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      05-28-2020, 02:06 PM   #1
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Howdy ED Veterans!

I am going to be taking delivery of an M2C in early to mid-September. I have long been wanting to make this dream a reality and at the announcement of the program being sunset, I decided to pull the trigger. That being said, I have been digging and digging trying to determine the best route to enjoy while in EU – What started out as a VERY ambitious plan that had my wife and I in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy, has been whittled down to what I think is now reasonable – but I wanted to get some input from those who have already done Euro Delivery if the below looks like it is possible.

My wife and I are not big on "Tourist Attractions" and don't have very many "Must See" stops – the few we do have are covered in this route. We are really looking to take in as much of the country side as possible, hit some of the popular passes with the culmination of the trip being a day at the Nurburgring and of course sample as much of the cuisine as possible, we are big time foodies.

Before we honed in on hotel selections, restaurant research and such, I wanted to validate our route plans first. Would love any input you all have and if this still seems a bit ambitious. I tried limiting most days at 3 hours of driving knowing that it will be longer form destination to destination based on various picture stops, food stops etc. We do have one "Marathon" day in there – but compared to each of the other days, I think it will be bearable and the drives should be interesting anyway making the time pass easily 😊

Of note - on day 4, I took a total shot in the dark at the route, no idea if this is actually a good drive or not?

Thanks everyone!

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      05-28-2020, 02:39 PM   #2
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I would say for sure shift the stretch to Stuttgart to the west and do the Schwarzwald (Black Forest). Also...maybe try to get down into the Italian lake region. Drop straight down from Vaduz, maybe stay the night then back up and over towards Andermatt, hitting Klausen and then the Grimsel/Susten/Furka triangle. You could incorporate Stelvio doing this. Also...keep Hahntennjoch...it's nice and very secluded.
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      05-28-2020, 02:43 PM   #3
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I have not done an ED before but have done a lot of work travel to Europe. Does your day 1 include the flight from California to Munich? The reason I ask is that you pretty much lose a day traveling with the travel time and time zone change. Also, if you can sleep most of the flight then you could arrive prepared to go. Though I will say that even when I get sleep on the trip, the first day is a bit of a blur with adjusting, etc. I guess in short, you might want to bake in a day on the front end so you are fresh when you pick up your car and do the tour.
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      05-28-2020, 03:02 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by mercury26 View Post
I have not done an ED before but have done a lot of work travel to Europe. Does your day 1 include the flight from California to Munich? The reason I ask is that you pretty much lose a day traveling with the travel time and time zone change. Also, if you can sleep most of the flight then you could arrive prepared to go. Though I will say that even when I get sleep on the trip, the first day is a bit of a blur with adjusting, etc. I guess in short, you might want to bake in a day on the front end so you are fresh when you pick up your car and do the tour.
Yes, that day 1 is inclusive of the flight from CA to Munich - thats a good tip about adding in a "Re-acclimation" window. I had assumed we could get it done in the same day, but, also don't want to miss out on Munich and/or be groggy and feel awful on Delivery day. Ive got flexibility on the length of the trip, so ill have to consider that.
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      05-28-2020, 03:11 PM   #5
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MinionM3 are you a road trip warrior? If so, arrival and one overnight before delivery are probably okay, provided day 1 is a short drive. You're not going to get much sleep up to delivery day anyway...so might as well make it the on the plane part. All your drives seem quite reasonable, if not short, so you're probably okay here. I usually pack in multiple back-to-back 7-8 hour driving days on road trip vacations, with an occasional 4-6 hour day, but I do admit that's not the norm. If you can make your trip longer, you might as well. That way you can see everything you want and really do it properly, as you won't be getting to do it again, unless you move to Porsche!
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      05-28-2020, 03:18 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by F82PRETEND View Post
MinionM3 are you a road trip warrior? If so, arrival and one overnight before delivery are probably okay, provided day 1 is a short drive. You're not going to get much sleep up to delivery day anyway...so might as well make it the on the plane part. All your drives seem quite reasonable, if not short, so you're probably okay here. I usually pack in multiple back-to-back 7-8 hour driving days on road trip vacations, with an occasional 4-6 hour day, but I do admit that's not the norm. If you can make your trip longer, you might as well. That way you can see everything you want and really do it properly, as you won't be getting to do it again, unless you move to Porsche!
Yeah - I dont usually have a hard time adjusting sleep patterns, but, i am AWFUL on planes, so will need to be heavily medicated to sleep on the flight :-P

Truth be told, the Mrs. was disappointed by the lack of Italy driving (I told her about the terrible roads in cities and not wanting the car to get hurt) but ill look into what you suggested above.

I had also considered that many days might be short - but hard to factor with stops, wanting to have time to get out and walk the towns, etc... and i didn't want to be stuck having to modify on the fly if we got delayed or who knows what... I'd be happy doing 5-hour/6-hour days - dont know that she'd be up for that though, at least not back to back. I havent checked out your last ED Journal - we you packing in long days consecutively?
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      05-28-2020, 03:42 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by MinionM3 View Post
Yeah - I dont usually have a hard time adjusting sleep patterns, but, i am AWFUL on planes, so will need to be heavily medicated to sleep on the flight :-P

Truth be told, the Mrs. was disappointed by the lack of Italy driving (I told her about the terrible roads in cities and not wanting the car to get hurt) but ill look into what you suggested above.

I had also considered that many days might be short - but hard to factor with stops, wanting to have time to get out and walk the towns, etc... and i didn't want to be stuck having to modify on the fly if we got delayed or who knows what... I'd be happy doing 5-hour/6-hour days - dont know that she'd be up for that though, at least not back to back. I havent checked out your last ED Journal - we you packing in long days consecutively?
You shouldn't have issues with the Italian roads if you're say north of Florence. That far north Italy more represents it's respective neighbor than it does the Italy that comes to most American minds. The Autostrada is actually like glass in my experience. Far superior to any interstate. I think she'd enjoy the lakes. Couldn't tell from your map, but it looks like you're close to Cortina early on. Haven't been there, but have read and heard it is fantastic...so maybe include that.

In my previous ED, the entire trip was 7 nights in Europe, Friday night flight, Sa-Su nights in Madrid, Monday ED, Friday car drop off. I think I did 2000 kms in the 4 days I had the car...was just under 4 days, like 92 hours or so. 10 countries, 9 in the car. I called it an ED Blitz, because that's exactly what it was.

Other driving experiences in Europe were in rented cars. One great one I did was an "alpine driving tour" where I took my father through 7 countries in 6 days in a rented 420d 6MT m-sport vert. Great car btw. That one hit Stelvio, Lake Como, Col de la Bonnette, Alps Maritimes, Hahntennjoch, Furka, Klausen. I think it was 1400 miles.

If I can get my allocation, this trip I'm planning has me heading toward the castles, Hahntennjoch/Stelvio, down over the triangle passes, and then on along the Riviera, all the way over to Spain/Andorra and then up to Bordeaux and back across France to Nurburg. First service in France is possibly sketch, but yolo.

So yea, I get the car and go for it! I am not the norm though...I did a 4 night long weekend in New Zealand last fall.
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      05-28-2020, 03:55 PM   #8
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Here is a closer view of our short dip into Italy. I was initially intending on it being just a drive through that connects us from Lienz to Seefeld, which would set us up for Hahntenjoch the following day. This route was entirely arbitrary and just dragging around on Google Maps to find roads that looked to be winding and with good topography
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      05-28-2020, 04:34 PM   #9
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BTW, I am planning on doing a ED in that same time frame. As most of us, still waiting for confirmation on dates and production numbers. Besides that hurdle, is convincing my wife and kids to come along. My wife is not stoked about the current situation and definitely not traveling with it. It will either range from me not going, me going by myself, me going with my oldest daughter or my wife/2 daughters going. I need to start planning my trip, but will keep it under a week. I will be watching your planning for inspiration.
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      05-28-2020, 05:15 PM   #10
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MinionM3 and mercury26, you guys may want to try to coordinate with karussell. He has done a couple group deliveries in the past at the Welt and he is planning this year's around (not a group, yet) September 17, IIRC.
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      05-28-2020, 08:29 PM   #11
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Highly recommend driving down to northern Italy, especially Modena, Milan, and lake como. Roads are nice. Scenery is amazing and there are some amazing car museums along the way, especially around Modena (lambo, Ferrari and pagani)
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      05-29-2020, 10:43 AM   #12
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Looks like fun, but it's a lot of driving. I would suggest a couple down days just to relax.
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      05-29-2020, 12:50 PM   #13
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Bro! Congrats once again!

Here's my advice:

So, routes look good, biggest thing, keeping driving less than 500 miles/day is very good idea. It's exhausting driving so much in one day in foreign countries, and then you'll have your wife with you on top of that, trust me it is stressful. No one really talks about that.

I'd highly recommend moving your delivery day to day 3 of your trip. Spending 2 solid nights adjusting to the time zone will pay massive dividends later for your body and your health, and energy levels for the rest of your trip.

Plan on getting a little lost. Factor that into each day. There was one time I missed an exit on the Italian Autostrada and the next exit was over 20 miles away. That ate up time, money and miles on the car.

Gas is not cheap over there. Plan for that.

Try to get a full 10 hours of rest each night. It'll give you good energy for the days driving ahead and keep your immune system high. That's a rule we have as airline pilots, 10 hours "uninterrupted rest" minimum.

Don't forget about your wife. Europe is a very romantic place and a great ED can lead to happy memories in your future.

Study up on driving laws and what you'll need. You'll need stickers and have to pay certain taxes and tolls driving through Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.

If you can coordinate, I'd highly recommend caravanning with other ED'ers if possible. Especially ones who have done it before.

Try to hit the Autobahn as least once in an unrestricted section. It's legendary!

Drink lots of beer over there. It's the best!

When you get to the Ring. Trust me. Do the first lap by yourself in the car. This way you can learn it a bit and also enjoy your time with the car. It's a bonding experience between you and the car the first time you drive it on the Ring. After that, have your wife travel with you on every subsequent lap if she wants to.

Most of the roads and highways over there are 10 times better than over here in the USA. If you do get a flat though, know immediately who to call and how to handle it.

In September, there is rain in Europe. Plan for that. You might want to bring a small umbrella or rain gear.

That's all I can think of for now. I'll add more later if I can remember more stuff.

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      05-30-2020, 04:49 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RPiM5 View Post
When you get to the Ring. Trust me. Do the first lap by yourself in the car. This way you can learn it a bit and also enjoy your time with the car. It's a bonding experience between you and the car the first time you drive it on the Ring. After that, have your wife travel with you on every subsequent lap if she wants to.
The first lap by yourself isn't a great idea if you're a novice. There is the need to learn the track, to watch your mirrors and coupled with the excitement, it's a recipe for disaster. Hiring an instructor for a few laps to learn the line is highly advised, even if you're a track regular. I recommend an instructor from Apex Nurburg or RSR.

Also, the insurance no longer covers driving on the Nurburgring for the remaining ED cars. That's another big consideration.
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      05-30-2020, 05:07 PM   #15
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Quote:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RPiM5 View Post
When you get to the Ring. Trust me. Do the first lap by yourself in the car. This way you can learn it a bit and also enjoy your time with the car. It's a bonding experience between you and the car the first time you drive it on the Ring. After that, have your wife travel with you on every subsequent lap if she wants to.
The first lap by yourself isn't a great idea if you're a novice. There is the need to learn the track, to watch your mirrors and coupled with the excitement, it's a recipe for disaster. Hiring an instructor for a few laps to learn the line is highly advised, even if you're a track regular. I recommend an instructor from Apex Nurburg or RSR.

Also, the insurance no longer covers driving on the Nurburgring for the remaining ED cars. That's another big consideration.
I am definitely looking into supplemental insurance to protect the car for the day at the Ring - I am far from a novice on track - I've been track driving for many many years 👍🏻👍🏻 my current track car below - I'm also not planning on trying to take the car anywhere near "race" pace... I am just a track enthusiast and purely want the experience of having driven on one of the most famous tracks in the world 😬
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      05-31-2020, 03:35 AM   #16
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i'm picking up mid september. suggest doing sectional training at the nurburgring. its a blast, best way to safely experience it too. i have a couple thousand laps on the course. this is my 10th ed trip. i'm mostly driving all the tracks i can. hockenheim, nordschleife, ring gp, spa, zandvoort. i suggest avoiding Switzerland and France if you can. they really are not too friendly to driving enthusiasts.
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      05-31-2020, 04:44 AM   #17
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4. looks like you can do stelvio pass on this day. I drove back from st.moritz just to do that and it was the highlight of my trip
5. neuschwanstein castle is a high tourist spot. you will have to book your tickets for a given time slot and make sure u are there at that time. (but given Covid the crowds may not be crazy). there is a walk upto the castle which could take 30-45 mins each way and you might want to walk up a bit further through the back of the castle a bridge over a gorge called Mary's bridge which will give you the iconic castle view
8. highly recommend you go through triberg. its famous for its waterfall and cuckoo clocks. plus the Black Forest roads are just fab.
for the Swiss part, the traffic is just terrible I lost furka pass cause I was stuck in traffic for most of the day on the interstate. make sure you have the vignettes/toll stickers. carry AAA international driving permit (I was stopped both by German police and Swiss police and the German guy asked for booklet specifically)

I would also suggest explore a bit of austria/italy/swiss rather than keeping it just driving and getting your butt sore. that will also keep the wife/gf happy. Lucerne has mt pilatus, Zurich has many spots, South Tyrol has nice castles and towns like vipiteno and chiusa and so on..
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      05-31-2020, 02:07 PM   #18
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Quote:
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i'm picking up mid september. suggest doing sectional training at the nurburgring. its a blast, best way to safely experience it too. i have a couple thousand laps on the course. this is my 10th ed trip. i'm mostly driving all the tracks i can. hockenheim, nordschleife, ring gp, spa, zandvoort. i suggest avoiding Switzerland and France if you can. they really are not too friendly to driving enthusiasts.
Are you getting a group together for this? What dates are you going? I had toyed with a similar idea as well.... how many days you planning to be there? I just didn't think the Mrs. would be game for the whole trip to be focused on EU's famous race tracks - but surprisingly she is in.
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      06-02-2020, 11:05 AM   #19
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Piece of advise to folks doing breakin service while in Germany. Be sure to schedule your service appointments while at the Welt/during pickup. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of German speaking Welt/Delivery employees because none of the dealerships i tried to contact spoke English.

And make sure you get a receipt so BMW USA reimburses you.
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      06-02-2020, 11:28 AM   #20
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Piece of advise to folks doing breakin service while in Germany. Be sure to schedule your service appointments while at the Welt/during pickup. I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of German speaking Welt/Delivery employees because none of the dealerships i tried to contact spoke English.

And make sure you get a receipt so BMW USA reimburses you.
Does this work if you plan to do that service outside Germany?
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      06-02-2020, 11:32 AM   #21
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Does this work if you plan to do that service outside Germany?
It may. in my experience, folks at the Welt speak multiple languages and are super helpful
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      06-02-2020, 04:34 PM   #22
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Does this work if you plan to do that service outside Germany?
Yes, I believe so. Check with BMWNA though. But be aware that the break in service is around 700 to 900 euros over here. Germany is the land where an simple oil change costs ~400 euros.

The BMW factory run dealer down the street from the Welt is a good place to have the break in service done. They have FOUR 16 bay shops built underneath the dealership. You'd never no it. This is also the dealership that services most of the "zebra's" or camo cars.


BMW Niederlassung München

Frankfurter Ring 35
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tel. 089353510 (calling inside of Germany)
or calling from the USA... 011- 4989353510

The staff here does speak English.


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