Picking Up Your BMW in Munich
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[edit] Flying to Munich
Lufthansa 2-for-1
When you fly Lufthansa round-trip in Economy Class from the U.S. to Europe the companion of your choice flies for free. This offer is valid only if you take advantage of the BMW European Delivery program and pick up your new car in Germany. To book this offer call Lufthansa at 1-888-552-4508 (Monday through Friday, 09:00 - 17:30 EST ). Online booking is not possible for this offer. Full details here. Just be aware that 'festers have been able to find cheaper fares than those offered through the program, especially during off-peak travel season. The paid ticket in this promotion is often higher than the best available fare that can be found, coupled with the fact that you pay taxes and other charges with the "free" ticket. Some have described the promotion as 2-for-1.5, still some savings. Some benefits of the program include being able to lock in the fare but not pay for it until ~30 days prior to travel. Also, open-jaw ticketing is permitted, which is great as it allows you to expand your travel options as you won't have to return to Munich for the flight home.
[edit] Arrival in Munich
Welcome to Munich! If you arrived by plane, you are at the airport, which is about a 40 minute train ride from the center of Munich. If you arrived by train, you are already at the Munich Hauptbahnhof (main train station), which is downtown.
Munich has a very complete public transportation system, including the above-ground trains (S-Bahn), subway/underground (U-Bahn), trams, and buses.
[edit] Trains
The S1 and S8 trains run to the Marienplatz and Hauptbahnhof (main train station) in downtown Munich. You can buy tickets in the airport terminal.
- The full map is available here (pdf).
- The inner area/Munich map is available here (pdf).
- Partner-Tageskarte is a group pass good for the whole day, on all the public transport in Munich, for up to 5 adults (or 4 adults and 2 children). The price depends on the region you are in. Full details are available here
- Innenraum is the inner zone (white zone). It costs € 9.
- Gesamtnetz is the all-zone, and costs € 18. This is the ticket you would use from the airport. (For single rider cost is € 10)
- From the Hauptbahnhof
- If you're staying at the Munich Marriott on Berliner Straße, you can take the U4/U5 to Odeonsplatz and then jump on the U6 to Nordfriedhof.
- If you're going directly to the Welt, take the U3 instead at Odeonsplatz (to Olympiazentrum). When you get off the U3 at Olympiazentrum, turn left and go up the far escalator. You will see the roofline of the Welt as you come up to ground level.
- If you're staying at the King's Center (one of the hotels listed in the BMW ED package), you can take the U2 to Scheidplatz and then transfer to U3. One note about the transfer: it's the easiest transfer as both the U2 and U3 trains arrive at the same time on the same platform. Just walk from one to the other.
[edit] Rolf Raffelsieper
Many 'festers have used Rolf Raffelsieper's VIP Pickup Service for airport pickups for transfer either to your hotel or the BMW Welt. His current price is €50, still a bargain compared to the taxis. There is a long thread full of information and experiences.
- Phone: +49 (0)89 3543636
- Email: rolf.raffelsieper@web.de
[edit] Lufthansa Shuttle
If only 1 or 2 persons are traveling, another cost-effective alternative is the Lufthansa shuttle bus which will take you to Marienplatz (central Munich) or Nordfriedhof (stop along the U6 train line, which also very close to Munich Marriott (2-3 blocks) and Renaissance Hotel (across street, 1 block)). More information on the Lufthansa shuttle bus here, and the brochure is here.
[edit] The Delivery Center
Effective 23 October 2007 the delivery center has relocated to the new BMW Welt.
NOTE: The Welt street address is new and does not appear on many GPS or online map systems. The following may help:
Am Olympiapark 1 / Lerchenauer Straße at Georg-Brauchle-Ring / Tel +49 180 2 118822
The main entrance to the BMW Welt is only about 100m from the Olympia-Zentrum stop of the U3 subway line. As you get off the train, there are signs on the platform that point you directly to it.
The Delivery Center is busiest on Mondays, Fridays, and days preceding or following a German holiday (see 2006 Holidays here).
[edit] The Delivery Process and Important Car Documents
When you arrive at Welt, find the entrance to the Premium Lounge (you may be guided by BMW personnel if you mention that you're there for a pick-up.) After you check-in, you'll have some time in the lounge, which is stocked with drinks and food. Have your passport ready to present as identification. You will be given documentation regarding your vehicle among them: an International Car Registration booklet (the title to car, do not lose!), insurance policy and Green Insurance Card, General Conditions of Insurance, information regarding Roadside Assistance, a copy of the Purchase Order you signed (use it to make sure all the options you ordered are in the car), Owners Manual, and directions to MADA (Harms dropoff in Garching/Munich see here). You will be reminded to keep all of the car keys and the title to car in your possession at all times. The Acceptance Receipt form warns that "Car keys and documents left in an unattended car will invalidate insurance theft coverage!". The green insurance card (or International Motor Insurance Card) for summer 2007 looked like this only it's printed on green paper. The list of countries where insurance coverage is valid is extensive, and includes countries outside Europe! Note that IR is crossed out (i.e. no insurance coverage), and further note that IR is the country code for Iran, not Ireland (IRL) as some people have incorrectly posted in bimmerfest. The certificate of insurance from Allianz looks like this. BMW European Delivery provides 14 days of premium insurance and tourist registration with no additional cost to you. However, should you decide to extend this, additional coverage is available for purchase in 30-day increments only. This coverage must extend to your drop-off date and can be arranged through your local BMW Center and must be done in advance to your pick up date. The European Delivery department must be notified a minimum of 2 weeks prior to pick up in Munich in the event of an insurance change. The change of insurance cannot be done upon arrival in Munich. See bmwusa.com for the cost of extending insurance beyond 14 days.
NEW Feb 2008: BMW is advising that some non-EU countries may not recognize the export plates, and recommends that travel be limited to EU countries + Switzerland. "Please be advised that your new BMW can only be driven in European Union countries, which include the following: Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, Italy, Denmark, Ireland, Great Britain, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania and additionally Switzerland. All other countries are restricted because of the temporary tourist plates that are not recognized in non-EU countries. Also consider when planning your travels that you may not drive through any country that is not part of the EU." See the welcome letter (used in Apr 2008) from BMW here for full details.
New: June 2008: The bmwusa.com site has recently added Monaco and Norway to the list of approved countries.
As of summer 2007, the countries covered under BMW Assistance Plan appear to be: Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Austria, U.K., and Ireland. See this attachment for a copy given out in August 2007.
Since deliveries have moved to BMW Welt, cars are no longer delivered with a full tank of fuel. This is due to, we're told, fire regulations because the cars are stored in an enclosed space. You'll be given a map to nearby service stations. I got this one.
[edit] Bimmerfest European Delivery Sign-In Book
Please sign the Bimmerfest BMW Welt Sign-In Book! The book is located at the reception desk of the Premium Lounge.
[edit] Winter Driving and Summer/Performance Tires
- Summer/performance tires lose adhesion significantly under 7°C and temperatures in the winter months are of course much colder than that
- It is illegal to drive on summer tires on the autobahn if it has snowed or in wintry conditions. If you do so and get into an accident, you would possibly not have insurance coverage
All season tires are legal in Germany year round. The winter tire requirement usually applies to ED BMW's if you have a sports package or BMW with "summer" tires.
NEW Oct 2007: There is a winter tire rental program available for people who will drop-off in Munich. See this thread in bimmerfest.
If you are picking up your car in Munich and it is snowing outside, you can pay Harms a small fee to pick your car up at the Delivery Center when it is not snowing.
[edit] Hints, Tips and Tricks
- Upon arrival in the Welt, you can request that your front number plate be attached using double-sided tape. This looks better and eliminates the problem of holes in the bumper. However, at this point in time, your request is exactly that - a request - and there is no guarantee that they will attach it in this fashion (and they may simply use tape without any specific request to do so). [As of mid November, BMW was testing the adhesive system under different weather conditions to make sure the front number plate stays on; this is why the program is somewhat tentative.]
- Thinking of exceeding the speed limit in Europe? You might want to do some research on the penalties before you leave. In general, the laws in each country in Europe vary widely, and they can be very stricly enforced. A few extreme examples: you can receive a mandatory 18 days in jail for driving 16 mph over the limit in Norway, and fines in Finland can be proportional to your income, and have been as high as $70,000. One source for information on traffic enforcement in Europe can be found here.
- "USAREUR: Defensive Driving in Germany" Video
- German Road Signs PDF
- Hold on to your change! Many public toilets along the autobahn charge €0,50 to enter and use the facilities. When entering the toilets walk up to the turnstyle, deposit your €0,50, collect your receipt, and then walk through the turnstyle. Keep your receipts - you can used them for credit towards purchases at the rest stop for food, drinks and snacks.
- Vignettes/Toll Stickers. Many countries require the purchase of a vignette (a toll sticker that goes on your windshield). These are most easily bought at or near the border of the country at filling stations or at ADAC or ÖAMTC locations. Currently Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic require drivers to have a vignette. These vignettes vary in cost and duration. For example, Austria sells a 10-day vignette, but Switzerland only sells one-year vignettes.
- Parkscheibe: use to indicate when you parked your car. Where parking is limited (i.e. 1 hour parking) you will need to place this on your dash to indicate when you parked your car. If the parkscheibe indicates you have been parked too long (or if you do not have a parkscheibe) you may get a parking ticket. Ask the Welt for recommendations, or get one from a gas station.
Here is what a Parksscheibe looks like: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Zeichen_291.svg/180px-Zeichen_291.svg.png
- Safety Vest: Most EU countries (i.e. : Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovakia, Montenegro and Spain; Finland at night; required in Germany only for commercial vehicles) require you to carry a safety vest in the car, and to use it if you park on the side of the road and are outside of the car. You can use your “gift card” at the Welt to buy one of these at the store, or purchase one at the Mini dealer across the street. These are typically 8-9 Euro from BMW, although can be had for much less if you purchase them at a travel organization (AvD, ADAC) or auto parts store.
Here is what a saftey vest looks like: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Warnweste_ge.jpg
- Free Parking: You don’t need a car in Munich do you? Park your car at the Welt if you are staying for a few more days. They will give you free parking passes for the underground parking, but you have to ask for them at the front desk of the VIP lounge.
- Don’t forget to bring an international driver’s license. They are only $15 from AAA
- Gas is significantly cheaper in other countries such as Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic. If you are heading out of the country (or even just near the boarder) – only take the gas you need, and fill up when you cross the border. When you return the car to Harms it is required to have less than ¼ a tank before it is transported (not that you want to take any German gas home with you at those prices).
Here are the international gas prices (click on "current prices" to see German rates): http://gasoline-germany.com/international.phtml
