I love Oktoberfest. I could say one million positive things about it (but I’ll save that for another post). However, when searching the internet for tips for girls, there was only a handful of useful advice. So, here are some quick tips if you’re a girl planning to attend Oktoberfest.
1. Wear a dirndl. Or even lederhosen (this will be my move next year!). There are tons of cute dirndls and female lederhosen that you can pick up for cheap when you get to Munich. If you plan on buying when you arrive, head to the main square (Marienplatz). There are numerous stores with all price ranges. Honestly, everyone wears the traditional German outfits so you won’t feel out of place!
2. Wear comfortable shoes. I certainly saw women wearing heels, but most were in flats. Converse, Sperrys or ballet flats are all perfectly acceptable. The Oktoberfest grounds are large and once you get into a tent, you’ll be standing, dancing and singing on the table benches so definitely make sure you have comfortable shoes.
3. Bring a cardigan or jacket you don’t care about losing. We went the second weekend in September and the temperature was starting to get chilly. Our Airbnb was about 20 minutes from the grounds and it was a bit brisk on the walk there. In addition, if you don’t have a tent reservation, you may wind up sitting outside at one of the beer gardens. I picked up a cheap cardigan from Target, anticipating I would lose it. It worked perfectly – I wasn’t cold on the walk or during the wait for the tent.
4. Your purse. In 2016, they had added security so big purses were not allowed. I brought a small cross-body bag to hold all my stuff. I packed in it: my money (the tents take cash not credit cards), cellphone, keys to the apartment and that was it! It’s very easy to lose your items during the day so make sure you have only what you need!*There are ATMs on the grounds but bring enough cash to avoid the fees. Beers were about 10 euros each and the chicken is about the same. We had about 3 beers each, a pretzel to split and a chicken and were there for 6 hours.
5. Go with a group. People were extremely friendly but it’s always important to have a buddy system so you don’t get lost or separated!
6. Use that buddy system to get into the tent! If you don’t have a tent reservation, and you have a group of 4 or more, consider splitting up. My friends and I did this quite successfully. After a little liquid courage, two of us went to a security guard who let us sneak in. We then texted our two other friends which guard would let them in and where we were sitting. We were back together within 20 minutes! No reservation required!
Have fun!
Thinking about going to Oktoberfest and have questions? Leave a comment below, and I’ll help out as best I can!