Still trying to wrap my head around Oktoberfest...

>there will be plenty of food and beer WITHOUT going in the tents?
>Am I picturing this correctly.

Yes!
The typical nightmare.

Otoh, nobody would pay sky high prices for food unless totally pis*ed.

We did the same thing back in 2002 and ended up staying at a nice hotel n Augsberg. Took the train right into the heart of the venue and had a fabulous time. Watch out for the strength of those big, delicious beers! Arriving on the early side solves most of your problems. I don't recall an issue with the food and drink prices . Have fun.

>Augsberg
Augsburg, founded in 15 b.c. as "Augusta Vindelicum", a roman fortress, hence the BURG.

macanimals,

Are you saying you did NOT go into any of the tents? We do have hotel reservations in Munich set-that's not a problem.


logos999,

Yeah, we know it's going to be crazy!

~Liz

If you want to drink out of a real beer mug, you'd have to go inside a tent. All the rest (fish, chicken, fries,cotton candy, drinks...) is availble outside the tents.

If you go in the early afternoon, there will be plenty of empty seats, just walk inside. Same goes for a Sunday morning.

We had no problem getting into the tents and actually enjoyed the outdoor gardens attached to the tents--we had no reservations. There were also plenty of booths with food and fun outside of the tent venues. We were not there in "prime times". But I again repeat--Beware of the strength of the very large and tasty beers! I'm no teetotaler but realized that the beer was very easy to drink and powerful. Have fun and go for it--a memorable experience.

Don't miss the fried potato patties!! Oh my gosh, they were awesome! Loved the nuts too! I had no bier though!

Thanks, all!

I feel confident that I know what to expect, now.

~Liz

I'd spend the morning visiting the area around Marienplatz and the Viktualienmarkt for some light lunch. Be a tourist and visit the Hofbräuhaus. Then leave the Viktualienmarkt for a short (1mile!) stroll to the festival site, the Theresienwiese. Go around 1pm and check out Oktoberfest. It's not all beer tents and drunks. Try the roast Hendl and a Brezen. Watch the families go by and ride some rides. Stop in a beer tent and see what's happening. Best to do this during a week day.
U-Bahn-Theresienwiese on the U4 and U5 line is the closest station. Its right outside the gate near the tents. Head north out of the fest, turn right onto Bavariaring, then your first left (Hermann-Lingg-Straße?), then a quick right onto Sankt-Pauls-Platz . The U-Bahn station is midway down that block.

As to the German beers, alcohol strengths do vary widely, just as they do in the USA. So if you are concerned about it, you can do some research and opt for the regular beers that aren't as strong.

A typical Munich lager (Helles) is 3.5-3.9% alcohol content by weight, compared to the typical American beer at 3.6-3.8% by weight. Just as in the USA, there are a lot of beers weaker or stronger in Germany depending on location, style of beer, and the individual brewer.

There are many beers in the USA that I don't like at all (e.g., the mass market beers like Budweiser and Millers, and pretty much any "lite" beer), but I never met a German beer that wasn't drinkable (with the caveat that I don't ever touch any beer from any country based on fruit flavors, chocolate, or other such flavorings).

Fried potato patties: Reiberdatschi.

Enjoy

SV

Logos - how do they come in Munich? Is it with apple sauce?

SV

Yes, it is.

An Oktoberfest update:

When we got into town, my husband found mention of a walking tour about beer, that ended at the Oktoberfest grounds. This turned out to be a good way to go - there were only 4 of us, so it was almost a private tour, and we ended all sitting at a table in one of the outdoor places. I was surprised to find myself enjoying the experience!

Here's a link to the tour we took:
http://www.munichwalktours.de/home/english/beer_brewery1.php

What we REALLY enjoyed was the fairgrounds outside the tents, so different from American fairs. Lots of food, and coffee, was served in "real" plates, cups, and you paid a deposit that was returned when it was brought back.

We left both nights by about 9, when things started to get a bit more rowdy.

~Liz

Thank god, this nonsense is over now!
Horray to Munich and its people. We survived again.
In a few days all the freaks will have left too.