The festival area is close to central Munich and doesn’t have any dedicated parking, so it’s not advisable to go by car. Using public transport is the best option: local train lines S1 and S8, underground lines U3, U4, U5, and U6, and trams 18 and 19 all serve the Oktoberfest, as do busses 53, 58, 62, and 134. If you want to go home by taxi, don’t worry: prices aren’t any higher during the festival. There are taxi stands signposted all around Theresienwiese.

As a general rule, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are the busiest days; during the week, it’s much easier to get around the festival area and the tents aren’t as packed. Also, lunchtime is far more relaxed before the evening party-going crowds throng into the tents.

No, you can visit the whole Oktoberfest for free except the Oide Wiesn section at the southern end, which charges €3; you’ll get a wristband so that you can go back and forth between the main area and the Oide Wiesn. Tents don’t charge you to enter, either, and visitors are allowed free access as long as there are unoccupied seats. If you have a reservation, you’ll need to pay for food and drink vouchers beforehand, and prices vary according to the tent, the size of the group, and the value of the voucher.

There are entrances to the Theresienwiese and to all tents suitable for wheelchair users and people with pushchairs; the big wheel, too, has an accessible ramp. There are also parking spaces for people with disabilities and disabled toilets, too. Guide dogs are the only animals allowed onto the Theresienwiese (all other pets should be left at home).

Autumnal conditions in Bayern can vary strongly in the course of the Oktoberfest, with everything from late-summer sunshine through to chilly temperatures and sustained rainfall; regardless of daytime temperatures, nights are generally quite cool, so it’s always a good idea to dress in layers. After all, you can be sat in the sun or in a packed, stuffy tent in the afternoon and then run into wet weather or cold winds on the way home at night.

The Oktoberfest is a family fayre as much as anything else, so there are no age regulations for visiting the festival itself. If you are going with children, however, its best to avoid the most crowded times and to keep away from crowded beer tents. Children aged six or under are not allowed in the festival area after 8pm and prams are not allowed to enter after 6pm, on Saturdays and Sundays, and on 3rd October (a public holiday in Germany).

Due to security concerns, bags with more than three litres’ volume are not allowed to be taken onto the Theresienwiese. This means that all larger items need to be stored in left luggage if you are planning to go to the Oktoberfest with a backpack or suitcase. You can drop off bags at a range of storage points around the entrances to the Theresienwiese; it will cost you between €4 and €7 per item.

The overall principle is to only take what is absolutely necessary with you when you go to the Oktoberfest: after all, larger items of luggage will need to be handed into storage in any case. You should make sure you have enough cash with you (most places don’t take cards), and there are cash machines at the entrances to the festival area. Apart from that, it’s advisable to take a mobile phone and some form of identification with you.

The minimum for a couple of hours at the Oktoberfest is around €40 per person: that will be enough to buy you two litres of beer, a meal (e.g. half a chicken and a pretzel), and a local transport ticket there and back. If you want to buy souvenirs or go on fairground rides, you’ll need a bit more. The same goes for anyone who wants a really good feed or to keep drinking for longer…

Yes, tips are expected at the Oktoberfest and are seen both as recognition for good service and as a part of service personnel’s earnings. It’s important to remember that waiters and waitresses don’t get an hourly wage, but rather earn by selling food and drinks – and indeed by getting tips. There are no hard-and-fast tipping rules, however: rounding up sums by around 10% is standard.

If you’re out with a group, you may find it’s best to arrange to meet at specific times at specific places on Theresienwiese; you can always try to ring or text people who are running late or have got lost. In louder environments such as tents, using texts or messaging is often best. And if you really can’t get in touch with people, never fear: there’s no easier place to make new friends than the Oktoberfest!