It's free to get in. That surprises people.

Traditional and quieter: Augustiner-Festhalle (locals' favourite, closed to casual walk-in reservations but easiest for genuine walk-ins), Fischer-Vroni (fish specialties, calmer), Festzelt Tradition in the Oide Wiesn historic area, Armbrustschützen-Festhalle.

Loud and touristy, in a good way if that's what you want: Hofbräu-Festzelt (the loudest, most international, mostly standing room), Hacker-Festzelt (“Bavarian Heaven” ceiling, younger crowd), Löwenbräu-Festzelt.

Upscale: Käfer Wiesn-Schänke and Kufflers Weinzelt, both largely reservation-only, both open later than the rest (until 1am, last order 12:30am).

Balanced middle ground for a first visit: Paulaner Festzelt, Schützen-Festzelt, Ochsenbraterei.

A reservation books you a table, not entry — entry is always free. Tables are booked directly through each tent's own website, and booking opens in spring for the following autumn, so this year's tables were largely gone by summer. A reserved table typically requires prepaying a consumption voucher, commonly around two litres of beer and half a roast chicken per person, averaging roughly 350 euro for the table.

Without a reservation: go on a weekday, arrive by late morning. Weekend tables fill fast and by mid-afternoon most tents are reservation-only until evening. It's also worth checking back at a tent's entrance later in the day — cancellations happen.

A litre (Maß) of beer runs 14.80 to 15.90 euro depending on the tent, up slightly on last year. Non-alcoholic drinks are not much cheaper — water runs around 11 euro a litre, which surprises first-timers. Food: a half roast chicken 16 to 20 euro, a Schweinshaxe (pork knuckle) 22 to 32 euro, a pretzel 5 to 8 euro in a tent or 3 to 5 euro from a street stall. Budget roughly 25 to 60 euro a person a day depending on how much of it happens in a tent versus on the street.

The Theresienwiese U-Bahn station is closest and most crowded. Get off one stop early instead — Poccistraße or Goetheplatz on the U3/U6 — and walk ten minutes. It is a genuinely different experience on the platform.

Every large tent's operator runs a permanent, year-round beer hall in Munich using the same branding and recipes — a real way to get a taste of it outside the sixteen days. Ask locally for the nearest Wiesnwirte address.