We just got back from our ED trip. It was WONDERFUL, thanks to this forum for making it so smooth. At the same time, apologies for not posting pics earlier. I hope to make it up by providing a comprehensive summary, pics, tips etc ***61514;
Facts at a glance:
Pickup: 10th Aug
Dropoff: 22nd Aug
Car: 2007 530i Silver/Black with PP, SP, Nav, PDC, Comfort Access, Logic 7, HD Radio, Heated seats
Miles Driven: 2400 (exact – interesting co-incidence!!)
Gas price: ~$7/gallon
Max speed reached: 130 mph on the Autobahn from Munich to Fussen
Max speed stable picture: ~120 mph
Countries visited: Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria
Pictures taken: 1200
I am going to provide a daily summary. In some cases, pictures would convey the entire story. We took ~1200 pictures during the trip. It is not possible to post all of them. At the same time, it is difficult to figure which ones to post to provide the best summary. I can post more depending on feedback. After this post, I will make 1 post for each day containing the pics.
Day 1 – 10th Aug: Arrived in Munich at 0830 am (from Seattle). Slept enough on the plane to be ready for driving and sightseeing the same day. We wanted to make best use of the time. Showered at the airport which was a very good thing, as it increased the energy level. And I must say the facilities were excellent.
Took the train to the delivery center. It took about 45 mins and was very convenient. Things were busy at the delivery center so it took almost 2 hours for pickup. Meanwhile we had lunch at the center.
After pickup, we drove straight to Fussen and checked out Neuschwanstein castle from the outside. Along the way, hit the maximum speed of 130 mph on mile number 45. And the car was still below the 4500 breakin RPM limit. The car was so stable and it felt so good. However, on wife’s (Mahua) insistence, I had to slow down. We could get a good picture at the slightly reduced speed of ~120 mph.
From the castle, we drove to Zurich where we spent the first night. This was a pretty busy day. Almost 200 miles of driving and sightseeing. We are glad that we were able to pull it off.
Day2 – It was rainy in Zurich/Lucerne area so we checked the weather forecast and figured that weather was better in Geneva. Hence, we drove to Geneva for sightseeing. We parked the car in a parking lot, check out how narrow it was. In the night we came back to Zurich where we had prior hotel reservation. Along with way we stopped for a while in Luasanne and took some pics.
Day3 – Weather improved in Lucerne region, so we drove there. Got a good view of the lake from Mt Pilatus – took a cable car to the top of the summit. It was pretty cold at the top though. Later in the day, we spent some time in Interlaken.
Day4 – In the morning we drove to Florence (340 miles). The Tuscany countryside was amazing. We spent the next 2 days in Florence and checked out nearby attractions like Sienna, Pisa, San Gimignano.
Day5 – More Tuscany sightseeing – Sienna and San Gimignano.
Day6 – Tuscany sightseeing continued – Pisa and walking tour in Florence
Day7 – Venice sightseeing
Day8 – Morning in Venice and evening in Vienna
Day9 –Vienna sightseeing
Day10 – Salzburg and evening concert on a hilltop
Day11 – Germany sightseeing – Mittenwald, Fussen and fun on the road
Day 12 – We visited Dachau concentration camp. It was such a humbling experience. Took some pictures of the site but don’t feel like posting.
We dropped off the car in Munich and in the evening took the factory tour. The tour was wonderful. It was amazing to get an insight into the manufacturing process.
Day13 – Fly back
Tips/Notes:
1. We booked all of our hotels through Priceline and got wonderful deals. Priceline really rocks!!
2.Munich has an excellent local rail network. So, you can use it for your transportation for various things like airport->hotel->pickup->drop off in any sequence, don’t really need a cab unless there are specific reasons.
3. Navigation system is absolutely a great convenience. It made our driving so easy and stress free
4. European drivers (atleast in countries we visited) were pretty aggressive. They would cut into lanes abruptly, tailgate frequently and drive fast. I was surprised to see them speeding in residential areas, parking lots etc. So, please be very careful while driving in Europe, more so in Italy.
5. BMW factory tour is great, make sure you don’t miss it. Depending on your model, you might want to pick the appropriate location.
6. Drinking water is not free in Europe. You have to pay for it, ~2 Euros per meal. Water comes in two flavors, with and without gas.
Facts at a glance:
Pickup: 10th Aug
Dropoff: 22nd Aug
Car: 2007 530i Silver/Black with PP, SP, Nav, PDC, Comfort Access, Logic 7, HD Radio, Heated seats
Miles Driven: 2400 (exact – interesting co-incidence!!)
Gas price: ~$7/gallon
Max speed reached: 130 mph on the Autobahn from Munich to Fussen
Max speed stable picture: ~120 mph
Countries visited: Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria
Pictures taken: 1200
I am going to provide a daily summary. In some cases, pictures would convey the entire story. We took ~1200 pictures during the trip. It is not possible to post all of them. At the same time, it is difficult to figure which ones to post to provide the best summary. I can post more depending on feedback. After this post, I will make 1 post for each day containing the pics.
Day 1 – 10th Aug: Arrived in Munich at 0830 am (from Seattle). Slept enough on the plane to be ready for driving and sightseeing the same day. We wanted to make best use of the time. Showered at the airport which was a very good thing, as it increased the energy level. And I must say the facilities were excellent.
Took the train to the delivery center. It took about 45 mins and was very convenient. Things were busy at the delivery center so it took almost 2 hours for pickup. Meanwhile we had lunch at the center.
After pickup, we drove straight to Fussen and checked out Neuschwanstein castle from the outside. Along the way, hit the maximum speed of 130 mph on mile number 45. And the car was still below the 4500 breakin RPM limit. The car was so stable and it felt so good. However, on wife’s (Mahua) insistence, I had to slow down. We could get a good picture at the slightly reduced speed of ~120 mph.
From the castle, we drove to Zurich where we spent the first night. This was a pretty busy day. Almost 200 miles of driving and sightseeing. We are glad that we were able to pull it off.
Day2 – It was rainy in Zurich/Lucerne area so we checked the weather forecast and figured that weather was better in Geneva. Hence, we drove to Geneva for sightseeing. We parked the car in a parking lot, check out how narrow it was. In the night we came back to Zurich where we had prior hotel reservation. Along with way we stopped for a while in Luasanne and took some pics.
Day3 – Weather improved in Lucerne region, so we drove there. Got a good view of the lake from Mt Pilatus – took a cable car to the top of the summit. It was pretty cold at the top though. Later in the day, we spent some time in Interlaken.
Day4 – In the morning we drove to Florence (340 miles). The Tuscany countryside was amazing. We spent the next 2 days in Florence and checked out nearby attractions like Sienna, Pisa, San Gimignano.
Day5 – More Tuscany sightseeing – Sienna and San Gimignano.
Day6 – Tuscany sightseeing continued – Pisa and walking tour in Florence
Day7 – Venice sightseeing
Day8 – Morning in Venice and evening in Vienna
Day9 –Vienna sightseeing
Day10 – Salzburg and evening concert on a hilltop
Day11 – Germany sightseeing – Mittenwald, Fussen and fun on the road
Day 12 – We visited Dachau concentration camp. It was such a humbling experience. Took some pictures of the site but don’t feel like posting.
We dropped off the car in Munich and in the evening took the factory tour. The tour was wonderful. It was amazing to get an insight into the manufacturing process.
Day13 – Fly back
Tips/Notes:
1. We booked all of our hotels through Priceline and got wonderful deals. Priceline really rocks!!
2.Munich has an excellent local rail network. So, you can use it for your transportation for various things like airport->hotel->pickup->drop off in any sequence, don’t really need a cab unless there are specific reasons.
3. Navigation system is absolutely a great convenience. It made our driving so easy and stress free
4. European drivers (atleast in countries we visited) were pretty aggressive. They would cut into lanes abruptly, tailgate frequently and drive fast. I was surprised to see them speeding in residential areas, parking lots etc. So, please be very careful while driving in Europe, more so in Italy.
5. BMW factory tour is great, make sure you don’t miss it. Depending on your model, you might want to pick the appropriate location.
6. Drinking water is not free in Europe. You have to pay for it, ~2 Euros per meal. Water comes in two flavors, with and without gas.