This weekend, some six million people will head off to the start of Munich’s infamous festival celebrating everything Bavarian. The ceremonial tapping of the first keg, by the mayor of Munich, will happen this Saturday at 12:00. The party, this year, will last until October 4th.

Growing up in the Midwest (as with so many other cities and areas around the world), the heavy German influences took me to numerous versions of the original festival, all of which did their finest to recreate the, let’s say, atmosphere. Long story short, each came with a complimentary case of self inflicted heartburn due to insane amounts of bratwursts and hefeweizen.

I can only imagine what I’d get myself into by attending the guzzle-fest that is the largest public festival in the world. To aid you, here is a handy guide from BootsnAll with the lowdown on how to get there, which beer tent to visit, and  pictures of girls in dirndls! I guess I am just rendered helpless when surrounded by beer tents, Bavarian women and spicy sausages.

So to all of you that are there, planning to go, or have already been to Oktoberfest . . . here’s to you. Stay safe and have a great time.

The post Raise Your Steins: Here’s To A Great Oktoberfest appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Having just discovered Montreal’s own foray into the modern bike-sharing world with “Bixi,” it got me thinking: Montreal must be one of the world’s top biking cities. And lo and behold, T+L has confirmed my suspicions, with Montreal coming in at number #4 behind, not suprisingly for anyone who’s been there, Copenhagen at #1, followed by Portland and Munich (#2 and #3 respectively.) Click here for the full list.

The post The World’s Top 10 Biking Cities appeared first on The Expeditioner Travel Site.

Oktoberfest is just around the corner, and just in time for this vapid event are your predictable slew of Oktoberfest “guides” that purport to help you fit in with the mostly tourist crowd that descends on Munich every year.

I’m not so much against the idea of Oktoberfest — the annual event began back in 1810 as a massive horse race to celebrate the wedding of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese and was celebrated thereafter in late October with a parade and subsequent beer drinking — I’m more against what it has become: the sort-of Bavarian Mardi Gras complete with vomiting college kids, tourists decked out in costume (look I’m in lederhosen!) and a general disregard for any substance the event may had in the past.

If anything, what I’m advocating (and likely to do myself) is to get in the spirit and check out one of the many local celebrations around the world where you can down some authentic lager without the hassle of being elbowed by some 4.7 million other visitors.

Sorry to sound so cranky, I think I just need a beer. Happy Oktoberfest!

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