How to take your lederhosen and dirndl to the Oktoberfest

So you’ve acquired your dirndl or lederhosen from an online shop like Oktoberfest-dirndl-shop.co.uk and it’s been delivered. You’ve tried it on, it fits like a glove, and you’re delighted with it.

There’s just the small matter of how to get it to Munich in one piece – and without it costing you a lot of money in excess baggage fees. So here are our tips on transporting your gear to the Oktoberfest.

Packing

You might be afraid to spoil your brand new dirndl or lederhosen, but remember that Bavarian clothing was once (and in many cases still is) intended for everyday work and wear. So as soft as your lederhosen may look, there’s no need to be afraid of folding it and squashing it slightly if you need to fit it into a smaller bag: you may find it easier to fold if you unbutton the braces at the waist. A dirndl is a little trickier to pack without getting it creased, so it’s well worth considering putting in your hand luggage or in a hard-shell suitcase with a bit of space.

Weight

Depending on your size and the length of your breeches, a full lederhosen set with proper shoes can end up weighing around 10 kilos, which is more than half of your luggage allowance on some flights. A dirndl, too, can weigh more than your average dress, and if you spending a bit longer in Germany or travelling around and have lots of other clothing, things can get pretty tight. There a few things you can do about this: you can make sure you fly straight to Munich and back and only stay a few days, meaning that you won’t need much apart from your lederhosen or dirndl; you can avoid the plane and go by train or car, escaping weight limits of all kinds; or you can be balls-out about it and simply wear your new favourite outfit to the airport! Especially if you’re headed over on a Thursday or Friday around Oktoberfest time, you certainly won’t be the only one…

Wearing it

Not only in terms of weight is wearing your lederhosen and dirndl for the flight a great idea: it also saves you worrying about creasing your dirndl and means that, if you’re going to Munich for just a few days, you don’t need to worry about packaging anything else. After all, one outfit can easily be stretched to last for a few days: ladies, just buy a few dirndl blouses and maybe a change of apron to make a three-day piece out your dress; gents, all you need are a couple of shirts and more than one pair of woolly socks (they start to pong quite quickly…). Make a fashion statement out of it and vary the colours of your aprons and shirts – and if you need matching jumpers or overcoats to keep your warm on your way, you can find plenty of suitable Bavarian clothing online, too.