Oktoberfest questions

[[Phill]]

This summer i plan to go to the Oktoberfest with a few friends to try and embrace my German roots. By which i mean drink a lot in a beer garden.

Obviously being mostly English i dont know anything about other countries or cultures.

What is a good week to go to the festival? Is it right at the start so you see the opening ceremony (im guessing they have opening and closing ceremonies anyway) and you are guaranteed to have a wide selection of beers and lagers (and schnapps [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] ) or is the festival best at the end where it has had time to pick up in atmosphere and develop into a crescendo of beer fueled partying.

Also, what is a really good pick up line to deliver to a feisty Deutsche girl (plus its English translation obv). I studied German for 5 years at school, so im able to describe my dog as schwartz und geld, i know schnitzel is sausage and say what my name is. But since im English in 5 years i learnt little more than that. And i passed. Lol.

Any good phrases to get by with? Any really good touristy things to do in Munich whilst there?

Anything and everything you can add please do.