Is it necessary to have reservations at tents if we plan on going to them rather early, say 11 am. I realize we will also do some sightseeing and come back later in the evening. so we may need to make reservations then, but there are only 2 of us. how difficult is it to place reservations? and will we possibly be able to walk into a tent around 7ish in the evening without reservations?

You won't have any problems that early.
Later in the early evening you'll have to have reservations for a table.
Sometimes you'll be able to get in the evening, depending on the crowds.
O'Fest is a blast, we're going back for our 10th O'Fest.

>but there are only 2 of us. how difficult is it to place reservations?

You can only reserve a full table (for 10 people), and it comes with a minimum consumption that is not manageable with 2 people.
Try to enjoy the Oktoberfest instead of rat-racing across the continent.

Hoi Altamiro,

Have you ever gone? If so, what's it like? Are the tables and benches really drenched in beer? Do the Germans really get honery and lecherious? Are outbreaks of singing common?

I've considered going but those huge Krugs of beer being drunk by so many Germans puts me off a bit.

Hi Schuler,

I lived in Munich for 3 years

It´s actually a huge Chilbi , with a lot of rides and so on. The beer tents are only a part of it. I wasn´t in the Hofbräu tent (where most "action" is) in the Augustiner tent it is loud but civilized. Nothing is drenched in beer, but your neighbours might try to "schunkeln" with you, and the "flirt factor" can be very high, both from women and from men. Nothing really dangerous, just... well... a bit adolescent behaviour from grown men ad women. I had a wet kiss planted on the cheek by a woman old enough to be my mother. Outbreakrs of singing happen but only when the music gets so loud as to drown out any mis-tones
The earlier in the day you are in the tent, the more civilized it is.
There is also a wine tent

Beware of drunk Italians at the second weekend though (so-called "Italian weekend", for a reason)

How would we go about getting 2 people into a tent during busy time in the early evening and in the later hours of the evening? Is it basically just standing in line and waiting to get in?

Getting in is not a problem usually during weeekdays but finding a free seat can be a problem. Go early in the evening is my main suggestion.

We were at Oktoberfest last year and didn't have any problem getting a place to sit or stand in any of the tents. It was crazy busy at night but everybody we met was very nice.. even the beer servers. It took longer to get a beer when we sat outside then it did inside the tents. We didn't have to stand in line we just walked around looking for open space. Remember that most of the tables are reserved so don't just go and sit anywhere. The only problems we saw with drunk people was on the fair midway not in the tents.. and then it was just young males fist fighting a couple of times. The police was everywhere in groups of 3 to 10 and right on top of any problem in seconds. For as many people that was there and most of them drinking.. it's unbelievable to us as Americans how friendly and safe the Oktoberfest was. Where we live on a saturday night in some of our large clubs/bars that only have 200 to 400 people we see twice as many fights then we did at Oktoberfest.

i was also surprised by the lack of violence...I mean those beer steins alone would probably end up a weapon of mass destruction at similar event in the US. Where I grew up towns had things called street dances which were mini-Oktoberfests. Usually, these turned into mass fights where half the men were bleeding.

>i was also surprised by the lack of violence...

What´s up with you guys?

*shaking head*

Btw. beer (real beer, not the beer flavoured water you get from the major North American breweries) supposedly contains hormons that counteract testosteron in males.

What do you mean "what's up with you guys" Are you saying there is no lack of violence at Oktoberfest? If I am wrong sorry about that but, all I saw was two fist fights in two days at Oktoberfest. I will guess there was about 200,000 people there each night. I guess you witnessed more violence there but I didn't.

>What do you mean "what's up with you guys" Are you saying there is no lack of violence at Oktoberfest?

No, not at all.It was a reply to sansman. I meant why everybody expects the worst, violence, fights... I mean there wouldn´t be hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world if you would get clobbered as soon as you got in, right?

surprise in a good way, I guess I am used to drunken men equaling fighting men.

Yes, I understand now what you meant now. Our experiance at Oktoberfest was awsome but we didn't go thinking anything except it's gonna be fun! and it was. We are going to Paris this year but we will be going back to Munich and Oktoberfest in the very near future.

>we didn't go thinking anything except it's gonna be fun! and it was

99,9% of the visitors go with the same expectations - and do have fun as well. So the fighting 0,1% just go under.

Beer brewed according to the German Purity Laws can't have hormones.

Now, it is entirely possible that the beer has a natural testosterone-inhibiting effect in men - I have not seen any evidence of that, but it is possible.

I think the more probable reason for lack of violence at Oktoberfest compared with festivals in the US is cultural. We have noticed that Germans in general are just more laid back about a lot of things than we are in the US. It makes sense that when people are more laid back, fights are not as common.

oh, yeah, sure there are all kinds of fights breaking out at state fairs in the US, aren't there? what kind of a comment is that, fights don't routinely break out at US festivals, either.

I thought the British were the best at causing problems and drinking -- and I have witnessed that in Europe, and the locals did not care for them, and told me they often caused problems (this was in Krakow).

>Beer brewed according to the German Purity Laws can't have hormones.

Of course it can. Malt contains hormon-like substances. "Not artifically added" doesn´t mean it doesn´t contain any.

>Now, it is entirely possible that the beer has a natural testosterone-inhibiting effect in men - I have not seen any evidence of that, but it is possible.

Look at the beer bellies, it´s not just calories either

i know this might be a crazy question, b/c there are soooo many great beers, but what are some of the "CANT MISS" beers that I MUST try no matter what while in Munich, so i can be on the look out. I am all for trying different beers, so i am not limiting myself to one specific type.