Oktoberfest by Train: A Beginner's Guide

Germany is a renowned travel destination for many reasons: its fascinating history, beautiful architecture, burgeoning arts culture, thriving nightlife, and hearty cuisine, being just a few of them. A fantastic time of year to visit this incredibly diverse country is Autumn; the temperatures begin to drop, foliage turns a beautiful shade of burnt orange and there are an abundance beer and wine festivals to enjoy.

Perhaps the most iconic of these Autumn festivals is Oktoberfest - the world's largest beer festival (Volksfest). Visit Oktoberfest by rail this Autumn and experience Germany's robust beer culture at its most lively.

 

The history of Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest has been a quintessential part of Bavarian culture for over 200 years. It is held annually in Munich, a city in the southeastern state of Bavaria, for 14-16 days through mid to late September and early October.

Oktoberfest began as a celebration of the 1810 Royal Wedding between Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.

The main event of the original Oktoberfest was a horse race, however the festivities became larger and more extravagant with each anniversary celebration  with party-goers partaking in activities such as tree climbing competitions, bowling, barrel rolling races, goose chases, and later even enjoying mechanical rides.

By the late 1800s, beer halls (which were eventually replaced by the beer tents of today) were a permanent feature of the event. Although Oktoberfest had to be cancelled 24 times in its 200-year history, today the iconic festival is as strong as ever and is visited by over 6 million patrons (locals and tourists alike) each year. 

 

What not to miss

While some travellers are happy to turn up to Oktoberfest and simply go with the flow, it's wise to do a small amount of planning to ensure you don't miss out on the festival's standout attractions. Oktoberfest 2016 runs from Saturday the 19th of September to Sunday the 4th of October.

There are 14 main beer tents (and 21 smaller tents), each with its own unique menu, beer varieties and entertainment. The largest of the tents is the Hofbrau, which seats over 9000 people.

This is the only tent where you are able to order a beer without occupying a seat, simply head to standing area (right in front of the stage, so you can catch all the live entertainment) and let the steins of perfectly crafted German beer flow. 

Other popular tents include the Hackerbrau, which boasts a revolving stage that hosts a rock band every evening and a beautiful ceiling painted to resemble the sky (complete with clouds), the Armbrustschutzen, a traditional tent with a folk festival vibe which hosts an annual crossbow competition, and the Löwenbräu-Festhalle — easily recogniseable from the huge 4.5m roaring lion guarding the doors, this tent is perfect for soccer (football) fans. 

The Augustiner tent is a must for beer enthusiasts as it is the only tent where you can enjoy a beer served from a traditional wooden barrel (as opposed to metal barrels), or, if wine is more your thing, head to the Weinzelt tent, where you can enjoy a wine or champagne while listening to to some live music.

Inbetween the revelry, be sure to tuck into some delicious German fare. Every beer tent serves its own cuisine, so there's plenty of variety, however favourites include traditional German pretzels, weisswurst  and wurstel sausages, knodel dumplings and of course schweinebraten (pork knuckle). 

The Schutzen tent is famous for its Spanferkel-Surhaxerl (Suckling Pig in Beer Sauce), and showcases a variety of other mouth-watering Bavarian delicacies.

 

Need to know

In order to secure a table at one of the beer tents, bookings must be made directly with the tent, often months in advance. With the right planning, it is possible to secure a last minute seat, just make sure you turn up to the festival before 2pm on a weekday and at least 3 to 4 hours before the main events (which may see you lining up as early as 6am) on weekends. 

Midday Oktoberfest runs from 10am-3pm on weekdays, so look out for Mittagswiesn signs for special discounts on food, drinks and attractions.

In addition to the beer tents, Oktoberfest is teaming with other attractions. From ferris wheels, roller coasters and fair rides to the Costume and Riflemen's Parade (Oktoberfest Trachten und Schutzenzug), there are events and activities on during the festival to entertain all ages. At the very least, you are sure to find yourself joining in the singing and dancing to traditional Bavarian music that goes on in many of the beer tents.

If you feel like taking a break from the festivities (or need to slow down on your beer intake), there are plenty of things to see and do outside of the festival grounds. After your morning meal, pay a visit to Munich's medieval town square (Marienplatz). At 11am, the magnificent Rathaus-Glockespiel puts on a 15 minute mechanical show, where life-sized figurines reenact two scenes from Munich's history to the mesmerising sounds of the clock's 43 bells. 

Later, head downtown to the Eisbach, a small channel of the Isar River, where hundreds of surfers flock to ride the continuous wave that rolls through the river. This unique form of river surfing is a fascinating spectacle to watch, and, given the Eisbach's location, is a great excuse to stroll through beautifully lush English Garden (Englischer Garten). 

 

How to get there

A great way to visit Oktoberfest is by train, as air fares to Munich are in high demand and therefore very expensive at this time of year. If you plan to visit several cities or towns while visiting Germany, invest in a German Rail Pass.

 

The German Rail Pass comes with many perks, including discounts for youth (ages 12 to 25) and free travel for up to two children aged 4-11 years when accompanied by a full paying adult (when there are more than two children per adult, additional children are required to hold a youth fare/ticket).

The German Rail Pass can also be used to connect from neighbouring countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, France, Croatia and Denmark. This added benefit of the German Rail Pass allows for extra flexibility when planning your trip, as it means you are not restricted to purchasing German airfares.

Munich Hauptbahnof is the central train station and main hub in Munich for travellers making their way to Oktoberfest. There are connections from almost every major German city and many international cities.

You can take the SBahn train to get to Oktoberfest from Munich Hauptbahnof: Take S1 - S8 to Hackerbrucke, S7 and S20 to Heimeranplatz, and then U4 or U5 to station Theresienwiese or Schwanthalerhöhe. The S-Bahn is covered by the German Rail Pass. 

To reach Munich from other major cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Stuttgart, or Cologne you can take the Deutsche Bahn ICE (Inter City Express Train). 

For more ideas about places to visit while you're in Germany for the Oktoberfest check out our recent blog post: 9 German Cities in 12 Days by Rail.