The biggest beer fest in the world was obviously on our bucket list! Oktoberfest is by far the best festival I have been to thus far in my life. What a great mix of carnival atmosphere, impressive architecture, delicious food, and responsible drinking (but still extremely fun and excessive!).
This was also the most respectful beer festival I’ve ever experienced. Although people were imbibing heavily and having a jolly time, most were in control and very open to meeting new friends. It made for a truly unique and incredible atmosphere. And the tents! Do not be fooled by the nomenclature; these “tents” are free standing engineering marvels that I can’t believe get taken down/built each year. Truly impressive structures! The tents were so varied in decor with bright colors. I loved peaking into each tent and letting my eyes feast on the vibrant hues and different themes. I was amazed at the level of cleanliness considering over 6 million people attend the celebration each year in Munich, Germany. Every bathroom I went into was spotless and had toilet paper. Huge points in my book!
By the time we decided that 2015 was the year for the Doodlepops’ debut at Oktoberfest, flights were already ~$5,000 each! We ended up booking flights with miles. We redeemed 120,000 miles and paid $241.80 in taxes for 2 flights into Munich. Not too shabby! Finding a place to stay was another hurdle that was quickly overcome by the decision to camp. Hotels were ~300€ a night. Yikes! We ended up camping for ~105€ total for 3 nights. We packed a tent, sleeping bags, and all our camping gear in our backpacks and hoped for the best in getting through airport security! Luckily we had no issues (although I think Mr. Doodlepop secretly had a heart attack every time he put his bag through the x-ray machine).
One of the most memorable parts of the trip was setting up our campsite. We walked up to our camping spot, waved hi to the Spaniards camping next to us, and started unpacking. Once we were done, we look over and the Spaniards were staring at us in disbelief that an entire campsite just appeared from our 35L backpacks. We must have looked like Mary Poppins!
Overall our first Oktoberfest experience was amazing and completely worth the last minute, crazy journey! We even had a chance to take the train south and see the Disney Castle (aka Neuschwanstein Castle). All said and done we spent $838 in Germany (includes flights, camping, trains, food, beers). We will be back for sure. Prost!
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