With the Oktoberfest celebrations kicking off across Europe, Trainline data reveals which UK cities will see the largest influx of beer thirsty Brits. With Chelmsford (+64%), Milton Keynes (+58%) and Guildford (+33%) seeing the most increased bookings ahead of their organised festivities.
With October in full swing, Trainline asked beer-loving Brits to rank their favourite pint out of the UK’s most popular beers. In spite of the increasing popularity in Oktoberfest celebrations, the German beers missed out on the top spots, with the Italian lager Peroni (24%) named the nation’s pint of choice, closely followed by the Irish stout Guinness (21%), and Belgian brewed Stella Artois coming in third (21%).
Even with German beer not being the fan favourite, Brits are still making the most of the stein-focused celebrations. With almost three quarters (74%) of Brits previously celebrating Oktoberfest, with 60% having attended the merry celebrations specifically in the UK.
Incredibly, almost one fifth of Brits (17%) have travelled all the way to Germany to have an authentic experience of the festival! Of those considering a trip to celebrate Oktoberfest in Germany in the future, almost half (49%) shared they would consider hopping on the train for their trip.
Despite this month being about celebrating German steins, Brits are still committed to having a pint with only 1 in 5 (21%) Brits preferring to drink their beer out of a stein than a pint glass. Sticking to what they know and staying loyal to the classic English pub, Trainline data revealed that 39% of Brits prefer to drink in a British pub than a German beer hall.
With Brits wanting everyone to enjoy a stein or two, research also revealed that nearly a quarter (21%) would opt to travel by train to avoid the need for a designated driver. The price (39%), ease of travel (29%) and atmosphere en route (23%) were also the top choices for Oktoberfest goers travelling via train.
“Oktoberfest is known for being a fun group activity, so travelling by train is an easy way to avoid having the dreaded designated driver and have a safe journey home. When travelling as a group, the GroupSave feature is a brilliant way to make a saving while having a fun filled day out this October. When buying tickets for groups of between 3-9 friends, if the feature applies to your booking, a notification will pop up on Trainline, saving you up to ⅓ on bookings, without the need for a railcard!”
Dave Price, Chief Product Officer at Trainlin
Trainline offers a number of discount features to help passengers save on every journey this October, from GroupSave and Digital Rail Cards, to the handy SplitSave feature. For more information on travelling by train to an Oktoberfest celebration, head to the Trainline app to explore your options and book your trip today.
