Submitted by Lindsay Lerner on the 2017 fall semester study abroad program in London, England…
Right now, I am sitting in Zurich Airport and enjoying a well- deserved latte and some delicious Swiss chocolate. One of the things I wanted to do while I was studying in London was to explore other countries in Europe. This weekend’s adventure began at two in the morning on Friday, when I and some fellow Blue Hens departed our flats in Camden Town and headed to Heathrow Airport. If anyone ever plans on traveling through Heathrow Airport, please note that security does not open till approximately haft past four. This was a surprise to me and my friends who are used to the never-ending security lines of John F Kennedy Airport. Being at an airport before it essentially opens is quite the experience. Another important thing to note when traveling through Europe is that although broke college kids much prefer cheaper flights, sometimes cheaper isn’t better. It took us approximately eighteen hours to get to Germany and find our hotel. We had a five- hour layover in Austria, which is an incredibly grey airport, but the Wifi was free so that made up for the lack of decor and shopping. Our flight to Germany from Austria was quick, but making our way to the hotel was anything but easy. I soon found myself wishing I knew German, but luckily there were a lot of very friendly people willing to help us catch the right train to get to our hotel. We took the S banh train to Haar, the town in which we were staying. When we got off the train there was approximately a three mile walk ahead of us and no cabs or other forms of transportation in sight. I can now say I hiked the German countryside.
The reason we chose to go to Germany this weekend was so we could attend Oktoberfest. All of our struggles were well worth the trip when we arrived at the fairgrounds in Munich, Germany.
I expected the grounds to only be centered around the consumption of beer by various tourists, but it was anything but that. Sure, it is a beer festival so there was plenty of it, but also, it was a very kid friendly event. There were carnival games, rides and roller coasters, there was food stands, shopping and many people in tradition Dirndls and Lederhosen.
I also was under the impression that the grounds would be like those of a U.S. festival: dirty, smelly and grossly unsanitary. Sure, there was a bit of a mess on the ground especially as it got later, but the staff was dedicated to keeping it clean and safe. I expected things to be pricey, but not so pricey: beers cost 12 euros, bottled water cost 5 euros, food prices were higher than expected, rides cost about 8 euros each and to use the bathroom it cost a few cents as a tip for the attendant. There was no entrance fee, but the day put a bit of a damper on my wallet. The biggest rip off all was the cost of the taxis. They were asking for 100 euros because they knew that there was not any other way back to hotels and most people were drunk. After some negotiating and meeting a very kind driver, we found our way out of the city and back to our hotel.
Oktoberfest was well worth the money and the extended travel. It was an incredible day and a very interesting weekend in Germany. Even now, as I am sitting in another airport waiting for another flight, I still have the German chants of the festival stuck in my head. It was a weekend I will not forget and I cannot wait to see what next weekend brings as I take on Paris, France!