Back From First ED & M3! | Germany, Austria, Switzerland

[Bmwhocr]

Hello All,

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone here for sharing their ED experiences. I think I may have read through nearly all of them and customized our trip with your tips. It really made the experience go a little smoother and I was better prepared for the adventure.

This was my first ED trip, first BMW and first M3. I’ve lusted after the M3 ever since seeing it in high school but I never thought I would be able own one. Fast forward way too many years and I was on the waitlist for a M2 with no end in sight. When I finally had the chance to sit in a M2 and drive it I was a little underwhelmed by the seats, interior trim and fake side vents. My local dealer had a used M3 with manual transmission so I couldn’t resist at least considering what a few extra grand would buy me. Needless to say, the M3 just felt a bit more special to me inside out and that would seal my decision.


Trip in a nutshell (899 miles in roughly 5 days)

Munich > Salzburg > Fussen > Lucerne > Munich
Beer > Pretzels > Schnitzel > Bratwurst > Beer

General Observations/Tips

• Germans are friendly and most speak a little English
• Seat yourself at most restaurants, wait staff is usually attentive
• Watch for speed cameras as you near cities, I think I got a little carried away on the autobahn. Waiting patiently for my tickets in the mail
• The autobahn is amazing and most people follow the rules which makes driving a complete pleasure. It is a shame break in top speed is limited to 105 mph.
• Food in Germany is a little on the salty side?
• Pump SuperPlus(98) gas first and pay the attendant afterwards
• Definitely spend time studying street signs/driving rules so you are prepared for the traffic circles and understanding right of way.
• Stoplights in EU are mounted on the side closest to you. Stop a little further back so you don't have to crane your neck.
• Make sure your hotel has AC and secure parking
• If you need mobile wifi, TEP Wireless is garbage. Don’t waste your money.
• Try to stay in each city at least two nights, one night feels a bit rushed especially if you are driving 2+ hours a day
• Hope you like cold cuts, hard boiled eggs and bread. You will be eating a lot of that for breakfast.

And now to the pics!


The Pickup

We didn’t get the famous Sixt driver with few words but it was a comfy ride. Maybe I would consider one in a few years.. Or not.





Munich

Obligatory stop at Neues Rathaus in Marienplatz



Inside St Michaels


Pork knuckle from Augustiner Keller, a nice outdoor beer garden.


One of the halls inside the Residenz. Worth a quick tour.


Lot of spectators for the surfers at the English Garden.


THE WELT - FINALLY!!


A typical Bavarian breakfast served at the Welt. Pretty decent and I scarfed it down knowing I would take delivery within an hour. It was a relief knowing everything was in order after reading some ED horror stories of lost plates, stop delivery orders, etc.



The moment you see her for the first time slowly spinning in all her glory. I wanted to run down the stairs to get a closer view but I just admired her from a distance and let the experience soak in.


We completed three measly victory laps and excitedly made our exit so we could snap a ton of pics outside.





Passed the BMW Four Cylinder Tower on the way to the plant tour. I highly recommend the tour if you haven’t already done so. Really interesting seeing each of the steps of car production. You may also notice some attractive German ladies building our cars


Salzburg

Thats not a bald Bernie Sanders but it is the same street Mozart was born on


The house Mozart was born in!


Mirabel Park- Sound of Music fans may recognize this


Oven baked pork with potato dumplings.. delicious!


Fussen

Official BMW photospot in front of Neuschwanstein Castle. Had to keep moving my car every time a farmer came by on a tractor. I believe it is a private road but the locals didn’t seem to mind too much. In hindsight, I should have gotten a little closer to the castle.


Made a pitstop to ride the mountain coasters @ Alpsee Bergwelt. This was a ton of fun and I would recommend dropping by if it is on the way. Just take the lift chairs up to save time as the line could be long. We waited roughly 50 minutes but it was worth it!


Swiss Alps

Time lapse from the dash cam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9wuDzJI_sE


View of Grimsel Pass from Furka Pass. Driving the Swiss passes was a highlight of the trip. The scenery is unbelievable. Just go early as it can get congested from tour buses from what I read.









Made a friend. He preferred fruits and bread though.


Stopped by the Rhone Glacier at Furka Pass. Pretty interesting place to spend a few minutes. I guess thats what it feels like to be in an igloo? I believe it was 7 Euro for entry.


LUCERNE

Fondue in Lucerne our last stop before heading back to Munich. A little pricier than our other destinations but a charming city without a doubt. The cheese and chocolate in Switzerland is a amazing.




The sad moment when I had to part with my baby after a week of getting to know her. There was also a blue m3 with comp package dropping off the car the same day. I stalked the window sticker and found we are shipping to the same CA port. Btw - LoginOut provides a hand wash/machine wax service for 40 Euro if you run out of time or are too OCD for the drive through car wash.


Pro tip - don’t almost drop your keys into the grate outside the LoginOut office

[afisherunc]

Looks like a great trip! Congrats on the new M3!

[BimmerBahn]

Congratulations on the ///M3! Some great pictures, too.

Cheers,

[F80Dreamer]

Congrats on a great trip and a great car. Sounds like an incredible experience.

[KevinM]

Thanks for posting! As you will now find out, each ED post is another chance to remember your trip. What a great experience. Congratulations.

[Bmwhocr]

Originally Posted by afisherunc

Looks like a great trip! Congrats on the new M3!

Thanks! Congrats to your delivery as well, looks like you had a great time!

[Bmwhocr]

Originally Posted by KevinM

Thanks for posting! As you will now find out, each ED post is another chance to remember your trip. What a great experience. Congratulations.

Thanks, I remember reading through your experience recently as well. Congrats on yours too

[Bmwhocr]

Look what I got in the mail today.. No sure what the bill is for? Anyone have any idea what it is or how to pay it?

[BimmerBahn]

Originally Posted by Bmwhocr

Look what I got in the mail today.. No sure what the bill is for? Anyone have any idea what it is or how to pay it?

You can ignore it. BMW AG already paid the Zoll tax. If you want official clarification, reach out to the BMWUSA ED dept and they can confirm for you.

It's a souvenir

Cheers,

[mlust]

YIKES! Close call on the key, looks like a fun trip. Thanks for sharing.

[zuschnell]

Congrats!! I think my wife and I saw you guys at the welt when we picked up our ymb m3. Actually I think our car is in your last pick at loginout!

Looks like you had a great trip! Now the wait...

[Bmwhocr]

Originally Posted by zuschnell

Congrats!! I think my wife and I saw you guys at the welt when we picked up our ymb m3. Actually I think our car is in your last pick at loginout!

Looks like you had a great trip! Now the wait...

How funny! Hope you had a great trip as well. The wait is awful indeed!

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by BimmerBahn

You can ignore it. BMW AG already paid the Zoll tax. If you want official clarification, reach out to the BMWUSA ED dept and they can confirm for you.

It's a souvenir

Cheers,

This document actually is your receipt for the Zoll tax that BMW paid on your behalf. Look at the paperwork in the packet that you received at BMW Welt. On the back of one of the pages is a small image of this same letter and an explanation saying that you can ignore it. But apparently nobody reads anything that's in their information packet...

[Oreganoflow]

is the temporary license plate screwed in on the front bumper? i hope not...

[phoenx]

Originally Posted by Oreganoflow

is the temporary license plate screwed in on the front bumper? i hope not...

Its not. Double sided tape i believe.

Awesome trip!

[Bmwhocr]

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

This document actually is your receipt for the Zoll tax that BMW paid on your behalf. Look at the paperwork in the packet that you received at BMW Welt. On the back of one of the pages is a small image of this same letter and an explanation saying that you can ignore it. But apparently nobody reads anything that's in their information packet...

Must have skipped over that sheet in excitement

[EALm4]

Originally Posted by Bmwhocr

Pork knuckle from Augustiner Keller, a nice outdoor beer garden.

My fav and I absolutely loved that place. Went there twice and before a football game and hung out with some cool Bayern fans. The pork knuckle at the Chinesischer Turm is also boss af

[ejonsson90]

Originally Posted by phoenx

Its not. Double sided tape i believe.

Awesome trip!

Yeah, double sided tape - it has been known to come loose in American carwashes

Originally Posted by Bmwhocr

Pork knuckle from Augustiner Keller, a nice outdoor beer garden.

Great call on Augustiner Keller. One of my favourite places in Munich - not sure if that's because of the beer, the food, or the ambiance...safe to say a combination of all three!

[Bmwhocr]

Originally Posted by ejonsson90

Yeah, double sided tape - it has been known to come loose in American carwashes



Great call on Augustiner Keller. One of my favourite places in Munich - not sure if that's because of the beer, the food, or the ambiance...safe to say a combination of all three!

My thoughts exactly. Really liked the experience there. It was one of our favorite spots in in Munich as well.

[Bmwhocr]

Originally Posted by EALm4

My fav and I absolutely loved that place. Went there twice and before a football game and hung out with some cool Bayern fans. The pork knuckle at the Chinesischer Turm is also boss af

Ditto. Guess I'll have to try your spot on the next ED

[absoluteis350]

Originally Posted by Bmwhocr

Ditto. Guess I'll have to try your spot on the next ED

Another vote for Augustiner Keller.. What a blast. We sat there for literally 3 hours, drinking beer and just people watching. We enjoyed it more than any other beer garden in Munich, and much MUCH more than Hofbrauhaus, which seems to cater more to tourists.

"pro tip" - sit outside.. Its much more fun.. We sat outside even when it was ~50F outside (we didn't have coats or sweaters). They have heat lamps and provide blankets to wrap yourself in. That's where the hard core sit :P

[Bmwhocr]

Originally Posted by absoluteis350

Another vote for Augustiner Keller.. What a blast. We sat there for literally 3 hours, drinking beer and just people watching. We enjoyed it more than any other beer garden in Munich, and much MUCH more than Hofbrauhaus, which seems to cater more to tourists.

"pro tip" - sit outside.. Its much more fun.. We sat outside even when it was ~50F outside (we didn't have coats or sweaters). They have heat lamps and provide blankets to wrap yourself in. That's where the hard core sit :P

We wondered about that! It seems Germans love to sit outside to enjoy beer/food but is outside seating still popular when its cold as well?