IN PROGRESS: Our ED (not so) Individual Order Timeline A to Z

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by Thescout13

12/04/2017: Fidelio arrives at port
12/05/2017: Car is unloaded
12/08/2017: FINALLY Customs Release and Liner Release
12/13/2017: Vehicle scanned into the VPC at midnight. Estimated delivery 12/17

Hey Scout or Ibiza, how'd you get all these times/dates from the shipping co and VPC? The dealer or genius?

I have the trucking notifications in place, but looking for the VPC arrival and release.

Thanks!

[Thescout13]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

Hey Scout or Ibiza, how'd you get all these times/dates from the shipping co and VPC? The dealer or genius?

I have the trucking notifications in place, but looking for the VPC arrival and release.

Thanks!

Both dealer and genius worked for me

[Ibiza]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

Hey Scout or Ibiza, how'd you get all these times/dates from the shipping co and VPC? The dealer or genius?

I have the trucking notifications in place, but looking for the VPC arrival and release.

Thanks!

I was on a K Line boat so contacted Genius daily until VPC work release completed.

[Thescout13]

12/26/2017: Finally picked up the car!

[Thescout13]

Some more

[pawlie]

Gorgeous car - congrats on the late Christmas present!

[Ibiza]

Originally Posted by pawlie

Gorgeous car - congrats on the late Christmas present!

For his wife!! Thescout13 still has his ED in 2018.

[Thescout13]

First modifications! Thanks to EAS for the hook up.

[Ibiza]

Originally Posted by Thescout13

First modifications! Thanks to EAS for the hook up.

I need to install the painted front reflectors too, picked em up during the black Friday sale for both M whips.

[GERMAN M3]

Looking good Scout.

[Nikolas]

Looks great! I'm getting ready to order mine for ED. Did you bother getting the IDP? I just read they are required in Austria......can't wait for some shrimp on the barbie!

[Thescout13]

Originally Posted by Nikolas

Looks great! I'm getting ready to order mine for ED. Did you bother getting the IDP? I just read they are required in Austria......can't wait for some shrimp on the barbie!

Yeah I definitely got the IDP. Did not need to use it this year, but it is a must and for the price totally worth it. I have an example in another thread about my uncle who thought he was smart by not getting one and spent a night in an Austrian jail because they couldnt translate the drivers license and wanted to verify his passport with the embassy. It was a shit show.

[Nikolas]

Originally Posted by Thescout13

Yeah I definitely got the IDP. Did not need to use it this year, but it is a must and for the price totally worth it. I have an example in another thread about my uncle who thought he was smart by not getting one and spent a night in an Austrian jail because they couldnt translate the drivers license and wanted to verify his passport with the embassy. It was a shit show.

That?s what I thought. If I?m going to spend the night in jail, it needs to be for something far worse.

[Ibiza]

I accidently crossed into Austria during last ED. But again, I travel to Europe 4 times per year on vaction and sometimes rent a car, never have had an issue not having a international drivers license. Has to be more to this story spending the night in jail, but I also know especially in Italy/Sicily that the police can be bribed.

[Nikolas]

Originally Posted by Ibiza

I accidently crossed into Austria during last ED. But again, I travel to Europe 4 times per year on vaction and sometimes rent a car, never have had an issue not having a international drivers license. Has to be more to this story spending the night in jail, but I also know especially in Italy/Sicily that the police can be bribed.

I think AAA charges $15 for it and does it while you wait. I'll get one for sure. 1 week of our ED will be in Austria before heading North.

[Thescout13]

Originally Posted by Ibiza

I accidently crossed into Austria during last ED. But again, I travel to Europe 4 times per year on vaction and sometimes rent a car, never have had an issue not having a international drivers license. Has to be more to this story spending the night in jail, but I also know especially in Italy/Sicily that the police can be bribed.

I am sure there was as he is a hot head and does not know any languages other than Spanish and broken English. So I am sure he was rude to the cops on top of it being in a small town where they could not read his license or communicate with him. However, my uncle will deny it. I can verify though that he was only going about 10km over the speed limit because I saw the ticket he brought Home. That was enough to scare me straight.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by Ibiza

I accidently crossed into Austria during last ED. But again, I travel to Europe 4 times per year on vaction and sometimes rent a car, never have had an issue not having a international drivers license. Has to be more to this story spending the night in jail, but I also know especially in Italy/Sicily that the police can be bribed.

The International Driver's Permit (IDP) in combination with a valid US driver's license is required in Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain (as of the 2nd half of 2017 AFAIK).

You can check the latest with the US State Dept's Bureau of Consular Affairs here. It's also good to brush up on Schengen.

You might not get asked for your IDP + license, but technically you're required to have one or you can get fined. Also most car rental companies won't enforce it and - as with anywhere in the World - cops might not know the law.

So if someone spent a night in jail it could be the cops simply didn't know the law, but there's probably something else to the story.

[Nikolas]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

The International Driver's Permit (IDP) in combination with a valid US driver's license is required in Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain (as of the 2nd half of 2017 AFAIK).

You can check the latest with the US State Dept's Bureau of Consular Affairs here. It's also good to brush up on Schengen.

You might not get asked for your IDP + license, but technically you're required to have one or you can get fined. Also most car rental companies won't enforce it and - as with anywhere in the World - cops might not know the law.

So if someone spent a night in jail it could be the cops simply didn't know the law, but there's probably something else to the story.

Germany too? Is that recent? I rented from Sixt in July 2016 and they only asked for my license. The reasoning makes sense to me.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by Nikolas

Germany too? Is that recent? I rented from Sixt in July 2016 and they only asked for my license. The reasoning makes sense to me.

Yup, Germany, but like I said, most car rental companies won't enforce it (it's not they get in trouble if you don't have it) and most cops aren't going to enforce it either. It's kind of like front license plates in California - they're required, but it's hardly ever enforced ... but it might be.

The reason for it is that it's got your information in multiple languages so if you get stopped by a cop that doesn't know english and isn't familiar with US State DLs, they'll know what they're looking at, and they'll know you're ok to be in the country (since it requires a passport).

A lot of times, cops just don't know the law on things like licenses, permits, or plates .. which is why it's always a good idea to get an IDP.

After my last ED I got pulled over in Cupertino because I still had my Euro plates on - Johnny started lecturing me that it was an illegal plate blah blah blah and I just listened.

Went back to his truck, came back 15 minutes later and gave me another 5 min lecture on how technically it's legal so he can't ticket me for it, but I was a horrible horrible person for driving around with Euro plates.

Cop Translation: I didn't know the law and now I feel stupid so you have to listen to me try to save face which we both know is futile but I have to try because my cop-ego will accept nothing less.

[Ibiza]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

Yup, Germany, but like I said, most car rental companies won't enforce it (it's not they get in trouble if you don't have it) and most cops aren't going to enforce it either. It's kind of like front license plates in California - they're required, but it's hardly ever enforced ... but it might be.

The reason for it is that it's got your information in multiple languages so if you get stopped by a cop that doesn't know english and isn't familiar with US State DLs, they'll know what they're looking at, and they'll know you're ok to be in the country (since it requires a passport).

A lot of times, cops just don't know the law on things like licenses, permits, or plates .. which is why it's always a good idea to get an IDP.

After my last ED I got pulled over in Cupertino because I still had my Euro plates on - Johnny started lecturing me that it was an illegal plate blah blah blah and I just listened.

Went back to his truck, came back 15 minutes later and gave me another 5 min lecture on how technically it's legal so he can't ticket me for it, but I was a horrible horrible person for driving around with Euro plates.

Cop Translation: I didn't know the law and now I feel stupid so you have to listen to me try to save face which we both know is futile but I have to try because my cop-ego will accept nothing less.

Did you see my Bimmerfest post that I had my ED plates on front&back for 3 years on my last ED 2015 435 vert? Some of the douchebags wanted to get me for tax evasion. Good to hear that's it's legal.

I just rented a car this past summer in Sicily and no problem with the car rental agency, but that's Italy.