Post your ED photo & Story here!

Originally Posted by BRAISKI

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=432466

...while I figure out what I am doing with all of my pictures.

We picked up a LeMans/Oyster M-sport 335d 8/31 and travelled 1275 miles via Berchtesgaden, Salzburg, Venice, Siena (and greater Tuscany) and Verona. Amazing trip and amazing car. I miss it and can't wait for it to get to California.

Beautiful car, enjoy your trip. Send more pics

Here are my ED Photos.

Trip was 10 days. Went through: Deutsche Alpenstrasse and Austria; Hohe Tauren and the Dolomites; Stelvio and a bunch of other passes to Verona; Venice; Lake Como; Julier, Furka, San Bernardino and various other passes on an unbelievable driving day with so many twisties that I felt as though I'd been at sea; the Nurburgring; and dropoff in Amsterdam.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful trip.

Photos Part two

335d ED summary, route, MPG, etc...
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=485548

Nice pics!

Originally Posted by lep335d

335d ED summary, route, MPG, etc...
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=485548

Curious...where was pic no. 6 taken from? Looks familiar, but I can't place it.

Originally Posted by berford

Curious...where was pic no. 6 taken from? Looks familiar, but I can't place it.

It was taken in Ceský Krumlov, Czech Republic. I read somewhere it was once voted second nicest small city in Europe and we completely agree. An easy drive from Austria or Germany.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%8Cesk%C3%BD_Krumlov

Originally Posted by lep335d

It was taken in Ceský Krumlov, Czech Republic. I read somewhere it was once voted second nicest small city in Europe and we completely agree. An easy drive from Austria or Germany.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%8Cesk%C3%BD_Krumlov

It certainly looks nice. Reminded me of Rothenburg o.d.t., which is represented in my ED pics (see signature link, below.)

Originally Posted by Grand Tour

Photos Part two

my goodness, grand tour! Your trip look almost exactly like the one Im planning for next summer. AND, possibly the same car. Love the photos, and love the car. Ring photo against the Italian machine is great.

Makes me wonder, do I even need to go now.

More pics, if you got em? Also, do have your route map, itinerary?

Originally Posted by PyratOne

my goodness, grand tour! Your trip look almost exactly like the one Im planning for next summer. AND, possibly the same car. Love the photos, and love the car. Ring photo against the Italian machine is great.

Makes me wonder, do I even need to go now.

More pics, if you got em? Also, do have your route map, itinerary?

Here are a few more. Funny that you are planning the trip that I basically stumbled upon. I was kind of following the weather. Originally planned to go to Prague and Budapest. My route was so contorted and off-the-beaten path that it was too complex for Google. I'll try to post it in two parts.

Far and away the best resource I found for mountain driving is "Motorcycle Journeys Through the Alps and Beyond". Totally comprehensive.

Thanks for the compliment on the car. I love it!

With pictures this time:

really amazing, thank you for the extra pix. I see you went for the competition package as well, sweet.

I can only dream that we get weather like I see in these pics. My trip will be very close to this & timeframe, but insert nightly pub stops to savor local brew!!

Some notes on our experience and trip:

- if you want a warm and inviting welcome (and drop-off) for your trip use Rolf Raffelsieper
- if you don't have Nav rent a Garmin with Euro maps from BeeWang
- the "d" has incredible torque and is a pleasure to drive
- we averaged 30mpg over 1,400 miles, to include some nice Autobahn blasts between 120 and 140mph, along with stop and go city traffic

Our stops included Oktoberfest in Munich (opening day...a little crazy), Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, and Fussen (the ubiquitous castle country).

- Munich is a blast. Definitely tour the BMW Museum and factory. Go to an Augistiner beer hall. Use the excellent public transit. Leave your car at the Welt and pick it up when you're ready to leave town.

- Prague is a beautiful city and a nice drive from Munich. Do a free walking tour from neweuropetours.eu. They meet every day at 10:45 in front of the Cartier store in Old Town Square. They have red shirts and you can't miss them. Stay at the Marriott on Celnici. World class business hotel that is comfortable and has the most secure undground parking I have seen. They are walking distance to everything in the city and even boast 1 US electrical outlet in the room.

- In Budapest be sure to stay near the river, preferably on the Pest side.

- Vienna is a gorgeous city. Do some shopping and see any concert or classical music performance you can find. The hop on hop off bus tour is a waste of money - avoid it.

- On the way to Salzburg we stopped in Cesky Krumlov (as referenced in another post here). Worth the visit and a pretty drive on the way there.

- We didn't have enough time in Salzburg and will definitely go back. See Eagles Nest. Stay at Altstadt Hotel...great location, friendly staff.

- Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau are beautiful castles set in a picturesque part of Bavaria. The drive and scenery is definitely worth it, but if I did it again I would just tour the outside of each (free) and snap some pictures. If you've visited Versailles or any English castles you will be very disappointed with these brief and uninteresting tours of the inside. If you go to Fussen stay at Hotel Christine - fantastic service and morning breakfast.

Trip highlights as follows:
1. Stayed at Renaissance Hotel in Munich,ok, not that nice but a block from the Lufthansa Nord bus drop- great way to get there, first stop and only 10.8 euros each.
2. Konstanz Germany great on lake, nice pricey Hotel is Steigenberger Insel on lake with good parking and across street from old town.
3.Hotel Angleterre and Residence in Lausanne Switzerland is 4 star, good location with great parking.
4.Avignon France is terrible for any type of parking, stayed at small hotel outside of town called Hotel Le Saint laurent in des arbes France.
5.Very nice hotel in Saint Paul Vence, Le Clos des Arts with 9 large rooms and good parking- great restaurant at hotel with terrace views to Vence.
6. Grand Hotel in Cannes was great, large rooms, secure on-site parking- could see car, and right in the action. Not that procey as well for location. We took train to Antibes and Nice- that was the way to do it with car secured at hotel.
7. Monaco was nice but Marriott Riviera hotel was not that great.
8. Loved Siena, could have stayed longer. Great hotel with secured parking about 400 feet from city walls was Hotel Santa Caterina.
9.Went to Florence but stayed only i night, went on to lake garda area near verona, fantastic. Stayed at Lazise at Casa Mia Hotel, 118 euros and then the 4 star Hotel Corte Valier with garage parking 218 euros, indoor pool and spa, right on lake.
10. Stopped off in Insbruck but hotel garage was a non- starter, could put a smart car or fiat in but not the M3.
11. Stayed in Kufstein Austria which was half way to Munich at Alpen Rose Best Western, great hotel and food.
12. After drop, stayed at Hilton Munich Cty Hotel- great location- s bahn stop below with elevator access. Did do the Octoberfest, crazy germans everywhere- had a good time. Took sbahn to airport-cheap and direct.

One note, saw only one new M3 in Cannes with all those miles logged. Not that popular there.

Originally Posted by ronharwick

Trip highlights as follows:
1. Stayed at Renaissance Hotel in Munich,ok, not that nice but a block from the Lufthansa Nord bus drop- great way to get there, first stop and only 10.8 euros each.
2. Konstanz Germany great on lake, nice pricey Hotel is Steigenberger Insel on lake with good parking and across street from old town.
3.Hotel Angleterre and Residence in Lausanne Switzerland is 4 star, good location with great parking.
4.Avignon France is terrible for any type of parking, stayed at small hotel outside of town called Hotel Le Saint laurent in des arbes France.
5.Very nice hotel in Saint Paul Vence, Le Clos des Arts with 9 large rooms and good parking- great restaurant at hotel with terrace views to Vence.
6. Grand Hotel in Cannes was great, large rooms, secure on-site parking- could see car, and right in the action. Not that procey as well for location. We took train to Antibes and Nice- that was the way to do it with car secured at hotel.
7. Monaco was nice but Marriott Riviera hotel was not that great.
8. Loved Siena, could have stayed longer. Great hotel with secured parking about 400 feet from city walls was Hotel Santa Caterina.
9.Went to Florence but stayed only i night, went on to lake garda area near verona, fantastic. Stayed at Lazise at Casa Mia Hotel, 118 euros and then the 4 star Hotel Corte Valier with garage parking 218 euros, indoor pool and spa, right on lake.
10. Stopped off in Insbruck but hotel garage was a non- starter, could put a smart car or fiat in but not the M3.
11. Stayed in Kufstein Austria which was half way to Munich at Alpen Rose Best Western, great hotel and food.
12. After drop, stayed at Hilton Munich Cty Hotel- great location- s bahn stop below with elevator access. Did do the Octoberfest, crazy germans everywhere- had a good time. Took sbahn to airport-cheap and direct.
One note, saw only one new M3 in Cannes with all those miles logged. Not that popular there.

Ummmmmmmmmm, we need pics...lots of them.

Originally Posted by berford

Ummmmmmmmmm, we need pics...lots of them.

+1! With out pics - your post is

Here's a recap of my ED experience.

1. Ordering. Shop around. I contacted 4 different dealerships and their out the door pricing varied by as much as $1000. I ended up calling the local dealership and asked to speak to the salesman who was experienced with ED. He was very easy to deal with and gave me the best price. Also be advised that dealer prep charges also vary considerably so be sure to get the "out the door" price.

2. I ordered the car about a month before delivery, did the 0.9 percent financing, and then did the final paperwork only 5 days before delivery. Booked a priceline hotel for Monday evening for $80 and got the Marriott Renaissance which I called to request 2 beds because I was traveling with my son. Everything went very smoothly.

3. Arrived in MUC on Monday morning with only carry on bags, had no delays in customs, and then took a cab waiting outside the airport directly to the Welt. Taxi was 51 Euros and arrived at the Welt around 9:45AM. Signed in at the front desk and they gladly tagged and stored my luggage for me.

4. Went upstairs to the lounge, did the paperwork, had a bite to eat in the lounge, and then toured around the Welt a little while waiting for the 11:00 AM English factory tour. The tour lasted about 1 1/2 hours and was very good. Afterward came back for a lite lunch back in the lounge. I inquired if I could get the car a little earlier and they gladly moved it up to a 2:50PM delivery. The museum is closed on Mondays so I was not able to do that.

5. Took delivery of the car right on schedule. Drove to the Renaissance, parked on the street for free about 1 block away, and checked in around 4pm. There were a lot of nice Volvo's, Audi's, Mercedes, and other cars parked nearby so I didn't feel uneasy about leaving the car on the street. The room at the hotel was rather small and a little dated, but had 2 twin beds as requested and was clean. The train stop is a very short walk from the hotel (1/2 block) so we headed to downtown Munich to go to the Hofbrauhaus. Got off at Marienplatz, it was just before 5pm, so the clock at the Rathaus was doing the show. Ate at the Hofbrauhaus and then walked around Munich in the evening. Took the train back to the hotel and crashed for the night.

6. Got up the next morning and had breakfast at the bakery on the corner. Very reasonably priced and good. I had purchased the European maps for my Garmin, so we put in Fussen and followed the GPS there. It did direct us down some back roads which was just fine and we enjoyed the scenery. Did the Neuschwanstein tour (road the bus uphill) around 11:00 AM
and walked down to the village for lunch. I did enjoy the German beer and wienerschnitzel. Got back in the car and drove up the romantic road to Ulm where we toured the old church and had some coffee. Then back into the car and drove up to Rothenburg.

7. Drove into Rothenburg around 6pm and went to the tourist office where they recommended and booked us a room in a Gasthaus. We stayed at Gasthaus Butz for 65 Euros for two people including breakfast. Went to dinner in town and had some more German beer, and then did the English nightwatchmen tour of Rothenburg. The guide was a little eccentric but it was interesting and well worth the 6 Euros donation per person.

8. After the next morning's breakfast, we headed towards the Castle Road and stopped in Bad Wimpfen to look at the old castle, then Gutenberg for the castle museum. After that we drove along the Neckar river and had lunch in one of the towns along the way. Continued driving up the back roads towards Frankfurt where I had made another priceline reservation for $80 at the NH Frankfurt Airport hotel. We checked into the hotel and then drove 10 minutes to the drop off point south of the airport. I didn't make a drop off reservation and was told I didn't need one.

9. The drop off point in FRA is no longer a Harms owned building since Harms was bought out by another logistics company. I had to go inside to inquire if I was at the right place. I was and the receptionist did my paperwork and quick inspection right away. She called a taxi and the 10 minute taxi ride to the hotel was a flat 22 Euros! Taxi's are expensive in Germany and if she had used the meter it would of been a lot less.

10. Flew out of FRA on Thursday morning so it was a very quick but satisfying trip. If I had another day or two I would of added a stay in Heidelberg and probably a drive near the Mosel River in wine country. Also, at the start I would of visited Berchtesgarden. I'll have to save that for next time.

11. Lessons learned. Fuel is expensive but at least diesel fuel is less expensive. Stay away from taxi's if possible. The driving and the car are a lot of fun and the BMW is in it's element in Germany. Always stay to the right when driving (which I knew ahead of time), but also stay to the right when standing on escalators etc. BMW only gives you a 1/4 tank of fuel so be prepared to fill up soon after delivery. Some stations do not accept out of country credit cards even if they are Mastercard or Visa. Have some Euro's handy just in case.

12. I really enjoyed the experience. I just wished I had a few more days to enjoy the sometimes damp and chilly but otherwise very beautiful country. Now I'm doing Performance Center delivery and will be getting the driving school, hotel, and meals on BMW. Can't wait.

dieselsrule -

Sounds wonderful! Enjoyed your stories and advice - they will come in handy as we take delivery 22NOV.

"I refuse to join any club that would have me as member." - Groucho Marx

Congrats on your ED.

Because of posts such as yours where you mention good hotel prices through Priceline, I will consider using Priceline soon. I paid a ton of money in hotels during my ED last Sep./Oct. so lodging seems to be an area where I could save some dough without much of a downside.

Thank you dieselsrule for taking the time to post!

I used the information (strategy and bidding amounts) on the website biddingfortravel.com which gives you an idea of how much hotels are going for when using the name your own price function. It also lists pretty accurately what hotels priceline uses for different cities. Just remember specific hotels and pricing are not guaranteed. The two hotels I booked were considered 4 star, I probably would rate them 3 star by U.S. standards. With the Euro up to around $1.41 yesterday, any money you can save while sleeping will go into the gas tank. Also, two other things I did before I left. I informed my mastercard bank that I would be traveling to Europe so any charges would not be refused and I went to AAA and picked up an international drivers license. The license is good for 1 year.

I hope that Brunswick Ga customs will go faster than Newark. I was told by my CA that from arrival in Brunswick to the Performance Center should not take longer than a week... we'll see.

Happy trails.

Originally Posted by dieselsrule

I used the information (strategy and bidding amounts) on the website biddingfortravel.com which gives you an idea of how much hotels are going for when using the name your own price function. It also lists pretty accurately what hotels priceline uses for different cities. Just remember specific hotels and pricing are not guaranteed. The two hotels I booked were considered 4 star, I probably would rate them 3 star by U.S. standards. With the Euro up to around $1.41 yesterday, any money you can save while sleeping will go into the gas tank. Also, two other things I did before I left. I informed my mastercard bank that I would be traveling to Europe so any charges would not be refused and I went to AAA and picked up an international drivers license. The license is good for 1 year.

I hope that Brunswick Ga customs will go faster than Newark. I was told by my CA that from arrival in Brunswick to the Performance Center should not take longer than a week... we'll see.

Happy trails.

All good advice except for the IDL...it's not really going to be useful unless you're travelling so third world countries. Europe doesn't count.

Originally Posted by berford

All good advice except for the IDL...it's not really going to be useful unless you're travelling so third world countries. Europe doesn't count.

It is an IDP, International Driving Permit. Not a license. The distinction is important though it may seem pedantic. An IDP can be thought of as an addendum to your own driving license and its only purpose is to provide something in the local language to demonstrate that on the day you acquired the IDP your national license was witnessed by someone trustworthy enough to issue the IDP. It has the potential to make things go much easier if an official has not previously seen your particular style or issue of driving license.

It is not required anywhere in Europe EXCEPT Austria, see the US Dept of State's notes for example. Austria alone legally requires the IDP to be presented and things have the potential to go very badly for you if you do not have it. The other European countries merely recommend you carry one and will recognize the IDP if you do.

Overall, if you are driving in Austria you are required to have an IDP. If you choose not to because of some ambition to be a scofflaw then you are taking a risk. Sure, it may work out OK. You may not be asked to show it. You may be stopped but the official requiring your drivers license may not press for the IDP. It's the same as any law you choose to break. Not paying parking. Speeding. Driving drunk. Driving without insurance. Murder. You are required to obey the local laws, not interpret them as you think they should be. That is someone else's job and you really don't want to be meeting them on vacation.

Frank.

My mistake, I called it a license instead of a permit. It only cost me $15 at AAA and was worth the peace of mind. Besides Austria, here is a quote from the europeforvisitors website:

"The International Driving Permit has been around for decades, but now there's a new wrinkle: For the first time, at least one Western European country (Italy) requires drivers from outside the EU to have the IDP. Foreign drivers may also need the IDP in some Eastern European countries, such as Hungary. And even in countries where it isn't required, the International Driving Permit is worth having just to make sure that your driver's license is accepted by local car-rental agencies and traffic police."

From the travel.state.gov web site the number 1 tip for traveling abroad is "obtain an international driving permit"

So it's up to you if you get it or not, but whining is not allowed after you come back.