09 Oct Oktoberfest, the biggest beer festival is an Eurotrip Must

Let’s be honest, we all have ”Eurotrip” part of our bucket list! I was able to scratch that one off last September when my friends and I went 8 days to Europe. We started our trip in Paris, France, to catch the train to go to Munich, Germany where I can proudly say that I survived Oktoberfest 2017 to head over Munich, Germany for a couple of days. Now, I understand that your first question is:

Why is Oktoberfest in September?

Oktoberfest was initially during October. The first edition was held in 1810 in honor of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. At that time the festivities only lasted one week, from October 12, 1810 to October 17. Now it is all different, this year (2017) Oktoberfest was from September 16th to October 3rd. Oktoberfest starts in September because of the weather, you can enjoy it more without feeling too cold and they kept the tradition of having the last Oktoberfest weekend in October.

But Why Should I Include Oktoberfest in My Eurotrip?

It is not only about Oktoberfest, but it has to do with Munich.. (and Berlin) ! From the amazing landscapes to the different bars, Munich is a city that won’t hurt your wallet. In average, I was able to get a good meal and a beer for less than 6€ every time.

This festival is super safe and all you see is happy drunk people, fun right! During that time, the whole city releases good energy, from gentlemen in their lederhosen and ladies in their dirndl, everyone just want to grab a beer and have fun.

Ready or not, PROST!

Prost means cheers! Going to Oktoberfest will definitely change the relation you have with beers. Beer is an important part of the German culture and you can taste it right away. Unlike beer from all over the world, in Germany, the beer only has water, hops and malt as ingredients! Personally, I do not drink beer; I rather drink hard liquor. I was going there knowing that I won’t drink as much as my friend but I was really surprised to drink one liter of beer, one after the other, to eventually drink 5 liter in ONE DAY!

5 Quick Tips

1. Show up early if you want to be seated in the tent of your choice. See the list of tent here
2. When you order water, ask for tap water or else, you will get sparkling water for 5€
3. Bring cash, breakfast sandwichs are 5-10€ and meals such as Schnitzel and Chicken are between 15-28€
4. If you have a limited budget, go on Tuesdays, it is their Family day with discount on rides and food vendors.
5. Do not get on your table to chug your beer if you are not 100% sure that you can chug it all… I don’t want you to get booed (and get food thrown at you)!

Now you understand why you should include Oktoberfest in your next Eurotrip. However, if you still want to live the experience without going to Germany, here’s some alternative place that you will get to live the Oktoberfest experience.

• Blumenau, Brazil.
• Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada.
• Cincinnati, USA.
• Hong Kong.
• Okinawa, Japan.
• La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA.

P.S. You can live the Oktoberfest Experience in Montreal for a limited time at Bier Markt. See more here!

*please note that I don’t have picture of my Oktoberfest experience, I only recorded videos and you can see more about it in the Youtube video above.