# I'm off on my ED! Thank you one and all.



## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

Well, after 3 agonizing long months wait, I'm finally leaving today for my second ED on Mar 17. My wife and I are heading for Paris, Brussels, and Brugge for a week prior to picking up our car.

I'll certainly post pictures when I return (begging forgiveness for breaking the 12 hour rule), but may be able to post during delivery. I'll have my Blackberry to check on postings though.

Finally, a warm and hearty thanks to those who replied my posts, and to those whose posts I read so that I didn't need to ask certain questions. Its certainly a warm, intelligent, efficient, and sometimes very realistic, community. I wouldn't love it or have it any other way.

Cheers,

Chris.

PS - attached are 2 photos from my first ED.


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## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

Enjoy your trip and the meeting of your car. :thumbup:

I just read your sig. You are the first B'fester that I have seen whose ED car received "minor" water damage aboard the Tricolor. May the car in you pictures RIP.  Hopefully it will not take long for you to get reunited with your new car stateside.


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## Me530 (Feb 17, 2005)

Have a great trip!


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*I'm Back!*

I'm starting to bang this out on the S8 to Munich airport after our best European vacation, capped off by the delivery of our new E60 530i. I beg forgiveness of the 12 hour rule, and hope to make amends by supplying multiple photos and insight from my vacation that others may find useful.

Our Itinerary was as follows:

Day 1 - flight from San Francisco to Paris
Day 2 - Paris, Versailles
Day 3 - Paris, Louvre
Day 4 - Paris to Brussels by Thalys, Brussels
Day 5 - Brussels, Brussels to Brugge by train
Day 6 - Brugge, Damme, Brugge to Brussels by train, Brussels to Paris by Thalys
Day 7 - flight from Paris to Munich, delivery, Dingolfing factory tour
Day 8 - Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Oberammergau, Andechs
Day 9 - Salzburg
Day 10 - Harms drop off, flight from Munich to San Francisco

A bit of background first. This will be my fourth vacation trip to Europe, all in the last four years, and my second ED. So my wife and I skipped many of the first/must see tourist attractions, having seen many before, and skipped the BMW HQ and museum, as I have toured them before, and she was all "BMW'd" out at the end of day 7. The BMW experience/torture begins when you land at the airport - are there any other companies in this town? We used a mixture of miles for travel (Lufthansa first and business class), points for hotels (she is a Diamond Hilton, and Gold Marriott), and some hotels through Priceline and the Internet. We have a 1 year old child, but left him at home with my sister-in-law, which proved to be a wise decision. We only traveled with 2 laptop backpacks, 1 hand carry overnight bag, and 2 largish cabin rollerbags, in anticipation of our multiple destinations. My car didn't have Nav, but I had my Blackberry for www.mapquest.co.uk real time access and preprinted maps and directions for most of our trip. I had travel guides for Paris and Munich, and a few photocopied pages from guides for our other destinations. Lugging 5 guide books around would not have been fun!

I'll start my postings on Day 7, since this is what this board is about.

Day 7:

We stayed at CDG airport overnight at the Comfort Hotel, which is anything but. We arrived at 11pm, departed at 5.15am, so convenience and cost were paramount, rather than luxury, service and comfort. The room I would rate as a 1 star, but the shower worked, it was clean, didn't smell, rather old, and small. Our phone only dialed out, but we were too tired to accept the room change, having undressed for bed. The airport shuttle is a bit hard to find at CDG (their shuttle doesn't stop at all terminals), but it is free (some other hotels charge). Our flight to Munich was at 6.50am, was uneventful, and only delayed about 15 minutes, probably due to deicing of the plane. My wife insisted on freshening up first at the hotel, so we S8/U6'd it over to Nordfriedhof for the Renaissance. We purchased a Partner Tageskarte for EUR16, full use of the transport network for the whole day for 2. The Renaissance I booked through Priceline, and due to my wife's Gold status we received free buffet breakfast each day. The room was a good size by American standards, was clean, had a nice soft bed, comforters, and had a different décor from most Marriotts. The Marriott Munich is more Marriott in style, so those who are sick of that decor, try to go for the Renaissance, otherwise both are fine choices.

After showers, we U6'd it over to Freimann, 3 stops from Nordfriedhof. Herr Ernst Fortune took us in from the gate and I handed over my passport. It was then up to the café for some brunch. We had the wraps, cokes, coffee and a tart - and enjoyed them all. After 3 or 4 deliveries before us, we were then ready to take delivery. Another gentleman, whose name escapes me, took us through the paperwork (all familiar to me), and we were led to our new Ti Ag E60 530i. The first sight of your car is breathtaking, as many have conveyed. My wife said that the only time over those days that she had seen me happier was when our son was born! And that was worth all the financial sacrifices to her. I was led through the car, whilst my wife took a few snaps. The car had 0 miles on the odo, and 0.9 miles on the trip meter. I took a few more minutes individually with the car to load the CD changer (I came prepared), and looked over a few functions. Most were sort of familiar, having reviewed the online PDF manual briefly.


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Pics of the Odo and I-Drive*

Pics of the Odo and I-Drive


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 7 (contd)*

It was now about 12.15pm, it was cold, snowing very lightly, so we decided to skip the BMW Neiderslausung, and head directly for Dingolfing. A few false turns, incorrectly onto the Frankfurter Ring, then correctly back onto the A9 and then the autobahn to Dingolfing. An important piece of info for those heading to Dingolfing is NOT to follow the BMW Werk signs that are listed with Landshut. I didn't know there was a factory at Landshut, but some may mistake this for the Dingolfing factory. I checked that we were heading in the right direction at a rest stop in broken German, and continued. The car handled and performed like a dream, and I loved the SMG. It was better than I expected, having read so much negativity about it, but I rarely used SPORT mode (keep down the revs), and sometimes ran it in D, to concentrate on the road and directions. The change from D1 to D2 in non-sport is slowww, but if you can accept this, it is a nice compromise for those who like a stick, but whose wife demands auto. She found the auto mode great for what she likes in a car (she's the type that likes Toyota Camrys and Priuses). In these conditions, where it was in the low 30s, high 20s, I drove around 90mph, taking it a few times through 100 to 105. Most cars I suspect had snow tires, and I was passed by about 40% of the traffic. I kept right as much as possible, and was never flashed on the whole trip - my first ED was a little different, and a learning experience&#8230;

We arrived at Dingolfing, found the gate, and were met by Herr Hoffman. This was around 1.40pm, for our 2pm time, and our reservation was on the overhead projection. There was a blue-purple M5 in the waiting area. The tour was exhilarating, and definitely worthwhile for all those getting a 5,6, or 7, and those who are interested in the largest BMW manufacturing facility worldwide. Even my wife was interested and impressed, having repeatedly asked to excuse herself from the tour, and delivery, requesting instead to tour Marienplatz and rest in the hotel. It was her first time in Munich, and she did not accompany me on my first ED (we weren't married at the time). After seeing a facility that turns out 1,200 luxury vehicles a day, you feel like your car isn't that special, though it is individual, and just relish the fact that if anything happens to your car, BMW can bang you up another one, pretty much anytime you wish - if you pay for it. As others have mentioned, we toured most of the facility, with notable exceptions of the paint shop and storage areas. Most impressive things for us, were the customizable car production logistics, and the way that BMW manages individualization by having worldwide common bodies, with the differentiation points being only LHD/RHD, and sunroof/no sunroof. Bodies are common from then on worldwide, then individualized by components and drivetrain. My wife intelligently asked during the road test phase why our car had 0 miles, and Herr Hoffman said that all cars start with -2 miles. As an avid Fester, I of course already knew this, but let her get into the action.

We left the factory around 4.40pm, after taking a few more pictures, and headed back to Munich. By then, my wife was back in "vacation mode". She had said that her vacation was ending on Friday morning, and that "work" for her was beginning again. Weather was the same as the drive up, with less light. We stopped at the BMW Niederslausung on the Frankfurter ring, and picked up the rear red reflectors for the E60 - around EUR14.15 for both sides if I remember correctly. The parts area is a round the back, and parking was narrow and tight - standard for Europe. No mishaps with the SMG, summer tires, and bunched snow in the parking area though. Again, my broken German got us through the purchase process. I found that most people say No when you ask them if they speak English, but soon switch to their broken English when you start speaking a few common phrases in their tongue. I find it more polite to speak in their language first, and then ease into some English as they do. All you need are the common phrases from most guide books, some pointing, and some hand gestures.

We then parked the car on the street (EUR13 if you want to use the Renaissance garage), and it was exactly where we left it, in the same condition, the next morning. If there had been a prediction of significant snow that night, I would have used the garage. If you don't mind parking your car at a shopping mall lot in the States, you won't mind the streets of Nordfriedhof. After a quick refresh, we U6'd it to Munchner Freiheit, and the Fest recommended Wirtshaus Zur Brez'n. An excellent restaurant, where we shared a table, had slices of pork and crackle(for me), eggs and potato (for my anti meat wife), beers and pretzels. We both found the atmosphere friendly, the food excellent, and the bill extremely reasonable! Cheaper than Paris, on par with Belgium, and with American sized portions. After dinner, it was around 9pm, and to walk off some of our excess, we U6'd it to Marienplatz, to observe the Friday night crowds. Then it was back to the Renaissance for a nice sleep, and dreams of the next day's activities and drives. If they would have allowed cars in the room, I would have paid EUR50 for the pleasure - and my wife even asked if I wanted to sleep in the car (legal in Germany for one night at a time for each spot).


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## BayAreaBMWFan (Aug 8, 2004)

chrischeung said:


> If they would have allowed cars in the room, I would have paid EUR50 for the pleasure ***8211; and my wife even asked if I wanted to sleep in the car (legal in Germany for one night at a time for each spot).


 :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: 
Sounds just like Mrs. BABF


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 8*

The weather was overcast, temperature in the low 30s, and the roads clear. After our usual American hotel European buffet breakfast (I swear that after a week of these very similar menus, I could support the non-smoking of salmon. These menus are extremely similar, are excellent the first 2 days, become unexciting until 5 days, and then boring after that. We typically have a big breakfast, skip lunch (which is a great time to tour attractions as others break and look for restaurants), have afternoon tea, then a nice dinner. We left at 8.30am, I drove down the autobahn and then country roads (Romantic Road) to Hohenschwangau for our 11am tour with my wife navigating. We stopped once near Hohenschwangau for a look and snaps of a church. I had pre-booked our Neuschwanstein tickets. Relatively easy parking in the close lot, as this was not the peak summer season. Interestingly, they take a credit card for your booking, but don't pay until you pick up the tickets (including booking charge). With the icy road conditions, the bus to the castle was not running, but the horse and carriages were.

1. Car outside the Renaissance
2. Church outside of Hohenschwangau
3. The standard Neuschwanstein picture
4. The Neuschwanstein lot


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 8 (contd)*

By now, the clouds had fully cleared, the sun was out, and we were in for the most glorious weekend in Germany since the start of the year. We decided to exercise, and like most, took the nice walk up to the castle. The route to Mary's Bridge was fully closed with snow, which would have been a great view of the castle. My wife, a history buff, extremely enjoyed the castle, and agreed with my itinerary to go to Linderhof next. Driving through the European winter countryside, on clear roads, is magical. You feel the crisp clean air, the virgin snow covered fields, interrupted by traditional German houses bathed in snow. For those taking the drive from Neuschwanstein to Linderhof, make sure you stop at the Wiesskirche church. As with many German and Austrian churches, unlike French and Italian ones generally, it is what's inside that takes your breath away, not the exterior.

a. Wiesskirche exterior
b. Interior
c. Posing the car


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 8 (contd)*

We arrived at Linderhof at 2.45pm, and parked in the ice covered lot. A bit dicey navigating into our spot, a few slips of the DSC, but no major drama, and no need for pushing. I always looked far ahead to avoid fully ice covered lots, and any inclines that were snow or ice covered. Linderhof is different from Neuschwanstein, grand in its palace interior, and picture perfect with the snow. This is a place to return in Spring and Summer, when the grounds, exterior houses and gardens will be in their full bloom. We left at around 4.30pm, and headed a few minutes back to Oberammergau.


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*More Linderhof pics*

Pics


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 8 (contd)*

Due to the late time, and being winter, the town's stores were closed. We did a quick drive through, my wife took a few painted house snaps, whilst I parked and re-mapquested directions from Oberammergau to Andechs, where I wanted to try some Trappist beer. We arrived in Andechs after a stint up the autobahn, where I had the car around 90-110, and now being passed by about 30% of the traffic. The traffic was light, but being only a 2 lane autobahn, I didn't push the car (and myself) further. We arrived in Andechs just after the church closes at 6pm. Still we enjoyed a wonderful Bavarian dinner and Trappist beer. Again I had the sliced pork - the meat was better than Wirtshaus Zur Brez'n, but the crackle was worse. Call it a draw. My wife took fish which she loved. We then drove back to Munich after getting a little lost. On this vacation, I figured I got lost about 5 times, with 4 of the times adding 10 mins or less to our travels, and once that added about 30 mins to the travel. My first ED, traveling with my non-navigating mother, and being less prepared, getting lost in Milan added about 1.5 hours to our journey. For those without Nav, I recommend quite a bit of preparation with directions, buying some maps if you don't have real time directions, and planning on asking for help at gas stations or from passers-by.

a. Oberammergau
b. Checking mapquest directions to Andechs
c. Andechs beer hall
d. Trappist food and beer


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## dencoop (Aug 17, 2005)

Nice Pics:thumbup: Nice Car:thumbup: Brings Back memories....already want to go back....


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Welcome back, great photos. Sounds like it was a great trip.

One comment: you mention the streets of Nordfriedhof. Nordfriedhof is the North Cemetery. You were in the Schwabing area of Munich; the Nordfriedhof stop on the U-6 is nearby and that is right near the cemetery.


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## Me530 (Feb 17, 2005)

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## mullman (Jan 5, 2006)

chrischeung-

Thank you for the writeup!
Excellent pics and I must say you have excellent taste in E60s!


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## jaflaim (Jun 27, 2005)

Great pics. Sounds like a great trip!


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## am_ver (Jul 12, 2005)

Sounds like a great trip!! I was scheduled to pickup my car the same day as you were.... nice pics!!


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 9*

The weather was now in full glory, with temperatures hovering around 40, and the sky being cloudless. What could I complain about? Just some slight haze - perhaps from the ozone layer? My wife drove from the hotel to Salzburg. She is a timid driver, but enjoyed the car's control, and had it running between 80 and 100. I tried to gently coach her on autobahn driving, whilst trying to keep our marriage intact, and thinking that starting an argument with her at 100mph with her first time driving in Europe not being a good thing. Traffic was light to medium, and we arrived in Salzburg around 11am, parking in the Altstadt mille garage right under Molschberg. A day's parking will set you back EUR14, and there are some nice private spots if you look - we were lucky to be directed to one by a bicycle circling employee after he saw us park in a regular spot. The 5er is less common in Austria, and is certainly a wider type of car. From the garage, a 3 minute walk puts you in Salzburg proper.

A personal word on Vignettes. These are required for the motorway. However, I made the choice to skip it, and had my wife hop off the autobahn immediately after the border. From there, it is a quick 5-10 minute drive into Salzburg. By doing this, it probably is even quicker than stopping for a Vignette and affixing it, then getting back on the A1. Just reverse your route when heading back to Munich. Plus you get a nice drive through Austrian suburbs, and drive past a BMW/Ferrari dealership. Also you might also want to fill up whilst passing one of the gas stations - gas is cheaper than Munich. I didn't know and had gotten my gas in Munich where Super Plus was about EUR1.35 per liter vs EUR1.10 per liter in Austria.

It seemed that all most everyone was in town due to the great weather. People walking their dogs, families with their kids, and a few tourists. Not many crowds at all. However, a word of caution - about 60-70% of the stores, cafes and restaurants are closed on Sundays (perhaps due to winter?) - including the supermarket. I don't remember reading this in any of the guides. Having our time again, I would have switched Days 8 and 9. We toured the town, and my wife the Hohensalzburg fortress. I had been there before, so just strolled around town, sat on a bench in the sun for a quick nap by the river - thoroughly relaxed. We left Salzburg around 5pm. It was smooth driving until we were about 35 miles from Munich. It was then we encountered bumper to bumper weekend traffic. I felt at home coming from the SF Bay Area. I used SMG Drive as we moved along at around 20 miles or so. It seems that the buildup is caused by the interchange between the A8 and A99. We mistakenly took the A94 exit into Munich (all the exits say Munich, but different parts of the city), ending up in Bogenhausen. No biggie - We just took the Isaring road back to Nordfriedhof. I confirmed that we were heading in the right direction with the next car alongside us whilst stuck in traffic. Again, the Germans were helpful, and responded well to my broken German.

We were back at the hotel just after 8pm. The pretzels we had during the day (chocolate dipped pretzels are just like éclairs, without the cream) had lasted until then. Due to the hour, we decided to U6 down to Wirtshaus Zur Brez'n again rather than look for another restaurant. I had the Pork knuckle. It was more flavorful and I recommend this for those who don't mind a bone in their knuckle shaped meat. We walked back to the hotel as exercise.

a. My wife taking the car on the autobahn
b. Spot 387 is nice for a solitary parking spot
c. Church interior
d. Hohensalzburg


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 9 (contd)*

a. Schmuck's are everywhere
b. Triumph is coming to Salzburg
c. Which "circle" is the more pretty
d. SF Bay Areaesque traffic on the A8


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 10*

Drop-off day. The weather is again perfect, if not slightly warmer again. I continually lament not being able to stay longer. My flight back home was at 3.50pm and my wife's was at 11.15am, due to ticket availability. We both arrive back home around the same time, since she had a connection in Charlotte - the drawback of free mileage tickets. But, the timing is great. We pack the flashlight, manuals, red reflectors, warning triangle, mats, and first aid kit in the bags. 2-3 Munich area maps from the hotel are great temporary floor mats. I drive her to the airport after breakfast and park in the Lufthansa priority check in area, right up against the check in counter located on the sidewalk. Lufthansa have the check in thing down pat. No security offers asking you to move your car here. My wife checks in with our roller bags, since I have a few more hours to wander Munich, and I check in as well. I retain a backpack and carry on. I then leave for Harms in Garching. I follow the instructions from BMW, and just reverse my exit point off the autobahn - easy. I drive past Robert-Bosche Strasse, and turn back. Driving slowly, I find Harms, drive up the slope (fully cleared of snow by now), and park the car. I drive around looking for the parking area, and find it after focusing on finding a group of late model BMWs, rather than the sign for Harms.

I then proceed to take my last car pics, one of the I-drive screen and of the Odo. I look out and am surprised by someone waiting with a power screwdriver. I apologize for not noticing him earlier, and Thomas introduces himself. He immediately asks permission to remove the front plate, I agree, and then ask to take it with me. The other option is to drop it into the trunk/boot. I also noticed a few other cars there, 2 330s, a Monaco/Auburn 550i, and black 525i. Since I parked near it, I saw that the 525i had some minor battle scar scraping on the front right lower bumper area. I guess it'll be put to new again at the VPC. Any Fester cars amongst these?

15 minutes of paperwork and I was on my way. Time for some gift shopping for friends and colleagues, since I didn't want to lug things around Europe as we traveled. We'd already purchased some "really must have" items, and I had suppressed my wife from the "must have" items, due to our small luggage capacity. I was planning on heading for Marienplatz for clothing and sweets. Having purchased a single Tageskarte earlier that morning from Nordfriedhof, I took a nice pleasant stroll to the main road, and noticed the Aldi store that I had seen earlier when driving by. For those unfamiliar, Aldi is like a Costco express - they have a wide variety of household items, discounted, but in regular sizes and quantity unlike Costco's "how do I finish this?" sizes. They also do not carry the big and heavy white good items that Costco does. Needless to say, all my chocolate shopping was finished there (selection of cream liqueurs, Mozartklugen, Belgian pralines etc.). I also picked up some European girl's clothing for my niece that I'd be pressed finding in the States.

a. Last night outside the Renaissance
b. Ditto
c. Harms arrival
d. Total trip data


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 10 (contd)*

a. 612 miles in 3 days
b. Aldi near Harms
c. Ditto
d. Allianz Stadium - paid for by ED insurance rates (kidding)


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## Asteroid (Aug 17, 2005)

Nice report! :thumbup: 
If I'm not mistaken, I think Aldi stores are coming to the US, and there may be one in Minnesota already.


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 1*

The following days are not BMW driving related, so I'll be brief, and focus more on the unusual experiences that may be interesting. If you are not interested in non-ED driving related things, this won't be for you.

My connection to Paris is via Frankfurt on Lufthansa. Landing in Frankfurt, I have just over 1.5 hours before my short hop to Paris. I've been lucky enough over time with my share of lounge access travel, but Lufthansa have taken the lounge experience to the next level - they have a first class terminal separate from the other terminals. At the check in, they call a car for me, a VW leather seated van drives me over to the terminal with another traveler. We are met in person at the door, our passports are taken along with our tickets and boarding passes. The passports are then returned and passes retained. We then proceed through security - needless to say, it is sparsely occupied due to it being Saturday.

The lounge is similar to many of the newer top line lounges in Asia - nothing really special there. My flight is at 11.55am, and at 11.20am, I'm getting worried. They said that they would come for me, and my plane is probably starting to board - in another terminal. Finding an assistant, they tell me not to worry and that they will come to get me at the right time. They come for me at 11.40am, and greet me with "Mr Cheung, Paris is waiting" - nice touch. The assistant takes me downstairs, hands my boarding pass to a driver, who proceeds to load my hand luggage into a brand new model S-class. There are a few of them available as well as Porsche Cayennes to ferry passengers. I ride up front, and he goes over the rules - no opening of the windows and doors. The seats are super comfortable, the key looks like a piece of art, and we head off.

The car drives in the airport in secured areas, the driver using a card to get through secure barriers. We are taking the roads that tarmac busses and other service vehicles take. The driver drives and parks the car right next to the plane - about 20 feet from it. I can see folks peering at me through the windows. The driver takes my luggage, leads me up in the elevator in the gate, and takes me down the bridge into the plane. He then hands me my boarding pass, speaks a few words to an attendant, gives them some paperwork and hands me my luggage. It is now just before 11.50am. The plane is already 90% boarded, and I take my seat. Talk about German communication, timing and efficiency!

I meet my wife at the airport (who arrived 30 minutes earlier via Munich), and we RER it to the Hilton La Defense. Her status gets us an upgraded Relaxation Room. We walk around the Champs Ellysee and dinner at Chartier in the Opera area. F1 fans will enjoy the Renault F1 Story on the Champs Ellysee. Having stayed at a few hotels during our trip, we'd recommend staying in business locations on the weekends, and tourist hotels during the week, to get better rates, and avoid crowds. I spy the only Ferrari I'll see on the trip.

a. Schumacher's Bennetton Renault
b. F430 off the Champs Ellysee


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 2*

Sunday, and it is bike day. Slightly overcast, it isn't raining. I have prepaid for the Versailles Fat Tire Bike tour. We have never been to Versailles, and thoroughly recommend seeing it this way. Pluses over taking just a bus tour or going there yourself by RER? You have a nice ride through the streets of Paris and Versailles, taking the train to Versailles, buy lunch at a French market, and see the extensive grounds that you would not see without the bike. We toured the main building with the Hall of Mirrors etc., but really the grounds are more impressive, and the guide well versed and easy going. For anyone going to Versailles, I'd recommend not going there the first Sunday of the month - that is the day when it is free, and expect long waiting times.

Back in Paris, we head to the Eiffel Tower for our first trip to the top and night shots. I'd recommend going as late as possible to avoid the inevitable crowds. The ticket office may not be crowded, but you need to wait for 2 elevators up, and 2 elevators down - you get the picture.

a. Town of Versailles patisserie
b. A view less than 1% of Versailles visitors see
c. Hall of Mirrors (under renovation)
d. Hall of Battles


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 3*

We change hotels to the Hilton Arc de Triomphe. My wife has points to use, and it seemed like a nice hotel - it is. We are placed on the executive floor, given a room with a balcony, and have a view of the Eiffel Tower. It seems only the exec floor rooms have balconies. For those who can, ask for an exec floor room with views of the tower. This hotel has the best club lounge of any hotel we have ever stayed in. They keep champagnes, wines and spirits continually stocked from morning to late evening (all complimentary), and have snacks throughout the day. The more exotic foods include lobster fillet sandwiches and sautéed shrimp. The hotel is within walking distance of the Arc de Triomphe and the St Honore couture houses. We head to the Louvre in the afternoon, having bought tickets from the FNAC earlier to avoid lines at the Louvre.

a. Relaxing on the hotel balcony
b. The view is not too bad
c. Louvre


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 4*

We take the early afternoon Thalys high speed train to Brussels, and check in at the Conrad Brussels. Purchase your tickets online in advance and you'll get a great rate - just like air travel. The Conrad is a Hilton property, and the rooms are huge. The room I estimate to be about 600-700 sq feet. Definitely large by any junior suite standards.

We tour the Grand Place area, and have an excellent dinner in the Ste Catherine area. Best restaurant of our trip (mix of service, value, food quality, service, innovation- excellent, very good, excellent, excellent, excellent) - Le Loup Galant.


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 5*

We leave our roller bags and hand carry bag at the hotel and check out, and carry a change of clothes in our backpacks. We go to the Belgian comic strip museum, being Tin Tin and other comic fans. The museum doesn't look interesting from what we can see, so we skip it and head for the gift shop that is well stocked with different comic figures, books and memorabilia. My wife relives many childhood memories, takes photos, and we buy some souvenirs.

We take the train to Brugge, and enjoy the wonderfully preserved city by day (canal tour), and then again at night. Brugge is not built for luggage, so plan on taking a bus into the town center or a taxi. With backpacks, like us, you'll enjoy a nice 20 minute walk. I highly recommend staying overnight, just for the night scenery and restaurants. Rick Steves describes Belgian food as French flair with German Portions. I agree. I had Flemish beef stew twice in Belgium, and highly recommend this even if you just like a stew - it's that good. We overnight in the Aragon hotel that I found online. It's a nice, clean 3-4 star hotel, and typical of European style hotels, offers an inclusive continental breakfast.


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 5 (contd)*

Brugge by day


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 5 (contd)*

Brugge by night


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Day 6*

We check out, the weather is overcast, and cold, but it doesn't rain. We rent bikes and ride to the small village of Damme which is 3-4 miles away along a canal. The village is small, comprises restaurants and cafes, and is really not too interesting compared to Brugge. However, the bike ride along the canal is what makes it extremely worthwhile. We return to Brugge, and ride around town for an hour or two before heading back to Brussels by train and an early dinner of stew and mussels in Brussels. We collect our luggage from the hotel and then it's back to Paris by Thalys and RER to CDG. I can hardly sleep in anticipation of Delivery.

a. Mussels in Brussels


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## Me530 (Feb 17, 2005)

Thanks for the writeup and pictures!!!! :thumbup: Awesome!


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## Asteroid (Aug 17, 2005)

Yes, thanks for the writeup. We'll be in Paris and Brugge this summer so this is cool.:thumbup:


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*I enjoyed it*

Literally our best vacation ever - period. I hope my experiences give others insight.

My second ED just built on my first ED experience. For our next one, I'm planning on the Ring Taxi, and crossing the Channel on the Eurostar. I've never been to England...


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## jordan2tre (May 5, 2005)

I just got back from ED a month ago.

Judging by your pics and narratives, you must be a food man like myself.
How much weight did you pack on?


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Actually lost half a pound*

Jordan2tre,

I actually lost weight. It is all the walking and exercise in Europe, even though we did make "pigs" of ourselves sometimes. My wife had a pedometer with her, and we averaged about 12-18K steps a day. 10K is energetic, 3K is a normal day if you drive everywhere.

Looking back, we never took a taxi, and on the days with the car, we walked extensively. Eg. Up and down the road to Neuschwanstein, around Linderhof, all around Salzburg, from Harms to the bus station, around Marienplatz. We enjoy walking, so if the walk is 30 minutes or less, we would more likely be walking it than catching a bus or subway.

In addition, it is cold in Europe. So you are using energy just to keep warm. And the average weight of Europeans, even with that type of food, seems lower than back home. So, I guess the difference is that they don't speak English?


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## jordan2tre (May 5, 2005)

That's exactly what happened with us too, we ate full meals with alot of pastries especially in Paris. I came back weight unchanged. 

Maybe next time you go, we'll have to coordinate so we can do a culinary tour while driving new BMWs.


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## mdsbuc (Mar 17, 2005)

Great write up chrischeung, loved reading the whole package. Wonderful pics, too! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:


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## chrischeung (Sep 1, 2002)

*Great idea*

I think it is a great idea to do multiple EDs at the same time for those who share common interests. Along those lines, interests may include:

- Culinary
- Track driving (Ring taxi)
- Mountain driving
- Countryside touring

Also, a lot of European guide books are geared to public transportation. Does anyone know a series that focuses on auto related transport - accomodation, attractions, and restaurants?

Jspira - perhaps this is a nice niche. ED orientated travel guide series for European car makes... I'd be happy to contribute.


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## smokeminside (Aug 5, 2004)

*Chris,*

I've asked this question elsewhere, and perhaps my search wasn't in the right direction, but I can't get your pictures...is there something simple I'm overlooking? Your narrative is great but Beewang is right--pictures make the posts!

In any case, thanks for sharing and glad you had such a great trip. Can't wait for ours in June...

Scott


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