I’ve been to this world renown beer festival twice now and from both experiences, I picked up tips that I wish I knew before I went.

If you’re newbie to Oktoberfest and planning to go next year, this is the blog post for you!

TANYA’S TOP TIPS FOR OKTOBERFEST

TIP 1: BRING CASH AND SMALL CHANGE

Cash is king at Oktoberfest. There is a cash machine at the entrance but it is always super busy. You pay for beers/food/rides/attractions in cash only - there is no card payment option. It is also customary to tip the waitress in small change (Approximately €2 per stein) as her job is very difficult and dealing with drunks is awful.

TIP 2: NO LARGE BAGS AT OKTOBERFEST

Backpacks and large handbags are not allowed at Oktoberfest. You have to put them away in lockers if you bring them or you will not be allowed to enter the festival. The queue for this can be very long and time consuming, time is better spent drinking the beer ;)

TIP 3: BOOK A TABLE RESERVATION

The tents are always crowded and busy as the festival is only on for a few weeks. If you want a table you need to book it in advance. Only if you book a table you are guaranteed entry to a tent.

If you want to be in the fun areas of the tents, make sure that you book a table downstairs and inside instead of on the balconies or outside. The balcony tables are often for families looking for a more chilled vibe. If you’re someone that gets cold easily, the outside tables are probably not the best idea either.

TIP 4: WHICH BEER TENTS TO BOOK IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A PARTY

The most popular tent and the HARDEST to get into is the Schützen-Festzelt, it’s like the fancy London Mayfair nightclub that everyone wants to get into. Everyone is dressed up here in classy dirndls and lederhosen. It is THE festzelt to be at during Oktoberfest and not a lot of foreigners know about it so it provides a true German wiesn experience. If you get a reservation here, you’re one lucky duck!

Hofbräu-Festzelt is the tent that all the foreigners go to. I went to this tent first as I honestly didn’t know that there were more authentic wiesn experiences elsewhere. I always have a great time at this tent and it is always super packed. As it is full of mostly non-Germans, you get to meet people from all over the world which, is super cool.

The other top party tents are: paulaner-festzelt, schottenhamel-festhalle, hacker-festzelt.

TIP 5: HOW TO WEAR A DIRNDL

If you’re a woman, then you must wear a dirndl. The best quality dirndls are three pieces (Top, dress, apron) and the dirndl top is not attached to the dirndl dress.

The higher quality dirndl dresses have a zip in front instead of in the back. I bought my stockerpoint dirndl (dirndl includes apron) from ASOS and got the top from Amazon.

A woman’s apron is a signal to men, it tells them if they can approach a woman or not. You should wear your dirndl accordingly:

If you are single, you tie the apron at the front on the left of your body.

If you are married, you tie the apron at the front on the right of your body.

If you are a virgin, you tie the apron at the front in the middle of your body.

If you are widowed, you tie your apron at the back in the middle of your body.

Pictured right: Me in my Oktoberfest dirndl with my Apron tied at the front on the left

TIP 7: THE PEG

If you really want to look the part, you’ll notice that German people have pegs attached to heir dirndls and lederhosen. You can get these pegs made in the festzelts. People often get the name of the person they love on their peg or their name/nickname.

Pegs with nicknames attached to a dirndl

TIP 8: CHECK TENT CAPACITY IN ADVANCE IF YOU WANT TO TENT HOP

If you don’t have a reservation in a tent and want to visit it, you should check the tent occupancy. This is essential to avoid queues that often last hours, wasting valuable beer drinking time.

TIP 9: VISIT THE TEUFELSRAD

The Teufelsrad, aka The Devil’s Wheel, is the most amazing thing that I have witnessed (Think Takeshi’s Castle with German contestants). It’s also the most German thing to do at Oktoberfest, in my opinion. It costs €5 to enter and you won’t find many foreigners there as they don’t know it exists. It’s a human roulette wheel and my favourite place to go to after the tents. Don’t forget to bring in popcorn for the show!