# ED Trip Report - June 2013 550xi



## CTSoxFan (Oct 20, 2006)

I am finally back in the states after my 2 weeks journey through Europe for my first ED. I am going to give a day by day account with pics where appropriate, as well as try to add some hints that would be helpful for a first time Europe/ED traveler. For those that have been to Europe before, sorry if they seem to be common sense to you. For the trip, we decided to stay mostly in higher end accommodations, not top of the mark, but not cheap either. I will give a brief synopsis of each, as well as provide restaurant reviews where applicable.

Without further ado, on to the trip report

*Part 1 - Arrival and Pickup*
June 15th - Departure: We had a 5:30 PM flight from New York direct to Munich on United. It cost a little more, but not having to stop was well worth it. Flight was fairly ho hum, but I was extremely glad I paid for the upgrade to United Economy Plus seats with extra legroom. I can only think on one other place where having an extra 5" would be more beneficial. My only gripe with the flight was that it did not offer in flight wi-fi service. On the plus side, they did have individual screens at each seat with a decent selection of movies/tv shows to keep us entertained. Doing it again, the only thing I would do differently would be to take a later flight if possible. Leaving at 5:30 meant I wasn't able to sleep on the plane, with the combination of it being early and excitement.

June 16th - Arrival in Munich: We got into Munich early, around 7:15AM. We were to meet up with Rolf, and by the time we got through passport control and got our baggage and through the customs area, he was awaiting us right where he said he would be. We went to his car (a 3 series touring) and he drove us to our hotel (Sofitel Munich), giving us pointers on driving in Germany, pointing out sites, etc. Upon arrival, he spent another 15 minutes with us going over some local sites to hit as well as an overview of the U-Bahn. It was a great idea going with him. When we got to Munich it was EXTREMELY hot. The highs for the 3 days were in the mid 90s, which made for some very tiring exploring. After we split with Rolf, because our room wasn't ready, Mrs. SoxFan and I decided to venture out and see some things. We were both pretty tired, but since our room wasn't going to be ready for a while, we figured we would explore. We headed to the Marianplatz and they were celebrating the 800th anniversary of Munich. We were shocked to see people eating pretzels and drinking beer at 9AM, but there they were. We wandered around some more, and made a stop at Dallmayr - they have amazing chocolate items there. We headed back to the hotel around noon but unfortunately our room wasn't ready. We were both dead tired from not sleeping and then walking in the heat (in jeans and long shirts no less), so much so we actually fell asleep in the hotel lobby chairs (it was in a secluded area, but still pretty funny. I am sure the staff were making fun of us - oh well). We finally got into our room around 2, unpacked and fell asleep. We woke up around 10, ordered room service, watched some tv and called it a night. For those wondering if they should give themselves time to acclimate, I would say a resounding YES.

Our Hotel - Sofitel Munich. We had a junior suite. The room was nicely decorated and had the usual amenities. Another big plus is the location. The main train station is literally right outside the hotel. This made getting U-Bahn trains very easy. Plus the train station has a decent selection of quick eats places, and a Starbucks. There were two issues however. The air conditioning was poor, at best. The room was very warm, even set to the coldest setting. Also, the shower did not produce cold water. It went from warm to hot. As I mentioned, this was a big issue seeing the high heat in Munich. I did not say anything until checkout, I wish I had mentioned it earlier. I would probably stay there again, just hopefully not have the A/C issues next time

June 17 - Munich: The big plan for the day was to visit the BMW Welt and take the factory tour, as well as check in and take care of any paperwork we could. The factory tour was interesting. Seeing the cars get built, painted and assembled was really cool. I would have liked to see more of the engine shop, but other than that no complaints. It is worth doing once for sure, but probably only once. Unfortunately I had planned for a museum visit on this day, but didn't realize it was closed Mondays...leaves something for the next ED. We grabbed lunch in the premium lounge. As others have said, they put out a nice spread. We did some more exploring, including visiting the Residence and St. Michaels crypt. For dinner we went to Augustiner Keller on a festers' recommendation. It was really good. The food was excellent (traditional Bavarian) as was the beer. One note, even on a Monday night, it was PACKED. Get there early. We were lucky to get a table and shared it with a nice woman from Stuttgart, which made the time even better.

June 18th - D-Day: Pickup was scheduled for 9:30, we got there around 8:00. We checked in and got the paperwork out of the way, and headed to the premium lounge for breakfast. I also took the opportunity to sign Das Buch. It seemed like it took hours for that hour to pass, but finally it was time. We met with our delivery consultant Nicole, and headed down the stairs to see this:


























































It was even better than I expected. We then headed down to the pickup, went over the car, took the standard photo, and finally took the victory lap and headed out. All in all, the delivery experience was A+. Everything went super smoothly, I couldn't be happier. After this we were headed to Fussen.


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## CTSoxFan (Oct 20, 2006)

*Part 2 - Fussen and Lake Como*

June 18 Cont - On to Fussen: The maiden drive was a nice ride to Fussen for a visit to the castles. We arrived in Fussen and checked into our hotel, Hotel Sonne. This was one of the nicest rooms we stayed in during the trip. Our room was one of the theme rooms, and was in a musical motif. They have an underground secured parking garage that was a very tight squeeze getting into and out of, but the spaces below were decently wide, no issues with my 550.










After check-in we headed to the castles. We started with Hohenschwangau. Again the heat/weather was not cooperative, and after the first castle we skipped Neuschwanstien. We did however take a few minutes to take the required castle shot before heading out.










For dinner, we went to Il Pescatore on the recommendation of both festers' and Trip Advisor. This was one of the best meals of the trip. Everything was excellent, and definite must go if you head to Fussen (and like Italian).

June 19 - Drive to Lake Como: Just a simple drive from Fussen to Bellagio in the Lake Como region of Italy...with one slight detour to Stelvio Pass. All I can say is WOW! The driving was intense, dodging between other cars, motorcycles and worst of all the bicycles. The most harrowing part was when a street sweeper was coming down the pass. Literally there was 2 inches between my car and the wall on one side, and the street sweeper on the other. If you get the chance, this is a must do in your lifetime. The only downside is it did make for a long day in the car. In the second pic you can see the street sweeper...I have no clue what the hell it is doing on the pass.


























June 19-22 Bellagio, Lake Como: We stayed at Hotel Belvedere. The room was very nice, had a balcony that overlooked the lake, and was very comfortable. They also included a good buffet breakfast each day (I was craving proscuitto and fresh mozz for breakfast this morning), and Mrs. SoxFan enjoyed the spa, pool and large jacuzzi. They have 2 parking options, a private lot that is secured at night, but open during the day, or you can ask for a private garage spot for 25 Euro/day. I opted for the private garage, and it was a very tight squeeze in and out, but felt better than leaving my car in a lot. The only downside is that it is a 10 minute walk from the downtown area/ferry port, and is uphill on the way back, so after a long day a 10 minute walk uphill is annoying. Bellagio made a good central spot for exploring other towns on the lake, heading to Como, etc. We spent the days exploring the little towns on the lake, with the exception of the 21st, when we took the train into Milan. We did a walking tour of Milan, which included a guided tour of the Duomo and a viewing of DaVinci's Last Supper. If you get the chance, I would recommend seeing this, especially if you are a history buff (you don't get tons of chances to see a 600 year old painting). On the 22nd, it was the feast of San Giovanni, and there was a huge fireworks show over Isola Comacina, which was fun to watch. We went to a couple of recommended restaurants while we were there, Salice Blu and Isola Comacina. Salice Blu was generally good, and the chef actually picks you up himself, however the meat main course we ordered was overcooked...probably should have stuck with fish/pasta. Isola Comacina was a huge disappointment. The chef's idea of seasoning was to drench things in olive oil and salt. Unfortunately it is a fixed menu, and from what I understand it hasn't been changed in ages. Other than the beautiful setting, this is not something I can recommend people going to. As far as other meals we ate at some of the small places in Bellagio, sticking to simple stuff like pizza, and it was fairly well done. As far as the towns go, they are all fairly similar, IMO. We went to Bellagio, Tremezzo, and Varenna. Como is larger and has more shopping options, as well as the train station. It is a busier town, and personally I wouldn't want to stay here, I prefer a quieter lake town. Also, I wouldn't recommend driving between towns. Between the narrow roads and limited parking, you will waste more time and gas than it is worth.

June 23-25 - Venice:We spent 3 days in Venice, hitting many of the major tourist destinations as well as taking a walk around some of the lesser traveled parts of the city. I would recommend you have a map, as it can get quickly confusing. Once you get used to using the water taxis it get easier. We also did the traditional gondola ride (pricey, but kinda felt obligated). We did take a few hours the last day to visit an outlet center near Venice so Mrs. Sox Fan could do some shopping (and gave me an excuse to drive more). We stayed at the M Papadopoli Venice. We had a Junior Suite, and it was nice, but in need of a renovation (some peeling paint, etc. nothing unsanitary). It did have a balcony which was nice, and after some A/C issues the first night, they fixed those the following morning and it was a decent stay. The only downside (or maybe upside) was that it was kinda far from the main tourist areas like San Marco. It was very close to the parking garage however, which was convenient as you have to lug your bags from the car to the hotel. We parked at Garage San Marco, and they were very nice, and did a great job parking the car so there would be no damage. We did have 2 good meals there, one at Impronta Cafe and one at Alle Tiestere. I would recommend both (you need reservations for Alle Tiestere). After our 3 days we headed to Salzburg for the last leg of the trip.


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## Popoemt (Aug 9, 2012)

Ohhh your pics didn't load... ahhhh nooooooooooo

And on the 5 extra inches... I had to read it twice and almost shot water out of my nose... too funny!

Whoaaa... that car is BEAUTIFUL... that cinnamon interior (although only seen through the windows in the top pics) looks sick with the CB! Nice...


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## CTSoxFan (Oct 20, 2006)

*Part 3 - Salzburg and back to Munich*

June 25-27 - Salzburg: After having days of weather in the mid 80s in Venice, we arrive in Salzburg to 48 and drizzle. We weren't deterred and we spend the afternoon walking around and visiting Mozart's residence and birthplace. We went to dinner at Goldener Hirsch at the suggestion of JSpira. Needless to say he was right on the money with this one, it was the best meal of the trip. All of the food was excellent, including the famous Salburger Knockerln. 
We stayed at the Hotel Bristol, which was a very nice hotel and the accommodations were excellent. It included a breakfast buffet which was good as well. The car was parked in their private garage. Although I couldn't see the parking, the car came back the next day with no issues, so I assume it is sufficient. The next day, we took a Panorama tour of the Eagles Nest. Although it was neat, and the views were amazing, if I were to do it again I would just go on my own rather than with a tour. After the tour, we headed back to Munich and I was able to accomplish my last goal of the trip, which was to hit the speed limiter on the car. being thwarted most of the trip by traffic and construction, I was ffinally able to get an open stretch and hit the 155. I think it was more nerve racking and a bigger rush that running Stelvio. I was definitely more nervous, that is for sure. We got back about 30 minutes before our appointment at LogInOut. Gave me time to get the car washed. The drop off process was quick and easy, and thankfully no damage to the car (although some of those tight Italian roads had me scared). We walked over to Hotel Kempinski for our last night. Kempinski is quite nice for an airport hotel, I would definitely stay again on my next trip. We got up the next morning for our early flight, and now the toughest part...the wait for the car to come home.

All in all we had a great time, and can't wait to do it again. I am already thinking about my next ED and next route. I would definitely recommend doing this, you won't be disappointed.


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## CTSoxFan (Oct 20, 2006)

Popoemt said:


> Ohhh your pics didn't load... ahhhh nooooooooooo
> 
> And on the 5 extra inches... I had to read it twice and almost shot water out of my nose... too funny!


Fixed...enjoy.


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## CTSoxFan (Oct 20, 2006)

Part 4 - Tips from a first timer for the first timers.

I wanted to give some tips that others might find useful, especially if this is their first ED/Europe trip. These are in no particular order, and I will add as I think of more.

- There is a law in Italy that says you can't provide irons in hotel rooms. Seems stupid to me, and is very inconvenient. Choices are to bring a travel iron, pay for the hotel to press for you (very expensive) or 2 of the hotels had an shared iron you could use in a common room. Or you can go wrinkled.
- The A/C there is not like the A/C here. It does not get as cold.
- Mass transportation is very good, and very easy to use. The U-Bahn is probably the best subway system I have ever used. Very clear, well labeled. Milan, Venice and Salzburg were also very good.
- You need to take special note of the ferries when doin Lake Como planning, otherwise you might find yourself waiting a long time to be able to get somewhere, or paying a LOT for a taxi ride (for example a taxi from Como to Bellagio is 80 Euro)
- Plan on spending a lot more for transportation than you think, especially if you are using boats. The Venice water taxi pass was 35 Euro for 3 days per person, and the Lake Como ferries were 10-15 Euro per person, PER TRIP. Also, private water taxis are VERY expensive. I didn't keep track, but I would bet I spent easily 200 Euro on transportation, not counting the private taxi I hired for the night of the fireworks or gas/tolls while driving.
- There is a lot of walking in Lake Como, and it is very hilly/stairs. If you can't walk, don't go there. Also, Venice can be tough walking, lots of stairs.
- During the excitement of the pickup, make sure you remember take all the pictures you want. I wish I had more close up shots of the car while I was at the Welt...which is why you don't see any above.
- I got a much better rate getting Euro out of a ATM in Europe than buying it from my local bank...also I wish I had used all my cash before I left, as the exchange rate I got at my bank selling it back was terrible (and this is a national bank).
- Meals are much slower and drawn out (in general) than in the US.
- TV selections suck (at least where I stayed). Generally the only English options were CNBC Europe, BBC News, and CNN international.
- I found the Navigation maps provided at Welt to be sufficient. It had every location I was heading to in terms of hotels, restaurants, etc. I did have a GPS program on my iPad as a backup, and to get me to Stelvio pass (just because I didn't want to program the custom route).
- If you like to drink soda, I have 2 suggestions, either give it up for the trip or be ready to spend a lot of money. In all 3 countries, in most restaurants an 11oz. can of soda was ***8364;3 or more, as high as ***8364;4.50. That is $6.00 for a can of soda..friggen ridiculous. Learn to like sparkling water.


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## B-1 Pilot (Jul 8, 2007)

Just read your ED post.. very awesome. I friggin' love your color combo... about 3 years ago I had put money down for the same combo on a 550, and then the military decided I needed to take a desert vacation and I cancelled it. If my other 2 BMW vehicles weren't already dark metallics my new car would be Azurite black metallic (the M5 version of carbon black metallic).

As for soda... well it might not work for me on this trip, but I've found that the beer is always cheaper than the soda, so I choose to make a wise financial decision when i choose a beverage.... Water "mit gas" is also more readily available too!


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## CTSoxFan (Oct 20, 2006)

Thanks..both for the compliment and your service :thumbup:


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## BobcatWong (Jun 5, 2013)

Thanks for sharing your report, CTSoxFan. Close call on the Stelvio. We call those Zambonis here.

Who is Splengler w/our nation's flag on the Welt Platform?


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

CTSoxFan said:


> Part 4 - Tips from a first timer for the first timers.
> 
> I wanted to give some tips that others might find useful, especially if this is their first ED/Europe trip. These are in no particular order, and I will add as I think of more.
> 
> ...


Great report and photos!
Congratulation on your car and ED!
Thank You!


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## SamS (Jan 17, 2011)

CTSoxFan said:


> Part 4 - Tips from a first timer for the first timers.
> 
> I wanted to give some tips that others might find useful, especially if this is their first ED/Europe trip. These are in no particular order, and I will add as I think of more.
> 
> ...


Nice report and great tips. We did Fussen and Bellagio as well. I do agree with your tips and would add one more... get used to not drinking much water while you're over there. Unlike US restaurants, European dining doesn't offer ice water with every meal. You'll have to order expensive bottled water, and even grabbing bottles of water on the go seems tough and/or expensive. I guess we stay more hydrated in Texas than they do in Europe!


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## TinyRK (May 30, 2013)

CTSoxFan said:


> - If you like to drink soda, I have 2 suggestions, either give it up for the trip or be ready to spend a lot of money. In all 3 countries, in most restaurants an 11oz. can of soda was €3 or more, as high as €4.50. That is $6.00 for a can of soda..friggen ridiculous. Learn to like sparkling water.


That's why Europeans are not as obese as people in the US :bigpimp:


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