# ED 09/08-20: Innsbruck, Lugano(CH), Nice (F). If you've been there, I need HELP!



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

Hi guys,

looks like we are changing itineraries since my wife just loved some of the pics and feedback from some of you guys, so I need a little help, specially with hotels and routes to take.

here is what we are thinking:

1) arrive in Munich on 9/9 from MIA
2) Pick up Car on 9/10, look around munich
3) goto *innsbruck *on 9/11 (stay overnite)
See map here









4)goto *Lugano *(SWI), via *Stelvio pass* on 9/12 :bigpimp:...stay there 9/13 too.
See Map here









5) goto *Nice *(FRA) on 9/14 (am), stay around Nice/Monaco/Cannes thru 9/15 overnite:
See Map here








6) Drop off car 9/16 AM in *Nice*, take TGV from Nice -> *Paris*, arrive in Paris in the PM.

7) stay in Paris (FRA), 9/16pm - 9/19 overnite, fly back to MIA 9/20!

so, couple of questions please:

a) are there any better routes/ *"Must See" *paths I could take instead?

b) For those who stayed in Innsbruck, Lugano, and Nice, could you recommend me a decent but "affordable" hotel or bed/breakfast place? :thumbup:


----------



## FastMarkA (Apr 21, 2008)

Unless you're in a rush to get to Innsbruck, don't take the route shown on your Google Map. Stop in Benedikbeuren; there's an old monastery and if you happen to be there on Sunday morning, they have a large beer tent area where locals come and do traditional dances -- it's a lot of fun. From there, travel down to Mittenwald (takes maybe 20 minutes); visit that little town. It's great. Also, by taking these "side streets" from Munich, you're afforded some great Bavarian countryside scenery which makes for great car photos. 

I stayed at the Hilton Innsbruck and it was great, I don't remember the costs though.

If your time allows, plug a little further south in Italy to hit the Mediterranean at Le Spezia (Cinque Terre). There's a town there called "Monterosso al Mare" -- you have to park on a hill and walk down, but there are some great lunch spots (and a beach). As you drive along the coast you'll pass Portofino. Genoa is an industry town.


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

FastMarkA said:


> Unless you're in a rush to get to Innsbruck, don't take the route shown on your Google Map. Stop in Benedikbeuren; there's an old monastery and if you happen to be there on Sunday morning, they have a large beer tent area where locals come and do traditional dances -- it's a lot of fun. From there, travel down to Mittenwald (takes maybe 20 minutes); visit that little town. It's great. Also, by taking these "side streets" from Munich, you're afforded some great Bavarian countryside scenery which makes for great car photos.
> 
> I stayed at the Hilton Innsbruck and it was great, I don't remember the costs though.
> 
> If your time allows, plug a little further south in Italy to hit the Mediterranean at Le Spezia (Cinque Terre). There's a town there called "Monterosso al Mare" -- you have to park on a hill and walk down, but there are some great lunch spots (and a beach). As you drive along the coast you'll pass Portofino. Genoa is an industry town.


awesome recommendations! will look into that. thanks.

any other info?


----------



## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

ssabripo said:


> awesome recommendations! will look into that. thanks.
> 
> any other info?


Please remove naked girls from you Signature - I can't open staff like this at work !!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## beewang (Dec 18, 2001)

2 things:

1) I am removing your (SWI) and (FRA) in the title and replace them w/ internatinal vehicle registration code of designated countries.

The Term SWI and FRA may be intented to symolize Switserland and France, however the abbriviation is only found for :

a) SWI = Swidon Aiport - EN, GB
b) FRA = Frankfurt A.M. Airport, DE

2) PLEASE REMOVE your signature immediately! You are in violation of bimmerfest Terms of Use w/ respect to signature guideline. Your Signture is excess in size and contains unacceptable imagine for the common forums. Please remove the current signature IMMEDIATELY.

Thank you,

beewang

Forum Moderator


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

sorry all.

I removed the signature. I've had it for many years, but I guess things changed...I put the new one in now. Again, Apologies.


----------



## beewang (Dec 18, 2001)

No problem and thank you very much:thumbup:

My guess is that you posted mostly in the X5 forum and most of admins didn't venture into that forum much 

I am looking forward to your participation in the European Delivery forum. 

Cheers,

beewang:bigpimp:


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

yes, that's correct...mostly on the X5 forum. 


so any other advice on my route, and the hotels, etc?


----------



## Asteroid (Aug 17, 2005)

beewang said:


> 2 things:
> 
> 1) I am removing your (SWI) and (FRA) in the title and replace them w/ internatinal vehicle registration code of designated countries.


hey beewang,

SD /= Switzerland, CH = Switzerland

and FYI, SD = Sudan :slap:


----------



## beewang (Dec 18, 2001)

:doh: thank you!! fixed!!:bow:


----------



## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

ssabripo,
We stay in Nice during our 2006 ED and let me tell you - in my next ED I will do better job to find hotel outside of Nice. Traffic is terrible - parking was small.

On of the member of Bimmerfest - LDV330i recomend me this hotel in Villefranche-sur-Mer:


> I stayed at Hotel La Flore on the lower Corniche. I enjoyed the stay as well as the views of the bay . Here is the link to the hotel.
> http://www.hotel-la-flore.fr/index-gb.htm


one more please were I will looking to stay in my next ED - Cap d'Ail
http://www.cap-dail.com/index.php?id=2902
check out this video of the place


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

MB330 said:


> ssabripo,
> We stay in Nice during our 2006 ED and let me tell you - in my next ED I will do better job to find hotel outside of Nice. Traffic is terrible - parking was small.
> 
> On of the member of Bimmerfest - LDV330i recomend me this hotel in Villefranche-sur-Mer:
> ...


awesome....thanks MB330....I will certainly look into that! :thumbup:


----------



## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

ssabripo said:


> awesome....thanks MB330....I will certainly look into that! :thumbup:


NP.
One more suggestion - when you hit Italian Rivera stop in Varazze and try local onion pizza!:thumbup:














!


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

here are some updates as per your recommendations:

1) arrive in Munich on 9/9 from MIA (hotels TBD)
2) Pick up Car on 9/10, look around munich
3) goto *Bolzano *(ITA) via *Garmische *and *Innsbruck *on 9/11 (stay overnite). hotels TBD
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=...81,11.79847&sspn=1.65254,3.383789&ie=UTF8&z=8M









4) Goto *Lenno*, near Como, via *Stelvio Pass* on 9/12. Stay overnite in Lenno area for two nites (9/12-9/13), at hotel Albergo Lenno
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=...46.318481,10.497437&spn=1.551689,3.073425&z=9









5) goto *Nice *(FRA), via *Varezza *on 9/14 am. Stay in Nice from 9/14pm-9/16am. hotels TBD
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=...=44.855869,8.547363&spn=3.185298,6.146851&z=8









6) Drop off car 9/16 AM in *Nice*, take TGV from Nice -> *Paris*, arrive in Paris in the PM.

7) stay in *Paris *(FRA), 9/16pm - 9/19 overnite, fly back to MIA 9/20! hotels TBD

any thoughts?

couple of google earth shots of the path I plan on taking from Bolzano thru the stelvio pass and onto lenno:

approaching from north/east via Bolzano:



leaving Stelvio down thru south/west down towards Bormio and onto Lenno/Como:


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

here is my updated Itinerary! :thumbup:

comments and suggestions are welcome!

1) arrive in Munich on 9/9 from MIA at 10am...Metro to Hotel, check in, have from noon on free to see town. (hotel: Marriott Munich, via priceline! $90/nite)









2) Pick up Car on 9/10, 7:30am delivery. Museum + factory tour. look around munich some more in afternoon + evening.

3) Munich to *Bolzano *(ITA) via *Garmische *and *Innsbruck *on 9/11 (stay overnite). arrive at Bolzano ~2-3pm.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=...60592,11.228027&spn=3.176341,4.520874&t=h&z=8









Hotel: Parkhotel Laurin, 118EU /nite









4) Goto *Lenno*, near Como, via *Stelvio Pass* on 9/12. Have Coffee + dessert on top of Stelvio, then onto *St. Moritz* (SUI) for lunch! Then Continue drive to Lenno, arriving at 3pm at Hotel.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=...,9.880829&sspn=0.795404,1.509247&ie=UTF8&z=10









Stay overnite in Lenno area for two nites (9/12-9/13), at hotel Albergo Lenno 150EU/nite









5) Lenno to *Nice *(FRA), via *Varezza *on 9/14 am. Stay in Nice from 9/14pm-9/16am. Eat and see Nice on sunday, then goto small villages during the day on Monday, eat lunch on the mountain villages overlooking bay, then come back afternoon. Dinner in Nice or French Riviera.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=...=44.855869,8.547363&spn=3.185298,6.146851&z=8









Hotel: Hotel Suisse, 150EU/nite









6) Drop off car 9/16 at 8:00 am in *Nice*, take cab quickly to take TGV from Nice -> *Paris*...train leaves at 9:30am ($100 for 2, web rate)! :eeps: Arrive in Paris at3PM. Take metro to Hotel, check in, shower, and go to dinner and sight seeing in the Champs Ulysses. hotels TBD

7) stay in *Paris *(FRA), 9/16pm - 9/19 overnite, fly back to MIA 9/20! hotels TBD

so, pretty much everything is set, except the hotel in Paris.

comments?


----------



## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Impressive... I think you have a great trip ahead of you! :thumbup:

Just for the experience, you may wish to come down the west side of Lake Como to Varenna, which is beautiful. Then take the car for a ferry ride to Menaggio, continuing your drive to Lenno from there.

The ferry ride is very cool


----------



## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

Make sure you do net left any money or all important paper in your hotel room. Last time we was in Paris some one (I bet some employee of the hotel) go true our staff and take a $100 bill from my suitcase. Call the owner - have long conversation - he compensate at exchange rate at this time - 600 Franks.
But then there will be not so many idiots who will be looking for dollars in this economic turn down. :rofl:


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

SJAPoc said:


> Impressive... I think you have a great trip ahead of you! :thumbup:
> 
> Just for the experience, you may wish to come down the west side of Lake Como to Varenna, which is beautiful. Then take the car for a ferry ride to Menaggio, continuing your drive to Lenno from there.
> 
> The ferry ride is very cool


thanks man.....you and Mrs. Poc's adventures are to blame for my itinerary! :thumbup::rofl:


----------



## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

ssabripo said:


> thanks man.....you and Mrs. Poc's adventures are to blame for my itinerary! :thumbup::rofl:


Man - you got such a deal on Nice-Paris train!!!! 
It's $160 - second class!!!


----------



## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

ssabripo said:


> thanks man.....you and Mrs. Poc's adventures are to blame for my itinerary! :thumbup::rofl:


Can't wait to see pictures of you and Mrs. ssabripo with big grins plastered all over your faces... Just like we did  You'll have a blast!


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

*Day7-8: Monaco and then back to Nice to drop off car! :wtc:*

"small boats" at Nice's pier:

























this is why they call it "Cote'd Azur"









Arriving in Monaco:

















expensive sh!t there:









monaco pier:









Dropped off the car with 625 miles of driving goodness :bowdown:









took off the front plate as a souveniur and cleaning tape:


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

*day8: arrving to Paris, without the car :wtc:*

at the nice train station...taking the TGV bullet train to paris:

























arriving in paris, at St-Germain district :naughty:









shots across paris...mostly around Parthenon and Notre-Dame:


----------



## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Nice - keep them coming...

What was your favorite part of the trip so far?


----------



## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Great report.... Keep it coming :thumbup:


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

adc said:


> Nice - keep them coming...
> 
> What was your favorite part of the trip so far?


i have to say, the drive down the south side of the stelvio, and down majoggia....so serene yet so intense.

and the whole experience at the welt was just great too.

too many good ones to choose from


----------



## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

ssabripo said:


> too many good ones to choose from


Is the mrs. in agreement with you? Was it a positive experience for her as well?


----------



## am_ver (Jul 12, 2005)

nice pics


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

adc said:


> Is the mrs. in agreement with you? Was it a positive experience for her as well?


yes indeed.....actually, she personally asked me to thank both you and mr. Poc for all your recommendations! :thumbup:

next time you guys are in fort lauderdale, dinner is on us!


----------



## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

ssabripo said:


> yes indeed.....actually, she personally asked me to thank both you *and mr. Poc *for all your recommendations! :thumbup:
> 
> next time you guys are in fort lauderdale, dinner is on us!


Glad you guys had a good time. I bet you can't wait to do it again :rofl: We are already planning our 2010 campaign :bigpimp:


----------



## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

ssabripo said:


> yes indeed.....actually, she personally asked me to thank both you and mr. Poc for all your recommendations! :thumbup:
> 
> next time you guys are in fort lauderdale, dinner is on us!


You're welcome - it's what these sites are for!

A positive experience by the mrs always paves the way for the next ED - from personal experience.


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

SJAPoc said:


> .....We are already planning our 2010 campaign :bigpimp:


so are we! :thumbup:



adc said:


> A positive experience by the mrs always paves the way for the next ED - from personal experience.


my wife says you are a smart man!


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

*Day2 of Paris: eiffel tower and Champs ulysses :mamoru:*

wife wearing the poncho near hotel :hsugh:









at the tower:









view of arc de truimph from top of tower:









eating at LaDuree:

















etc:

















st-Germain/Latin quarters......near our hotel:


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

*day3 of Paris: Musee du Louvre, and others*

dude...what's with the smallness?









my own mona lisa :naughty:









whatcha looking at dawg?









this slave thing is not fun:









some italian paintings and persian artefacts:

























outside the louvre:









took a nap in the pool poind outside the museum:









near our hotel, and you can see the Eiffel in the background:









met some americans on the street and decided to hang out and have dinner with them..good couple:









nite shot of the L'Hotel de Ville:


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

*Paris Day5...last day!! :wtc:*

last day to get some fresh baguette and cheese from the stores for breakfast:

















view from balcony of our room hotel:









bought some awesome teas from marriage ferres:









walked from st-germain all the way to Champs Elysses:

























eiffel tower is small as hell:









last nite shot of arc de truimph...









tomorrow we got to be in the airport at 3:00am!! :ugh2:


----------



## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Aah... Paris in September... :thumbup:


----------



## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Great pictures... Now I can't wait to visit Paris again!


----------



## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

SJAPoc said:


> Great pictures... Now I can't wait to visit Paris again!


+1! Excellent thread! Thank You!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

video of driving up the stelvio:


----------



## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Your wife - what a trooper! :thumbup:

I have to admit I was far less restrained than you.


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

adc said:


> Your wife - what a trooper! :thumbup:
> 
> I have to admit I was far less restrained than you.


hehee....I know. I had to keep it under "limit" or she would have freaked out :rofl:

top of stelvio:


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

going down Maloggia! :bowdown:






here is the location:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...95785,9.695134&spn=0.011439,0.019934&t=h&z=16


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

*Final ED Report​*
*Miami -> Munich, 9/8 (9/9)*
We left miami airport on Monday afternoon via Lufthansa. We took advantage of the 2for1 euroDelivery special, although the price would not have been much better than getting it via Orbitz; however, it was very convinient, and Lufthansa's Service was incredibly good! :clap: I've travelled with many airlines, all across the world, and with the exception of Singapore Airlines and Swiss Air, Lufthansa is now the 3rd best airline I've had the pleasure to travel with.









In the airport, I met an old Colombian Superstar Soccer player named Carlos "pibe" Valderama...some of you may already know of him. Starting the trip with this was definitely a good omen:









We arrived in Frankfurt at 6:30am the next day, and had some of the best cappuccino of my life at the coffee shop while we waited to change planes to Munich. I must say right of the bat, Germans know how to make the best:
a) Cars
b) Sausages
c) Coffee!
The plane change went without a hitch, and our luggage all came perfectly fine and quickly on time. My wife took a picture of me in front of the BMW grill at the airport ( See this PIC), and as we walked out of the terminal, she realized she left her carryon luggage back!!!! :mad0260:........needless to say, we ran back, had to get a special pass to go back into arrivals, and got the bag, but not before sweating some bullets!

*Munich Day1, 9/9*
We took the Metro from the airport to Marienplatz, and then up to the near our Marriott Munich Hotel. The hotel was only 2 blocks from the metro so it was fine. The rooms were nice and clean...can't complain for $90/nite.....*thank you priceline!*

We then took the Metro back to the city center, MarienPlatz to be specific:








For those of you who have not been in Munich, it is by far one of my favorite cities in the world!! It has that typical German architecture, but it is alive....tons of great food, beer, and shops until you can drop. We spent the entire afternoon/evening walking, eating, sightseeing, and then went to the hotel to get ready for our 7:30am delivery of the 135i.

*Munich Day2, 9/10...Pickup!!*
6am wakeup call, quick showers, quick double checking of all paperwork, some coffee, a pair of metro tix, and we were on our way to the BMW Welt Center. Metro dropped us of right there at the Olympic Park station, and you are within 1/2 block of the Welt.

We entered the door at exactly 7:28am, and the gentleman at the door confirmed our appt, and took us the main elevators towards the Premium Lounge in the 3rd floor....we walked in there, and After signing in and having another cappuccino, I had to do some paper signing:









After the paper signing, our actual delivery was set for 9:20...we were the first ones! We had some breakfast, and boy did we have breakfast there!! Tons of great food, cappuccinos, deserts, drinks, etc. I felt Like I was at the Mandarin Oriental!!! At 9:00am, our guide Achim picked us up, gave us the little multimedia schpil, and then we walked down to pick our baby up:
















He showed us some features (most of which I knew), but believe it or not, he did show me something I did NOT notice when I test drove the car and in all my readings on the forums: that we had adjustable side supports, a la M5!!! that was very cool.

Anywho, I left the car in the parking there at the welt, and then proceeded to get my factory tour at 11:30 am....*an absolute MUST*! The Museum and the Welt center tour is cool, but the Factory tour is a must....I don't know if it is just my engineering side coming out, but it was nice seeing PLC's, Photocells, ServoDrives, Infrasonic sensors, and Kuka robots at work! Very cool stuff. My wife, however, decided to sit in the Welt lounge, and just chill, catch up with emails, and enjoy the food.

Once done, we decided to leave the car there overnite instead of taking it to the hotel.....it was safer, and plus, another excuse to come back the next day and enjoy some more of the Welt Lounge! The rest of the afternoon, we went back to Munich and did some more sightseeing, eating and shopping. In the evening we packed our stuff and got ready to go on our journey with our new car the next day.

*Munich-> Bolzano, 9/11*
Woke up at 7am, took a shower, got a cab, and went back to the Welt center....got some nice food at the lounge again, and by 9:30am we had our bags in the trunk of the car, and we were on our way to Bolzano via Garmische/Innsbruck. Did I mention how *ESSENTIAL *having the navigation was?! :wink:

with only a couple of miles on the car, I didn't want to push it hard on the Autobahn, so I stayed mostly on the right side. What a drive though.....amazing seeing those alps coming at you!









We arrived in Garmische, put some gas, saw the scenery, took some pics, got some coffee, and then on our way to Bolzano (passing thru innsbruck). It was a very serene drive, with some very cool roads and scenery! ( See THIS pic, for example). After a couple of hours driving from Garmische, we arrived in Bolzano....*did I mention how indispensable the Navigation system is*?

The ParkHotel Laurin Hotel is absolutely stunning! great location, right around the corner from the town's center, parking right in front (and underground iif needed), and the park behind it is so beautiful and quint. It has a cool pool area and restaurant, some sofas under trees, etc....just magnificent. The rooms were very clean, with flat screen TV's etc. Showers were amazing and clean.









We spent the the rest of the afternoon and evening walking the town, sightseeing, eating, etc. It was just great. What a nice town, with a magnificent view of the alps surrounding it. There are several castles around it too, so if you plan on staying there an extra day, it is well worth it.


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

*Bolzano -> Stelvio Pass, -> Lake Como 9/12*
We got up early in the morning, had some great breakfast at the hotel, and then we were on our way to the alps.....the magestic Stelvio Pass, and of course, other similar roads from Bormio to Livigno, to St-Moritz, to Lake Como. This was our longest drive of the tour, but the most magnificent day in our trip in my opinion!!

You guys have all heard the stories about how great the stelvio pass is....believe me, it doesn't do it justice! it is without a doubt the best driving road in the world! You guys have seen the videos, the pics, reviews, etc....trust me when I say, it is just magical! The northeastern side is more green, with lots more trees, and the twists are longer. The southwest side is less forested, so the landscape changes.









we stopped for pics, and quick drink on top of the Stelvio, and then down again....which was even MORE beautiful! *This was truly the highlight of our trip.* Once down in Bormio, we took the detour to go to Livigno and then onto St-Moritz:








The drive to St-Moritz is like a mini-Stelvio pass....it's just amazing! up and down the alps, with a great view. Words cannot describe how magical this drive was, but if I could drive it everyday, I would die a happy man.

We arrived in St-moritz, and had lunch.....boy, talk about expensive!!!!!!:mad0260: I knew Switzerland was expensive, but gimme a break, this is borderline criminal! nearly 80Eu for just a plate of sausage + pomme frit and water!!! Ouch. Oh well, at least the view was nice.

and then onto Lake Como....but not before having the 2nd best drive of our trip: the drive down the alps in Maloggia!! is like a mini-stelvio but super nice:




it is located right south of the town of Maloggia:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...345&spn=0.020955,0.036478&t=p&z=15&iwloc=addr

I started to get tired when nearing Lenno....the drive around Lake Como is very nice, but sloooooooooooooooooow. But the scenery was spectacular. We arrived at our hotel (Albergo Lenno) around 4pm! checked in, staff was extremely friendly, and we had a great corner room! Left the car in the underground parking, and then we walked the town....very small and quint, with tons to see in one afternoon. We had a nice authentic Pizza at dinner at a local pizzeria, which was PACKED! not bad for a friday.

*Lenno (Lake Como) 9/13*
We stayed in Lenno two nites, and one of the days we took the ferry to the town of Como....beautiful! unfortunately, it was rainy and very VERY wet!! I froze my butt of, as I had not been properly prepaired for this weather.









we walked Como for a couple of hours, and ate lunch there...we met some very nice people on the ferry, and then went to Bellagio for a quick tour, and then back to Lenno by 6pm. We were beat by then! So we just packed, got a nice shower, and then just ate some snacks at the hotel's lounge while chekcing our email, etc.

*Lenno -> Nice (FRA) 9/14*
we got up somewhat early (7:30ish) on sunday, and ate breakfast, and then got onto our trip to Nice....this was our second longest drive, and it wasn't as pretty as the previous days, except for the last hour or so when getting close to the Cote d'Azur near Monaco/Nice.

Living in Florida, and having been in the carribean, Cancun, Roatan island in Honduras, etc, I thought I knew beautiful ocean water.....boy, I've never seen such deep blue water like this. Now I know why the call it "blue Coast":








this was our view from the Hotel (Hotel Suisse). It was a small room, but location was absolutely perfect! a block from the old town, and with a view to die for. The downside was the parking...no parking! :brokenhea I had to leave the car in the marina parking overnite, at a whoppin 40Eu!!!! ouch

We spent the afternoon eating and walking the old town....very nice, excellent food, and tons of little hidden cafes. In the evening we had possibly one of our best meals in europe at a restaurant called le Pescure! pricey, but that Mediterranean Tuna is something to die for!

*Nice (FRA) 9/15-9/16*
We spent the 15th going to Monaco, and the drive from nice to Monaco was spectacular....I would have to say it was probably my 3rd funnest drive. the view of the bay was incredible:









We ate lunch there, and did some sightseeing, and then drove back around 3pm.....we were going to drop off the car the next day at 8am, but I was scared of traffic in the morning, and what not, so I decided to drop off the car that afternoon instead, which worked out better....at least I saved another 40Eu in parking fees!!!


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

*Nice -> Paris (FRA) 9/16*
Well, the car was no more!  But all good things must not come to an end. We woke up, had some coffee and croissant, and then onto the Train station to get the TGV to Paris. It was supposedly an non-stop ride, but we had like 8 stops prior to getting to Toulon...once there, then it hauled ass to Paris at 180mph.

We arrived in Paris at 3pm, and took the metro to our hotel in the St-Germain area. To me, this was the best part of town....very quint, close to everything, and very Parisian! Anyways, our Hotel was literally a block from the Pantheon, and had a great view of everything:








from the Maulbert station is a block up to our hotel, and then another block up to the Pantheon....just great. Tons of cafes, Fromageries, Boulangeries, etc. Hotel St-Jacques was perfectly located, and very nice and parisian. Excellent staff and free wifi made it a nice stay. Hotel College du France, its sister hotel, looked a little nicer, and more secluded, but oh well, this would do.

We left our stuff in the hotel, and then went to walk around the st-germain/st-michel area. Old Latin quarters was pretty cool, and we saw the Notre-Dame that afternoon.

That Evening we ate at a great little restaurant called Le Coupe Chou (http://www.lecoupechou.com/)...it was great food, incredible eats, but the best part was the ambiance! it was very romantic and just so nice. After dinner we just went to bed...we were beat!

*Paris (FRA) 9/17-9/20*
There are tons to say about paris....I will write this part later on, but sufficeth to say we had an absolute wonderful time there. We went to see the louvre, pantheon, Notre-Dame, CHamps Elysses, The Eiffel Tower, and walking streets such as Via Rivoli, Rue de la Paix, etc were just what the doctor ordered.

I will come back to write more about Paris....for now, I leave you with some pics you may have seen already:


----------



## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)




----------



## voltigeur (Jun 29, 2008)

Thinking of switching our drop off from Paris (Roissy) to Nice to avoid the potential issue of Sat drop-off. How long did it take you to do the drop off? Did you ring ahead to book?

Thx.


----------



## ssabripo (May 29, 2002)

voltigeur said:


> Thinking of switching our drop off from Paris (Roissy) to Nice to avoid the potential issue of Sat drop-off. How long did it take you to do the drop off? Did you ring ahead to book?
> 
> Thx.


yep, that is smart... the Nice dropoff is very easy, and you can call the same day. Take the TGV back to paris (its a great ride). :thumbup:


----------



## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

I think this thread need to bump up!


----------



## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

MB330 said:


> I think this thread need to bump up!


----------

