TripAdvisor’s ultimate guide to Oktoberfest

This month sees the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest, the world’s largest beer festival, and over six million visitors are expected to descend on the German city of Munich.

Here, TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, runs through everything one needs to know about the festival – from a breakdown of the last available hotel rooms to guidance on navigating around the festival’s marquees.

Last minute hotel availability

Many of Munich’s popular guesthouses and hotels – particularly in the lower price bracket – are already booked, but there are still some rooms available. This list shows some of the hotels still with availability for the festival, ranked according to the TripAdvisor Popularity Index:

1.Kempinski Hotel Airport Munich
2.Hotel Kriemhild
3.Exquisit Hotel
4.Hotel Torbrau
5.Fleming’s Hotel Munich City
6.King’s Hotel First Class
7.Prinzregent An Der Messe Hotel
8.Hotel Louis
9.Hotel Jedermann
10.Vi Vadi Hotel

The Munich Tourist Office also distributes a list of hotel vacancies on a daily basis throughout the Oktoberfest period.

The real Oktoberfest outfit

As this year marks the 200th anniversary of Oktoberfest lots of festival-goers will be dressed in traditional Bavarian costume. If you’d like to embrace this local tradition then choosing the right outfit is crucial. There are numerous second-hand shops Munich’s city centre selling full Bavarian outfits for bargain prices.

Men traditionally wear leather lederhosen trousers with a special jacket. Ladies traditionally wear a dirndl – a pinafore style dress with a white blouse. But ladies beware – if the dirndl is tied to the right it means the wearer is married, if it is tied to the left is indicates the wearer is still available!

Finding the right beer tent

The wide choice of Oktoberfest marquees means there is something for everyone and exploring them all is part of the fun. If you are looking for a relaxed atmosphere, especially in the morning, head for the Hofbräuhaus tent with its cool, international vibe. The Augustinian tent is a little quieter and truly münchenerisch. For those looking for more buzz and the possibility of spotting Munich celebrities the Beetle tent is a good option. Many of the smaller tents, such as Schichtl, offer a lot of charm and are more family-friendly.

Mastering the lingo

Finally, here are a few important words to help you get by during the festival:

Servus – Bavarian greeting to welcome and farewell
Dirndl – traditional costume dress for the lady
Lederhosen – traditional Bavarian trousers for men
Gaudi – fun, frolic.