46 replies to this topic

[HVB]

I am looking for input from anyone that has been to Oktoberfest or Germany in general for some beer vacation tips.  While this is still a year away a friend and I will be heading over to Oktoberfest 2015 and I am trying to make a list of must hits that are both beer and not beer related.  I am also hoping to hit Belgium while we are out there, specifically Cantillon.

 

Hit me with some ideas/suggestions!

[Big Nake]

I remember you saying in my BEERCATION thread that you were going in 2014. Pushed back a year now?All I can say is that you should try to go into one of the Augustiner Bierhalls for their dunkel as Brauer suggested to me. If you can get there when they're opening a keg with the hammer-type thing (didn't get a chance to see that) so much the better. The old town section with the Marienplatz, etc. is touristy but very cool at the same time. The Englisher Garden is pretty cool as well. The Hofbrauhaus was a nutty experience and I'm glad I had the chance to check it out but I don't know how big of a destination is it outside of just saying you were there. If other destinations are possible on the trip, I highly recommend Prague. One day I will head over there for Oktoberfest. My buddy and his wife (she has family over in Germany) have gone and said that we would make a big trip out of it one year but then they decided to have kids (monkeyfighters!) which are now just 4 and 2 so it will be awhile until I can go. Cheers and have fun.

[shaggaroo]

Andechs Monastery is a short train ride away from Munich. My wife and I enjoyed. We really like das Weisses Bräuhaus - Schneider-Weisse (great food, great bier). You can go to the castles, Hohenschwangau und Neuschwanstein, pretty easily by train. I also recommend going to the top of the highest mountain in the German Alps, die Zugspitze; we took a tour bus, which made it a little easier to get to. Lots of other suggestions too, just PM me if you want/need more details. 

[HVB]

Yup, got pushed back because of kids.  Both mine being too young for my wife to deal with it alone for a week and for the people we will be staying with having a new born!

 

Thanks for the suggestions.  I need to go back and pull up your thread and re-read it. 

 

 

I remember you saying in my BEERCATION thread that you were going in 2014. Pushed back a year now?All I can say is that you should try to go into one of the Augustiner Bierhalls for their dunkel as Brauer suggested to me. If you can get there when they're opening a keg with the hammer-type thing (didn't get a chance to see that) so much the better. The old town section with the Marienplatz, etc. is touristy but very cool at the same time. The Englisher Garden is pretty cool as well. The Hofbrauhaus was a nutty experience and I'm glad I had the chance to check it out but I don't know how big of a destination is it outside of just saying you were there. If other destinations are possible on the trip, I highly recommend Prague. One day I will head over there for Oktoberfest. My buddy and his wife (she has family over in Germany) have gone and said that we would make a big trip out of it one year but then they decided to have kids (monkeyfighters!) which are now just 4 and 2 so it will be awhile until I can go. Cheers and have fun.

Andechs Monastery is a short train ride away from Munich. My wife and I enjoyed. We really like das Weisses Bräuhaus - Schneider-Weisse (great food, great bier). You can go to the castles, Hohenschwangau und Neuschwanstein, pretty easily by train. I also recommend going to the top of the highest mountain in the German Alps, die Zugspitze; we took a tour bus, which made it a little easier to get to. Lots of other suggestions too, just PM me if you want/need more details. 

Awesome!  I will take you up on the PM as I get further into planning.

[Brauer]

Andechs Monastery is a short train ride away from Munich. My wife and I enjoyed. We really like das Weisses Bräuhaus - Schneider-Weisse (great food, great bier). You can go to the castles, Hohenschwangau und Neuschwanstein, pretty easily by train. I also recommend going to the top of the highest mountain in the German Alps, die Zugspitze; we took a tour bus, which made it a little easier to get to. Lots of other suggestions too, just PM me if you want/need more details. 

Andechs is a good suggestion for getting one of the Dopplebocks that monasteries were once known for. They also make what might be the best Helles.

 

The classic visit to the Weisse Bräuhaus is for a "Bavarian breakfast": a Weisswurst, only served until noon, historically, a pretzel, and a Weizen from Tap 7.

[shaggaroo]

Andechs is a good suggestion for getting one of the Dopplebocks that monasteries were once known for. They also make what might be the best Helles.

 

The classic visit to the Weisse Bräuhaus is for a "Bavarian breakfast": a Weisswurst, only served until noon, historically, a pretzel, and a Weizen from Tap 7.

I absolutely love Tap 7, honestly my favorite weissbier (I wish I was related)... but my absolute favorite from Schneider is Aventinus (pronounced Ah-vent-TEEN-oos); love love love. The Münchner Sauerbraten is also to die for... mmmmm

[Brauer]

I absolutely love Tap 7, honestly my favorite weissbier (I wish I was related)... but my absolute favorite from Schneider is Aventinus (pronounced Ah-vent-TEEN-oos); love love love. The Münchner Sauerbraten is also to die for... mmmmm

Schneider Original (Tap 7) was probably the first Weizen I ever had (about 40 years ago). I'm not a huge Weizen fan, but that's the archetype, to me, not the so pale yellow they lack malt character, banana milkshake-like versions that are too common.

[shaggaroo]

Schneider Original (Tap 7) was probably the first Weizen I ever had (about 40 years ago). I'm not a huge Weizen fan, but that's the archetype, to me, not the so pale yellow they lack malt character, banana milkshake-like versions that are too common.

+1 billionty, and I should have said somewhere that my surname is Schneider, hence the "I wish I was related" comment earlier.

Edited by shaggaroo, 24 August 2014 - 07:22 AM.

[Murphy]

if you go to Oktoberfest hit it during the week, during the day.  at night and all day on the weekends are shite shows and the place gets disgusting (broken glass, puke, piss) while during the week it's quite clean and there is a ton more room to move.  night and weekends it can get quite difficult to get into some tents let alone get a beer while during the weekend you can pretty much go anywhere and get a beer anywhere.

 

just my two cents, I've been to the festival twice

[HVB]

if you go to Oktoberfest hit it during the week, during the day.  at night and all day on the weekends are shite shows and the place gets disgusting (broken glass, puke, piss) while during the week it's quite clean and there is a ton more room to move.  night and weekends it can get quite difficult to get into some tents let alone get a beer while during the weekend you can pretty much go anywhere and get a beer anywhere.

 

just my two cents, I've been to the festival twice

This was our plan to a T.  Seeing it will just be two of us we knew there was no way to get reservations, I think you need a minimum of 6 people for that.  Just looking at it now I think we are goign to fly into Munich then move out towards Stuttgart, Colgone, Dusseldorf then over to Belgium.

[Murphy]

This was our plan to a T.  Seeing it will just be two of us we knew there was no way to get reservations, I think you need a minimum of 6 people for that.  Just looking at it now I think we are goign to fly into Munich then move out towards Stuttgart, Colgone, Dusseldorf then over to Belgium.

 

just remember you need to be sitting down to get your first liter so if all tables are full just ask a table if you can sit down to get your first liter then you will get up.  damn near everyone there will give you a seat so you can grab a beer and once you have your first beer you can get more even if you are standing and walking around.

[positiveContact]

sounds pretty awesome.  take lots of pictures for your bros in the brewing forum

[HVB]

just remember you need to be sitting down to get your first liter so if all tables are full just ask a table if you can sit down to get your first liter then you will get up.  damn near everyone there will give you a seat so you can grab a beer and once you have your first beer you can get more even if you are standing and walking around.

Something I did not know, thank you!

sounds pretty awesome.  take lots of pictures for your bros in the brewing forum

Will do!

[Murphy]

one of the outdoor tents is a merry go round so for novelty sake it's worth grabbing a beer there and if you are looking for things like hefe those could only be found in the outdoor, smaller, tents when I was last there (2010).  the big main tents only sell one beer from the brewery they are associated with so ordering is just how many do you want

[Big Nake]

I probably posted this once before but this is one of my all-time favorite shows and this episode is from Munich. The vid is about 30 mins long and the fist part of it is more fluff than anything else but he eventually goes to a bar to try some of the German spirits and towards the end he goes to Oktoberfest and there is some good information and a lot of laughs. I especially like the dude he runs into at the fest with the big mustache.https://www.hulu.com/watch/12846

[Big Nake]

Pretty funny: I just got an email from Tripadvisor regarding a "Munich Special Destination Update" which included 4 reviews of places around Munich... by Shaggaroo! Apparently him and his wife went to a stellar pizza place! Ah, the interwebs.

[shaggaroo]

Pretty funny: I just got an email from Tripadvisor regarding a "Munich Special Destination Update" which included 4 reviews of places around Munich... by Shaggaroo! Apparently him and his wife went to a stellar pizza place! Ah, the interwebs.

Ken that is wild. And yes the pizza was great and the owner was extremely friendly! And I agree with Murphy about when to go to the Oktoberfest, etc.

[Genesee Ted]

All good stuff here!  Definitely make a reservation at the table!  Or no beer for you! 

 

I will go back...  I will bring a fat stack of cash too..  Munich is not cheap.  The Zoo was fun, but not world class really.  Cool elephant show though.  Marienplatz is amazing.  

[JMcG]

Stuttgart has a Fest that runs a week longer than the Oktoberfest (not sure of the dates for this year), the Cannstatter Wasen Volksfest. 

When we were in Germany 2 years ago we stayed in Koln and took the train to Dusseldorf and also Brussels. Hotels in Stuttgart seemed more expensive than elsewhere. Consider a stop in Koblenz and a cruise on the Rhine to see the castles, eat at the Alte Brauhaus with the locals.

We stayed a week in Brussels and it was very easy to get to anywhere in Belgium in under two hours.

Train travel advice: https://www.seat61.com/

[HVB]

20 days and we fly out.  Excited for this trip!