ED in July.. Suggestions needed.

I am just looking at my ED documents...
Is the bmw museum tour a part of ED package, or do I have to buy tickets for it?

When we did our EDs in 2008 and 2010, passes for the Museum were free, but you had to ask for them as you were checking in with the ED people at the Welt.

Originally Posted by moshe

July 21-22 Milan (Enterprise hotel)
July 22-24 Venice ( Domina Home Ca Zusto) i know no driving into Venice, so will park outside in Tronchetto)
July 24-29th still a gap (investigating San Gimignano, Parma, Modena, Cinque terre - thanks for the flood info)
July 29 drop off our friends in Milan

If you never visited Milan or Venice I already know that this is a lost case. I'll try anyway ...

Arrive at Venice at around noon, park the car and call ahead the hotel so you can leave the luggage if check-in is not available. Roam around Venice, have a nice dinner and a good night sleep, check out next morning and move on. If you have to stay up north, I can strongly recommend Verona for the next day and night.

Milan - if your night on 28th is in Cinque Terre, just leave early (around 7 AM) and drive to Milan. That day should be enough to see a "must see and take picture" things. On a plus side, on Sunday the 29th Milan will be a ghost town so you might enjoy it way more than the week before.

Use two extra days roaming around Tuscany. Nobody said it yet so ... visit Volterra and then drive to the coast from there. DO NOT go to Viareggio, there are plenty of smaller beach towns around (like Cecina, Follonica or Castiglione della Pescaia, for example) where to get some really nice seafood and enjoy the sea view. If you feel ambitious, Elba Island is gorgeous, but it will be a total zoo at that time of the year.

I highly recommend Florence. Great museums, great art, and great buildings. I am an architect/FAIA who does a lot of religious architecture. My favorite religious building of all time is just outside of Florence. It is the Church of the Autostada. It is a great, great building. It is rather obscure and not well known. The architect is also rather obscure and unrecognized. However he did one extraordinary building and this is it. In my opinion if an architect does one great building in his/her lifetime, then he/she qualifies as a great architect. This architect achieved greatness with this one amazing building.

Another obscure, but very cool building is a small library in Florence by Leonardo da Vinci. It is both modest and amazing.

There is a glass church in Munich that is also very cool.

You will enjoy BMW European Delivery. The only problem is that if you do it once you will be hooked. We are doing BMW European Delivery Number 6 next year when we take delivery of a 2014 M3.

Originally Posted by pharding

I highly recommend Florence. Great museums, great art, and great buildings. I am an architect/FAIA who does a lot of religious architecture. My favorite religious building of all time is just outside of Florence. It is the Church of the Autostada. It is a great, great building. It is rather obscure and not well known. The architect is also rather obscure and unrecognized. However he did one extraordinary building and this is it. In my opinion if an architect does one great building in his/her lifetime, then he/she qualifies as a great architect. This architect achieved greatness with this one amazing building.

pictures?

FInally we got all our visas for the trip .
Also, my car went into production, and i got a VIN... 1.5 months before the delivery..
i guess things are coming together.

Originally Posted by pharding

...My favorite religious building of all time is just outside of Florence. It is the Church of the Autostada. It is a great, great building. It is rather obscure and not well known. The architect is also rather obscure and unrecognized....

Originally Posted by MB330

pictures?

"Courtesy" of Wkipedia...

Originally Posted by moshe

Milepig, I am adding in Bellagio i think which hotel did you stay @? Can you recommend?
or anyone else a hotel on around lake Como?

Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni

I highly recommend going to the Cinque Terre. We traveled through Rome, Florence, Venice, Cinque Terre, and Sardegna. CT was one of the highlights, even though we loved the other areas too. Our children still refer to it as paradise, and I agree. Stay in Monterosso (not affected by the flooding) and savor every moment. The hikes between the towns are awe-inspiring.

Originally Posted by moshe

I am just looking at my ED documents...
Is the bmw museum tour a part of ED package, or do I have to buy tickets for it?

You should have gotten, or will get, a welcome letter in your email from the Welt. Among other things they will ask you if you want to register for the plant tour as reservations are required.

We had four in our pickup party, and when we arrived at checkin we were issued cards that were already programmed with all the information including the plant tour and museum. We just needed to scan them at the entry gate to the museum and we were let it. This card will also give you your discount at the store and free key tag, as the purchaser only mine worked for that.

This view alone is worth the trip to Florence. Breathtaking in person.