Oktoberfest Overnight: Doable or Deranged?

Josi Hicks
Jul 9, 2025
5 min read

Updated: Jul 24, 2025

You haven't known the depths of chaotic travel until you've ridden an overnight bus to Oktoberfest: there and back.

One of the craziest last-minute travel calls I ever made was when I went to Bavaria's biggest beer-soaked carnival for one day from Florence, Italy. Yes, I did it. Yes, I survived it. Yes, I would do it again—but with some hard-earned advice I wish I’d known before I showed up bleary-eyed.

Here's my honest review of doing Oktoberfest Overnight: how to attend the world's biggest beer festival whether it's a bold budget hack or a tight-windowed trip tack on. Find everything you need to know here if you're tempted to try it, too!

The Overnight Bus: Bring Snacks and Sanity

On the topic of SmartTrip, the way that I was able to go to Oktoberfest Overnight was by booking the SmartTrip Oktoberfest Short Weekend. Other than the bus to and from the festival (as well as a pointer for where to buy your dirndls and lederhosen in Munich) the day is a complete free-for-all. You can also go to Oktoberfest overnight by booking your own night buses to and from the festival, depending on where you're traveling from.

Pro tip: If you're booking through SmartTrip, try holding out on booking this specific option. On the website, the standard price is listed for €229, but my friend and I bought our fare for only €90 as the prices dropped the week before the depature date. SmartTrip will also have their biggest sale of the season at the beginning of the semester (early September), where prices are cut down as much as 50%.

To manage the overnight bus, come prepared with some snacks and your sanity. In order to get some sleep on the bus, also bring a travel pillow, headphones, and an eye mask.

P.S. Wearing layers is always the way to go, as the bus can either feel like the tundra or the sahara depending on the mood of the bus driver.

Plan your travel to arrive in Munich by 9:00 a.m. at the latest. To do so, we left Florence around 10:30 p.m. on Friday night, traveling throughout the whole night, and parking in Munich the next Saturday morning.

How to Buy a Dirndl (That Morning)

While many people did, I did not buy my dirndl in advance. Instead, I immediately went to a shop in Munich that morning as soon as the bus was parked. For €120, I bought a classic pink-purple polka dotted dirndl. Prices ranged from €60-€250+, but I fell in love with the first one I tried on, so I met in the middle.

Since you'll be in a rush, make sure to do any hair/makeup on the bus beforehand. Also, be sure to bring cash for your dirndl, as you'll almost always find better deals this way.

How to Conquer the Hofbräu Tent (and Not Get Kicked Out)

As soon as the festival opens at 10 a.m., all of the college kids rush for the HB tent—and so did I.

Fortunately, Kira (my bus buddy) and I had our friend Elise already waiting in line for us, so we hopped in with her. Get to the festival gates early, and be prepared to run if you want a spot.

After sprinting to the HB tent, we got a spot! Or so we thought. Turns out, our table was reserved starting at 11 a.m., so we figured we'd sit, drink, and then stand after the reservation arrived. This was a major mistake, because we ended up getting straight up kicked out of the tent when the party arrived.

If you are planning on going to the HB tent, take these tips:

Arrive early (as soon as the gates open) and grab a non-reserved table near the back.
If there are no tables, try standing until one opens, but do not sit at a reserved table.
Once seated, stay seated. Do not leave until you are done with HB for the day. It's hard to re-enter past noon.
Steins are around €15 cash, but expect to tip extra so the servers come back around.
- If you must, they also serve wine for a few euros extra.

What to Experience at Oktoberfest

If you want to shake it up, there are other offerings at Oktoberfest outside of the HB tent. Try out:

The Weinzelt (Wine Tent) for spritzes, Rieslings, and a calmer crowd.
The Augustiner for a more authentic Bavarian vibe.
Cafe Kaiserschmarrn (the dessert tent) to satisfy your sweet tooth.

There's also an entire carnival outside of the traditional tents. Ride rollercoasters or play to win a prize, but be sure to bring cash, as most places at the festival don't take card. The rides cost around €15-€20 each go around, so be picky when choosing your rides.

What to Eat at Oktoberfest

Between the beer and the chaos, food is crucial. Some popular favorites to try are:

Sugar roasted almonds (the sweet aroma in the air that you'll smell everywhere)
Foot-long hot dogs or bratwursts
Giant pretzels
Half chickens ("Hendl") for a full meal
Gingerbread cookies

We also stopped at the dessert tent, where there were endless options for sweets to test out.

What to Bring to Oktoberfest

The biggest rookie mistake I made? Not preparing for the cold. Munich can get frigid, and after just one hour outside, I was (in fact) freezing. I ended up buying a sweatshirt to make it through, but now I have some sick Oktoberfest merch, so I guess it was a win at the end of the day.

To avoid any mistakes, here's what you should bring with you to the festival:

Cash (around €100 to be safe)
Comfortable shoes (for running and walking)
A portable charger for your phone
A jacket or sweatshirt

Outside of Oktoberfest: Exploring Munich

After spending the majority of the day inside the festival, you might be beered-out. If you feel up for it, this is a great opportunity to also explore Munich.

I left the festival around 6 p.m. and walked to:

Marienplatz for classic architecture and shops
Frauenkirche to marvel at the cathedral
Viktualienmarket for snacks and souvenirs

Picturing: Marienplatz — Picturing: **Marienplatz**

If you time it right, you can head back into the festival before boarding your bus. Beer serving ends at 10:30 p.m. and the tents close entirely at 11:30 p.m., which closes out the day.

Personally, I stayed out exploring until departing around 9:30 p.m.! But you decide for yourself whether or not you want to be buzzing on the bus...

Final Verdict: Doable or Deranged?

Verdict: Doable... if you're down for a little chaos.

Doing Oktoberfest Overnight will allow you:

12+ hours at the festival
A chance to explore Munich
An affordable way to cross Oktoberfest off your bucket list
To slump on the bus after being partied out

And the best part (imo)? You don't have to deal with camping or cramming into a hostel—just cram into a bus instead! No, but seriously, I found this much less stress-inducing than staying in a muddy tent or getting zero sleep in a party hostel.

Would I do it all again? Absolutely—just maybe without getting kicked out of HB next time.

You haven't known the depths of chaotic travel until you've ridden an overnight bus to Oktoberfest: there and back.

One of the craziest last-minute travel calls I ever made was when I went to Bavaria's biggest beer-soaked carnival for one day from Florence, Italy. Yes, I did it. Yes, I survived it. Yes, I would do it again—but with some hard-earned advice I wish I’d known before I showed up bleary-eyed.

Here's my honest review of doing Oktoberfest Overnight: how to attend the world's biggest beer festival whether it's a bold budget hack or a tight-windowed trip tack on. Find everything you need to know here if you're tempted to try it, too!

The Overnight Bus: Bring Snacks and Sanity

To manage the overnight bus, come prepared with some snacks and your sanity. In order to get some sleep on the bus, also bring a travel pillow, headphones, and an eye mask.

P.S. Wearing layers is always the way to go, as the bus can either feel like the tundra or the sahara depending on the mood of the bus driver.

Plan your travel to arrive in Munich by 9:00 a.m. at the latest. To do so, we left Florence around 10:30 p.m. on Friday night, traveling throughout the whole night, and parking in Munich the next Saturday morning.

How to Buy a Dirndl (That Morning)

Since you'll be in a rush, make sure to do any hair/makeup on the bus beforehand. Also, be sure to bring cash for your dirndl, as you'll almost always find better deals this way.

How to Conquer the Hofbräu Tent (and Not Get Kicked Out)

As soon as the festival opens at 10 a.m., all of the college kids rush for the HB tent—and so did I.

Fortunately, Kira (my bus buddy) and I had our friend Elise already waiting in line for us, so we hopped in with her. Get to the festival gates early, and be prepared to run if you want a spot.

If you are planning on going to the HB tent, take these tips:

Arrive early (as soon as the gates open) and grab a non-reserved table near the back.

If there are no tables, try standing until one opens, but do not sit at a reserved table.

Once seated, stay seated. Do not leave until you are done with HB for the day. It's hard to re-enter past noon.

Steins are around €15 cash, but expect to tip extra so the servers come back around.

If you must, they also serve wine for a few euros extra.

What to Experience at Oktoberfest

If you want to shake it up, there are other offerings at Oktoberfest outside of the HB tent. Try out:

The Weinzelt (Wine Tent) for spritzes, Rieslings, and a calmer crowd.

The Augustiner for a more authentic Bavarian vibe.

Cafe Kaiserschmarrn (the dessert tent) to satisfy your sweet tooth.

There's also an entire carnival outside of the traditional tents. Ride rollercoasters or play to win a prize, but be sure to bring cash, as most places at the festival don't take card. The rides cost around €15-€20 each go around, so be picky when choosing your rides.

What to Eat at Oktoberfest

Between the beer and the chaos, food is crucial. Some popular favorites to try are:

Sugar roasted almonds (the sweet aroma in the air that you'll smell everywhere)

Foot-long hot dogs or bratwursts

Giant pretzels

Half chickens ("Hendl") for a full meal

Gingerbread cookies

We also stopped at the dessert tent, where there were endless options for sweets to test out.

What to Bring to Oktoberfest

The biggest rookie mistake I made? Not preparing for the cold. Munich can get frigid, and after just one hour outside, I was (in fact) freezing. I ended up buying a sweatshirt to make it through, but now I have some sick Oktoberfest merch, so I guess it was a win at the end of the day.

To avoid any mistakes, here's what you should bring with you to the festival:

Cash (around €100 to be safe)

Comfortable shoes (for running and walking)

A portable charger for your phone

A jacket or sweatshirt

Outside of Oktoberfest: Exploring Munich

After spending the majority of the day inside the festival, you might be beered-out. If you feel up for it, this is a great opportunity to also explore Munich.

I left the festival around 6 p.m. and walked to:

Marienplatz for classic architecture and shops

Frauenkirche to marvel at the cathedral

Viktualienmarket for snacks and souvenirs

If you time it right, you can head back into the festival before boarding your bus. Beer serving ends at 10:30 p.m. and the tents close entirely at 11:30 p.m., which closes out the day.

Personally, I stayed out exploring until departing around 9:30 p.m.! But you decide for yourself whether or not you want to be buzzing on the bus...

Final Verdict: Doable or Deranged?

Verdict: Doable... if you're down for a little chaos.

Doing Oktoberfest Overnight will allow you:

12+ hours at the festival

A chance to explore Munich

An affordable way to cross Oktoberfest off your bucket list

To slump on the bus after being partied out

And the best part (imo)? You don't have to deal with camping or cramming into a hostel—just cram into a bus instead! No, but seriously, I found this much less stress-inducing than staying in a muddy tent or getting zero sleep in a party hostel.

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