Very Prelim Itinerary - Looking for suggestions!

So, I originally planned on a late March or early April ED. I believe this would render the following route impossible, due to the weather. I'm leaning towards an early May ED, which should mean the glock is open....I'm unsure if Stevio is typically open. Ultimately I want to do some mountain driving and I'd love to hit some of the bigger passes, but I don't want to wait until late summer to receive the car.

The theme of the trip would be a mix of interesting driving roads and interesting sites or places to explore everyday. Ideal day would be to get up, drive for several hours, explore new location and visit interesting sites, go to bed. I'm not particularly interested in visiting any of the large Italian cities, nor eastern France. Other than that I'm totally open.



https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=B...,5,6,8&t=p&z=8

The itinerary by day is as follows:

Day 1: Arrive early AM, pick up car, do welt tours.
Day 2: Start driving.
Day 3: Continue
Day 4: Continue
Day 5: Continue
Day 6: Drop off car and fly home

I'd prefer to drive no more than 5-6 hours per day, although having one long day (say ~8 hours) followed by a shorter day (~3 hours) would be acceptable.

Follow the google link to see the destinations I've chosen.

I'm looking for suggestions, comments, and any feedback that will make the trip better. I've certainly got plenty of time to plan. Thanks in advance.

What's the point of this route? What are your goals?

A couple of suggestions:
1) If you want to do any moderate to serious exploration of any sites/towns you visit, I'd recommend no more than 3 to 4 hours in the car per day. Once you factor in all the various activities to get your day started and checked in/out of hotels, you'll be surprised to find how little time can be left.
2) Complementary to above, try to identify an area that you are specifically interested in (northern Italy, Western Austria sounds like a good candidate based on your interest in the passes), find one hotel relatively convenient to your attractions to that area and stay there for 2-3 nights in a row. This maximizes your fun time and allows you to spread your sight seeing of a particular area over a few days.
3) For a short itinerary, I'd say pick a general direction out of Munich and highlight interesting places along that route. Since you're interested in the passes, we'll use south of Munich as an example: Innsbruck/Mittenwald/Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bolzano, etc. You could also consider splitting time up between the eastern side of your route (i.e. near the Großglockner) and the western side (i.e. Stelvio) - a few days on each side to run the passes and enjoy the sites sandwiching a longish driving day to transit between the two and see a few sights on the way.

German autobahns are waaay more fun to drive! How 'bout Munich - Hamburg every day? Plenty of driving!

Gesoffen is right on with his recommendations. Understanding first of all, you are planning a short ED, if there is any way to add more days, that would be my first recommendation. I just return from my ED and 8 days is too short. The driving distances always take longer than advertized. We drove to Fussen(Hotel Sonne) underground parking (Room 222, parking space 9, back in). I wish I had stayed two days in Fussen. We went on to Lake Como which was fun but that's a separate vacation in itself. I would not venture that far on my next ED for there to too much to do south of Munich both east and west. We took HWY 19 in Switzerland to Lauterbrunnen and that's all the mountian driving I want to do in this life time. Felt bad for my new 550. Maybe because I am 64. Southern Germany has a lot to offer. Take 310, 308 out of Fussen west and take your time. The most important item is the use of the NAV on this 550. I give the NAV a five star rating and worth what ever it cost. Enjoy and keep reading Bimmerfest planning time is on your side.

Gesoffen is right on with his recommendations. Understanding first of all, you are planning a short ED, if there is any way to add more days, that would be my first recommendation. I just return from my ED and 8 days is too short. The driving distances always take longer than advertized. We drove to Fussen(Hotel Sonne) underground parking (Room 222, parking space 9, back in). I wish I had stayed two days in Fussen. We went on to Lake Como which was fun but that's a separate vacation in itself. I would not venture that far on my next ED for there to too much to do south of Munich both east and west. We took HWY 19 in Switzerland to Lauterbrunnen and that's all the mountian driving I want to do in this life time. Felt bad for my new 550. Maybe because I am 64. Southern Germany has a lot to offer. Take 310, 308 out of Fussen west and take your time. The most important item is the use of the NAV on this 550. I give the NAV a five star rating and worth what ever it cost. Enjoy and keep reading Bimmerfest planning time is on your side.

I'm concerned you have too much distance for the time allotted. The car is fun, the countryside is great, but 5-6 hrs a day of driving gets old.

I'm also concerned that the time of year may be a little early for your trip. We did Austria in late April on our first ED and drove through some pretty heavy snowstorms. I can't imagine what some of the passes will look like in March.

Mackman is also correct - distances can take longer than estimates provided oftentimes, particularly when you get off the Autobahns. If Google Maps says 4 hrs, I would plan for 6 and be happy if you get 4.

If your timeframe is set - why not Munich, Sazlberg, Innsbuck, Fussen instead? Como is amazing but it's removal would cut 600 miles out of your trip.

Just my 2 cents. Feel free to ignore.

Originally Posted by 640GC

What's the point of this route? What are your goals?

I tried to summarize that in the first post

Originally Posted by gesoffen

A couple of suggestions:
1) If you want to do any moderate to serious exploration of any sites/towns you visit, I'd recommend no more than 3 to 4 hours in the car per day. Once you factor in all the various activities to get your day started and checked in/out of hotels, you'll be surprised to find how little time can be left.
2) Complementary to above, try to identify an area that you are specifically interested in (northern Italy, Western Austria sounds like a good candidate based on your interest in the passes), find one hotel relatively convenient to your attractions to that area and stay there for 2-3 nights in a row. This maximizes your fun time and allows you to spread your sight seeing of a particular area over a few days.
3) For a short itinerary, I'd say pick a general direction out of Munich and highlight interesting places along that route. Since you're interested in the passes, we'll use south of Munich as an example: Innsbruck/Mittenwald/Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bolzano, etc. You could also consider splitting time up between the eastern side of your route (i.e. near the Großglockner) and the western side (i.e. Stelvio) - a few days on each side to run the passes and enjoy the sites sandwiching a longish driving day to transit between the two and see a few sights on the way.

Those suggestions make a lot of sense to me. I like the idea of staying in one place for a few days and taking day trips out.

Originally Posted by dandanio

German autobahns are waaay more fun to drive! How 'bout Munich - Hamburg every day? Plenty of driving!

I'll probably hit the autobahns at some point, but I'm not buying the car just to go fast in a straight line (I've had plenty of experience with American muscle cars for that), plus I'd like to keep to the break in recommendations as much as possible and 100mph in a 3 series, I can imagine, probably feels like a good cruising speed.

Originally Posted by AggieKnight

I'm concerned you have too much distance for the time allotted. The car is fun, the countryside is great, but 5-6 hrs a day of driving gets old.

I'm also concerned that the time of year may be a little early for your trip. We did Austria in late April on our first ED and drove through some pretty heavy snowstorms. I can't imagine what some of the passes will look like in March.

Mackman is also correct - distances can take longer than estimates provided oftentimes, particularly when you get off the Autobahns. If Google Maps says 4 hrs, I would plan for 6 and be happy if you get 4.

If your timeframe is set - why not Munich, Sazlberg, Innsbuck, Fussen instead? Como is amazing but it's removal would cut 600 miles out of your trip.

Just my 2 cents. Feel free to ignore.

It sounds like March is probably a bad call. I think I may move to late April/Early May. I also like your suggestion about removing Como....it would save a lot of distance.





Thank you everyone for the suggestions so far - I'm glad to benefit from your experience.

Change your timeframe to mid May to mid June.

Originally Posted by M FUNF

Change your timeframe to mid May to mid June.

+1. I did mine mid-May and I had to take Foscagno Pass on my way back from Lake Como. The only one open that day.

Is there any way to take a detailed google maps route and program it into the satnav of the BMW?

Originally Posted by KLC

Is there any way to take a detailed google maps route and program it into the satnav of the BMW?

Unfortunately, no. You're not the first one to desire this!

What you can do is enter your end point each day and any possible midway stopping points or other points necessary to achieve your desired route. Shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes.

I also second the suggestion to move your trip out another 1-3 weeks. We did our delivery on 5/12/11 and had rain and overcast skies most of the first week of our 15 day trip, including seeing the "snowflake" and real snow on the ground along the Alpenstrasse. We wanted to see the Eagle's Nest but it didn't open until a day after we passed through. The Zugspitze was inaccessible due to snow. Our second week was much warmer and we saw much more sun. Of course weather can vary year-to-year. Our next trip will probably be the last week of May/first week of June.

I may consider moving my date out to the end of May, given the suggestions on this thread. It seems like that would be much better for general driving/sightseeing conditions.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...053&highlight=

Best of luck on the upcoming trip. We did a VERY similar route about 13 months ago. If the link above doesnt work, you can search PyratOne posts for my trip info.

The difference for us, we went from Como to Lake Constance, to Ulm before back to Munich.

Some highlights
1) Grossglockner!! Must do
2) Eagles Nest in Berchtesgaden
3) Dolomites

Some lowlights
1) Driving in Italy just SUCKS!
2) Driving in any city is just no fun

We purposely kept out of cities, Bolzano italy was one of the few. And , I will personally limit it on my next trip

One caution: dont try to cover too much in a short time. Spending one night in a place is a waste. Especially if you've spent 4-5 hours getting there. You check in, explore a bit, eat, bed and oout of the area the next morning. No good. I recommend keeping a shorter loop, spening 2 night or more in an area to explore, then off to another area.

EXTEND THE TRIP TIME!! Those who go for 7 days, say "I needed more time". Those who go for 10 days, 12, 14 days say the same. If you can extend a few more days, really try to.

Lastly, and very important. Mountain driving is NOT the same as flatland driving. If you are looking at a map of distances, you say to yourself " I can go from Como to Munich in a day - its only xxxmiles away" Mountain driving is very slow compared to flat roads. Switchbacks, elevaion changes, NO ROOM TO PASS, backups, construction, weather, stopping for pictures. Whatever the mapquest tells you DOUBLE THE DRIVING TIME.

We had a miserable drive from Dolomites Italy to Como - we essentially came out of the mountains to the flat lands of Como. We expected 4-5 hours, it was 8!! And it killed the day. Weather was beautiful
Keep daily drivng to 3-4 hours, maybe a day or two at 5-6.

Best of luck

Originally Posted by PyratOne

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...053&highlight=

Best of luck on the upcoming trip. We did a VERY similar route about 13 months ago. If the link above doesnt work, you can search PyratOne posts for my trip info.

The difference for us, we went from Como to Lake Constance, to Ulm before back to Munich.

Some highlights
1) Grossglockner!! Must do
2) Eagles Nest in Berchtesgaden
3) Dolomites

Some lowlights
1) Driving in Italy just SUCKS!
2) Driving in any city is just no fun

We purposely kept out of cities, Bolzano italy was one of the few. And , I will personally limit it on my next trip

One caution: dont try to cover too much in a short time. Spending one night in a place is a waste. Especially if you've spent 4-5 hours getting there. You check in, explore a bit, eat, bed and oout of the area the next morning. No good. I recommend keeping a shorter loop, spening 2 night or more in an area to explore, then off to another area.

EXTEND THE TRIP TIME!! Those who go for 7 days, say "I needed more time". Those who go for 10 days, 12, 14 days say the same. If you can extend a few more days, really try to.

Lastly, and very important. Mountain driving is NOT the same as flatland driving. If you are looking at a map of distances, you say to yourself " I can go from Como to Munich in a day - its only xxxmiles away" Mountain driving is very slow compared to flat roads. Switchbacks, elevaion changes, NO ROOM TO PASS, backups, construction, weather, stopping for pictures. Whatever the mapquest tells you DOUBLE THE DRIVING TIME.

We had a miserable drive from Dolomites Italy to Como - we essentially came out of the mountains to the flat lands of Como. We expected 4-5 hours, it was 8!! And it killed the day. Weather was beautiful
Keep daily drivng to 3-4 hours, maybe a day or two at 5-6.

Best of luck

Based on this and other suggestions above, I'm now looking at the 2nd week of May for pickup, added 2 days to our trip time (I really can't add more....need the rest of vacation for my wedding later in the year), and also changed the route pretty significantly. I'll definitely try to run down to the glock.

Is it possible to deviate from this route to go south on the glock, turn around, drive north on the glock and back to the route? Feels like kind of a large detour to me.


New route

...and I forgot about Munich!!

My god, it beautiful. Looks on your itinerary you are flying in, picking up and leaving the city? If so, you're missing an opportunity to see a real gem. OF course, we had never seen it, maybe you have.

We stayed in Munich on foot for 3 days before car pickup, and we could have spent a week in Munich alone. If possible, maybe fly into Munich a bit early and explore the city before getting the car? Public transit is a snap to fiure out.

Possible maybe to go south to Glock and catch back up heading north west with your route? I cant comment on what worthy to see if you do that. Anyone comment on Lienz? Zell am See? Kitzbuhel?


You're so close to GLock, seems you should give it a try...

Your current route sort of skirts along the Alps, if you got to GLocks, you're in it!!
Also, you are close to Austria and this gives a chance to dip in, if thats your thing.

I agree. I think I will find a place to stay a day or two south of the glock.

Originally Posted by KLC

The theme of the trip would be a mix of interesting driving roads and interesting sites or places to explore everyday. Ideal day would be to get up, drive for several hours, explore new location and visit interesting sites, go to bed.

Based on this and other suggestions above, I'm now looking at the 2nd week of May for pickup, added 2 days to our trip time ... and also changed the route pretty significantly. I'll definitely try to run down to the glock.

Is it possible to deviate from this route to go south on the glock, turn around, drive north on the glock and back to the route? Feels like kind of a large detour to me.

You should be able to leave Salzburg, drive south on the Grossglockner, turn around and drive north on the Grossglockner with a plan to stay that night in Zell am See. According to viaMichelin it should only take about four hours. But even if it took eight hours, the whole purpose of the day is to drive and enjoy the Grossglockner, making as many stops and taking as many photographs as you want. From Zell am See you can rejoin the Alpenstrasse and the rest of your planned route.

Originally Posted by Trinitony

You should be able to leave Salzburg, drive south on the Grossglockner, turn around and drive north on the Grossglockner with a plan to stay that night in Zell am See. According to viaMichelin it should only take about four hours. But even if it took eight hours, the whole purpose of the day is to drive and enjoy the Grossglockner, making as many stops and taking as many photographs as you want. From Zell am See you can rejoin the Alpenstrasse and the rest of your planned route.

Updated

Originally Posted by SD Z4MR

Unfortunately, no. You're not the first one to desire this!

What you can do is enter your end point each day and any possible midway stopping points or other points necessary to achieve your desired route. Shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes.

I also second the suggestion to move your trip out another 1-3 weeks. We did our delivery on 5/12/11 and had rain and overcast skies most of the first week of our 15 day trip, including seeing the "snowflake" and real snow on the ground along the Alpenstrasse. We wanted to see the Eagle's Nest but it didn't open until a day after we passed through. The Zugspitze was inaccessible due to snow. Our second week was much warmer and we saw much more sun. Of course weather can vary year-to-year. Our next trip will probably be the last week of May/first week of June.

What about this site?

https://www.bmw-routes.com/de/en/plan-routes/index.jsp


Is it not possible to upload via USB a saved route? It looks like it should be possible.

Don't worry about it.
The first time you enter an address into i-drive it will take ~ 5 minutes. Each time gets quicker as you learn, by the time we got back into Germany on last summers ED I was inputing in under a minute.

Your route looks good.
Might consider dropping down into Austria via Mittenwald and passing thru Reutte on you way to Hohenschwangau.

Wouldn't this method work for sending directions to the car?

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=667600

Originally Posted by KLC

Wouldn't this method work for sending directions to the car?

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=667600

I believe that the My BMW Remote App, like Satellite Radio, will only work once your car is back in the states.

Here is what we did in 2008.
http://mapq.st/YuSLSz

Scenery is just not good enough to us.

Dachau (extermination camp)
Ingolstad (Audi's home)
Stuttgart (Mercedes - DO NOT MISS, Porsche and an interesting city)
Sinsheim/Speyer (museums - I absolutely loved them)
Strasbourg (Europa Park - like a Disney park)
Brand, Austria (somehow got lost in the Alps, but enjoyed it anyway).
Innsbruck (a bit disappointing actually)
Neuschwanstein castle (up to the hype, loved it).

Sinsheim museum (it was cool to climb in that Tupolev 144!!! we were alone in it)


Mandatory pic when you are doing ED (simulating in our case )