Head to Munich to take part in the 200th Anniversary of the world’s largest and most famous beer festival, known as ‘Oktoberfest’, with prices from just £419 per person.

The festival first took place in 1810 on the occasion of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese. And the next year, the royal court decided to repeat the festival to the great delight of Munich’s residents, and every year since it has grown to become the event that it is today.

This year, Oktoberfest runs from 18 September – 3 October, and specialist tour operator, Dertour, has a number of great value flight and accommodation packages to the event, with prices starting from £419 per person.

The price includes two nights bed and breakfast accommodation in the three star hotel Amba and return flights from Heathrow, plus access to English speaking Dertour representative based in Munich. The hotel is family-run and located in the centre of the city and within walking distance of its main sights. Price based on two adults sharing.

Dertour is also able to pre-book seats in the beer tents for groups of ten people or more. For £40, you get two ‘steins’ of beer and a voucher for a Bavarian meal as well as guaranteed entry into the tent.

For bookings call Dertour on 0207 290 1111 or visit www.dertour.co.uk for further information

This autumn, award-winning river cruise line AMAWATERWAYS is offering a unique opportunity to enjoy one of Europe’s most celebrated traditions, the famous Oktoberfest in Munich, in combination with a luxury river cruise from Nuremberg, departing on 22nd September. And for guests booking AMAWATERWAYS’ one-off ‘Oktoberfest Escape’ package by 15th March, the company will include a complimentary two night b&b stay in Munich, a free city tour and free transfers to Nuremberg on 24th September.

Oktoberfest is Europe’s biggest beer festival, with vast beer tents, bands, funfairs, food stalls and non-stop celebration. More than five million visitors from all over the world participate in the three-week festival that takes over the city’s massive fairgrounds at Theresienwiese every September, this year for the 200th time.

After enjoying Munich and the Oktoberfest festivities guests will be transferred to Nuremberg to board the luxurious river cruiser MS Amalegro for a seven-night cruise to Amsterdam. The cruise visits Bamberg, Wurzburg, Wertheim, Miltenberg, Rudesheim, the beautiful Rhine Gorge, Cologne and Amsterdam.

Included in the price are all meals on board, wine with lunch and dinner on board, all excursions as detailed in the itinerary, free internet on board, transfers from Munich to Nuremberg, two nights’ B&B accommodation in Munich, city tour of Munich. Flights and airport transfers are extra. The 9 night package costs from £1696 for bookings made by 15th March.

AMAWATERWAYS UK reservations: 0800 389 9811, email : enquiries@amawaterways.co.uk, Website: www.amawaterways.co.uk

German specialist tour operator, Dertour, has announced that there is still availability on a number of tours which include this year’s production of the Oberammergau Passion Play, which has run every ten years since 1634. When the event was last held in 2000, over 530,000 people from all over the world attended this world famous cultural and religious event, which is held in the small Bavarian village of Oberammergau.

As the UK’s leading tour operator to Germany, Dertour offers visitors to the Passion Play the services of a local representative as well as providing hotel accommodation in the Passion Play village itself as well as within walking distance of the theatre or three miles away in neighbouring Ettal.

The play will run over 102 days and performed up to five times a week on the open-air stage of the Passion Play Theatre. The premiere will be performed before an international audience on Saturday 15 May 2010, and, for the first time in its history, the play will begin in the afternoon and resume in the evening after a relaxing dinner. It will also benefit from a revised script and a musical score adapted from Rochus Dedler’s original composition.

You can experience the Oberammergau Passion Play 2010 with Dertour’s prices starting from £829 per person to include three nights bed and breakfast accommodation in a four star hotel in Bavaria’s capital, Munich, and one night in Oberammergau on full board basis, plus return flights from Heathrow, return transfers from Munich to Oberammergau, tickets to see the play, lunch before the play and dinner in the long interval. Extras also included: free shuttle services between Oberammergau and Ettal, Passion Play 2010 programme and entrance to the Oberammergau Museum. Valid for travel on selected dates between May and September 2010.

If you are looking for a longer break, then there is also a holiday package offering a five night stay on a half board basis in Berchtesgaden in Bavaria, combined with two nights half board accommodation in Oberammergau itself to take in the Passion Play. This is priced from £1,089 per person to include return flights from Heathrow, return transfers and tickets to see the play, all meals on day of performance, plus extras as outlined above. Valid for travel on selected dates between May and September.

For bookings call Dertour on 0207 290 1111 or visit www.dertour.co.uk for further information

As from today, Germany’s second largest airline will be carrying mail for the German post office – Deutsche Post AG. Every night from Monday to Friday two Boeing 737-800s will each be ferrying 15 tons of mail between Hanover and Munich.

The Air Berlin jet takes off from Hanover at 00:05 hours and lands in Munich at 01:10 hours. The aircraft setting off from Munich leaves at 00:10 hours to arrive in Hanover at 01:15 hours. The contract with Deutsche Post AG is initially due to run until the end of March 2012.

As from today, Germany’s second largest airline will be carrying mail for the German post office – Deutsche Post AG. Every night from Monday to Friday two Boeing 737-800s will each be ferrying 15 tons of mail between Hanover and Munich.

The Air Berlin jet takes off from Hanover at 00:05 hours and lands in Munich at 01:10 hours. The aircraft setting off from Munich leaves at 00:10 hours to arrive in Hanover at 01:15 hours. The contract with Deutsche Post AG is initially due to run until the end of March 2012.