Information on Stuttgart including hotel bookings can be found at www.stuttgart-tourist.de , and the website of the Cannstatter Volksfest is www.cannstatter-volksfest.de . This event is held by the Neckar River at the Cannstatter Wasen in the Bad Cannstatt part of Stuttgart. The hotels in the immediate vicinity probably practice price gouging perhaps up to tripling their normal cost. A little further away hotel rates should not be affected.

As public transportation is excellent in Stuttgart. There are special U-bahns circling the center of the city to take you directly to the center of the Wasen every 10 minutes, there are other U-bahns that can be used for access that have a stop at the edge of the Wasen (Mercedesstrasse), and three S-bahns stop at the nearby Bad Cannstatt station. So you can stay conveniently anywhere in Stuttgart or the Stuttgart area. I would recommend the Mitte (center) of Stuttgart as there are also things to see and do there (the Wasen is less than 10 minutes away by public transportation), and the City Hotel if available. Otherwise, Wirt am Berg, Espenlaub, and Alex 30 Hostel are all in this area which I enjoy. There are also many other hotels in central Stuttgart.

Fairly close to the beer festival is the excellent Mercedes Benz Museum loved by all visitors irregardless of age or gender, and also Wilhelma ( www.wilhelma.de ), Europe's largest combination zoo-botanical gardens set amidst the nice Moorish architecture of this former palace. There's a lot more to see and do in and around Stuttgart, weeks' worth.

Note, in the above beer festival link you loose the beer tent information and their entertainment if you change the language to English rather than German. And I thought it was nice that they recently included an English version!!!

Thanks so much for all your helpful advice MarcoPolko. We are looking forward to visiting Stuttgart very much now!

Hi Marco Polo,

I'm also planning to join the Wasen Festinval this year in Stuttgart. From what I've seen on the festival website and from other postings, there are several tents and a reservation is recommended for weekends.

When I was researching the Munich Oktoberfest, I found that each of the tents has its own character and caters to a certain crowd. Does this apply to the Wasen tents as well and can you give any advice on their characters???

Thanks for all of your feedback and postings! The info is well-received!

"When I was researching the Munich Oktoberfest, I found that each of the tents has its own character and caters to a certain crowd. Does this apply to the Wasen tents as well and can you give any advice on their characters???"

We don't stay very long there as for medical reasons I can't drink much beer, and we don't go when it will be very crowded. I'm certain that particular tents probably appeal more to different types of people, and the character of the tents probably also changes throughout the day. If you go around noon on a weekday, you should have no trouble getting in tents, but I don't think that what you see may be representative of later in the evening, and there might not be many people inside. The problem with trying to see things in the evening is that there may be no seats readily available after 4PM, even though you still may be able to go in and check it out, maybe for the next evening. I think the best way is just to check each tent's website and see what entertainment they provide, perhaps that can help you decide. Some also have short film clips on their websites. Even if the website may be entirely in German, just keep clicking and you should see pictures and also some things that you understand.

I'm sorry that I couldn't be of better help.

Hello Snakeyn

you've got that much suggestions that I nearly stayed off to answer and to add another possi to stay during Volksfest.

Just try the Jugendgästehaus Stuttgart

(www.hostel-stuttgart.de)rates start at 19.- and they have a remarkable breakfast included.

Situated directly on tramstop (Bubenbad) you can easily reach all major booze areas and surely the Volksfest within minutes.

Michael

This hostel sits two stairways above our apartment, a lovely walk down and quicker than the U-bahn if you don't stop along the way to look at anything, but you probably wouldn't want to walk up to it although we don't mind. If you stay there, the Greek restaurant across the street is excellent, and its also a scenic walk further along the street with some nice views and houses.

There is also another hostel which was recently renovated to make it one of the nicest in Germany and also has excellent views, Jugendherberge Stuttgart International ( www.jugendherberge-stuttgart.de ). It is also on the U-15 line as are all of the hostels, this time the Eugensplatz stop (Pinguin there nice for ice cream, and walk across the street for good views from near the nice fountain). Further from the U-bahn stop than the other two hostels. Do not walk up to it from down below, the U-bahn line up Alexanderstrasse is the steepest U-bahn grade in Stuttgart, walking down is fine by it or the staeffele (stairways). The U-bahn then makes a hairpin turn and heads furhter up the hillside to Budenbad, I believe three stops further.

I am currently organising a trip to the Stuttgart beer festival in 2009 for (approximately) 20 men - ages range between 35 and 65 so don't worry !!).

If anyone can offer some good advice once they have experienced this years festival then please let me know.

I will be looking for 10 x twin rooms in a clean and friendly environment at about 25 Euro per person per night, not too far from the festival.

Over the last 5 years we have been to ... Bruges / Amsterdam / Madrid / Berlin / Prague and I have managed to bring them all back without interference from the police !!!!

Hopefully Stuttgart will be 2009 - any advice gratefully accepted.

"I will be looking for 10 x twin rooms in a clean and friendly environment at about 25 Euro per person per night, not too far from the festival."

As you are going in 2009, perhaps in February visit the Stuttgart tourist information website ( www.stuttgart-tourist.de ) where you can order publications sent to you free of charge for one current for that year, or just order their 2008 listings now, prices won't probably have changed that much. You can't beat their hotel listing brochure for most hotels in and around Stuttgart, there is hotel pictures and information, the hotels are sorted by price and location, and there are maps showing the locations of the hotels. Price wise, what you are looking for would be difficult in central Stuttgart or Bad Cannstatt, but there are plenty of other places where this is certainly possible nearby. As Stuttgart has excellent public transportation, the fairgrounds can be quickly accessed (of course, some places quicker) from anywhere in the region.

While your at it, have them send you some of their other excellent information on Stuttgart and also visit the tourist offic at the airport or across from the train station on Koenigstrasse when you arrive. They will have a wealth of good information that isn't even mentioned on the internet, and most of it is free.

I'll add one more thing. Stuttgart is Germany's largest wine growing city. A visit to a Besenwirtschaft is fun. The wineries are allowed to sell food and wine as long as the new wine lasts. They advertise this by palcing a Besen (broom) outside. Food is usually served in the owner's dining room or at tables in their back yard, sharing the tables with other guests. The new wine (either red or white depending on the winery) is drunk by the pitcher or the Viertel (1/4 liter glass, also makes nice useful unusual souvenirs) while eating good traditional Swabian food. It's a fun way to spend an afternoon or evening, kind of like a miniature beer festival but with wine. The Uhlbach part of Stuttgart has many of them besides regular Weinstube's and wineries as well as the Wine Museum. The tourist office has a nice brochure on this, only in German, but that is no problem because it is just largely a map with the wine associated places shown on it and a nice walk through the vineyards.

A nice change from the beer!!!!