Finally got around to putting this together. A little delayed but better late than never. I'd like to begin my blog post about my ED by thanking everyone from the forums for sharing their experiences with me and my wife. You've provided invaluable information and have truly guided us along our journey. Secondly, my wife and I are not into #foodporn so apologies but no food pictures here.
Tip #1:
Finding the right sim card for your unlocked phone was a challenge for us when we got to Germany. The goal is to get a sim card with data that will work in most European countries, not just the country where you purchase your sim(which is usually the case). We purchased the ORTEL mobile sim card. You can get them at big supermarkets or gas stations (Germany only). In order to use it throughout Europe however, you need to activate the cross option which gives you 300 minutes of outgoing call time, 750mb, and unlimited incoming calls for 20 euros. Activating the cross option/plan did not work over the phone but worked online. You just have to register your SIM card and create an account. Wait until you get your confirmation (via text) before starting to use it; otherwise, it will eat through your credits very fast.
Here we go:
Day 0 - May 12:
The day had almost arrived. I had been thinking about getting the M3 for two years. Today, just the flight separated the dream from reality. This flight, however, would later be known as the flight from hell. It started with us waiting inside the plane at the gate in Detroit for three hours due to a fuel gauge problem with the plane. Because we weren't getting any updates, at the suggestion of a Delta representative, my wife and I got off that plane and boarded another Delta flight to Frankfurt (we were supposed to go to Amsterdam). They, then "booked us" on a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Munich. Throughout the entire process, they reassured us that they would get our luggage on our new flight. As soon as we got in line for takeoff, thunderstorms caused another 90 minute delay.
Day 1 - Friday, May 13:
Finally, we made it to Frankfurt but that magical "booking" on Lufthansa to Munich did not exist, compliments of Delta. The best explanation we got was "they told us about you but did not reserve you a seat." As a result, another two hours of additional waiting at Frankfurt for a plane to Munich that had seats available for us.
We arrived in Munich seven hours behind schedule, missing the noon factory tour. But at least we made it to our final destination and our nightmare was over. Or so we thought! Our luggage didn't come!!! So - we go to the Lufthansa desk to report the luggage and the following conversation occurs, which in retrospect seems kind of funny.
Us: We didn't get our bags
Rep: Sorry, we don't know where they are.
Us: Are you joking?
Rep: No sir, we don't know where your bags are. They might even still be in Detroit. No idea.
Our trip didn't start well at all. But the thing that was exceptional through all this mess was the Sixt service. Due to our delays, we emailed them four different times with new arrival information and they were totally understanding and accommodating. We got picked up in a 5 series GT. Our driver was fantastic, entertaining us as he drove crazy fast on the autoban. I couldn't wait to drive that fast too!
We had decided to stay at Leonardo Royal Hotel. Our reason for picking this hotel was close proximity to the Welt. We were staying in Munich for only one day. Price was very reasonable. If we would have spent several nights in Munich then I probably would have picked a hotel closer to Marienplatz.
We got to the hotel around 5 pm. It was raining in Munich but given that this was our only night there and we had already lost most of the day, a little rain was not going to stop us from doing a bit of exploration. First stop was the mall nearby (Olympia-Einkaufszentrum) to buy some essentials. We didn't buy much - the wife had high hopes that by the time we came back to the hotel, our bags would be there. Afterwards, we took the U bahn (subway) to Marienplatz. We walked around the city center then headed to Hofbrauhaus for some bier and sausage. It was packed. The bier was great, the local band was nice . . . the sausage, just ok, in my opinion. We, then, went back to the hotel and, of course, no bags. My wife proceeded to call Delta, Lufthansa, and KLM (using skype) and each one would tell us to call the other. Terrific! Well, at least we had the overnight kit from Lufthansa so toothbrush and deodorant were accounted for…. and, very very very large white Ts!
Day 2 -May 14:
D Day. I guess the good thing about no luggage is not having to lug much stuff around. Our check-in time at the Welt was 8:50am and delivery time was at 10:20am. We spent the morning having breakfast and talking to other ED guests who were waiting to pick up their cars! You are treated very nicely at the Welt. We checked in, signed a lot of documents, and were told about the ED experience - insurance info, pointers about driving in Europe, need for emergency triangle, etc.
So after finally picking up the car it was time to party, literally, in Cardiff Wales…. for one night. On our way to the airport, we stopped by the Real supermarket to get our Ortel Mobile sim card. At the airport, we parked the car at P41, an open lot, about two miles from the terminal with free shuttle service. Parking here was about 20 euros per day; the garage by the terminal is way more expensive. If you need to park the car at the airport, I would totally recommend this lot. There is free shuttle service which takes you to and from the terminals. The party we were attending in Cardiff was the bi annual party of Admiral Insurance. It was the craziest party I have been to in my life…. 5,500 hundred people inside the Millenium stadium (rugby/soccer stadium).
The wife being goofy!
https://youtu.be/4gTBr1NRt1A
Day 3-May 15:
We rented a car for our one day in Wales. On the way back to the airport, we stopped by the supermarket to get some clothes and other items we needed. At this point, we gave up on our luggage. When we got back to Munich, we stopped at Lufthansa baggage claim again to check halfheartedly but no new updates on the luggage. Not all was lost however -- another overnight kit was in order and I enjoyed two macchiatos while waiting to speak to customer service.
Changed allegiance for a day. The M doesn't know yet. The A1 was fun to drive too.
After we got back to the car, we started driving towards Nurburg. The Munich to Stuttgart part of A8 is great. There wasn't much construction going on and there were some long no limit stretches, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I stuck to the max 5K RPMs. As far as the speed limit though, I couldn't resist driving the max the car allowed. I got to 165mph or 265 kph. The feeling…. I cannot put into words…. simply amazing. You'll have to try it yourself. The car felt totally stable and if not for the speed limit, I could have done more without a problem. The wife, on the other hand, was shaking a bit so couldn't get a picture of the 165 mph, which I wanted to for verification purposes. Oh, one more thing: you can literally see the fuel gauge move when driving that fast.
The wife's hand was shaking too much so couldn't capture the actual 165mph craziness!
Our adventures for the night weren't over yet however. While driving on A8, the GPS suddenly stopped working. The screen asking for the activation code came up. We had not touched the flashdrive - it just stopped working randomly. We pulled over in a rest area, turned the car off and left it alone for a few minutes…. no luck. Maps did not load, just the black screen asking for the code. We tried it a few more times but still no success. So luggage-less and GPS-less, we got back on the road for Nurburg. At least, the ultimate driving machine was going strong! We made it to Nurburg by 11pm. We stayed at Doriant Hotel, which oversees the Grand Prix Circuit. They have a very spacious underground garage which you can use for 12 euros per night.
The Grand Prix circuit from the hotel balcony.
Tip #1:
Finding the right sim card for your unlocked phone was a challenge for us when we got to Germany. The goal is to get a sim card with data that will work in most European countries, not just the country where you purchase your sim(which is usually the case). We purchased the ORTEL mobile sim card. You can get them at big supermarkets or gas stations (Germany only). In order to use it throughout Europe however, you need to activate the cross option which gives you 300 minutes of outgoing call time, 750mb, and unlimited incoming calls for 20 euros. Activating the cross option/plan did not work over the phone but worked online. You just have to register your SIM card and create an account. Wait until you get your confirmation (via text) before starting to use it; otherwise, it will eat through your credits very fast.
Here we go:
Day 0 - May 12:
The day had almost arrived. I had been thinking about getting the M3 for two years. Today, just the flight separated the dream from reality. This flight, however, would later be known as the flight from hell. It started with us waiting inside the plane at the gate in Detroit for three hours due to a fuel gauge problem with the plane. Because we weren't getting any updates, at the suggestion of a Delta representative, my wife and I got off that plane and boarded another Delta flight to Frankfurt (we were supposed to go to Amsterdam). They, then "booked us" on a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Munich. Throughout the entire process, they reassured us that they would get our luggage on our new flight. As soon as we got in line for takeoff, thunderstorms caused another 90 minute delay.
Day 1 - Friday, May 13:
Finally, we made it to Frankfurt but that magical "booking" on Lufthansa to Munich did not exist, compliments of Delta. The best explanation we got was "they told us about you but did not reserve you a seat." As a result, another two hours of additional waiting at Frankfurt for a plane to Munich that had seats available for us.
We arrived in Munich seven hours behind schedule, missing the noon factory tour. But at least we made it to our final destination and our nightmare was over. Or so we thought! Our luggage didn't come!!! So - we go to the Lufthansa desk to report the luggage and the following conversation occurs, which in retrospect seems kind of funny.
Us: We didn't get our bags
Rep: Sorry, we don't know where they are.
Us: Are you joking?
Rep: No sir, we don't know where your bags are. They might even still be in Detroit. No idea.
Our trip didn't start well at all. But the thing that was exceptional through all this mess was the Sixt service. Due to our delays, we emailed them four different times with new arrival information and they were totally understanding and accommodating. We got picked up in a 5 series GT. Our driver was fantastic, entertaining us as he drove crazy fast on the autoban. I couldn't wait to drive that fast too!
We had decided to stay at Leonardo Royal Hotel. Our reason for picking this hotel was close proximity to the Welt. We were staying in Munich for only one day. Price was very reasonable. If we would have spent several nights in Munich then I probably would have picked a hotel closer to Marienplatz.
We got to the hotel around 5 pm. It was raining in Munich but given that this was our only night there and we had already lost most of the day, a little rain was not going to stop us from doing a bit of exploration. First stop was the mall nearby (Olympia-Einkaufszentrum) to buy some essentials. We didn't buy much - the wife had high hopes that by the time we came back to the hotel, our bags would be there. Afterwards, we took the U bahn (subway) to Marienplatz. We walked around the city center then headed to Hofbrauhaus for some bier and sausage. It was packed. The bier was great, the local band was nice . . . the sausage, just ok, in my opinion. We, then, went back to the hotel and, of course, no bags. My wife proceeded to call Delta, Lufthansa, and KLM (using skype) and each one would tell us to call the other. Terrific! Well, at least we had the overnight kit from Lufthansa so toothbrush and deodorant were accounted for…. and, very very very large white Ts!
Day 2 -May 14:
D Day. I guess the good thing about no luggage is not having to lug much stuff around. Our check-in time at the Welt was 8:50am and delivery time was at 10:20am. We spent the morning having breakfast and talking to other ED guests who were waiting to pick up their cars! You are treated very nicely at the Welt. We checked in, signed a lot of documents, and were told about the ED experience - insurance info, pointers about driving in Europe, need for emergency triangle, etc.
So after finally picking up the car it was time to party, literally, in Cardiff Wales…. for one night. On our way to the airport, we stopped by the Real supermarket to get our Ortel Mobile sim card. At the airport, we parked the car at P41, an open lot, about two miles from the terminal with free shuttle service. Parking here was about 20 euros per day; the garage by the terminal is way more expensive. If you need to park the car at the airport, I would totally recommend this lot. There is free shuttle service which takes you to and from the terminals. The party we were attending in Cardiff was the bi annual party of Admiral Insurance. It was the craziest party I have been to in my life…. 5,500 hundred people inside the Millenium stadium (rugby/soccer stadium).
The wife being goofy!
https://youtu.be/4gTBr1NRt1A
Day 3-May 15:
We rented a car for our one day in Wales. On the way back to the airport, we stopped by the supermarket to get some clothes and other items we needed. At this point, we gave up on our luggage. When we got back to Munich, we stopped at Lufthansa baggage claim again to check halfheartedly but no new updates on the luggage. Not all was lost however -- another overnight kit was in order and I enjoyed two macchiatos while waiting to speak to customer service.
Changed allegiance for a day. The M doesn't know yet. The A1 was fun to drive too.
After we got back to the car, we started driving towards Nurburg. The Munich to Stuttgart part of A8 is great. There wasn't much construction going on and there were some long no limit stretches, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I stuck to the max 5K RPMs. As far as the speed limit though, I couldn't resist driving the max the car allowed. I got to 165mph or 265 kph. The feeling…. I cannot put into words…. simply amazing. You'll have to try it yourself. The car felt totally stable and if not for the speed limit, I could have done more without a problem. The wife, on the other hand, was shaking a bit so couldn't get a picture of the 165 mph, which I wanted to for verification purposes. Oh, one more thing: you can literally see the fuel gauge move when driving that fast.
The wife's hand was shaking too much so couldn't capture the actual 165mph craziness!
Our adventures for the night weren't over yet however. While driving on A8, the GPS suddenly stopped working. The screen asking for the activation code came up. We had not touched the flashdrive - it just stopped working randomly. We pulled over in a rest area, turned the car off and left it alone for a few minutes…. no luck. Maps did not load, just the black screen asking for the code. We tried it a few more times but still no success. So luggage-less and GPS-less, we got back on the road for Nurburg. At least, the ultimate driving machine was going strong! We made it to Nurburg by 11pm. We stayed at Doriant Hotel, which oversees the Grand Prix Circuit. They have a very spacious underground garage which you can use for 12 euros per night.
The Grand Prix circuit from the hotel balcony.