtener bocadillos y comidas pequeñas por alrededor de 5 euros. También puede obtener alcohol fuera de las carpas (pero no cerveza), y las bebidas cuestan alrededor de 8 euros. Encontrarás toneladas de stands en cualquier lugar con salchichas y wurst por 5-6 eur también.
Reservar una mesa es técnicamente gratuita, sin embargo, una reserva requiere que compre alimentos y bebidas. Por lo general, este es el equivalente a 2 cervezas y medio pollo (que es de alrededor de 30-35 euros por persona). Entonces, una mesa para 10 será de alrededor de 300 euros, dependiendo de la tienda.
Es esencialmente imposible hacer este evento con un presupuesto ajustado. Puede obtener cerveza o comida fuera de los terrenos del evento, lo que reducirá sus costos (se emborracha y llena antes), pero si está comprando algo en las tiendas, ¡espere pagar!
Cómo hacer reservas de mesa en Oktoberfest
Todas las carpas son complementarias durante todo el día y todas tienen mesas de cortesía, así como mesas reservadas para las personas que comen comidas (estos también son asientos principales en el centro de la tienda). Si desea comer o garantizar que una mesa (y no luchar por todas las tablas de cortesía), deberá hacer unreserva. We had a table reservation every day because my friends and I wanted to make sure we had a place to sit. To make a reservation you’ll need to contact the tent directly by means of email, phone, or fax (yes, they still accept faxes!). This is typically done at the start of the year between January and April. The tables at the best tents fill up quickly.
If you do book at one of the tents, be aware that a lot of tables seat 6-10 people and cost about 300-350 EUR (about 30-35 EUR per person). You’re required to book a whole table, so even if it’s just one of you going, you reserve the table as though you are going to fill it. While you’re meant to have a full table when you sit down, we showed up minus a few people and they didn’t seem to care. This reservation includes some beer and food.
Personally, I’m not so sure I’d reserve tables again. It’s great to know you have a place to sit down, but other than on weekends or at night, it seemed like you could always find an open seat, even if you had to stand for a while. If I booked a table again, I would only do it for the nighttime hours, when tables are harder to get, you’ll want a place to eat, and you might not want to stand around waiting.
Keep in mind weekends, when the Germans aren’t working, are exceptionally busy and it’s much harder to get a reservation as well as find complimentary tables. If you don’t have a reservation, get there early!
A list of the best Oktoberfest Tents
There are 14 main beer tents at Oktoberfest and each one has its own personality. Some tend to be heavy on Americans, other Australians, others older Germans, other rich celebrities, while others are just everyone under the sun. here are the fourteen major tents and some information about them:
Marstall – This tent holds over 3,000 people and is the newest addition to the event. It’s a bit a lot more modern and inventive (you can actually get vegetarian food here) and caters to a younger, hipper crowd.
Armbrustschützen-Festhalle – This comfortable tent has also been home to a crossbow competition considering that 1895! It’s one of the most popular.
Hofbräu Festzelt – This is the most popular tent for international visitors, especially Americans, and is one of the greatest and a lot of popular tents in the faregrounds. It gets busy but I loved it!
Hacker-Festhalle – This tent is known for it’s painted blue sky and white clouds on the ceiling that can, if the weather is nice, open up to actually show the blue sky above. It’s also one of the a lot more popular tents.
Schottenhamel – This is the oldest tent at Oktoberfest and hasthe capacity for over 10,000 people. It’s where the party gets started and is very popular with Germans.
Winzerer Fähndl – This massive tent is the largest at Oktoberfest with room for 11,000 partygoers. You’ll be able to recognize it by the gigantic rotating beer glass.
Schützen-Festzelt – This tent is located off the main drag which indicates you can often beat the crowds by heading here.
Käfer’s Wies’n-Schänke – This tent is known to be a favorite of both local and international celebrities as well as their late night ending time! lots of people finish their night here.
Fischer Vroni – If you’re worn out of all the pork (the main dish in a lot of tents) then head here for something else: fish!
Ochsenbraterei – This tent has been around considering that 1881 and is known for its many ox dishes and its big brass band.
Augustiner-Festhalle – This tent is considered to be the most family-friendly option. It’s also the hardest tent to get a table at as lots of locals have reserved seats here.
Pschorr-Bräurosl – The Heide family has been running this tent considering that 1901 and has their own yodeler.
Löwenbräu-Festhalle – This tent, which has a gigantic 15-foot lion at the entrance, has a bit a lot more of an older crowd to it. It’s the favorite of local football players.
Weinzelt – This tent is another a lot more family-friendly choice, with less standard offerings like seafood, Thai food, and even white wine (something you don’t really see often here).
Reserva de alojamiento en Oktoberfest
Book your Oktoberfest room early. accommodation fills up exceptionally swiftly — and some hotels and hostels book out up to a year in advance. The closer you get to the festival grounds, the a lot more expensive beds are and the quicker everything fills up. I booked a room in April and a lot of places were already sold out. That room cost me 120 EUR per night, but it was close to the festival grounds. Hostel dorms often choose 60–80 EUR.
There’s not a lot of budget accommodation around but there are a few options if you don’t want to stay in the city center (or want to save money):
Stay at The Tent, a hostel (well, really, a massive tent) outside the city for 40 EUR per night.
Couchsurf (which is hard, because locals get a lot of requests from people trying to find a complimentary place to stay) or have friends you can stay with.Using Airbnb is another good option as long as you book in advance.
How to get Your standard Oktoberfest Outfit
You can’t go to Oktoberfest without the standard Bavarian outfit (it just wouldn’t be ideal or as fun), and those are not cheap. A good lederhosen outfit begins at around 140-175 EUR. Dirndls, the standard outfit for girls, begin at 100 EUR. (You can, of course, find more affordable outfits, though, if you aren’t trying to find something of quality.)
You can buy them online before you go or find them in stores throughout the city. stores just selling outfits spring up just for the festival. We found lederhosen the day we arrived. You can rent costumes for around 45-50 EUR per day but that’s only a good option if you are going for a day or two. If you’re going for longer, it’s more affordable to get an outfit.
Consejos de supervivencia del Oktoberfest general
It’s a marathon, not a sprint — you’ll be drinking all day, so there’s no need to rush it. too lots of people pass out on the lawns by dinnertime. ir a tu ritmo. Those liters of beer are strong.
Hydrate: drink a lot of water while you’re there. I had Powerade and water bottles lined up in my room for when I got home and when I woke up.
Get to the Käfer tent early: a lot of of the tents close at 10:30pm. Käfer is the only one open until 1am, so everyone rushes there after the others shut down. get there a bit before 10:30pm so you have a spot. Otherwise, you simply won’t be able to get in or get served.
Get a table early: No reservation? just winging it? If you aren’t there by midday, your chances of finding a table shrink greatly. try to avoid the times when they switch reservations. All the people that got kicked out are now trying to find a complimentary table, and competition is fierce.
Eat outside the event area: While all the tents have incredible rotisserie chicken, the food inside is simply expensive. just walk outside, get a cheap sausage for a few Euros, and save your money for the overpriced liters of beer.
Set a meet-up point: The grounds are huge. If you’re there with friends, set a meeting point in case you get separated (which is inevitable).
The tents don’t really matter: While everyone tent will offer a special experience, the differences won’t be that drastic. Every tent will offer up a great time, so there’s no need to be picky. find a tent you like and just stay there!
Bring cash: keep your life (and the life of your server) basic and just stick to cash.
Keep your stuff safe: Pickpockets aren’t too much of a problem but you might get drunk and lose stuff. only bring the essentials of what you need and be sure to keep them safe in a zipped pouch so they don’t get wet and ruined!
For maps of the event, news, updates, and other importan information, download the Oktoberfest app.
Cómo visitar Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest was cancelled this year due to COVID. We’ll update this post when there’s a lot more information about 2021’s event.
Getting to Munich is easy as it’s easily accessible by rail from all major points in Europe and has its own major, international airports.
Oktoberfest takes place on Theresienwiese. It walkable from the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) and the closest U-Bahn is, aptly called, Theresienwiese. just follow the mass of crowds to the grounds. You can’t miss it!
***
Oktoberfest only happens once a year, and though it sort of busted my European budget, I don’t regret any of the money I spent. I’m really happy after years of false starts that I finally got to visit and celebrate Oktoberfest. My friends and I are already considering returning next year (though maybe not for five days again).
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