# My First ED Trip - WOW!!!!!



## bdraper (Jun 3, 2005)

First I want to say that one of the purposes of my trip was to get away from the daily work pressures that, while I do love, a body needs a change of priorities from once in a great while. At least I will use that as my official excuse for not posting news or photos until I returned  I managed to spend almost an entire week avoiding a computer and e-mail! I am quite proud of that and really needed it as well.

I arrived in Munich last Friday, Sept 30th. Rolf was right on time to pick me up in a new 1-series. He took me immediately to the delivery center where we talked for about a half an hour while I waited and we had a snack. He took off and not long after, my name was called. As I neared my new car, I felt it was even nicer looking than I had remembered from test driving cars at the dealer. The color combination really works and is really a classy look. There are other combinations I seriously considered, but I have no regrets with my final choice. It may prove challenging to keep clean, but when it is clean, it really is sharp looking!

It was the last weekend of Oktoberfest, and although I had a colleague who could have got me into a tent, my hotel reservation for Friday night was in Salzburg, so I wasted no time in getting behind the wheel and heading out of town for my first drive. I was given the generic instructions for break-in, although he only mentioned keeping it under 4500 RPM's, not the 100 mph limit that is mentioned in the owner's manual. While I had no intentions of pushing the limits, not long after starting towards Salzburg I had to pull onto a busy road from a stop. After shifting into second gear I needed to accelerate pretty hard to merge into traffic. I was surprised by just how quickly and freely it revs once above about 2500 RPM's! Before I even knew it, I found it 'very quickly' up near 4500 RPM's and climbing fast. I backed off, but really appreciated just how much this engine wants to run.

The drive to Salzburg was nice, and I took it easy getting there. The European NAV DVD is a 'must' for getting around in unfamiliar areas, especially if the language is also not so familiar. I got to Salzburg late in the afternoon and checked into a nice hotel right in the heart of the old town. Things closed early, but I did find a place to grab a bite and have a Zipfer or two (or three :thumbup: )

The next morning, I slept late due to the time difference between East Coast US and Austria. I walked around Salzburg for a while, but couldn't resist the call of my car, beckoning to me to go drive. I next went to Hallstatt, Austria. Not a particularly far drive from Salzburg, but a few windy roads made it quite enjoyable. Hallstatt is somewhat of a sleepy town off-season, but neverless a place worth seeing. I had a nice meal there, stayed in a great old place overlooking the lake, and enjoyed a 'few' more Zipfer's. My very little bit of German paid off as surprisingly little English was spoken by some of the employees there. But with the right attitude and good effort, we managed to communicate well enough. (Zipfer bitte?  )

The next day I headed South to Heiligenblut to get onto the Großglockner Hochalpenstraße. It was a great drive, but the weather was not cooperating. It was drizzling and foggy the whole way, which gave me a chance to really appreciate the rain-sensing wipers. They work amazingly well, whether in a light drizzle, or a heavy downpour, they always adjusted to just the right speed. The drive over the mountain road was a blast!!! Breaking the car in right with one gear shift after another and enough turns to break the steering mechanisms in quite well, if there is such a thing  Unfortunately the fog and rain made the visibility near zero, so the scenery was not what it could have been. But I did run into some snow and freezing rain, and the summer performance tires were no problem. I used a little common sense and took it easy, but I never felt that I was in danger of losing control. But again, I did take it easy near the top when the freezing rain started.

That's enough trip description for now, I'll attach a few photos and continue on with the rest of the trip in a later post...


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## Me530 (Feb 17, 2005)

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: Awesome pictures, and great writeup! I am looking forward to more!


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## MarcusSDCA (Jan 14, 2004)

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## shuzmaker (Sep 15, 2005)

wow i m jealous  

good picts and glad u had a great time! 

dat's the way to do it! :thumbup:


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

bdraper said:


> First I want to say that one of the purposes of my trip was to get away from the daily work pressures that, while I do love, a body needs a change of priorities from once in a great while. At least I will use that as my official excuse for not posting news or photos until I returned  I managed to spend almost an entire week avoiding a computer and e-mail! I am quite proud of that and really needed it as well.


Welcome back - the pictures are fantastic. Can't wait to see more! :thumbup:

Where was picture no. 3 taken?


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## bdraper (Jun 3, 2005)

Thanks, it really was a fantastic experience. I am ready to go again :thumbup: Picture #3 is of Hallstatt. The weather was foggy with a slight mist, giving the town a somewhat surreal feeling. The fog and rain spoiled the view quite a bit compared to what it could have been, but there were periods during the drive through Austria where it cleared up and the snow-covered Alps could be seen all around. Even with the clouds the view was spectacular. I have more photos I just need to reduce in size to get posted...


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## bdraper (Jun 3, 2005)

After coming down from the Großglockner Hochalpenstraße, I had expected I could make it to Reutte for the night, enjoying a nice drive through the twisty roads. The nav system all but insisted on taking me back toward Salzburg, even when I chose 'avoid highways.' So I put it on shortest route and I guess I got what I asked for. I truly saw the back, back roads of Austria! At times finding myself on roads that were barely wide enough for 2 cars. But it was beautiful scenery and I got to see more than my fill of picture-book villages. The downside is that it took me much longer to drive than anticipated and so I stopped over in Innsbruck. The old downtown of Innsbruck was interesting to see, and one can really appreciate the history that created these European towns that is all but absent in the US. There was no open road, high-speed driving on this part of the trip, but the tight turns (and PLENTY of them!) gave me an opportunity to really appreciate just how well this car handles. There was never a moment when it felt anything short of rock-solid on the road, even when accelerating a bit 'too hard' out of (or diving into) a turn for my limited experience/skill level with the car. It always held onto curves with no hint of ever letting me get into trouble, even on wet roads. I'm not sure I can come up with a better description than the over-used: it felt like it was on rails. This car 'wants' to go fast.

Again I got a leisurely start the next morning from Innsbruck while enjoying a long, lazy breakfast and exploring the downtown area. I finally packed up and made my way to Colmar, France for a sampling of the Route du Vin through the Alsace wine region. And once again, I avoided highways to see more of the natural countryside. This route took me back through Germany. I ran into very slow traffic around the castles near Reutte, again making my trip much longer than the planning phase indicated. There were some great roads through that part of the country though, with a few spots to push the boundary of the break-in limit. It became pretty clear that even though the car feels powerful in its lower RPM range, it really comes alive when it approaches 4000. I can only imagine what it feels like when it gets up above 4500!!! Neither the traffic, nor my somewhat conservative attitude behind the wheel in a new, still-unfamiliar car tempted me too much to exceed this part of the break-in suggestions.

I stayed on the Germany side of the lake near Switzerland (Bodensee?), taking a scenic road through all the towns built on the lake. Consistent with my traffic luck so far, it was bumper-to-bumper traffic just barely crawling along. A lot of RV's, motorcycles, and family-filled touring cars led me to guess that I was in the middle of everyone heading back home after a 3-day holiday weekend. I did finally make it to Colmar late in the day and found a decent hotel near the old town center. I found a restaurant that looked like it was a little more off the beaten path than the more tourist-type places. The food was good, but the beer was not near what I had experienced in Germany and Austria! Much too sweet. And if my deutsch was woefully inadequate for the trip, my français might as well be none! As expected, English is spoken in many places such as hotels for example. But get away from the tourist places and one really needs to know the local languages. This is an area I will work much harder on for my next ED.


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## bdraper (Jun 3, 2005)

*Route du Vin*

I had high hopes for the Route du Vin based on what I had read from others' experiences on various travel forums. I think part of it was my once-again late start in the morning. Actually, it's better described as a leasurely start. I had no meetings, no appointments, no phone conferences and no pile of e-mails to sort through, so what was the hurry, right? I sampled the croissants, an eclair or two, and a 'few' cups of great coffee in Colmar. Better than the beer the night before! :tsk:

The Route du Vin was somewhat disappointing though. While the scenery with its rolling hillsides covered in grape vines was truly beautiful, the villages I went through seemed all but abandoned. There was little sign of life. Was everything closed because it was lunch? Was it just off-season enough that things were slow? I'm not sure, but I really didn't see many people in the small towns and villages along the way. There was activity in the fields with the grape harvest still going on. It was interesting to see some of the small mechanized grape picking machines driving down the roads, some with small trailers in tow filled to the brim with freshly picked grapes.

I found one place that had a sign that had a recognizable English word on it among the unfamiliar French - "Tasting." I stopped in but there was no sign of anyone. After looking around for a moment, a guy came from the back looking surprised to see someone. He spoke no English and I essentially no French. I then made the mistake of leaving my car in his parking lot while I wandered to the place across the street. He yelled to me, pointing to my car in a clear gesture to get it out of his parking lot! I complied, still not finding what I had hoped for along this beautiful drive.

Finally I did come across a somewhat larger village with a winery somewhat larger than the ones I had seen so far. Inside I found a very nice lady who spoke excellent English and I enjoyed a tasting of several good wines. The Reislings in this region are really different from the much-too-sweet German variant, and the Pinot Gris was quite good. I tried a Pinot Noir that was nothing special, so I went home with a few bottles of a nice Pinot Gris.

I next made my way toward Strasbourg, which Rolf has rolled his eyes at when I suggested I was going there. His expression said it all. Strasbourg was not an easy town to get around in, and if there is local flavor and character (which I am sure there must be) it was not easy to find for someone not familiar with the city. I decided to get out of town and head back towards Munich, the map indicating that Stuttgart would be a good stopping-off place for the night.


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## bdraper (Jun 3, 2005)

Stuttgart may have been the best town along the trip. I ate more food that night than I have in a very long time. Great duck, sausages, etc., etc., etc., and 'excellent' bier! I pigged out! I have to find out what the potato side dish was though. Best described as a cross between hash browns and a pancake (in shape anyway). I have to figure out how to make this one.

Approaching the end of the trip, and right at the break-in mileage limit, it was time to let my new car stretch its legs a little. The drive between Stuttgart and Munich looked promising for this purpose. For much of this trip, there is a speed limit, but there are stretches where you can really fly. I was driving along about 85 mph in moderate traffic when a nice stretch of open road came along. the Audi A6 touring in front of me moved to the left lane and opened it up. In 6th gear, I looked around and with few other cars now within sight, I put a little more pressure on the gas pedal, moved the left lane, and pushed a little harder on the gas. Even without downshifting to 5th, it accelerated surprisingly quickly up to just over 120 mph. We were passing some cars like they were going backwards and the pavement was moving past me very quickly. Even at just shy of 125, I noticed a pair of headlights gaining on me from behind. I slipped back into the center lane, slowed to just over 100 to let a large Mercedes fly by, probably doing 135 or more. I had one more chance to experience 120-125 mph speeds before the highway ahead lit up with tail lights. The whole East-bound side came to a complete stand still. Creeping along for over an hour and a half, I finally made my way to the exit that everyone was being detoured off on. We had to follow small, two lane roads for quite a few miles before coming back to an entrance ramp that was open. I never did find out what closed the highway, but there was clearly a long stretch that was being detoured around.

Once in Munich, I made my way to Harms to turn over my new car. Not long after I pulled up, a car transport truck parked in front. I went upstairs, finalized the paperwork, left them with a key and was told it would be loaded on the truck shortly for the beginning of its journey back to me in the States. October will be a very busy month for me at work, hopefully helping to make the time seem to pass quicker until my car makes it here.

From Harms I took a taxi to the Platzl hotel in Munich and wasted no time in finding more great food and some of the best bier I've ever had - and LOTS of it too  . The next morning I had an early breakfast, packed and was off to the airport for the long flight home. But what a trip this was! Most of what I did was drive. Whoever dreamed up the ED program may be a genius, as I can't imagine a more enjoyable and memorable car-buying experience.


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## E90 Enthusiast (Jun 9, 2005)

Excellent, detailed writeup! Sounds like you had a fantastic experience.

I can't believe you encountered ice and snow this early in the season! :yikes: Were you at an upper elevation where those photos were taken? Seems weird, since I was there only 3 weeks ago and temps were in the 60's and 70's in Germany and Austria.


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## Me530 (Feb 17, 2005)

Wow, great writeup! And again I love your pictures. Sounds and looks like you had a blast. Can you imagine buying a car any other way- or buying another car for that matter? I sure can't!


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

bdraper said:


> Whoever dreamed up the ED program may be a genius, as I can't imagine a more enjoyable and memorable car-buying experience.


It was Max Hoffman and my article on euro. delivery will go into greater detail on the program's origins, after I interview Max's former assistant (although i have a vague idea of what the thinking behind the program was).


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## arnolds (Dec 21, 2001)

Awesome trip report! :thumbup:


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

arnolds said:


> Awesome trip report! :thumbup:


Yes, I could've asked him to ghost write part of my e.d. article!


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## bdraper (Jun 3, 2005)

E90 Enthusiast said:


> Excellent, detailed writeup! Sounds like you had a fantastic experience.
> 
> I can't believe you encountered ice and snow this early in the season! :yikes: Were you at an upper elevation where those photos were taken? Seems weird, since I was there only 3 weeks ago and temps were in the 60's and 70's in Germany and Austria.


The photo showing snow, and where I also ran into freezing rain, was taken at the top of the Großglockner Hochalpenstraße, or mountain road that takes you near one of (if not the) tallest mountain in the Alps. The altitude is quite high. Most of the trip, at 'normal' altitudes, it was in the 50's and 60's but rainy. The first day and last day were sunnier and in the low 70's though.


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## bdraper (Jun 3, 2005)

Jonathan, have you decided on a color combination? The beige interior with light wood really looks great I think. I can already tell it will require effort to keep it clean, but I was very happy with how it came out. It makes for a nice, clean, modern yet classic look.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

bdraper said:


> Jonathan, have you decided on a color combination? The beige interior with light wood really looks great I think. I can already tell it will require effort to keep it clean, but I was very happy with how it came out. It makes for a nice, clean, modern yet classic look.


Yes indeed (car is half built already). Sparkling Graphite, black leather interior with poplar wood. I wasn't willing to put in the effort to keep beige clean, and as much as I liked the terra, there were too many colors going on in the car since the interior would include black, terra, and grey - plus wood.


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## rogue38 (Aug 26, 2004)

Absolutely beautiful pictures. I miss Europe.


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## bdraper (Jun 3, 2005)

rogue38 said:


> Absolutely beautiful pictures. I miss Europe.


Thanks, and they can't even begin to do justice to the real thing. I miss it already too. It's a pretty compelling thought to do an ED every couple of years or so  Next time I definitely have to plan on staying longer.


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## mundo74 (Oct 8, 2005)

Seems you had a blast. Planning on doing ED next year. How many miles did you cover and if you don't mind, what was the cost. I heard europe can be quite expensive (gas, hotels). Your itinerary looks like somewhat to what I have planned, except I would go to France staying a total of 12 days.

One more thing did you book your hotels in advance?

Thanx :thumbup:


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

bdraper said:


> Ah, nice list! I have tried Pilsner Urquell some time ago and I have seen it in local stores - now I'm going to have to try it again. I've heard others talk highly about Stella Artois and I tried one recently. I thought it was a little too light, almost watery, but on a hot summer day it could be right.


I usually keep some Hacker Pschorr and Spaten at home (in the states). Just got some Spaten Oktoberfestbier.


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## bdraper (Jun 3, 2005)

Jspira said:


> I usually keep some Hacker Pschorr and Spaten at home (in the states). Just got some Spaten Oktoberfestbier.


I'm on a new bier kick now ;-) I stopped in a small store this weekend nearby, not much selection, but I came home with a six pack of Warsteiner. I do like it (having one as I write), but not quite as much as some others I had while in Germany/Austria. A little too much aftertaste, but overall good. Next ED trip, or Germany trip for any reason, I'll be sure to take a list with me along with good places to find them. Seeking out the best biers - sounds like a good trip to me


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## gesoffen (Jun 18, 2004)

Zauberhias said:


> You EDers should do a stop in Murnau (i.e. on the way to Garmisch-Partenkirchen or Oberammergau) and go to Kargs Braeustueberl, Untermarkt 27, Murnau and have a Karg Weissbier with Weisswuerstl and Brezn or Schweinshaxe.
> Prost!


Stop it - you're killing me! I must go find Weißwurst and Weizen immediately! :yummy:


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## Squawks (Aug 2, 2005)

Wow, quite a lot of beer pundits here! I've always thought beer was beer but apparently not, especially after emdre's post regarding pilsners, lagers, and wiessbier!


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## emdreiSMG (Dec 10, 2003)

Zauberhias said:


> Locals in Munich prefer mostly Augstiner Hell, the only brewery in Munich that makes no advertisements/commercials.
> 
> www.augustiner-braeu.de
> 
> ...


I was referring only to Hefe-Weiss biers when I said Muenchners seemed to prefer Franziskaner. Do you agree (generally speaking)?

In the Helles/Lager category, Augustiner indeed seemed to be the local favorite. From the bottle, Augustiner is definitely my favorite as well. Especially since you can buy 1 liter of August. Helles for .65E at Tengelmann!

Thanks for the tips on Schweiger and Karg brauerei. Indeed a beer-hunting trip sounds like huge fun for next ED.

Squawks-
Bier is NOT beer. The beer we macrobrew here in America is absolute crap compared to what they macrobrew in Europe. I recommend 'The Yard House' down there in San Diego and you can try alot of the ones I listed. Unfortunately, no Augustiner, Konig, Thomasbrau or Veltins though.


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## bdraper (Jun 3, 2005)

Squawks said:


> Wow, quite a lot of beer pundits here! I've always thought beer was beer but apparently not, especially after emdre's post regarding pilsners, lagers, and wiessbier!


au contraire! (konträr ?  There is no small difference between the biers from much of Europe and the beer found here. What is it? I'm not quite sure. The huge breweries here? The ingredients? The water? The experience and care? American taste preferences? Much of the above?

But of course there are good beers brewed here as well. I find Yuengling to be a good one. Squawks, like wines, there are subtle, and not-so-subtle differences between the many biers. I feel part of the ED experience is not 'just' in driving the car, but in experiencing some things uniquely European. The history, culture, people, and of course the great food and bier - a brewing history that goes back well over 1,000 years! This is an area I wish now I had researched more before going. I love a great beer and the brewery/beer house/pub is a social fixture we don't see much of here.


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## emdreiSMG (Dec 10, 2003)

So, you're enjoying the Warsteiner?! I like it as well. Bitburger is another similarGerman beer that is findable in USA grocery stores. If you search back there on the East Coast, I would think that you could easily find Spaten (&Franziskaner) products and Paulaner for sure. Maybe find Erdinger, Hacker-Pschorr and Hofbrau. 

I only wish I could get Augustiner and Konig Pils out here on the West Coast.
Anyone know if they're available anywhere in the USA????

I'm enjoying an Ayinger Hefe-Weisse as I type. We have this great store called BevMo out here that has a bunch of Bavarian bier. As you may imagine, I'm a regular.


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## emdreiSMG (Dec 10, 2003)

Jspira said:


> I usually keep some Hacker Pschorr and Spaten at home (in the states). Just got some Spaten Oktoberfestbier.


Which Hacker-Pschorr Brau and Spaten products do you stock?
I have yet to try an Oktoberfestbier that is as 'spot on' as I find the Helles/Lagers and Weisses.
Is Marzen the traditional style for Oktoberfest bier? (Triumphator, Salvator, Optimator etc. I understand are the "special ones".)


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## bdraper (Jun 3, 2005)

*One More Photo...*

Finally getting around to editing some of these for size...


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## glenmal (Jan 17, 2005)

*3 is adequate*

Michelin stars that is. I can adapt to one or two Michelin stars, but 3 is quite nice.


gesoffen said:


> Unless you have 5 star tastes, you'll find Europe to be a relative bargain. Prepared foods are cheaper, hotels/gasthauses are cheaper, its not AS commercialized so there are plenty of sightseeing opportunities that don't involve shopping/tickets. Of course, all that savings will be emptied right into the gas tank - that's where you'll really see a price difference between here and europe.
> 
> I have german relatives who recently came to visit. They commented heavily on how expensive things were. Granted, we spent a bit of time in the heart of Boston, but they're used to €3 beers, and €8 lunches (including tip), and €50-100 a night hotel rooms. In Boston - $7 a beer, $15+ lunch and $120+ a night for hotel across the Charles River.
> 
> Of course, they also complained that the beer was too cold and there was too much ice in the water and sodas. But they were pleasantly suprise by the free water and free soda refills!


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## gesoffen (Jun 18, 2004)

glenmal said:


> Michelin stars that is. I can adapt to one or two Michelin stars, but 3 is quite nice.


LOL - As good as the michelin guides are, I'm suprised they aren't more widely used. Everybody seems to reference Frommer's, Rick Steve's and the like - from what little I've seen of them, they aren't worth much.

This reminds me of a story from a friend of mine who was on business in the Netherlands. Rather than stay at some box hotel, he researched a little and followed the recommendation of a smaller family run hotel/inn from Rick Steve's guidebook (IIRC). Over the next several mornings at breakfast, he overheard several other couples and groups speaking english. He struck up conversations with a few of them and every one he talked to had found the hotel through the same guide!


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

The way I was told about it, the big American macrobrews were changed during WWII. Apparently they used to be a lot more "European"-tasting before, but then most able males went to war and the breweries had to accomodate a new clientelle: women.

Those were the women that worked the factories and - just like their husbands before them - became interested in taking a few refreshments after hours. But the current crop of brews was too strong, so the recipes were changed to correct that.

After the war, apparently they didn't bother to change them back (much to my chagrin).

I am not sure how true all this is, it would be truly fascinating to find out from a more "authorized" source. 

Si non e vero, e ben trovato.

adc
03 330 ZHP


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

gesoffen said:


> This reminds me of a story from a friend of mine who was on business in the Netherlands. Rather than stay at some box hotel, he researched a little and followed the recommendation of a smaller family run hotel/inn from Rick Steve's guidebook (IIRC). Over the next several mornings at breakfast, he overheard several other couples and groups speaking english. He struck up conversations with a few of them and every one he talked to had found the hotel through the same guide!


Happened to us everywhere we went. We found out that Micheline can be too much of a good thing - if you want to know what the 3rd king of the 2nd local dynasty usually had for dinner, that's the book for you. But it makes for hard reading.

Rick Steve's takes a much more casual approach and offers a more condensed version. It's not exhaustive by any means, which is why we always do one or more of the following (in addition to reading the guide):

talk to locals

search the Internet

Well-heeled people have travel plans arranged for them, I should think.  
We were fine using Rick Steve's guide.

adc
03 330 ZHP


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