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Doing ED in May - tentative itinerary

7K views 66 replies 22 participants last post by  jtuds 
#1 · (Edited)
I placed my order on Tuesday night so I am in contact witht he dealership about arranging a delivery date and whatnot. But I have been planning the trip for almost a year so I am pretty sure about where I want to go, at least right up until the last few days.

Here it is:

Day 1 (Friday): Fly to Munich
Day 2: Arrive Munich
Day 3: Munich
Day 4 (Monday): Delivery, drive to Salzburg via Berchtesgaden and German Alpine Road
Day 5: Depart Salzburg, drive to Vienna
Day 6: Vienna
Day 7: Depart Vienna, drive to Krakow
Day 8: Krakow
Day 9: Depart Krakow, drive to Prague
Day 10: Prague
Day 11: Depart Prague, drive to Nurburgring - drive the Ring
Day 12: wake up, drive the Ring again, head south toward Switzerland, try to take in an hour or so of driving in the Black Forest, end up in Zurich
Day 13: Zurich (maybe go to Lucerne...not sure. People have told me Zurich isn't too exciting.
Day 14: Depart Zurich, drive to Milan via San Bernardino Pass
Day 15: Milan
Day 16: Depart Milan, drive to Nice - maybe drop off car
Day 17: Maybe drop off car, maybe spend day in Nice, maybe come home
Day 18: if not already home, come home.

There may be time in here to spend a full day at Nurburg. And maybe time to spend two full days in Nice after dropping off the car, or maybe one day in Zurich and one day in Lucerne.

Crappy thing about this itinerary is that we get back mid-week. I can either power through and work a few days like a zombie when I get back or just take all 3 weeks off. But my wife would definitely have to work.

If it were up to me, we'd cut out Italy and France and save it for another trip...but she really wants to go to Italy. Thing is, May temps in Nice average only 20 Celsius....so it shouldnt be expenvise to stay but it's not like we'll be spending our last day lounging on the beach.

Either way I am pumped. It's about 5 hours driving every other day. Seems like a lot but that's what I'm there for. I like the idea of having a day or two in each city to get a tate and decide which ones I'd like to visit again.
 
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#2 ·
I placed my order on Tuesday night so I am in contact witht he dealership about arranging a delivery date and whatnot. But I have been planning the trip for almost a year so I am pretty sure about where I want to go, at least right up until the last few days.

Here it is:

Day 1 (Friday): Fly to Munich
Day 2: Arrive Munich
Day 3: Munich
Day 4 (Monday): Delivery, drive to Salzburg via Berchtesgaden and German Alpine Road
Day 5: Depart Salzburg, drive to Vienna
Day 6: Vienna
Day 7: Depart Vienna, drive to Krakow
Day 8: Krakow
Day 9: Depart Krakow, drive to Prague
Day 10: Prague
Day 11: Depart Prague, drive to Nurburgring - drive the Ring
Day 12: wake up, drive the Ring again, head south toward Switzerland, try to take in an hour or so of driving in the Black Forest, end up in Zurich
Day 13: Zurich (maybe go to Lucerne...not sure. People have told me Zurich isn't too exciting.
Day 14: Depart Zurich, drive to Milan via San Bernardino Pass
Day 15: Milan
Day 16: Depart Milan, drive to Nice - maybe drop off car
Day 17: Maybe drop off car, maybe spend day in Nice, maybe come home
Day 18: if not already home, come home.

There may be time in here to spend a full day at Nurburg. And maybe time to spend two full days in Nice after dropping off the car, or maybe one day in Zurich and one day in Lucerne.

Crappy thing about this itinerary is that we get back mid-week. I can either power through and work a few days like a zombie when I get back or just take all 3 weeks off. But my wife would definitely have to work.

If it were up to me, we'd cut out Italy and France and save it for another trip...but she really wants to go to Italy. Thing is, May temps in Nice average only 20 Celsius....so it shouldnt be expenvise to stay but it's not like we'll be spending our last day lounging on the beach.

Either way I am pumped. It's about 5 hours driving every other day. Seems like a lot but that's what I'm there for. I like the idea of having a day or two in each city to get a tate and decide which ones I'd like to visit again.
I would agree that Zurich is not that exciting. Unless you're crazy about Milan, I'd suggest going to the Lake Como area instead. It's beautiful there with some lovely little towns like Cernobbio and Bellagio. ED is the best. Have fun.
 
#3 ·
Is your trip all about the driving or enjoying the sights? I've been to most of the places on your list and 1/2 day in each is about enough time for a walking tour and a couple meals.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Where am I spending half a day?

And I can't not go to Poland, it's my homeland (my family's homeland) so it's a priority.

I don't deny that this is an ambitious itinerary, but I saw in London and Paris for a total of 6 days a couple years ago and I feel like I saw enough of those places to not need to go back for awhile. I don't doubt there's a lot of places on that list, but I want to make sure my 1.5 to 2 days is full of activity...I'm not a fan of downtime when I'm paying a lot to be somewhere. It's why I've never gone to an all inclusive and don't plan to until its the only thing Ive got left to do
 
#4 · (Edited)
It might take you 1 day to find a place to park in Milan :D

If I were you I'd stay out of Milan, Poland the and Czech Republic and continue South to Tuscany and then finish your trip on the French Riviera - I like Juan les Pins better than Nice...and like IT better than just about anywhere.

dk
 
#5 ·
I echo this, the OP original plan is too ambitious, the typical "lets put a checkmark in the places I have been in Europe even if I am huffing and puffing to make it" type of plan that 1st timers end up regretting later. If Italy is a priority, going to Tuscany, perhaps swinging through the Cinque Terre on the way to a Nice dropoff makes the most sense.

You will likely go back.
 
#7 ·
Poland is gorgeous, and Krakow is a charming city. I'd be heading toward to Tatra mountains for a couple days if I were of Polish descent. If Switzerland is a MUST-SEE, head to Interlaken and skip Zurich. It's just a city.

I understand a desire to get on the road, particularly with a new BMW waiting to be driven, but I don't envy the amount of time you'll be on those roads gettting from one destination to another. Not much to see or do on a highway.
 
#8 ·
Notwithstanding my comments above, if anyone is in the region(s) I plan to visit and is familiar with those cities or the driving conditions between them, I would appreciate some detail as to why my timeline is too tight. For example, If I am in, say, Prague for an afternoon, a full day, and a morning, what will that look like in terms of being able to do stuff?

I am not a fan of lines, and I am not going to find out about stuff then go there to see it becuase it is the thing you're supposed to see. For example, I am not going to google "top 10 things to see in Prague" then try to see as many things as I can see in 2 days. I'll maybe try to hit up what catches my eye on that list, then spend the rest of my time walking around and looking at whatever looks cool. In London and Paris I knew about alot of the big stuff, so I saw it and then still had about a half day to wander.

In all the places I've listed in my itinerary, my only must-see attractions are the old part of munich, the old part of Krakow, Auschwitz, Nurburgring, the Alps, and the Riviera. I know Prague, Salzburg, Vienna, etc all have castels and cathedrals and opera houses and museums, but I'm not a guy who visits those places just becuase they're there. I'm attracted to places that have historical significance to me, and beyond that, I jus tlike to look around and see how peole live and note how it is different from what I am familiar with.
 
#9 ·
Notwithstanding my comments above, if anyone is in the region(s) I plan to visit and is familiar with those cities or the driving conditions between them, I would appreciate some detail as to why my timeline is too tight. For example, If I am in, say, Prague for an afternoon, a full day, and a morning, what will that look like in terms of being able to do stuff?

I am not a fan of lines, and I am not going to find out about stuff then go there to see it becuase it is the thing you're supposed to see. For example, I am not going to google "top 10 things to see in Prague" then try to see as many things as I can see in 2 days. I'll maybe try to hit up what catches my eye on that list, then spend the rest of my time walking around and looking at whatever looks cool. In London and Paris I knew about alot of the big stuff, so I saw it and then still had about a half day to wander.

In all the places I've listed in my itinerary, my only must-see attractions are the old part of munich, the old part of Krakow, Auschwitz, Nurburgring, the Alps, and the Riviera. I know Prague, Salzburg, Vienna, etc all have castels and cathedrals and opera houses and museums, but I'm not a guy who visits those places just becuase they're there. I'm attracted to places that have historical significance to me, and beyond that, I jus tlike to look around and see how peole live and note how it is different from what I am familiar with.
You asked for advise, and the plan is ambitious for most even driving enthusiasts who would not want to do that much driving, but if may be your cup of tea, so go for it then, it is your trip. First make sure you put the destinations in google maps or another planner so you can see how much time behind the windshield you are going to have. Good luck!
 
#14 ·
That's where I need advice from the insiders. I have no idea how many high traffic areas I'm passing through. So if google maps says 5 hours (which would allow me to leave at noon and arrive at my destination while the sun is still up) but in reality it takes 7 or 8 hours because of traffic (which would make for an extremely long haul and may mean driving in the dark in a city I've never been to) then I would really like to know before I start booking hotels. Only people who have been in and around these places have this information, which makes it hard for me to tell whether I'm being over ambitious or just ambitious.
So a couple things.

Everyone's concerns here are well warranted IMHO. You've got a ton of driving (maybe 2300 miles) in 18 days with 9 destinations. I'm a crazy auto-driving enthusiast, and that would wear my butte out. Especially keep in mind that a significant portion of your driving will be ye-standard-highway. Autobahns and Autostradas are not much different than US Interstates except for different speeds in places. It's fun to hit 150 mph, but after 10 minutes, you are used to it and sitting in cruise control. Heck, my wife fell asleep on the autobahn when I was in cruise control going 140 mph during our first ED. So when you are looking at distances, keep that in mind. The highway driving will get old.

SD Z4MR is also absolutely correct. Google maps is not nearly as accurate with timing in Europe as it is in the North America. If Gmaps says 4 hrs, plan on 6 and be happy when you get there in 5. This is especially true when you get on the backroads where a horse drawn cart of goods can shut down traffic in both directions (I've seen this in Austria).

Loganradio is also dead on. With one day per city, you will (likely, I know I would) sleep in late, have a big breakfast and then leave to explore about noon. Explore for half a day, then eat dinner, relax and go to bed. It's almost a waste to stop in them unless you are just looking to check off boxes. You're doing this while visiting amazing cities with tons to do and see.

For example, my wife and I were in Vienna in December for my most recent ED. We were there for 3 days, and saw maybe 50% of stuff on our list to see. There are half a dozen palaces, the most beautiful opera house I've ever seen, gorgeous architecture, a historic horse riding school, a cathedral, cool bars, great food, fantastic people and a large downtown area that is fun to explore and just chews time. And the only line we ever stood in was for the subway and Glühwein.

We were also in Salzburg for three days and could have spent four more days there easy. We spent a day driving around the region (which is gorgeous), visited one of the many castles, and spent some time wandering the downtown area. The best drive I've ever taken in my life is outside of Salzburg, and I'm sure there are a dozen more out there waiting to be found in that area.

So when people say there is stuff to do, it isn't old people in rocking chairs that want to spend 15 hrs in a museum talking, then a day relaxing on a patio looking at a mountain (this is BMW forum...it's full of driving/exploring enthusiasts) there is really stuff to do.

If it was my itinerary, I'd axe the Nurburgring and everything after Milan, then change Milan into Lake Como. Head from Como back to Munich, drop the car off, go home. Then balance your days across the remaining cities. That will give you 18 days in 6 destinations and allow you to focus on what interests you (like seeing where you lineage is from, which you've already mentioned). It will also heavily cut down on your hotel changes, which get old, impact your plans (be out by X:XX AM in the morning) and burn up time. Alternately, cut everything after the Ring and rebalance you time between those cities. Just run the Ring on Forza a couple times before you leave to maximize your enjoyment.

Your itinerary reminds me of people that go to Disney World and try to hit every attraction in week. They over-plan, get behind, get frustrated, hurry between places and end their vacation exhausted and find that they didn't enjoy it much.

This is just my 2 cents. Feel free to ignore it, but I'd love to hear how your trip ends up regardless.

One other thing - keep in mind that every single country you travel too will have its own traffic laws. You will need to be familiar with them before you leave or you could literally end up in an uncomfortable place.
 
#15 ·
So a couple things.

Everyone's concerns here are well warranted IMHO. You've got a ton of driving (maybe 2300 miles) in 18 days with 9 destinations. I'm a crazy auto-driving enthusiast, and that would wear my butte out. Especially keep in mind that a significant portion of your driving will be ye-standard-highway. Autobahns and Autostradas are not much different than US Interstates except for different speeds in places. It's fun to hit 150 mph, but after 10 minutes, you are used to it and sitting in cruise control. Heck, my wife fell asleep on the autobahn when I was in cruise control going 140 mph during our first ED. So when you are looking at distances, keep that in mind. The highway driving will get old.

SD Z4MR is also absolutely correct. Google maps is not nearly as accurate with timing in Europe as it is in the North America. If Gmaps says 4 hrs, plan on 6 and be happy when you get there in 5. This is especially true when you get on the backroads where a horse drawn cart of goods can shut down traffic in both directions (I've seen this in Austria).

Loganradio is also dead on. With one day per city, you will (likely, I know I would) sleep in late, have a big breakfast and then leave to explore about noon. Explore for half a day, then eat dinner, relax and go to bed. It's almost a waste to stop in them unless you are just looking to check off boxes. You're doing this while visiting amazing cities with tons to do and see.

For example, my wife and I were in Vienna in December for my most recent ED. We were there for 3 days, and saw maybe 50% of stuff on our list to see. There are half a dozen palaces, the most beautiful opera house I've ever seen, gorgeous architecture, a historic horse riding school, a cathedral, cool bars, great food, fantastic people and a large downtown area that is fun to explore and just chews time. And the only line we ever stood in was for the subway and Glühwein.

We were also in Salzburg for three days and could have spent four more days there easy. We spent a day driving around the region (which is gorgeous), visited one of the many castles, and spent some time wandering the downtown area. The best drive I've ever taken in my life is outside of Salzburg, and I'm sure there are a dozen more out there waiting to be found in that area.

So when people say there is stuff to do, it isn't old people in rocking chairs that want to spend 15 hrs in a museum talking, then a day relaxing on a patio looking at a mountain (this is BMW forum...it's full of driving/exploring enthusiasts) there is really stuff to do.

If it was my itinerary, I'd axe the Nurburgring and everything after Milan, then change Milan into Lake Como. Head from Como back to Munich, drop the car off, go home. Then balance your days across the remaining cities. That will give you 18 days in 6 destinations and allow you to focus on what interests you (like seeing where you lineage is from, which you've already mentioned). It will also heavily cut down on your hotel changes, which get old, impact your plans (be out by X:XX AM in the morning) and burn up time. Alternately, cut everything after the Ring and rebalance you time between those cities. Just run the Ring on Forza a couple times before you leave to maximize your enjoyment.

Your itinerary reminds me of people that go to Disney World and try to hit every attraction in week. They over-plan, get behind, get frustrated, hurry between places and end their vacation exhausted and find that they didn't enjoy it much.

This is just my 2 cents. Feel free to ignore it, but I'd love to hear how your trip ends up regardless.

One other thing - keep in mind that every single country you travel too will have its own traffic laws. You will need to be familiar with them before you leave or you could literally end up in an uncomfortable place.
Hey thanks, I appreciate all this. Hell of a post. I'll look at the whole thing and see what I might be able to reconfigure. Also, regarding the driving laws...did you experience anything odd? I know there's the ED wiki on this site that contains alot of info but anywhere else?
 
#11 ·
I placed my order on Tuesday night so I am in contact witht he dealership about arranging a delivery date and whatnot. But I have been planning the trip for almost a year so I am pretty sure about where I want to go, at least right up until the last few days.

Here it is:

Day 1 (Friday): Fly to Munich
Day 2: Arrive Munich
Day 3: Munich
Day 4 (Monday): Delivery, drive to Salzburg via Berchtesgaden and German Alpine Road
Day 5: Depart Salzburg, drive to Vienna
Day 6: Vienna
Day 7: Depart Vienna, drive to Krakow
Day 8: Krakow
Day 9: Depart Krakow, drive to Prague
Day 10: Prague
Day 11: Depart Prague, drive to Nurburgring - drive the Ring
Day 12: wake up, drive the Ring again, head south toward Switzerland, try to take in an hour or so of driving in the Black Forest, end up in Zurich
Day 13: Zurich (maybe go to Lucerne...not sure. People have told me Zurich isn't too exciting.
Day 14: Depart Zurich, drive to Milan via San Bernardino Pass
Day 15: Milan
Day 16: Depart Milan, drive to Nice - maybe drop off car
Day 17: Maybe drop off car, maybe spend day in Nice, maybe come home
Day 18: if not already home, come home.

There may be time in here to spend a full day at Nurburg. And maybe time to spend two full days in Nice after dropping off the car, or maybe one day in Zurich and one day in Lucerne.

Crappy thing about this itinerary is that we get back mid-week. I can either power through and work a few days like a zombie when I get back or just take all 3 weeks off. But my wife would definitely have to work.

If it were up to me, we'd cut out Italy and France and save it for another trip...but she really wants to go to Italy. Thing is, May temps in Nice average only 20 Celsius....so it shouldnt be expenvise to stay but it's not like we'll be spending our last day lounging on the beach.

Either way I am pumped. It's about 5 hours driving every other day. Seems like a lot but that's what I'm there for. I like the idea of having a day or two in each city to get a tate and decide which ones I'd like to visit again.
Speaking strictly for myself, 9 places in 16 days is somewhat ambitious (18 days minus two travel days).
Milan is nice, however, Lake Como and perhaps Venice might be better places to spend time in Italy. If you want to venture a little deeper south, consider Florence. Venice and/or Florence might be better visits.

Spend time in Munich and visit the Alps. Munich is a city with history and culture. There is plenty to do and see.

Prague is supposed to be one of the jewels of Europe. Definitely visit.

Nurburg and Nurburgring, from what I hear, is a driving enthusiast's dream.

Folks will recommend that you plan to spend at least two days in each place.

I can't comment on your other destinations.
 
#13 ·
Roads in the Geman speaking parts of europe are generally super, the flip side of the coin is road construction. (km. after km......does it ever end :eek:)
So when I say it took us 4 1/2 hrs, you might get lucky and do the same drive in 3 hrs or unlucky and take 6 hrs.
On the mountain passes you'll encounter tour buses and bicycles, both will add time to the drive.
In Italy it's tollboths, they are every where on the autostrasa, 1 minute here 2 minutes there adds up.

Pad Goggles drive times by at least 20%, try to avoid rush hours. (best way to deal with rush hour is from a sidewalk cafe with a cold drink in hand :bigpimp:)

If it were me, I'd cut out a few stops and spend more time in each. There is always next trip.;)
 
#16 ·
Aggie says it all spot-on :thumbup:

- but maybe the Nurburgring is high up on your agenda, so do that, spread your time out more elsewhere, not necessarily longer in the cities but taking in some of the many interesting towns and villages off your route, and do more in Switzerland before dropping off your car in Zurich and flying back from there. It really is too much to do any stuff South of Lake Como - leave that for another time.
 
#18 ·
Can you drop off in Zurich? Because I know that a Italy drop-off costs more.

I want to see the Riviera, but it appears that the weather in May is pretty cool so it's not liek we'd be able to spend any time on a beach. I think there will be a lot of time in the future to take a trip to the French/Italian Riviera that will be dedicated to that region, as opposed to driving along it en route to drop off the vehicle.

The Italy/France leg was really just to throw my wife a bone so she didnt feel like she was jsut tagging along on my vacation.

But maybe what I could do is take my time goign from Nurburg to Zurich, then spend a day or two in Zurich, drive south through San Bernardino Pass and loop back up to Lucerne, hang out there for a day or two, then drop off in Munich and fly home...

It will be a hell of alot easier to get direct flights to Toronto from Munich than any of the ther places I am visiting.
 
#17 ·
Like everyone else says, I would prioritize what is most important for you to see. If you say Munich(since you pickup there), Poland, Nurburgring, and Switzerland; that is plenty for that length of trip. Italy should be an entirely separate trip altogether(and I wouldn't waste my time with Milan either). Just looking at your itinerary, there is no way I would drive 6+hrs from Prague to the Nurburgring, and then feel like I would have the energy or concentration to get on the track. You will completely burn yourself out within a week.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Here's my suggestion. It primarily combines the trips to Italy/Austria into a single loop while giving time in Florence rather than Milan and also gets you to Venice.

Day 1-3 - as described
Day 4 - delivery then overnight in or just south of Munich (driving after your day at the Welt either means you'll be really tired or you'll need to skip part of the experience, which would be a shame)
Day 5 - drive to Florence - we made an early start and got there by late afternoon
day 6 - in Florence
Day 7 - drive to Venice
Day 8 - in Venice
Day 9 - drive to Salzburg (you'll have to to poke around in the afternoon)
Day 10 - morning in Salzburg, then drive to Vienna
Day 11 - in Vienna
Day 12 - drive to Krakow
Day 13 - in Krakow
Day 14 - drive to Prague
Day 15 - in Prague
Day 16 - Drive to Nurmburg
Day 17 - Nurmburg, then drive to Munich
Day 18 - Drop can and fly home.
 
#37 ·
I read all thread and come back to this post - milepig - Great Job!
Many great advises! At the end - you have to choose what is good for you and your wife.
re-read all posts again, behind each post a BIG experience and willingness to help YOU made right decisions and answer all your questions.
 
#26 ·
Relax, a random chain smoking italian dude will not drive your car outside of the Italy dropoffs, the Swiss only hire their own random dudes. Seriously, it applies only to Italy.
 
#28 ·
I'm still trying to sort out where to spend extra time if I cut out Milan and Nice.

I can't extend the visits to each of Salzburg, Vienna, Krakow, and Prague by a day...but I can extend some by a day. Krakow and Prague? Prague and Nurburg? Hard to know fi you've never been there. Another option would be to spend a night somewhere in/around the black forest after Nurburgring.

I dunno...
 
#29 ·
Jtuds - as you're probably realizing, most of the seasoned ED'ers/European Travelers here on the fest tend to have a more relaxed pace. Yes there are a few "Griswold's" here that just want to visit as many places as possible just to get their own picture of the famous cites but for the most part, people here tend to want to spend time at local cafe's/gasthauses/biergartens and soak up the atmosphere. I prefer the slower pace of travel myself as you definitely feel more relaxed and you notice much more of the subtle differences in culture that makes every place unique.

One other consideration for you: many of your original destinations are relatively accessible via direct flight or rail/air connections from the US (Vienna, Prague, Milan, etc). Consider saving some of those for a non ED related vacation(s) where you can fly in, explore and train/fly on to another easily accessible city. Not to mention, many of these cities are a headache with a car (traffic, parking, one way/ped only zones, Environmental zones, etc). I suggest focusing on smaller, of the beaten path points of interest that are more car friendly. Consider narrowing your "must-do" list down to 3 or 4 points of interest and then populate the time in between with points of interest along the way. Also, consider having most of these days as unscheduled (e.g. no specific hotel reservations) to allow you the freedom to explore more in one area or move on sooner.

For example: You mentioned Krakow as a must see due to family history. Upon departing Munich, you could take a southerly path and visit Cesky Krumlov or Ceske Budejovice on the way to split travel time. There are several smaller points of interest on a more central or northerly route too.

All that said, it doesn't sound like you are a novice when it comes to Europe. So if you know your own ideal pace and level of interest in what most typical European cities have to offer, have fun! Most here will still be jealous of your vacation, especially as we're sitting behind our computer keyboards.
 
#30 ·
Those are all great cities that merit more time than a "drive by". Prague alone merits 3 or days and you will not have seen all of the great sites. Sending a few hours in each city is a waste of time. Besides you will return again to do BMW European Delivery.
 
#31 · (Edited)
I'm not planning on spending a few hours anywhere...i will be at least a full day in each city except I just don't know what all these great sites are aside from the ones I already know about.

The question I am trying to answer is: Do I want to just go and see the main attractions I know about then move on, or do I want to have time to see the main attractions as well as find out about and explore other things that will peak my interest that I don't already know about....

I'll try to explain what I mean:

Salzburg - I want to see that castle on the hill
Vienna - no idea, my wife is a psychiatrist and wants to go there because of Freud
Krakow - Au*****z, and looking around at the Old Town
Prague - castle, charles bridge, that old clock
Nurburgring - it's obvious
Zurich - no idea...mountains and scenery I guess
Milan - that really old mall where I know I won't be able to afford anything, and my wife wants to go to Italy so I'm throwing her a bone
Nice - views along the Riviera

These are all the things I know about in the places we are going to visit. I absolutely know there will be things I will see and say "man I really want to go check that out but I don't have time" ...I just wish I knew what those things will be ahead of time so I'd be able to plan this trip better. What's killing me is that you just don't know till you get there....

If it were up to me, I'd cut out Milan and Nice entirely...but the wife...

All that said, it doesn't sound like you are a novice when it comes to Europe. So if you know your own ideal pace and level of interest in what most typical European cities have to offer, have fun! Most here will still be jealous of your vacation, especially as we're sitting behind our computer keyboards.
Hey thanks for the input. I do see where you are coming from. I prefer slow travel too, but I always let my "gotta do everything right now" urges get the better of me. If I could do it my way, I'd fly to Munich one way with a backpack and no itinerary and come home when I ran out of money...but Bimmers require jobs and employers like scheduled vacations.

One thing I have been considering is not really booking hotels and just having a return date set...it will be pricier, but at least I'd never feel rushed...
 
#33 · (Edited)
The best way to identify great sites in any city is to start with the Green Michelin Guides. I have been to Europe 10 times and i have never been disappointed with anything that they gave an "Outstanding" rating. Half the fun of doing a European vacation is doing the research and developing the itinerary.

As much as I enjoy driving a new BMW, which I can do in the US, my preference is spend more time walking, enjoying, and understanding a great city. I want to develop an understanding of the people, place, and culture. It takes days to do that and it is quite enjoyable.
 
#34 ·
jtuds: "One thing I have been considering is not really booking hotels and just having a return date set...it will be pricier, but at least I'd never feel rushed..."

In May you should be able to "wing it" without much risk. You still need to have a basic plan and an idea of what alternatives appeal to you. If not you might find that the day before your flight home that you have to do Krakow to Nice in one day. We usually try to make our European trips in the off season and make only the first and last nights' hotel reservations before we leave. But we do have an overall plan and if we stay an extra day or two here we reduce our time in one or more places later in the trip.

I would like to add my name to those that have said that Zurich is just another big city with very little charm. I definitely would not spend two nights there. Instead I would go to the Bernese Oberland and go up the Jungfraujoch if the weather is good. If the weather is expected to be bad skip the Jungfraujoch and the BO and head on down to Lake Como. Stay in Lenno or Bellagio (Bellagio is a somewhat nervewracking drive) and enjoy the sights/towns around the lake on the ferry. Lake Como is beautiful and Bellagio has some small (expensive) shops that might meet your wife's shopping needs. If not, then spend the morning in Milan on your way to Nice.

Nice and the Cote d'Azur are neat places to explore. If your wife could not find what she wanted in Bellagio or Milan you can go to Monte Carlo. The shopping and the sights in Monaco are worth a stop. The Villa Ephrussi in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is worth a relaxing several hours, the view from Eze Village of the Mediterranean is spectacular and often the view on the beaches of St Tropez can be spectacular too. So, while you are throwing your wife a bone you may find that you are enjoying your self too. Also the weather in May on the Cote d'Azur should be in the mid 60s to mid 70s (F), quite pleasant for sightseeing.
 
#39 ·
The tires installed on your car have nothing to do with the time of the year. Summer tires are installed even on many cars delivered in the winter - which is why people doing ED at that time of year often need to have rented winter tires installed before they take delivery.
 
#43 ·
This schedule is going to make you anxious, good thing your wife is a shrink.
 
#44 ·
I am gonna be anxious either way. One one hand, I'll be anxious thinking about that fact that I'm driving 5 hours again in a day and a half after I arrive somewhere. On the other hand, if I'm in a city I'm ready to leave but have to stay because the hotel is booked, I'll be anxious thinking about all the other stuff I could be seeing but am not seeing. There's no perfect way to do this...I am trying to convince myself to forget about the San Bernardino Pass.

Pretty sure we've already axed Nice. I might suggest scrapping Vienna as well
 
#45 · (Edited)
Booked 2 nights at Hotel Am Tiergarten today as a placeholder after I found out that Hotel An Der Nordschleife is already full. Tiergarten is pricier by like 24 Euros, but I can cancel with no charges up to 14 days from arrival.

Also, it looks like you can walk to the castle pretty much from the hotel so after a couple morning laps if we want to take a break and walk around, we can.

Itinerary-wise, it looks like driving to Poland is out. The wife found cheap flights from Vienna to Krakow so we're thinking of a Vienna dropoff and a flight to Krakow to end the ttrip, then home from there.

We'll do the whole trip in the opposite direction. If I can get San Bernardino out of my head, then the Milan leg might be axed as well....

we want to go to italy next year anyway...so Milan could be part of that trip....but the San Barnardino Pass is one of the best driving roads in the world so I kinda want to do it.
 
#46 · (Edited)
I'd ask what type of overall pace do you want. Do you want to take it slow and relaxed or fit as much as you can in? Do you take lots of photos?

I'd also point you away from Zurich. I was planning on going there but as people say, it's 'just a big city' so I opted to go to Lucerne for lunch and a few photos then I'm heading over to Mulhouse France. If I had more time I'd absolutely go to Jungfraujoch without question. I hear a lot of Germany Cieties are 90% the same, over and over, but Jungfraujoch is more foreign and unique. Very different views than anywhere else you'll likely see.

For Nurburgring, check the schedules that were posted this week. I had to move my entire trip back 5 days due to it being closed for 8 days, I think you're fine but check. They're also doing training and A license testing in May, if you have just over a thousand Euros to spend you could actually get the license which could be a fun experience.
 
#47 ·
I'd ask what type of overall pace do you want. Do you want to take it slow and relaxed or fit as much as you can in? Do you take lots of photos?

I'd also point you away from Zurich. I was planning on going there but as people say, it's 'just a big city' so I opted to go to Lucerne for lunch and a few photos then I'm heading over to Mulhouse France. If I had more time I'd absolutely go to Jungfraujoch without question. I hear a lot of Germany Cieties are 90% the same, over and over, but Jungfraujoch is more foreign and unique. Very different views than anywhere else you'll likely see.

For Nurburgring, check the schedules that were posted this week. I had to move my entire trip back 5 days due to it being closed for 8 days, I think you're fine but check. They're also doing training and A license testing in May, if you have just over a thousand Euros to spend you could actually get the license which could be a fun experience.
My options for the Ring were May 8 or May 10 and 11....we decided we'd have a better chance May 8 because it is a thursday...even though it is a german holiday I do not believe it is a UK/netherlands/belgium holiday so maybe fewer people will be there.

I am starting to think about skipping zurich as well or maybe just going for 1 night.

My boss said the same thing about germany and czech...you see the unique architecture and the town centers and it's really impressive, but everywhere you go have that. Luckily for us, we are not going to multiple places in Germany or Czech...we will be seeing a couple major cities and moving on.....

Gonna be a touch call on Zurich....
 
#49 ·
I would highly recommend using the viamichelin.com site to plan your route, as it gives you options of fastest/shortest/sightseeing routes to your destination, with realistic drive times, based on our experience doing ED to Salzburg/Grossglockner/Venice/Tuscany/Lake Como/Davos/Reutte/Munich trip in 2007. It also helps by letting you check interesting places along the route, and to plan accommodations.

I also echo the comments of those who suggest you avoid big cities with your car - Milan in particular would be a nightmare to park.

As I am planning a Sept ED of 4 series coupe with possible drop off in Nice, please post the response you get from BMW Canada ED Coordinator.
 
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