Practical Tips

Especially when you’ve never been to the Oktoberfest, the following tips should help you make the most of your visit.

• Admission to the grounds is not possible before 9 am on weekends and 10 am on weekdays.
• On Friday nights and Saturdays, you may need a table reservation to enter a tent due to overcrowding. Check the beer tent crowd barometer before planning your trip.
• Since 2016, bags larger than 3 litres have been banned. You need to leave them at the bag deposit outside of the fairgrounds.
• Start looking for an accommodation early, as there will always be too few hotels in Munich during Oktoberfest.
• When overcrowding is imminent, the main entrances of the tents are the first to close. Don’t forget to look at the entrances in the beer gardens.
• The worst time to look for seats in the beer tents is late afternoon during the reservation change.
• The tent, which is often the last to close for overcrowding is the Armbrustschützenzelt. Checking out the Winzerer Fahndl or Ochsenbraterei is also often a good idea.
• Don’t hesitate to ask waiters for free seats, also in the boxes.
• Wear proper shoes. Especially in the evenings, there’s a chance you may walk over broken glass.
• Don’t try to steal mugs. You’ll have to leave them at the exit anyway.
• Lunchtime is way calmer than the evenings. If you like a more relaxed atmosphere, come early.
• Tuesdays are family days and offer reduced prices.
• On weekdays before 3 pm, many showmen have special offers.
• Getting there from the Theresienwiese subway station requires a long detour. It may be a good idea to use one of the many other stations for your trip.