[RacerDad]

My last day with the new BMW. The time went by so quick. We left Nurburg at 8:30am and headed towards our drop off location, BLG, in Frankfurt. The trip took just under two hours and I had a chance to have one last blast on an unlimited speed section of the Autobahn (A3).

Before we could drop the car off, it needed to be washed. Any foreign contaminents (dead bugs) would hold the car up in US Customs upon re-entry. A clean car also gives the shipping agent a better chance to inspect the car for damage. The delivery specialist recommended an automatic car wash over a hand wash, so I decided on Mr. Wash in Frankfurt. For 12 euros (Normal Wash) they pretreated the car before entry, went through several stages of washing in the drive (roll) through wash, and allows you free vacuuming of the interior. I have read all the comments of automated car washes that are not touchless, but this one did a great job, especially with the brake dust, water spots, and bugs. Not perfect, but considering how dirty the car was over two weeks of use, I can't complain.









Next stop, BLG Logistics. Before I was able to go there, the nav system decided to act up again asking for a validation code. Fortunately, I had already looked up the address and was only three blocks from their location. I truly hope this is a glitch with the European maps and not a problem with the nav unit itself. This is something I will have the delivering dealer address before they redeliver the car.





Arriving at BLG requires you to drive down a business park driveway (there is a BLG sign at the entrance) and check in with security. They will give you a guest pass after you sign in. After the gate, the drop off lot is to the left. Before going inside, make sure you do the following:

1. Write the mileage in miles.
2. Take out the warning triangle, first aid kit, European map thumb drive, and safety vests and put them in your luggage. They cannot enter the US with the car.
3. Take the owner's manual out. You can choose to ship it with the car, but aren't you supposed to read the manual? If you do take it, tell the BLG agent you have it.
4. Look over the vehicle exterior and interior very carefully for any damage. The BLG agent will do this as well, but you should know what defects are present ahead of time. I took pictures.

Take your luggage and the paperwork you received at the Welt and your passport and bring it upstairs to the BLG office. That's right, 1st floor means three sets of stairs with your luggage, no elevator. The people at BLG were very nice and processed my paperwork while another agent looked the car over for the condition report. They will keep certain paperwork for your packet (including the German registration, no souvenir here). You give them one key and you keep the other. Once they have completed the paperwork and you have signed it, they will call you a cab (45 euros for a ride to the hotel at the airport for us). The proceed downstairs, take a look at your car one last time, and turn in your badge at the security office.







Our cab arrived just before we made it to the security gate. A quick ride in a new E class, complete with vinyl interior and manual adjusting seats (the Crown Vic of Mercedes), and we were at our hotel. Even though our flight was not until the next morning, we decided to just go into Frankfurt for dinner and skip sightseeing. From the airport we took the S-Bahn trains (one transfer, 30 minutes total one way) to a small neighborhood in the city. We found a local restaurant that caters to the local community. Excellent food, great prices, and no tourists.











Back to the hotel by 7:30pm. We had a 10:30am flight to catch.

[RacerDad]

Today we travelled home from the Frankfurt Main Airport. Not much to report here. Getting through customs simply required the Polizei to scan our passports and allow us through. You do not get screened until you go through your specific gate. The screening processes is almost identical to the US process. How do I know this? I got pulled out for a thorough screening. Word of advice, put your deodorant in a ziplock bag.

The flight from Frankfurt to JFK was just under eight hours. I highly recommend you get the Mobile Passport app for your phone. We were able to answer the customs questions online and then simply have the customs agents scan the phone. No need to wait on the long lines. You will have to collect your carry on luggage and recheck them, along with going through US security again.

Our connecting flight was in the same building as security, but at the complete other end of the airport. A brisk jog through the airport and we arrived 20 minutes before departure. The flight home was on a regional jet and was uneventful (fine by me).

I will post some driving impressions, hotel recommendations, restaurant recommendations, and final comments later today.

[Fugly M3]

you used the exact car wash I was looking at! I'm guessing it doesn't have the track the wheels/tires actually go inside but some other sort of rolling device?

[griz31]

Wow this looks like such an awesome trip. Thanks for sharing!

[RacerDad]

Originally Posted by E46M54325Ci

you used the exact car wash I was looking at! I'm guessing it doesn't have the track the wheels/tires actually go inside but some other sort of rolling device?

It looked like a standard track and roller system to me.

[Fugly M3]

Guessing it didn't scratch the wheels then?

[RacerDad]

No scratches that I could see.

[RacerDad]

If you have the opportunity to do a European Delivery, do it. It was a great experience for myself and my son. I thoroughly enjoyed the delivery process at the Welt, including the museum and the plant tour. It was also exciting to drive the car through the various countries and different roads. We had a great time talking with people from different countries, eating local cuisine, and enjoying the local culture. I don't know when I will be going back, but I plan to return, maybe when my son buys his own BMW.

Car Impressions
Spending 1,200 miles in the car on unfamiliar roads limited my ability to learn all about the car. However, driving on the Autobahn and Nurburgring showed me a glimpse of what it is capable of. This is definitely a powerful car with great handling. It can easily be a daily driver or a track toy. However, I would not do anything more than an occasional track day with it unless I perform some suspension and brake upgrades (I probably won't). I love the sound of the inline 6, even if some of it is artificial. The size of the car is perfect for me. A few of the cons include the navigation system issues, the fact that the car crashes over potholes (I know, the tire size and type of tires are part of it), and that the brake pedal sticks slightly on light brake application (didn't affect operation, but it felt like I had to press through a switch before I could use the pedal).

I had debated between this car, the 228i, and the M2. The 228i made the most logical sense for a daily driver. Good power and great fuel economy. However, the way I would have optioned it put it too close the the M235i ($3500 cheaper). I also missed the sound of the six. The M2 is definitely a step up, but the car had just come out, and there was not going to be any price negotiations. Additionally, an M2 on my daily commute seemed like overkill. I know, the same could be said for the M235i, but I just couldn't justify the price difference for a daily driver. I have read all the arguments for all three cars. To each there own. There is no wrong choice.

I have two modifications I will make to the car when it returns, all-season floor mats (the black ones, not the red/black ones) and black kidney grills.

Trip Itinerary
Day 1 & 2 - Travel from Atlanta to Munich (red eye flight)
Day 3 - BMW Museum & Plant Tour, Munich
Day 4 - Vehicle Delivery, Travel to Innsbruck, Austria
Day 5 - Travel from Innsbruck to Moreno, Italy via the Jaufen Pass; travel to Merano to Modena, Italy
Day 6 - Ferrari Museum, Lamborghini Museum, Modena
Day 7- Travel to Autodromo Monza; Lunch stop at Como, Italy; Travel to Lucerne, Switzerland
Day 8 - Lucerne, Switzerland
Day 9 - Travel to Strasbourg, France
Day 10 - Travel to Nurburg, Germany; Drive the Nurburgring Nordschleife
Day 11 - Nurburg, Drive the Nurburgring...again
Day 12 - Travel to Frankfurt, Germany; Vehicle Drop Off;
Day 13 - Travel home
Day 14 - Recover

The next sections are my brief reviews of the hotels and restaurants. There are more detailed reviews on Trip Advisor.

Hotel Reviews
Munich - Westin Grand Hotel
Pros: High end hotel, very nice rooms, great wifi
Cons: Disconnected from the German experience, very expensive

Innsbruck - Austria Hotel Trend Congress
Pros: Very nice rooms, good wifi, close to the historic center, decent price
Cons: Not much

Modena - Rechigi Park Hotel
Pros: Reasonable price, nostalgic facility, good location for the museums we visited
Cons: Bad wifi, older hotel needs some upgrades, beds not great

Lucerne - Ameron Hotel Flora Luzern
Pros: Well appointed hotel, great wifi, located on the river
Cons: Very expensive, staff can be overwhelmed by the number of guests

Strasbourg - Holiday Inn Express
Pros: New facility, parking garage next door, walking distance to historic district
Cons: Weak wifi

Nurburg - Land Gut Hotel Zur Burg
Pros: 3 minutes to the Nordschleife entrance, great location for other activities, good price
Cons: Uncomfortable beds, weak wifi

Frankfurt - Hilton Garden Inn Airport
Pros: Modern hotel, good amenities, located in the airport
Cons: Expensive, bad wifi, no free breakfast

Restaurants

Munich
Hans Im Gluck Burgergrill - Local burger joint (chain?) with a great selection and local flavor. Located in the middle of Rosenkavalierplatz

Trattoria Peppino - Italian family owned restaurant with authentic food as good as what you will find in Italy. Caters to the local community located in Rosenkavalierplatz.

Muller & Hoflinger - Good place for breakfast (mainly pastries). Probably a local chain, but this is where the locals stop for morning coffee. Also in Rosenkavalierplatz.

Innsbruck
Golden Adler - Part of the the Best Western hotel, located in the historic sector, has a good variety of authentic Austrian food.

Merano
Pizzeria Bistro Mediterraneo - A little hard to find as it is not technically on the street. You need to go one block in from where you think it should be. GREAT PIZZA! Enough said.

Modena
Da Danilo - Located in the historic sector, great Italian food.

Como
Caffe Mazzini - Decent food, a little pricey, good location

Lucerne
I don't have a good recommendation here. Most of the restaurants along the river are VERY pricey and the food at the one place was OK at best. There is a good burger joint in the train station. Let Trip Advisor be your guide.

Strasbourg
La Marseillaise - Restaurant caters to locals and tourists. Great French and Alsatian food.

Nurburg
ED Mineralolhandels - It's a gas station. Make sure you go inside and look around the entire place, lots of cool stuff. Then check out the food. Traditional German food at reasonable prices. Most of the people who were eating there work at the local car manufacturer and race shops. We ate there twice.

Devil's Diner - Official restaurant located at the Nordschleife entrance. It's track food and it's edible.

Pistenklause - Sabine Schmitz's family owned restaurant. Good selection of food, but eat there for the great racing ambiance.

Frankfurt
Atschel - Great German cuisine in the middle of a typical Frankfurt neighborhood. Mainly locals dine here and the food is great. Make sure to have dessert.

I had read many of the other posts from this forum before doing my ED. This is my way of giving back to the community. Please contact me if you have any questions. If you want to talk to me in person, you can catch me at NASA Mid Atlantic events playing crew chief for my son's Spec Miata.

[Fugly M3]

great follow-up, love it!

[F1HAMMY]

I was stationed in Germany for 3.5 years, I miss it everyday

[krhodes1]

Looks like you guys had a great time! Loved the part about keeping your son in the dark. Probably should have done that with my Mom when I picked up mine. We spent a month (4600 miles!) and managed to hit 9 countries. We also went to the Ferrari Museums. And Mercedes, Porsche, and the Sclumphf Museum. Mom is a trouper to put up with me... But she dragged me through a ton of historical sites in Italy too. And Dachau...

One question - did BMW supply the vignettes for Austria and Switzerland? Did you have to pay for them? I did ED for my M235i last August and paid for those at the borders - expensive little buggers, especially Switzerland! $60 to spend 3hrs passing through the country to get to France. I had to get one for Hungary as well, which is completely electronic and done online. Which was an adventure given the website was only 1/2 in English and I don't speak Hungarian!

The have changed the details a bit over the years. I did it the first time in '11 and you got about enough gas in the car to make it down the street to the gas station, the 10 Euro voucher, and that was it. This time I got all you got plus a really nice H/K Bluetooth speaker system that they were giving to everyone who ordered the H/K stereo upgrade. That time was for my 328! wagon, and some friends and I went all over Scandinavia with it. Good times.

I'm thinking an M2 might make a nice 50th birthday present in three years... And the next time, I am staying in Germany!

[RacerDad]

I bought the vignettes from TollTickets.com. The Austrian vignette cost 8.80 euros for a 10-day pass. The Switzerland vignette cost 38.50 euro for a one-year pass. It was easier to buy them and have them shipped to my house before I went on my trip. The delivery specialist at the Welt was very surprised when I told him I already had them. He gladly installed them on the car along with the emission sticker.

[Fugly M3]

Emmission sticker?

[RacerDad]

German cities have Umweltzones (Environmental Zones). In order to enter these zones, the vehicle must have the appropriate emission sticker. If your qualifies for a green sticker, you can enter any of these zones. BMW will get you the appropriate sticker for free and install it on your vehicle. Be sure to tell BLG and your dealer that you want to keep the sticker (and temporary European tags) when you pick up the car in the US.

http://www.german-way.com/travel-and...y-green-zones/





Look at the bottom right (passenger) side of the windshield

[Fugly M3]

cool...I wondered what it was on my rental cars the last couple times I was there, but never looked it up

[RacerDad]

I have been asked several times when the car was coming home and have been telling everyone the standard 6-8 weeks. After a little digging on the Internet I have found out how to track it.

1. Visit the Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics website and click on Track & Trace.

2. Enter your VIN number into the Cargo ID box and select Track

3. All the details regarding the shipment, including the vessel name, will be shown on this screen.

4. Click on the Voyage Number to show the ports of call and their ETAs and ETDs.

5. Go to the Marine Traffic website.

6. Type in your vessel name in the search box in the top right corner and click the magnifying glass.

7. You will see all the current information about the vessel. Scroll down and click on the "Show on live map >>" button to display its current position and heading.

My car is on the Tortugas which is currently moored at the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium. It is scheduled to stop in Southampton (the vessel's home port), Halifax, NS, and Newark before continuing on to Savannah, Brunswick, and Charleston. I am assuming my car will be dropped off in Newark (scheduled for Aug. 10th).

[RacerDad]

My car arrived in New Jersey on Aug 11th and cleared customs on the 12th. The next step is for the car to go through BMW's VPC before being shipped to the dealer.

[RJCrew]

Nice pix! Funny.. Just met you today at the cars & coffee.

[Dackelone]

Nice ED writeup. You went to soooo many "nice" places.

[amw896]

sounds like you had a blast! I think I'm going to do ED next as well. Congrats on the 235i, I love mine as well.

[cooln3ss]

What an incredible experience! Thank you for sharing. I think this is worth every penny and then some! Nice job!!?

[jpnh]

Any rough estimate on what you spent on the trip?

I'm considering ED but am also trying to figure costs.

Are there any gotcha;s if you were to do ED during the winter months?

Tire requirements (winter tires) and such?