Munich

Oktoberfest typically begins in mid-September and runs through the first Sunday of October each year. The festival is held on the Theresienwiese fairgrounds in central Munich and draws roughly six million visitors annually. Hotel rooms during this period are extremely expensive and book out months in advance.

Munich is approximately 50 to 90 kilometers from the nearest Alpine destinations, depending on where you're headed. Popular excursion spots like the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain, and Neuschwanstein Castle can be reached by car or train in roughly one and a half to two hours. Munich's central location makes it an ideal base for day trips into the Alps.

Munich is served by Munich Airport (MUC), officially named Franz Josef Strauss Airport, located about 28 kilometers northeast of the city center. The S-Bahn lines S1 and S8 connect the airport to central Munich's Hauptbahnhof in roughly 40 to 45 minutes. The airport is a major hub for Lufthansa and is the second-busiest airport in Germany after Frankfurt.

Munich's Kunstareal district houses the Alte Pinakothek, Neue Pinakothek, and Pinakothek der Moderne, which together span European art from the 14th century to the present. The Deutsches Museum, located on an island in the Isar River, is one of the world's oldest and largest science and technology museums. The BMW Museum and adjacent BMW Welt are also major draws for automotive enthusiasts.