Munich Airport has published 10 hints for a successful Oktoberfest survival

1. Get there early so you can pick your seat! Seriously, even though there´s available seating for up to 100,000 people at the Oktoberfest, with many tables reserved months in advance, the earlier you arrive, the better your chances are of getting a place to sit. Together, with your friends, and not by yourself near the toilets. Some people start lining up at 7 in the morning, well before opening time (10 a.m.), then stay all day in order to hold their place in the evening.

2. Secure your hotel accomodations early, too: Getting a hotel room during the Oktoberfest makes getting a seat in one of the tents look easy. If you haven´t already booked a hotel room in advance of arriving in Munich for Oktoberfest, check Survival Tip #1 for information on last-minute hotel accomodations.

3. Learn a few key phrases in Bavarian: Being able to toast a round of fresh-"zapft" (tapped) bier with a hearty, Bavarian-accented "Prost" just makes the whole thing more fun. And if you´re travelling on to OTHER German cities after your visit to the Oktoberfest, it´s a great way to show Hamburgers and Berliners that your heart "beats Bavarian"—just like Pope Benedict the 16th´s!

4. Don´t limit your Munich visit to the Oktoberfest grounds! While partying hard with other inebriated Americans, Japanese, English, Italians and Australians at the Oktoberfest does have its cachet, a safari to one of Munich´s numerous biergartens around town is the best way to sight the native Bavarian in his / her authentic habitat. Our favorite biergartens include: the Hirschgarten, the Chinese Tower in the English Garden and the Augustiner biergarten near the Central Station.

5. Do dress up for Oktoberfest: You might not be a native Bavarian, but donning the traditional "Tracht" dress (lederhosen for men, a dirndl for women) is a great way to fake it. And once you´ve invested in the whole get-up, you can recycle it for Halloween or your hometown´s own mini Oktoberfest once you´ve returned home.

6. Don´t try to keep up with the locals: With Oktoberfest beer packing a walloping around 5% alcohol content, it´s no wonder Bavarians often complain that beer from other countries tastes like water! In short: they grew up with this potent form of barley pop, you didn´t, so if you want to avoid becoming a "bierleiche", which is German for "beer corpse", then pace yourself.

7. Go on the rides BEFORE you drink: This one´s pretty obvious: a belly full of beer and rollercoasters DON`T mix!

8. Crime doesn´t pay (shameless Munich Airport plug, part 1): Although thousands of the traditional, heavy glass beer mugs used at the Oktoberfest get successfully stolen every year, if the police catch you, they can fine you up to 50 euros. It´s easier—and cheaper—to buy a souvenir mug from one of Munich Airport´s Bavarian boutiques upon departure.

9. Pre-Wiesn warm-up drinking is not mandatory, but is recommended! (shameless Munich Airport plug, part 2): Showing up at Oktoberfest can be a shock to the system for many newcomers—the noise, the crowds, the wanton revelry. One of the best antidotes for this is to imbibe BEFORE you set foot on the Wiesn, or even before you leave the airport—the friendly staff at Munich Airport´s Airbräu is waiting to get you into the mood!

10. DO check out the Oktoberfest web sites.

Links to Oktoberfest web sites in english:

- oktoberfest-tv.com
- German News Oktoberfest WEB
- Oktoberfest Shop

source: Munich Airport