Oktoberfest 2010
Guten Tag! Looking to take a second trip to Munich for a first-time visit to Oktoberfest. Has anyone ever been to Munich during Oktoberfest? Any tips or advice to pass on? My biggest concern is obtaining affordable (between $100-$200 per night) accommodations somewhere near the city center. Any other advice is greatly appreciated.
Megan
Baltimore, MD USA 10/29/09
Send Private Message
For the best rooms in September there, book right now. Check Rick's book for the best bets, and start emailing them right away. Be prepared to pay hefty deposits and forfeit your money if you cancel.
Its loads of fun, 14 hours in a beer tent will change your life! We stayed a block or so away from the park where they set up at the Hotel Uhland a nice old home, how a perfect hotel with street parking. They are all ready taking deposits for 2010, and have sold out the first weekend. I checked the rates, they want 199,00 € for a double! The rest of the year its 86,60 €. Perhaps you should stay away from the center, and take the train in.
"a perfect hotel with street parking."
My experience has been that street parking adjacent to the Uhland is limited.
Not as limited as it is downtown! I got a space, twice! But it wasn't during the Fest when I imagine the whole neighborhood is chock a block with revelers.
My point in saying "city center" was to be away from the festival grounds. We don't want to be in the middle of the action while trying to sleep. We don't have to stay in the true city center, but want to be away from the festival.
Also, the handful of places I've checked with so far say they aren't even releasing rate info until Mar or Apr 2010...
Sorry you said near the center, the Uhland is close to both the tents and downtown.
You need to be right on top of things when the hotels start taking reservations. First check Rick's listings, then a site I like is booking.com with lots of smaller places. My last resort is the bigs like Travelocity and Orbitz.
And I did find a great site a couple of days ago with people who share rooms, or rent you the whole flat. Called airbnb.com they list for the owners, take deposits and help with bookings. Give it a try.
we just went to Oktoberfest. I orginally wanted to stay at Hotel Uhland because it was so close to the grounds, but they wanted the full payment in Euros and you couldn't pay with credit card. Forget it! Too much hassle. (I think that was just for Oktoberfest). So I stayed at Hotel Muncher Kindl and that worked good. First of the owner (Gunter) in sweet as pie and wants to help you if you need anything. The accomodations were just okay - they fit the bill. It seemed sorta half way from the Oktoberfest grounds and the old town center and was walkable from the train station with our luggage. It cost 160 Euro a night. As for street parking...eeesh - that will be tricky. I can't help you there.
My last bit of advice for Oktoberfest (my husbands words)...remeber Amy, this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Not sure you'll ever find the rates you hope for. I looked for weeks for a place last spring (maybe too late) but the hotels are going to, rightfully, take advantage of the Internatioanal event. We stayed in a double for close to 200 euro a night. We still had to take take a tram to the event and walked a 1/2 mile. Remember, once you get there you want to get back within a reasonable distance. The tents are amazing mass of people from all over the world. There are two settings per day, morning and evening. The music is polka / wedding style sing along. Everyone sings. The loadest was amazingly "Take Me Home" by John Denver I thought I came here to here Bavarian favs....what was this??? My adult 20 year ols sons loved it. My wife and I early 50's were overwehlmed by the crowds. But would do it again tomorrow. The event is very state fair like but with mass amounts of beer. Book now and start marking off the days, you won't regrete it! While in Munich consider Mike's Bikes city tour... a blast!