How early should I get to the Oktoberfest tents to get in without a reservation?
Oktoberfest tents are super-crowded and it's recommended that people arrive early. However several websites disagree over what 'early' is. Oktoberfest.de says:
Of course you can also enter the tents without any reservation. But please consider to come early, because the tents fill up very quickly! When the tents are overfilled, you can not enter anymore. On weekend the tents often close before 11 am. because of overfilling. During the week the tents are normally open until afternoon.
While Bigboytravel.com says:
Weekends can be almost impossible to get in but a Weekday before 3pm will greatly increase your luck. On a weekend you'll need to be there 90 minutes to 2 hours before the tents open to get a spot.
What times should I arrive to the Oktoberfest tents, both on the weekend and on weekdays, to guarantee myself a free spot?
Best Answer
I have been to the Oktoberfest only once and on a single day, the opening day, so this is not any exhaustive experience. I think it is pretty hard to give a precise answer to your question.
The sources you quoted sound realistic to me. The exact time to come is obviously unknown because every tent does not get filled at the same time, there are even multiple entrances to the tents, ... For the weekend, it changes everyday because the opening day and closing day are probably the busiest, and there are only 3 weekends, so only the middle weekend might be easier to get in.
Anyway, my memory was that getting in a tent just after the opening ceremony, around 11 AM (maybe later since tents start serving at noon) was not possible on the opening day. We managed to get in the late afternoon but I suppose it was pure luck.
On weekdays, German people likely meet at Biergartens in general just after work, sometimes as early as 4-5PM, so getting in before 3PM does sound reasonable.
In the end, to be honest, there is no set time the tents will have open spots or not. Given the popularity of the event, people there, including you, spent much money to even be in Munich and attend the event (and not only try beer), and you are likely to make the effort to arrive very early, wait if needed, and stay the whole day, or most of it. So get there as early as possible (in the morning on weekend days, in the early afternoon on weekdays), and once you have a spot, stay there, enjoy the beer and chicken.
Another way to make sure you can sit inside a tent would be to reserve your seat. You can still book your table for some tents, even though some are already full. Reserving a spot usually costs you to pre-buy 2 maß of beer (1 liter each) and food for each person on the party, but it is up to every tent to decide.
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How do you get into a tent at Oktoberfest?
General Reservations RegulationsAdmission to all tents is free. Except for the Festzelt Tradition, you're required to guarantee a minimum consumption with your reservation by buying beer and chicken vouchers in advance. Usually, you need to buy two beers and one half chicken per seat.Do you need reservations for Oktoberfest in Munich?
The entrance to the Munich Oktoberfest and its beer tents is in general free. In case of overcrowding, however, a reservation can be necessary to get into tents. While weekday lunch reservations are only valuable for larger groups, evening and weekend reservations are almost exclusively given to regulars.Do you get laid at Oktoberfest?
Speaking of sex, you will get laid Oktoberfest can be a catch 22 for this, because on the one hand the high spirits and communal vibe, mixed with beer can lead to more amorous environment, but also that drunk people don't necessarily make for great bedfellows.Do you need to book for Oktoberfest?
You also don't need a reservation to enter a tent \u2013 except when the tents are closed because of overcrowding. That can happen at the weekend from the early afternoon onwards. Tip: Search the busyness levels of different tents in the official Oktoberfest app.How To Get Table Reservations At Oktoberfest In Munich - Seats Without Tickets
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