Ten things Oktoberfest first-timers need to know

An Oktoberfest first-timer? First off: congratulations! Sometimes, we wish it was our first time again. We'll never forget what a fantastic experience it is to walk into a beer tent for the very first time ever, to taste that first sip of golden Oktoberfest brew...

What we'll also never forget, though, is just how much we got wrong when we too were Oktoberfest first-timers. Just to think back to some of our faux pas makes us, as the experienced Wiesn-goers we now are, cringe. And then there's the stuff that we didn't get wrong exactly, but could have done better - and wish we'd found out about earlier.

So in that spirit, here are our ten most important important facts, tips, and tricks for Oktoberfest first-timers.

1. “Wiesn” is pronounced “veesn”
In Munich, “the Oktoberfest” is called die Wiesn, pronounced a V (like "veer", "verdict", and "vavavoom!") and a long E (like "need", "feed", and "beer" if you're Australian).

2. The key words to get beer
Obviously, you’ll want to know how to order one of said beers. Served in a tankard containing a liter (i.e. two pints) known as a “Mass”, beer is ordered as followed: “Eine Mass, bitte schön” (ay-ner mass, bitteh shewn).

bier_01

3. Tip to get ahead Three key facts: A) Drinkers pay for each round of beer on delivery to the table. B) Tables are generally covered all day by the same waiter or waitress; you will not be able to beckon over other members of staff. C) Later in the session, it will become increasingly difficult for this one waiter/waitress to bring over beer to keep everyone on their patch of tables satisfied.

The conclusion from this is obvious: think of the first tip to your waiter/waitress as a statement of intent that will put a smile on their face - and keep them coming back to your table first.

4. Sit to drink
You can only order beer sat down, so don’t even try standing around in the beer garden (or, even more annoyingly for staff and fellow drinkers, in the tent between the tables) waving money around. It just won't work - and in many tents, security staff will be dispatched to, ahem, deal with the blockage.

5. Sit to drink (cont.)
If you can’t get a seat, there's a simple trick: wait until someone needs to find the facilities and ask if you can “hot seat” to place your order. When that person comes back, you'll have your beer and go and stand out of the way in the beer garden.

6. Stand to dance
Later in the evening, drinkers stand up on the benches to belt out their favourite hits as they dance with each other. Yes, it's officially allowed and no, it's not rude to link arms with those next to you on the benches (even if you've only just met).

7. Stand to dance (cont.)
Don't, however, try standing on the tables. That will get you thrown out of the tent more or less immediately. No, we don't know why benches are allowed by tables aren't, but that's the way the cookie crumbles...

barometer_20178. Watch out for reservations
Getting a reservation at the Oktoberfest is so difficult that almost no-one ever cancels. If you see a reserved sign (and roughly half the tables in the tent will have one on them), don't sit down and hope for the best: you will get moved on and, by then, all the unreserved tables will have disappeared. Be clever and get to these unreserved ones first! And on that point: don't listen to anyone else who comes along and tries to tell you that, in actual fact, those tables are reserved. Just like everywhere else in the world, if a table is reserved, there will be a notice on it. The only people who can tell you to move are tent staff.

9. Don't follow the herd
Year after year, everyone heads for the same five tents. British, American, and Australian tourists flock to Hofbräu, Munich's trendies storm Schützenfestzelt, Hacker, and Augustiner, and the younger drinkers swarm into Schottenhamel from 9am on. You can try and join them (and face stiff competition for seats), or just head to any of the other 11 big tents. You'll have a great time in all of them. And besides the big tents, there are around a dozen smaller beer tents which, in terms of atmosphere and ambiance, are easily the equal of the more famous establishments: Schichtl and Zur Bratwurst are two particularly special locations.

10. Leave your backpacks at home
This rule is new as of 2016 and is especially important for visitors from abroad who may have luggage on their days or arrival and departure: for security purposes, large backpacks will be banned from the entire Oktoberfest site. Avoid disappointment by leaving baggage at the hotel or in a locker and keeping handbags small.

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