[ksh937]

Hey all, this is super late, but I wanted to post my experience doing European Delivery this past Thanksgiving (yes, over 2 months ago, lol). Instead of the typical day-by-day summary with pictures (which others have already done and they did a much better job than I could ever possibly do), I wanted to post a list of tips that I think might be helpful for people considering ED.

First off, thanks to the forum for helping me plan this trip. There's no way I could've done it without you guys. And a special hats off to hyperzulu and gluhwein for all of their PMs and e-mails. Thanks a lot guys, you made the trip truly memorable. And, of course, thanks to David Aviles and Steve Thomas BMW. This is my second car from Steve Thomas which tells you how good they are b/c I live in Minnesota

1. BMW's hotel partners are great. We stayed at the Hilton Munich Park and they gave us a better rate than my Hilton Honors Diamond status could get us. Breakfast buffet and parking were both included which also saves an additional 50 euro per day. And the parking garage is underground and has plenty of spots. The Hilton is about 10 minutes from Welt and 10 minutes from downtown Munich. Super convenient!

2. For those going in the winter... The Christmas Markets are amazing! So much food, drink, people, gifts, etc. They were the highlight of our trip. We did the Christmas Markets in Munich and Salzburg (the latter was our favorite as it was a little less commercial). Awesome experience!! Drink the gluhwein (and make sure you have a DD)!

3. ED during the winter can be hit-or-miss so check the weather and plan accordingly. We chose not to get snow tires, partially b/c we had all-season tires and we had an AWD car, but also b/c the weather looked good leading up to our trip. We lucked out and there was no snow on the ground and it was warm for late November (40s F). That being said, early mornings were foggy and some of the roads (especially if you take the scenic route from Munich to Salzburg) can get really narrow so be careful!

4. If you can make it, take a day trip to Salzburg. Beautiful city, lots to do and see (Mozart's house, Sound of Music tour, etc.), and really nice overall. It's 2.5 hours (if you take the scenic route through Berchtesgaden, which you should also do to see Hitler's summer house, the Eagle's Nest) and 1.5 hours if you take the Autobahn directly. You'll need a vignette which you can get at any gas station for like 8 Euro if you plan on driving on any highways in Austria. Also, park in the Altstadtgaragen in Salzburg, which is in a giant mountain and has tons of spots.

5. We used the drop-off location at the Munich airport and just took the train back into downtown Munich. Worked great. Also gave us a chance to check out the airport Christmas Market Saturday drop-offs are a thing, but you have to make a reservation beforehand and it's only from 10am-2pm.

6. We had Rolf pick us up and take us to Welt. He's great and helped us get set up with SIM cards, reviewed our itinerary for the week, and gave us general tips as well. Thanks Rolf!!

7. European maps were included on a USB stick so our Nav system was all good to go as soon as we got the car.

8. Food at Welt isn't the most filling just so you guys know. Don't expect a big buffet, but there are snacks. And there's a small cafe on the main floor.

9. Drop-off to pick up for me was about 50 days. I'm going to the PDC to get my car tomorrow!

10. I was told my European license plates will be in my trunk when I get the car so I'm excited to get those and mount them on my wall as a souvenir.

11. Welt is awesome and you're treated like a king. Everyone was first class. Thanks Angelika and Rudy!

12. BMW offers a shuttle service if you need it. It's in the documents they send to you, but this is a new policy so check it out! This literally changed from the time I placed my order and when I went to Germany. Just another way to save some time/money.

13. Give yourself time to adjust to jet lag and driving in Europe. We had a very aggressive itinerary, but we also highlighted a few things as "optional". Depending on how you adjust, you might not be able to squeeze in everything you want. Driving can be tiring and the jet lag doesn't help either. My suggestion: Have 1-2 main destinations/activities per day and then a list of other "optional" items. That way, you can make sure you get the key activities done and the rest is a bonus if you can get to them!


That's all I can think of for now. I wish we had more time, but maybe I'll save that for the next trip. For now, thanks again to the forum, hyperzulu, gluhwein, David Aviles and Steve Thomas BMW, and Katie L. (David's colleague)... she was amazing throughout the entire process!

Edit: Ok, maybe 1 picture...

[gaijin]

Thanks for sharing. We almost did an ED. BMW of San Antonio had an allocation ready to go into production last month and willing to price it to our liking, we opted to pass this time around. We're still looking at an ED for the next Bimmer in the very near future.

[hyperzulu]

Nice picture! I sure do miss being in Europe on vacation...

[Vector Pilot]

Thanks for the posting the tips. We've done two Euro Deliveries and it's always good to hear about how others experienced it. Do have a question, in spite of the winter weather conditions, how did the M235 perform on the German Autobahn?

[LDSM]

Thanks for the tips, I'm preparing for my first Euro Delivery in April

How many days did you spend there in total?

[TBro2002]

Great tips. I'm planning my itinerary for a May 4 ED delivery, and this information has been helpful.

[ksh937]

Originally Posted by Vector Pilot

Thanks for the posting the tips. We've done two Euro Deliveries and it's always good to hear about how others experienced it. Do have a question, in spite of the winter weather conditions, how did the M235 perform on the German Autobahn?

It performed extremely well. I only took it up to 100 mph (since that's what I was told to do by the ppl at BMW), but it was awesome.

[ksh937]

Originally Posted by LDSM

Thanks for the tips, I'm preparing for my first Euro Delivery in April

How many days did you spend there in total?

4 total days. Too short, but that's all I could take off of work.