Navigating your first Oktoberfest trip

For many people I feel like Oktoberfest is kind of a Holy Grail. It is the ultimate beer fest and nothing else really compares. Not that people haven't tried, since once September rolls around, Oktoberfests start popping up all over the place. But now that I have been to the true Oktoberfest (I mean the one in Munich, Germany, of course), I think I can safely say other fests don't compare.

But, how do you make the most of your Oktoberfest trip?

I've put together some tips and suggestions to hopefully help you do just that.

Just like you're doing, before I went to Oktoberfest, I read all sorts of websites and blogs to try and get the inside scoop. I read a lot of helpful things, but I felt like most things I read were more focused on the experienced Oktoberfest goer - the one that would email every tent to get a table reservation, or find local companies that have extra tickets. Honestly, that isn't me. So if you're also feeling that OMG, I'm never going to find a table, I have no idea which tent to go to, there will be too many people.... I think I can help.

Oktoberfest Tip #1 - Go with a small group and go on weekdays

The best way to find a table at Oktoberfest is being there with a small group. We were a group of 4 and almost always found a table and rather quickly. With only 4 people, we could always squeeze into a table, and waitresses were more likely to help us find a table. I promise you'll make plenty of friends once you have a table!

Going on a weekday also significantly increases your chances of getting a table. We did Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as our fest days, and did some sight seeing on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday evening we did pop back over around 6pm or so, maybe later, and there was also room opening up.


Now, you have a few options here. Most tables are reserved for the evening, these usually start around 5pm. But every tent has some tables that they keep open.

Option 1: Go early and grab a table that isn't reserved in the evening. Plan to stick it out all day. The best thing to do is check with the waitress when you arrive to be sure the table isn't reserved. Normally if you arrive by noon on a weekday you'll be fine finding one of these tables. Honestly, I only recommend doing this one day because it's heavy and you're a bit stuck. We did this on Friday since we figured this would be the busiest day and the hardest to get a table on.

Option 2: Show up later in the day, before 5pm when the reservations kick in. We did this our first night, kind of by accident. But it worked out well. We arrived around 3pm and took a seat at a table that was reserved in the evening. I started talking to the waiter, we gave him a bit of a tip with our first beer order, and when we had to clear out, he told us to hang around. This isn't really an exact science. Just be nice to the waiter, don't expect anything. Ask for advice. A friendly, "Any suggestions for the best way to get a table here later?" Our waiter, Ralph, then kept an eye on the tables where the people didn't show up, and about 30 minutes after the reservation time, he brought us in and gave us the table. We did kind of have to hang around and just keep checking, but it worked out well. Here is where it also helps to have a small group because it'll be easier to find you a spot. I think the tipping helped as well.

Option 3: Get there later in the evening, like around 8pm. This again isn't fool proof, but you just have to give it a try in a few tents. One night when we got there later we tried 3 tents before we found our table. We normally separated into groups of two to search, and normally what we tried was arriving and asking a waitress if they have a table. This time of night can be ideal because the people that have been there all day are getting too drunk and starting to clear out. Or people are moving away from their tables to dance, or wander around, or try a new tent. If waitresses have empty space at their tables they want to fill them. So try asking, linger around the sections, tell them you want to eat food and drink. Again at this time they aren't making as much money because people have filled up on beer so stop ordering. They want new blood so people will order and tip them. And really, don't forget to tip. The older waitresses will just tell you outright, but they're happier if you do it on your own.

Oktoberfest Tip #2 - Dress the part!

This is one time you really want to dress like the locals. I honestly think some of our success on finding a table at Oktoberfest was the combo of being a small group, wearing real lederhosen and dirndls. We didn't look like an obnoxious group of tourists. ;) I promise wearing the traditional Oktoberfest clothing adds to the fun!

Some suggestions for ladies:

Ladies, don't wear costume dirndls. I think almost every website says this, but it's true. The girls doing this stand out. This is not a costume party, people are wearing traditional dress. And while there are now many varieties, lengths of dresses, colors, etc. The super short halloween costumes look really silly and out of place.

Your apron should be the same length as the skirt of your dress, that's one way to know you're buying a legitimate outfit. Also pay attention to which side you tie your apron on.

If you tie your dirndl apron on the left it means you are single and ready to mingle. If you tie the dirndl knot on the right, it means you are taken so not up for flirting.

Now between my friend and I, we probably ordered 6 dirndls and ended up with 1 each, and actually we ended up with nearly identical ones except for the color of the embroidered flowers. There are some nice options, but it really depends on the fit and some just look nicer than others. I recommend ordering a size up as well.

This was what I ended up with: Dirndl Womens 3-Piece Black Midi Dirndl
I liked the midi length, and it fit well. The arms on the shirt were a bit tight, but that was in every dress I tried.
And my friend bought this one:  Dirndl Womens 3-Piece Midi Dirndl with Embroidery

Perfect Oktoberfest outfits. :)

Some suggestions for men:

Men, nearly the same. Buy the real lederhosen, not the fabric green ones with a silly Robin Hood hat. There are plenty of real Bavarian hats to wear. And you can get lederhosen rather cheaply. Also, don't forget the socks! My husband ended up buying socks there because really it seemed to be part of the outfit. Shoes you can be more flexible on. My husband and our friend both wore brown boots, kind of hiking boot styles and that was fine. You don't need to splurge for the traditional shoes if you don't want to. Though of course feel free to do so.


My husband opted for the slightly cheaper option:  Gaudi-leathers Men's Traditional Lederhosen Pants 
We got them from amazon for $69.99 and they worked out great. Nice quality and held up through our time there. This is just the lederhosen though, so you still need a shirt. We didn't buy a specific shirt, just found a plaid one he had in his closet. Our friend that was there found a plaid shirt at Primark that was almost identical to the Oktoberfest shirts.

If you want another good option, our friend ordered these from Amazon and was equally happy: Bavarian Tracht Lederhosen Dark Brown


Oktoberfest Tip #3 - Where to stay

This is a tricky one. But my one recommendation is stay within walking distance. My friend and I are not fans of public transportation after drinking. So that was basically our one requirement. So in the end we ended up in a nice little hotel, the City Apart Hotel in a room with two beds crammed in for 4 people. But you know, if you like the people you're going with, then this was great. It was just a place to crash at the end of the night. And split two ways made it more affordable. The best part about this place was the location. It was half way between the Oktoberfest fair grounds and the center of the city, so easy to walk to both within 10 minutes, and easy to find our way home at night.


So back to basics, the main options are going to be: Hotels, Hostels, AirBnb.

We actually looked at a lot of AirBnBs, but we were trying to book around Christmas time 2015 to go in September 2016 and a lot of them hadn't updated their availability or pricing yet for Oktoberfest so we didn't find anything. We weren't willing to wait and chance that we'd find something better, so just went for a hotel.

There are some great hostels in town. I've stayed at the Euro Youth Hostel years ago (when I was still young and doing hostels), and friends stayed next door at the Wombat Hostel. I would recommend both of those, but it has been a few years.

My top place for searching is Booking.com though I've recently started using Agoda as well, sometimes they have more competitive prices. Between these two sites you'll usually get the best deals, and they have hotels as well as hostels and B&Bs.

Oktoberfest Tip #4 - How much money to bring

There is no exact science to this of course as everyone has completely different spending habits. But you're going to spend money at Oktoberfest. Don't go under the allusion you can be cheap and not buy anything.

One mass of beer (the wonderful 1 liter glass mugs you always see)  ranges from $10 to $14. I think most commonly in the top tents we spent around $12, plus tip. So let's take $13 per mass. If you're like us, you'll probably end up drinking about 3 throughout the evening, maybe two or more if you're really going hard. So you're looking at an average of $39 for beer alone. Food is not outrageous, but it's a festival, it is of course more expensive to eat in a tent. The food is pretty amazing though, so definitely splurge for it. In conclusion, I'd say budget for at least $150 to $200 per day in cash, since you'll need lunch as well, and you'll probably want to try some stuff around the fair as well.

Also just a note about tents - honestly, others have said this, but the best tent is the one you can get into. 

Oktoberfest Tip #5 - What to do when you're not at Oktoberfest

Munich is a pretty awesome city. I've only been twice but have loved it both times and there is plenty to do to keep you busy.

What to do in Munich

1. Visit Marienplatz
2. Wander over to the English Gardens
3. Do a free walking tour (we went on Sandeman's tour and it was cool: http://www.neweuropetours.eu/munich/en/home#)
4. Check out the BMW Museum
5. Visit the Viktualienmarkt right near Marienplatz for a bite to eat and to try out some local foods, fruits, cheese, olives, honey, etc.
6. Create your own pub crawl. All the big German beers have brauhauses in Munich, often near each other. So why not hop from one to the next?
7. Visit the Hofbrauhaus
8. Just wander around and stop to randomly eat and drink. Bavarian food is delicious. And while the beer doesn't compete with Belgian beer, it's not half bad.
9. Take a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. Buy your ticket in advance though. Especially if you go during a busy season like Oktoberfest season, because otherwise the wait to get into the castle will be too long. The tickets come with an entrance time, so if you're too late you'll be stuck waiting until late in the day. You can still go up to the castle (walk or by horse carriage, possibly by bus also?) and wander around the outside, which is still pretty neat.

Cologne Christmas Markets - A Beginner's Guide

One of my favorite things about Europe at Christmas is the Christmas Markets, and here I think we have to give credit to the Germans for having the best Christmas Markets. Food, Gluhwein, more Gluhwein. You can't go wrong.

 

For me, visiting a Christmas Market is usually a day trip, so living in Belgium we usually stick to the markets that are close to the border. Normally Aachen and Cologne. Aachen is also a great little market, but definitely smaller than Cologne. If you just have an afternoon though it's worth a visit.

Cologne though is my favorite. They have several markets spread over the city, each with their own unique twist. This year, for the first time, I visited nearly all of them in one day. Be prepared for an exhausting day to do this, otherwise I suggest spreading it over two days.

General Tips:

• Try the Gluhwein. Try the hot chocolate with amaretto. Eat the Bratwurst. Eat the Käsekrainer. Basically just eat and drink all day.
• Bring a plastic bag to save your mugs once you're done drinking your Gluhwein, otherwise you'll end up with sticky mugs in your purse or backpack which can be very unfortunate
• Take a small backpack with you to carry what you buy, otherwise you're stuck carrying around awkward bags in a super crowded are. Just no valuables in the backpack!
• Check out AirBnB for a place to stay if you want to stay over night - the hotels can be rather expensive
• The weather in Cologne is rarely cooporative - dress in layers, bring an umbrella, hat, gloves, earmuffs, whatever you need to stay warm. It's a long day outside at the markets if it is cold
• If you want to save money on parking and avoid driving into the city, try a Park + Ride: http://www.car-parking.eu/germany/cologne/pr

Now, before you decide you want to go to a Christmas Market, especially in Cologne, you should probably gauge your crowd tolerance. I was there with my husband and our best friends - another married couple. I think the two husbands were slowly losing it trying to navigate through the crowds. And by navigate I mean push, squeeze, or simply just wait until you can find a way through. So something to consider if you're going on a weekend, and especially in the more popular markets.

The Markets

The Old Town Market

This was conclusively our favorite market. My husband and I usually try to visit this one, and this year as we introduced our friends to the Cologne markets, they seemed to be in agreement. It is an incredibly charming market.

                 
Why I like it:

• Absolutely charming, gnomes, details, wood carved stands.
• Beautiful crafts. One of my favorite stands is right when you enter the market, it's a huge end stand with mostly candle related objects. I almost always end up buying the handmade glass candle holders. There is also a stand with handcrafted wood items which are absolutely beautiful.
• Great food. Try the potato cake with sour cream dipping sauce. Sinful. 
• The mugs - So every market has their own mugs. Some markets have new mugs each year, or at least new variations on the mugs. At the Old Town market there are always cute little red mugs with gnomes on them. There are 10 variations of the mug, so you can collect different ones each year. 

Cathedral Market

This is without a doubt the biggest market. There are so many stands. Some have beautiful craft work, some have more normal or cheesy items. If you want a singing Santa hat, this is the market you want to visit in Cologne. But there were so many people it limited our visit.


What I like:

• There are so many stands you can certainly find something here for everyone on your list, or just something for yourself
• Also great food here. We had a bowl of mushrooms in garlic sauce, absolutely amazing. Also sausages again. 
• This is right near the shopping center of the street, and close to the Old Town Market. 

Harbour Market

This is the first year we visited the Habour market. It was definitely a bit of a walk from the other markets, but a nice experience. 

Reasons to check it out:

• There is a pirate ship serving drinks
• There was a stand near the chocolate museum with the best socks ever. 
• Indoor craft tent with what seemed to be local handmade crafts
• The mugs were cute and nautical

Gay and Lesbian Christmas Market

This was also the first year we made it to Christmas Avenue, the Gay and Lesbian Christmas Market. By the time we got there we were all a bit cold and tired, but it seemed like a fun time. There were performers singing and lots of groups drinking. Much more a party feel than the other markets. So if you're not frozen I recommend visiting this one at the end of the night.


Why you should go:

• The stands are all decorated in purple in a very fun, non-traditional Christmas style
• Penis waffles
• Tasty burgers
• The music and atmosphere

Angels in the City Market - Neumarket

We didn't visit this year because we really wanted to make it to the habour, but this is another nice market to visit. It also has more solid, charming stands. Nice crafts, good food and drink.

Check out all of the official details, addresses, etc here: Cologne's Tourism Site - Christmas Markets

Have a favorite Christmas market? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

5 travel essentials for the normal woman traveler

Those of you that know me probably are aware of my love or perhaps obsession with traveling. City trips over a long weekend, a week in a new country, two weeks if I can swing it. Any chance to explore somewhere new I'll take. Not always easy when you're balancing a full-time job of course, but I do my best. And thankfully my full-time job is in Europe, so I have those lovely 32 days of vacation each year. And being in Europe, so many places are just a short plane or train ride away.

The more you travel the more you realize there are certain things every girl can't live without (sorry boys but this post is targeted at the ladies). Now, I'm not talking about picking up and going backpacking for 6 months. I've never done it, so I can't give advice on that. My longest backpacking trip was about 3 weeks. But for those of us, the "normal travelers" I'll call us. The ones that don't usually stay in hostels anymore, like to pack light, but want some comfort, and only have limited time but want to pack in as much as possible every day - this is the post for you.

1. These boots were made for walking: the best travel shoes

So first things first. Shoes. If you're like me and my husband, when we travel we go with the idea that we will never visit this place again. It is our one and only chance to do and see everything. So our days starts relatively early, for us at least. We try to be up and out by 9 and then we are gone for the entire day.

Now, as I said, I'm what I call a "normal" traveler. So I'm not roughing it, and part of that means I want to look at least semi-cute or normal in photos and throughout the day. Which means I've stopped wearing my clunky running sneakers when traveling. It's comfy, sure, but it also makes you stick out as not only a tourist, but usually as an American tourist. Then, I do a lot of traveling in Europe, it is not always flip flop weather, and despite what I thought when I was 18, flip flops are not actually easy or comfortable to walk in all day long. Flats, no. Sandals, too flat. So here are my top recommendations for walking shoes.

The Skechers Women's Go Flex are my new love. I call them my pillow shoes. They're cute enough, reasonably priced, and seriously comfortable. Wear them a day or two before setting off on your adventure, but seriously, give them a try. I have the Go Flex, but have also heard good things about the other versions of the Skechers Go Walk.

Boots are a bit hard to recommend directly, it's a but personal. But, my favorite boot brands are Born and La Canadienne. Worth a look if you're looking for new, comfy boots.

2. The bag: the best travel purse

I think we all know a good bag is important when traveling. It needs to be practical enough to carry everything you need for a day, it needs to be secure, and ideally cute. Oh and of course, it needs to be affordable, right? So finding the best travel purse or bag is not easy when looking for all those things. But after lots of searching, lots of traveling with a regular purse and ending up with a sore shoulder after a few hours, I finally found a few options I love.

Now, the Travelon brand I like the best, and I tend to go for a crossbody bag, they are safer, more reliable. Travelon is reasonably priced, cuter than a lot of the bags, and secure enough. I'm about to take my trusty Travelon Anti-Theft Crossbody Bag to Vietnam and Cambodia with me for almost 3 weeks (see photo above). And the little hook keeping the zipper from being opened is already giving me peace of mind. The bag is just the right size to fit everything I need without being too big so that I overfill and get annoyed that it's too heavy. Another fashionable, easy to use option is the Travelon Front-Flap Shoulder Bag. A last, though slightly more expensive option, is the Pacsafe Citysafe Travel Handbag.

3. The best travel converter/adapter

This is an easy one. I've lived abroad for almost 5 years. I still own a laptop, among other things, with a U.S. plug. So I use my converter on a daily basis, then all the traveling of course. Definitely get a converter that has small adapters, that you can just bring that along per country. Not those big chunky ones. I recommend the World Travel Plug Adapter or the Poweradd 2-Outlet International Travel Adapter.

Most things don't need current converters, just a plug adapter. Just a tip: don't bother with straighteners, curling irons, etc. if you're going from the U.S. to Europe. There is a very high chance they will fry. I've killed multiple straighteners over the year. What I recommend, just go somewhere cheap when you get to Europe and buy a cheap straightener. It's better than ruining your nice one from home.

4. Cases!

I highly recommend two things: a passport holder and something waterproof to stick your phone in. The first is because there is nothing worth than being at customs and digging your your passport, or trying to check in while juggling all your bags. Try out the Zoppen Passport Holder. The second is more for your beach vacation, anything with a pool, but lets you keep your phone nearby, take photos, etc, while keeping it dry. I like the ESoulTech Waterproof Phone Case.

5. Your constant companion: the travel pillow

Every girl needs a good travel pillow. Make the investment, it's worth it. I love mine. My husband always teases me about it, he just uses the plane pillow. I like to make a nice nest of my plane pillow, blanket, sweater, and my travel pillow. All essential in achieving economy class comfort. It's also great for buses, trains, anywhere else you might be napping while traveling. I've had a few, memory foam, regular foam, feather, all sorts. I tend to go back to Memory Foam Neck Pillow or the Feathersoft Microfiber Travel Pillow. Really not a fan of the microbead ones, but that's just me.

Bonus item: Kindle!

Because I couldn't leave this one out, but it's more of an extra than an essential. Though I think for me it is a top travel essential.

Look, I love books. I have hundreds of books. My husband has hundred of books. We even buy multiple copies of the same books sometimes just to have all editions or old editions or whatever. So I was hesitant to switch to an e-reader. Until I did. And now I am addicted. I love my kindle. I can download new books anywhere in the world. There is no need to carry heavy books with me, toss them when they're done or lug them around while I'm not using them. With your kindle, it's all in one light-weight bundle. If you're an avid traveler, just do it. You can get English books anywhere in the world. Bonus when you're in foreign countries. I suggest the Kindle Paperwhite, it's the 2nd Kindle I've had and I love it.

Perhaps many of these seem basic, but I really couldn't survive without these things. Happy to help if anyone has questions, especially if it's your first time traveling abroad!