Oktoberfest - anyone been? Anyone wanna go?

[Drew Carey]

Is that davepreston estimated drinking volumes or average Joe Bloggs?

In all honesty, just been loooking at costings etc whilst at work (yes working on a BH Monday sucks). I reckon this could work out a little too much for me this year knowing what else I have going out approaching Sept / Oct etc.....

Getting there is cheap ish. Ferries are approx £70 return with P&O. So if 4 in a car £17.50 each. Fuel. Well its 611 miles from Calais to Munich. So if you call that £200 all in? (Sound about right?) so roughly £50 per person. So in total approx £70 per person to get there and back.

So that just leaves the hotels etc and spending money. Taking Pauls travel details etc say 2 nights hotel stays whilst travelling. Plus then 3 nights there. So would need to budget 5ish nights accom. (Can't cost this part up as don't know what kind of thing people want to stay in etc.)

Then take Dave's higher estimate of 200 Euros per day......would be looking at about £700 spending money once converted. So to budget......depending on the hotel etc, reckon could be looking at somewhere between £850 to a £1000 all in. Obviously could take less spending money....but I know what I am like when I drink!!! lol.

Anyone who has been......am I budgeting too much? Or too little? Just so I can make a choice. Otherwise may leave it for another year for me. Really want to go as would be a blast but already have a load of outgoings for the end of the year to consider.

[Binky]

I got all excited about this, then read your estimates Drew...

Probably not going to have anywhere near enough spare cash for this really so i'm going to be sensible and say, Bannatine styley, i'm out.

[Binky]

P.S. I was well looking forward to getting my Fräulein outfit out again for the boys.

[Paul the 6th]

Yo dudes, reading on Wikipedia the beer at Oktoberfest has to be a minimum 6% abv and has lots more sugar than usual, so it's rocket fuel. I'd imagine 5-6 pints would be enough to blow your head off in one evening? Exact figures for beer prices are here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest#Price_of_beer and it looks like the average price per pint is €8-9 (£6-7).

When we stopped off in trier on the way to snowbombing it was an NH hotel, walked in off the street and asked for 2 x double rooms for the four of us. It was €79 per night so worked out €40 each inc breakfast (£32 going on current xe.com exchange rates).

Accommodation nearer the place; I'll have a word with Preston and see if he can pull some recommendations, but would you guys be happy with a hostel maybe? Über cheap & there must be plenty to choose from with Munich being a major city. Edit: quick google for hostels Munich Oktoberfest http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/germany/munich/ - £14-20 isn't too bad for a bed for the night, I'm not bothered about en suite wifi sky news in my room so a bed & ear plugs will do me just fine.

[Drew Carey]

I will sleep anywhere that has a bed....not fussed about sharing or creature comforts.....would be there solely to drink with mates and enjoy some good times and soak up the atmosphere.

Going on the prices you have given, so that would be say around £150 ish for accom. The £70 ish I mentioned for travel......so getting there and sleeping roughly £220. (Unless can find a hostel for sleep on way there and way back, which would cut this to probably £190ish)

So, beer money.....although you say 6 steins etc......over a longer period of time (ie all day long), I reckon you would end up drinking about 8-10 per day? (least I know I would) So £50-£70 per day on booze. Leaving £30 per day for a bit of sausage and some fair ground rides.....so approx £100 per day spends should be reasonable I think as would cover off any extras too. Over 3 drinking days....plus a bit extra.....£400

So that makes it roughly I reckon about £620ish for the full trip. My brain be a thinking again! lol.

Edit - amended as realised wouldn't be drinking for 5 days!!! More likely 3.

[Paul the 6th]

Oh and a lot of the beers come in 1000ml glasses

So the fuel is basically a fixed cost (as long as we don't go too crazy on the autobahns) as is the ferry, if we can get the accommodation as cheap as possible on the way down (in France there's forumle1's which are double rooms with a sink and then communal toilets/shower cubicles on each floor). Think they're about €22 per night, might be worth seeing if there's anything similar in Germany.

So the main variable cost is spending money while we're there with around £200-£240 for travel & accommodation. I guess it's down to each prospective person attending, to work out their own budget & decide whether it's viable..

[punyXpress]

Originally Posted by Paul the 6th

Oh and a lot of the beers come in 1000ml glasses

..

Yes, but have you seen the head on those glasses, Paul?
Trading Standards would have a field day - steins far too big for contents, and bras far too small.

[Paul the 6th]

bra's too small, glasses too big.. and balanced is maintained

I'm still up for it

whats this staying over on route malarky
2 or more drivers, 150 miles per stint (then break for fuel and rest) so thats 4 drivers or 2 drivers taking 2 stints, and its not hard at all in a car we did it shed loads of times while i was over there

and thats not even taking into account using the rotterdam boat there and back which leaves harrwich or hull

hull -rotterdam ferry 500 miles drive to munich thats a 7-9 hr drive

and the prices thing
right it was 9e 10c per steiner last year , take into account your there all day even at 1 steiner per hour for 12 hrs thats 109e 20c
food again all day 3 medium snacks 30e
hostel 24e
so ladies and gents thats 163e per night while your there = £131.50
so add a bit of buckshee unknown money lossage say £150
so its £70 transport and £150 per night times how many nights

so 4 nights plus trans = £670

transport 70
beer 600
ocktober fest priceless