Day 4

Today enjoy a completely free day in Munich to shop, eat some great German food, explore the city, go on a tour of the main sights, or visit the museums.

Day 5

Enjoy an organized day trip with private bus and guide to visit two of Bavaria’s most-photographed castles:  Schloss Neuschwanstein (the inspiration for Disneyland’s famous Cinderella castle) and King Ludwig’s Linderhof, who was said to be the ‘Mad King’ of Munich.

These majestic buildings are two of the finest examples of castles in Germany.

Day 6

Finish your shopping and touring, and head for the airport.

Oktoberfest is known world-wide, as evidenced by the millions of people who visit Germany to attend the festivities every year. Don’t be disappointed. Start planning now for your fall trip to Munich for the Oktoberfest. Your family will have a grand time visiting the castles, shops, great restaurants and, of course, participate in the wonderful festivals, even if they don’t (or are not allowed to) drink beer.

There’s no better time to vacation in Munich than during Oktoberfest.  For a wonderful family vacation, here is a typical package and itinerary that will delight and excite your entire family.  Start planning now to avoid disappointment in the fall, as Oktoberfest is celebrated in Munich by over 6 million people every year.

A Munich Package may include:

* Round-trip airfare. Airport taxes will be additional, and possibly suitcase fees as well, so plan ahead.

* Accommodation including all taxes at a well-located hotel.

* Private deluxe motorcoach transportation.

* One reserved beer tent evening, with dinner and beer.

* Escorted excursion to Oktoberfest with a local guide.

* Breakfast daily, welcome dinner at Hofbrauhaus and traditional dinner in the beer tent.

* Optional day trip to see two of Germany’s most famous castles.

* Free time in Munich for museums and shopping.

* Local bilingual guide and Huron Valley Travel escort.

Here is a sample itinerary:

Day 1

Depart from your home city for a flight to Munich. There are many direct flights from the larger American airports.

Day 2

Upon arrival, you will clear passport security and head for your hotel to unpack. Enjoy a short reconnoiter of of Munich and in the evening join your fellow travelers for a traditional German welcome dinner complete with Bavarian music in the world-famous Hofbrauhaus.

Day 3

Each year the Oktoberfest is attended by 6 million visitors.  Your local guide will escort you by public tram to the festival for a full day of oompah bands, Bavarian treats, and non-stop fun. 

This evening, you will experience Oktoberfest as the locals do, with reserved seats in one of the beer tents.  Each tent has its own unique character – from the relatively intimate 3,400-seat Hippodrome to the 9,300-seat Schottenhamel.

One thing is for sure, there is nothing quite like the atmosphere!

If you are planning a trip to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland and are a fan of Rick Steves, you will certainly want to purchase his DVD called ‘Rick Steves Best of Travels in Europe.’

This DVD encompasses such cities as: Munich and Bavaria; Salzburg, Austria; Austrian Lakes District; Swiss Alps; and Western Switzerland to name a few. It also has highlights of Munich’s Oktoberfest and Rick’s Back Door Travel Tips.

Rick Steves personal guide is a great way to see this area of Europe. He does a great job in telling the watcher not only about places to see, but how to travel when you’re a guest in a foreign country; how to change money; how to find the off-the-beaten path places away from the tourist crowd; and features nice family type restaurants. He provides a perfect balance unlike other videos in this genre.

His personal touch is engaging and this travelogue is narrated from his perspective. On one DVD, he sits down and explains how he packs and shows what he puts in his money belt that he wears.

He does a lot of walking/hiking during his trips and explains about packing lightly and being able to carry everything in a backpack of sorts. He takes the time to explain things, offers a bit of history, talks to the locals, and is just a normal kind of guy.

The DVD is well done and you will want to watch it again and again just for fun. A trip anywhere should be intellectually stimulating and interesting as well as filled with beautiful people and sights–Rick Steve’s makes sure it is.

Again, this is another sensational Rick Steves combo, putting episodes about all the German-speaking countries into one package.

Whether you are planning a Sound of Music tour in Salzberg or a trip to Munich for Oktoberfest, this is one DVD that you will utilize over and over again as you plan your vacations to Europe.

Some of the material is dated of course, since we use the Euro now, but the sights and sites he covers are timeless.

Rick Steves Best of Travels in Europe – Germany, Austria & Switzerland

Among the best guides for travel is the Eyewitness Travel Guides. Munich & The Bavarian Alps guide is no exception. If you are planning a trip to Munich for Oktoberfest, this is one guide you should own.

Available at Amazon.com, this guidebook sells for $16.50.

Those who have purchased this book have nothing but praise as evidenced by their ratings and reviews.

The layout of the book is clear and logical which makes choosing destinations and getting there easy.

The maps in the book are all in full color, as always in this series, showing roads as well as public transport routes.

Countless illustrations enrich the reading and each is carefully drawn so as to save more than a thousand words found in other guides.

The choice of restaurants and hotels are all great picks.

If you’re planning on spending your vacation in Munich during Oktoberfest, then this compact little guide will be indispensable in locating the famous beer halls and tourist sights.

The maps are more than adequate and the walking descriptions to each locale are precise and accurate.

There is also corresponding material on how to use the U-Bahn in the city, and which station to take for each particular site.

There is a separate chapter on the beer halls of the city with a brief ranking system for the nosiest places, the friendliest, and the cheapest beer.

Intended for the casual tourist to the Alps also, there is comprehensive information on sites such as Berchtesgaden and Garmisch, which are excellent.

So this is a thrifty guide you can stick in your pocket and consult when you need to find a restaurant, beer haunt or hotel.

In short, if you’re a first time traveler to Munich, enjoy the greatest city in Europe and be sure to tuck away this guide.

For a diverse, wonderfully cosmopolitan city, this guide provides a marvelous introduction, and does an admirable job of hitting all the highlights.

Needless to say, touring Munich during Oktoberfest requires a comprehensive guide and the Munich & The Bavarian Alps Eyewitness Travel Guides is one of the best.

Eyewitness Travel Guide: Munich & The Bavarian Alps