"Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."– Mark Twain

While there are "Oktoberfest"-style celebrations going on throughout the month in towns and villages throughout Europe and even stateside, the original just wrapped up in Munich, Germany. While this massive festival is hardly reason alone to fly to Munich, it makes a memorable sidetrip to a river cruise or European vacation—So now is a good time to be planning for next.

Almost by accident, my wife, Barbara, and I ended up attending the event last year, and I'm glad we did. It was far different than I expected. Along with music and dancing, there are hundreds of amusement rides, games, food stalls, and attractions, but the real stars of the show are beer, beer, and beer. Only beer from six Munich breweries that comply with the Munich Purity Law of 1487 and the German Purity Law of 1906 can be served.

Each brewery has a huge tent, and while these tents appear to be permanent, they're actually set up and taken down each year. Construction begins two months prior to the 16-day (±) celebration.

Our afternoon in the Löwenbräu tent was actually a side trip on a two-week tour that started in Nuremberg and ended in Budapest, Hungary. We had booked a Viking river cruise on the Danube (more about that in a future issue) and planned to meet up with our small group at the dock in Regensburg. When we learned they were all coming in a day early for Oktoberfest, we adjusted our plans to join them.

Concluding our time in Nuremberg, I bought tickets to Munich online through German Rail. Hint: if you're traveling by train in Germany, try to buy your tickets in advance — I wasn't able to, and paid more for it.

Now we’re at the station (which was right next to our hotel and opposite Old Town), and after a short wait, the train rumbled up to the platform. Knowing that the doors open and close quickly, we dashed to the closest one and ended up in the very last car — and it was packed. No place to sit. We walked through to the next car — same. Finally, with the train now picking up speed, we shuffled with our carry ons to the middle of the third car and that was the end of the line. The walkway was blocked by a group of 20- and 30-year-olds in the midst of an Oktoberfest warm-up party that apparently began several beers before Nuremberg — picture a pre-game tailgate party right in the center of a passenger rail car. They had (presumably) paid extra for reserved seats, but as they weren't using them all, they invited us to join them. Nice folks.

Now here's something you may not know about the typical Oktoberfest music setlist: while you're certain to hear traditional songs about schnapps and beer, you'll also be warbling along to "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and "Sweet Caroline," among many other international favorites. On our train ride to Munich, "Happy Together" by The Turtles was playing through the Bluetooth speaker that our hosts had hanging from a hook above the window. When Barb started singing along, the ice was shattered, and we went from taking up an empty seat to becoming officially a part of the party. As the high-speed train made its way across the German countryside, we found ourselves enjoying beer, wine, conversation with our new buds, and really discovering the importance of this annual celebration of the harvest.

The next morning, we hooked up with our group in the hotel lobby and boarded the train to Theresienwiese, which was literally the next stop. The trains get very crowded around O'fest, so hold onto your stuff and expect to be ocassionally elbowed and shuffled around a bit. Once you get up the stairs and away from the platform, people start to spread out. From there, it's about a half mile to the festival grounds.

Once inside the gate, the vibe is not unlike a typical state fair — just bigger. The grounds are huge, with endless options for food, drink, and activities. If you've reserved a spot in one of the tents, go on in, enjoy the music, have a really big pretzel, a delicious half chicken, and some of the freshest cold beer you'll ever experience.

Bottom line: If you are looking for something fun, unique, and very Bavarian consider tacking Oktoberfest 2027 onto your itinerary, it's not to early to start planning. Oktoberfest 2027 will take place from Saturday, September 18, through Sunday, October 3. Prost!

Learn more at oktoberfest.de

Tip: You can buy a train ticket at a Deutsche Bahn ticket vending machine by tapping the British flag icon on the screen to switch to English and following the on-screen prompts for your destination.[1, 2]

Marienplatz, a.k.a. The Old Town or Munich center, is a short walk from the main Munich train station. There’s also a subway and urban train service to the Marienplatz platform right beneath the square. Along with admiring the architecture and monuments that date back to the 15th century, there are all sorts of shops and restaurants with excellent German cuisine. Having visited Munich three times in the last year, I have come quite a fan of Schweinshaxe (Pig knuckle with beer gravy). You’ll find it on the menu at most pubs and beer halls in Bavaria. Marienplatz is known for the Glockenspiel and several other interesting sites. There are some very hotels in that area as well. It’s quite walkable, just take all the same precautions you would in any big city.

I'll do a deep dive on each of these in future issues — how to set them up, step by step, no tech background required. For now, here's the quick version: what they do and why they're worth the five or so minutes it takes to download them and get started.

Mobile Passport Control (MPC)

This is a free app from U.S. Customs that streamlines the re-entry process when coming back into the U.S. I recently used it while returning from Europe and found that it did make things quicker and easier. During the flight I was able to download the app, scan your passport, take a photo and answer the same basic questions the agent typically asks at the window. Once your in on the way to the gate, hit SUBMIT. After deplaning, look for the shorter, dedicated “MPC” line at customs. It's presently available at over 60 major airports in the U.S. and at select land border crossings. It’'s completely free, and — unlike Global Entry — there's no application or background check.

what3words

This one really blew my mind when I first discovered it. what3words has divided the entire globe into 3 by 3 meter squares. Each square has a unique three-word address — like "table.chair.lamp." For example, the Washington Monument is at

///token.ranch.rushed (enter that in Google search and see what comes up). How does this benefit a traveler? Imagine trying to explain to someone where you are in an unfamiliar area. Open the app, and you’ll see three specific words that pinpoint your exact location. It's brilliant for sharing meet-up places like trailheads, restaurant entrances, or just to let someone know where you are at a park or attraction. It works even in places with no street signs. It’s GPS driven so you’re still connected even when you're somewhere with no signal. Available in 60+ languages.

WhatsApp

If you've traveled internationally in the last few years, you're probably already familiar with this one — it's becoming the default way the rest of the world communicates. The big draw: as long as you're connected to Wi-Fi (hotel, café, airport), you can message and even video call for free with no roaming charges and no international texting fees. It's how many tour guides, drivers, and small hotels prefer to confirm bookings, send directions, and stay in touch with their clients. If you are traveling with a group, the organizers will set up private chats so everyone can communicate, share photos and ask questions and share information within the group. Having it loaded before you land makes those little logistics moments much smoother. Quick tip: turning off "mobile data" (or just leave your phone in “Airplane mode”) while keeping Wi-Fi on is the easiest way to avoid any surprise roaming charges (learned that one the hard way).

Mont Saint Michel in France should be on everyone’s wish list and it is only 7 or 8 hours by car from Amsterdam. Though I had watched a few YouTube videos about it, it wasn’t on my bucket list until today. Wow did it ever blow me away. If you can make it to France visit Mont Saint Michel—you won’t be disappointed. - Rob Savickis, Guest contributor.

Mont Saint Michel from a drone

To everything there is a season.
For many, the season to travel is later in life, when time is more flexible and the passion to explore is greatest. While there are hundreds of podcasts and newsletters that focus on travelling, we’re hoping “Still Got The Itch", strikes a chord with those of you who have been dreaming of going somewhere special, but have let life put it off. This is (obviously) a work in progress, but if you like what we’re doing, please hit subscribe. It don’t cost nothing. If you have a story to share, we would love to hear it - email [email protected].