Since several threads annually seem to revolve around Oktoberfest in Munich, I thought it might be a good idea to offer some alternatives for people who might be travelling to Europe at a different time, or those who want to avoid Oktoberfest but still enjoy a more traditional German fest.
1. Munich’s Oktoberfest runs from September 22nd, 2012 through October 7th. If you must go to the actual Oktoberfest, it is best if you go during the week and earlier in the day if you want to snag an unreserved seat in a beer tent. The tents fill up quickly and many groups/companies reserve tables. Food is available and it is very good Bavarian fare. It is free to enter, although if you want to ride any rides, you have to pay. One liter (a mass) will cost you between 8.30-8.60 Euro according to the fest website. You may also be expected to pay a deposit on your beer mug, usually 5 Euro that is refunded to you when you are done. Expect to pay to use the bathroom, and at night, expect to stand in long lines to use the bathrooms. If you can’t get into a beer tent, there are some smaller restaurants on the grounds, but they do tend to fill up as well. If you don’t want to do Oktoberfest or happen to be in Munich outside of these dates, the English Garden has a nice open air beer restaurant at the Chinese Tower. This is very close to the Hilton Munich City, and is right on the bus line.
2. Nuremberg has two smaller, excellent fests during the year, the Frühlingsfest in Spring and the Herbstvolksfest in the Fall. The spring fest runs from 7-22 April 2012 and it is located on the festgrounds near the Doku-Zentrum accessible by bus or streetcar from the Hauptbahnhof. There are two beer tents and many small restaurants on the fest grounds. The main beer tent serves Tucher beer at roughly 8 Euro / mass. I prefer these two fests to Oktoberfest as they are nowhere near as crowded, and I think the atmosphere is a little nicer. Link:
http://www.volksfest-nuernberg.de/
3. If you happen to be in Germany between the 24th of May and the 5th of June, 2012, there is a fantastic fest in the town of Erlangen, just north of Nuremberg called the Erlangen Bergkirchweih. I went for the first time last year and had an absolute blast. There is a dedicated bus from the train station, and the fest itself is located on the hill to the northern side of the town. While there were three smaller fest tents, the best spots to get a beer were the seats outside the ‘bierkellers’ on the northernmost street of the fest. These kellers all serve different types of Franconian beer. If one doesn’t suit you, move to the next place and try something else. There are rides and plenty of food. Link:
http://www.der-berg-ruft.de/
4. For those who are fans of Czech beer, plan on visiting Prague between May 17th and June 2nd and attending the Prague Beer Festival. This one is popular with the locals and British stag parties, but you don’t see too many Germans or Americans here. There are three main tents, each having a different food menu and selection of beers. You purchase beers and food with tokens called Tolars, which you can purchase either from the servers or at stands located throughout the fest. There are a few rides available here, but not as many as the German fests listed above, and they are all kids rides. The grown-ups come here to drink! While the beers here are servved in 1/2 liter glasses instead of the German 1 liter size, they are cheaper and do not get warm as fast since you are drinking a smaller beer. Service is usually good but can be slower during busy times. The servers are all Czech, and very few speak English, so there may be quite a bit of pointing at the menu to get your point across. The tents have live music in the evenings. The fest was held just outside of Letnany airfield but it appears to have moved this year. Link:
http://www.ceskypivnifestival.cz/en/
I’ll post some more links and ideas as they come up if this thread generates any interest, but this should get you started. Prost!