This weekend heralds the start of the 179^th Munich Oktoberfest, and if you are looking for some beer drinking, thigh-slapping, tabletop-dancing action then you need to pack your bags and head on down to Bavaria – and fast!

Attracting more than 5 million people from across the globe, the Munich Oktoberfest is undoubtedly Germany’s most popular attraction, and if you don’t mind squeezing into a beer tent with thousands of ‘well oiled’ Aussies, Yanks, Brits, and, of course, the odd German, you will have the time of your life singing along with the world-famous bands.

Visiting the Oktoberfest is great fun, but it is not cheap!  Hotels in Munich generally fill up months (even years) in advance, and as always, when there is a demand the prices inflate.  However, if you are lucky enough to get into one of the many guesthouses on the outskirts of the city, you can expect to pay a ‘normal’ price for your stay, and the transport network is superb.

Once you get into the beer tents, you can expect to pay between 9.10€ and 9.50€ for a litre of beer, but the glass is always half full (or half empty – whichever way you look at it!) by the time it reaches your table, as the overloaded waiters and waitress do their best to get through the all-singing, all-dancing crowds.

If you are a teetotaler, and do not wish to swing a Mass of Beer along with the rest of the crowd, you can treat yourself to a litre of water instead, for a mere 7.00€!

Traditional Bavarian snacks are on offer all day, every day, and while they are completely delicious, they are not for those on a diet!  Wiener Schnitzel with fries, roast pork knuckles with crispy skin, dumplings, and of course, super-huge pretzels all pack a punch when it comes to calories, and when you combine it with a Mass (or 2), you are definitely getting into ‘fat pants’ territory!

The Munich Oktoberfest comes but once a year, and if you are heading over for the first time this year, we can pretty much guarantee it will be Wunderbar!