Munich travel review & recommendations by bjkel

Like so many aussie travellers, we were lured to Munich for the Oktoberfest celebrations. Despite it's name, Oktoberfest actually starts in late September. Make sure you book travel and accommodation early, as flights & buses into Munich will get booked and expensive. We actually spent a few days in nearby Salzburg beforehand, and caught a very cheap train for just 1 hr into Munich. Haus International was a great Hostel, although you do have to catch a couple of trams and trains to into where all the action is.

If you are going to Oktoberfest on the weekend, be sure to get in quite early (about 9 - 9:30) and line up, or you WILL miss out on a seat, and no seat means no service... This is not as important during the week. When grabbing a table, try to avoid those that are 'reserved' for groups coming later in the day, or you may get kicked off - no questions asked. In the evenings, it will be almost impossible to find a place to sit, so if you do have to move, make sure your entire group doesn't all get up at once. If you are stuck for a place to sit, slip one of the waitresses a few euro and she may be able to find some seats for you...

Look after your waitress, and she will look after you. we paid 10 euro a litre (normally 7.50 or so) for the first few rounds and did not wait for a beer all day. The food is quite expensive and typically german, heavy meals like chicken and pork knuckles. Good (but expensive) sausages and other carnival delicacies are available in vans outside the beer tents too.

Dont wait until the end of the night to get home otherwise you will find yourself battling a horde of drunken tourists on the train.