09.27
So there were way less children at Oktoberfest than I had anticipated. From what I’d seen on line I thought there would be quite a few but I was wrong. NONE in the tents at all and a few at the fairgrounds. Ms. Stella was quite a hit as you could imagine.
Our visit to Oktoberfest was even more exciting as we got to see our good friends Alison and Stephen Lukan and Sanaz and Craig Pentz. Old college friends of Justin’s and actually Pentz and Lukan were my roommates back in the day. They’ve always felt like “brothers” to me so it’s always really nice to see them.
It has been 12 years since I visited Munich and I forgot what a great city it is. Beautiful, clean and very nice. We’ve had some great Bavarian meals (even got a night out with our friends last night as my Dad watched Stella). We were also lucky enough to have some local guides compliments of a friend (and chef) of Alison and Stephen.
Oktoberfest 2008
My Dad really enjoyed Oktoberfest…maybe a bit too much. He left today and it was sad to see him go. Little Stella cried.
Sanaz, Alison and I got all kitted out in our Dirndl today! Was fun to get into the spirit of the festival. Although I think we had just as much fun shopping for our dirndl as we did wearing them!
Alison, Dreama and Sanaz in Our Dirndl
We are off to Dubrovnik, Croatia with Craig and Sanaz tomorrow for 6 nights. Should be a nice trip and our last “vacation” before we are back to the grindstone full time!
Some tips if you plan to ever bring a baby or children to Oktoberfest.
Go ahead, it will be fun but have patience.
Go early and try to go during mid-week versus the weekend.
Leave before 6 pm as it gets pretty “ugly,” not a good scene for children.
The food in the tents is very nice but we actually enjoyed the food outside in the fairgrounds and there is tons of different things you can try at more affordable prices.
We actually got a lot of “free passes” since we had a baby. Getting into the tents was easier and we even had a really nice server chase after us and gave us a table. NOTE: it is not easy to get a table reservation in the tents. Reserve early or know a local.
Don’t take a stroller on a weekend. The crowds are elbow to elbow. We took our stroller on Thursday and Stella even had her afternoon nap there but today (Saturday) we used the Kelty Kidds backpack again and it proved to be a worthy purchase.
Daddy and His Weisn Princess
One last word on Germany. Everyone has been very nice to Stella. She’s gotten more free toys from restaurants, hotels, and even random people in the festival tents. She was a lucky girl.
Justin, Craig and Stephen are watching the Penn State game tonight at 2 AM local time…we have to be up at 7 AM to get ready for our flight. Wish me luck!
It was so great to see you guys in Munchen! Stella was definitely the star of the show, in no small part due to her parents who incorporate her beautifully into everything…what a great life you are giving her! See you in a few weeks! xoxo, alison
p.s. dang those dirndl’s fill out well LOL!!!
How old was Stella during this trip? We are taking our 12 month old to Octoberfest this year and we really appreciate your tips. Did you ever try to get a babysitter during your travels? Or do you recommend bringing baby along for the ride?
Babysitter with references available during the Oktoberfest. Tel: (0049) 015209674896
This was a great help. How old was your little one when you took her? We’re expecting this October but I’m trying to plan for our first Oktoberfest in 2012. I can’t decide whether to leave the 11-12 month old at home next year or take them with us? We’d love to find a family run inn there in town to stay at too if you have any suggestions!
Thanks
Our daughter was about 15 months. We had a nice time with her though Oktoberfest is not exactly a place you take kids. Though for the locals they have an amazing carnival and a lot going on for kids. But for a baby, not as much. We take our kids just about anywhere but did say, we would go back again without kids or when the kids were much older and could actually drink in the beer tents with us.
That being said you could have a lovely time with your child there. Or it could be your first get-a-way without your baby (depending on if you will be breast feeding the or not). I unfortunately don’t know any family run inns there but would recommend you book very early as things book up quickly. We stayed a bit out of the city when we were there but transportation is very efficient and easy. We always find it’s nice to have a room with a sitting area/living room as when the kids are napping we don’t have to nap or tiptoe around. Not the easiest thing to find in Europe though…however, a B&B/family inn (as you suggested) would probably work as you could put the baby down in the room and have the rest of the house to hang out in. ENJOY!