Many Dutch people travel to Munich for Oktoberfest

Many Dutch people will travel to Munich in the coming weeks to celebrate the Oktoberfest. The big folk festival starts on Saturday and lasts until Tuesday, October 3. At NS International and the bus company FlixBus, more tickets were booked to and from Munich during this period.

NS International is seeing a very strong increase in ticket sales to and from Munich during Oktoberfest. "We see that the destination is popular, it really stands out as well," said a spokeswoman. According to her, it is "very plausible" that the popularity is related to the Oktoberfest.

In addition, many Dutch people plan to take a FlixBus to Oktoberfest. A spokeswoman for the bus company claimed there has been a "significant" increase in ticket sales. It's about 1,000 additional travelers between the Netherlands and Munich, although Flixbus can't say for sure if all of them will travel to the Bavarian folk festival. "There are 15 to 17 percent more passengers from Eindhoven, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam than in a normal period," the spokesperson said.

At Oktoberfest.nl, partygoers can book a complete travel package to Munich. Director John Zut reports that between 1,000 and 2,000 people have booked this trip with him this year. It's not fully booked yet, but he expects that to happen. "In the last few weeks, we've had people calling at the last minute," he said.

Zut stated that the number of bookings has remained the same in recent years. However, people are increasingly asking for deals. "Sometimes people choose to stay in the Netherlands because accommodations in Munich are very expensive," he said. Young people in particular are staying away as a result.

Munich Oktoberfest organizers expect at least six million visitors from around the world this year, many of them dressed in lederhosen or dirndls, according to German news agency DPA. That would be more than at last year's edition, the first Oktoberfest since the coronavirus pandemic. Sunny autumn days are forecast this year, while last year's bad weather caused fewer visitors. In addition, the festival will last two days longer this year.

Due to inflation, visitors will pay an average of 6 percent more for a beer than last year. Beer now costs between 12.60 and 14.90 euros per liter. However, there is free water.

Several smaller Oktoberfests are also taking place in the Netherlands in the coming weeks. Zut notes that the Munich festival has become better known in the Netherlands over the past decade and that more and more people there want to celebrate the Oktoberfest.