# E's Euro Trip log



## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

I'm going to use this thread as my ED log to document my journey. I've worked my ass off and saved for YEARS to purchase a car and take euro delivery. It's taken some serious discipline and sometimes have been miserable but I've finally done it. I honestly cant believe it's happening.

*2016 - M4; Sakhir Orange with black extended leather*
DCT
Adaptive M Suspension
19" Black Light-Alloy Wheels
Carbon Fiber Interior Trim
Navigation system
Driver Assistance Plus
Active Driving Assistant
Active Blind Spot Detection
Side and Top View Cameras
Speed Limit Info
Executive Package
Head-up Display
Retractable headlight washers
Heated Steering Wheel
Park Distance Control
Rear view camera
Lighting Package
Black kidney grills

I'll keep the pricing details to myself but I purchased this from BMW of Silver Spring.

My trip isn't as epic as some of here on the board but it's good enough for me. 

Aug 7th fly out to Munich
Aug 8th arrive 8am
8th-10th - tour and bump around Munich
10th - Pick up at Welt. Delivery 2:10pm 
10-12 - Zurich
12-14 - Stuttgart
14 - 15 - back to Munich fly out early am back home

Pretty flexible on locations to visit while on the road but eventually need to make it to Zurich and Stuttgart. Of course will take the obligatory pic at the "spot" in front of the Neuschwanstein castle. Will probably make some day trips to various areas too.

Hotels:
Munich:
Fleming's Hotel - Munich City









Hilton Munich Airport (on the way home)









Zurich:
Sorell Hotel Zürichberg









Stuttgart:
Althoff Hotel Am Schlossgarten









Essentials:


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## woobiee (Mar 20, 2015)

Looking forward to all of it!


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## gsrthomas (Apr 26, 2004)

Looking forward to your story as well!

Question: Is a international driving permit necessary for ED? When I did my ED in 2011 I did not have one and I was fine.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

gsrthomas said:


> Looking forward to your story as well!
> 
> Question: Is a international driving permit necessary for ED? When I did my ED in 2011 I did not have one and I was fine.


I was told get one since I'll be passing through Austria and maybe stopping around here and there. Better safe than sorry I guess. I tend to over plan :dunno:


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## RKA (Dec 1, 2002)

That's awesome! You're only 2 weeks out now! The M3 was a dream car for me too. I have to pinch myself every time I step out to the garage or drive it! Taking delivery in Munich is the best way to do it!!! Leave yourself plenty of time to see the sights between the big cities. That's what makes an ED so special.


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## Wine-O (Feb 17, 2010)

gsrthomas said:


> Looking forward to your story as well!
> 
> Question: Is a international driving permit necessary for ED? When I did my ED in 2011 I did not have one and I was fine.


One is required for Austria and Italy. Since you didn't have any problems back in 2011, did you get stopped?


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

Wine-O said:


> One is required for Austria and Italy. Since you didn't have any problems back in 2011, did you get stopped?


My luck I will get stopped. Every single time I've driven internationally I've had to go through a police checkpoint where they wanted to see everyone's paperwork.


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## cpat (Mar 13, 2004)

Looking to book a hotel for ED in Zurich over Labor Day weekend. Have you received a recommendation for Sorell Hotel Zürichberg? Any experience there? I do notice free indoor parking!


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

cpat said:


> Looking to book a hotel for ED in Zurich over Labor Day weekend. Have you received a recommendation for Sorell Hotel Zürichberg? Any experience there? I do notice free indoor parking!


I do not have any experience there but I chose it based on a few things: 1) Parking lol 2)location 3)and it looked like a nice quiet place. I read through a lot of the reviews on tripadvisor and people seem to be happy with it. For Zurich, I wanted something cozy and relaxing. Hopefully no screaming kids or anything.


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## cpat (Mar 13, 2004)

Agree with all especially the no screaming kids! Also notice reasonable rate with free cancelation policy. Just booked room. Please keep me posted if turns out to be a dump.
Thanks.


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## texxy (May 25, 2013)

Initial E said:


>


Hey there congrats! What is your gopro setup for this trip as displayed in this picture? Equipment wise!


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## jcs (Dec 25, 2001)

Regarding the International Driving Permit: I don't want to be denied insurance coverage because I did't have proper papers... that's the risk.
My understanding is that you need one for Austria and Spain... and other countries.
Just splurge and get one.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

texxy said:


> Hey there congrats! What is your gopro setup for this trip as displayed in this picture? Equipment wise!


Nothing crazy, just a Hero 4 Black w/ LCD backpack, Gopro suction cup mount, Feiyu Tech G4 gimbal, protective lens. I only have one camera so I cant go too crazy with mounting it on the car.



jcs said:


> Regarding the International Driving Permit: I don't want to be denied insurance coverage because I did't have proper papers... that's the risk.
> My understanding is that you need one for Austria and Spain... and other countries.
> Just splurge and get one.


Agreed. It was only $15. I got mine through the national automobile club. Issued within a week but if I did more research I could've gotten it locally at the AAA office same day and saved on shipping. No big deal though.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

Required reading









The Austrian and Swiss Vignette


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## Eagle11 (Oct 6, 2013)

Initial E said:


> I'm going to use this thread as my ED log to document my journey. I've worked my ass off and saved for YEARS to purchase a car and take euro delivery. It's taken some serious discipline and sometimes have been miserable but I've finally done it. I honestly cant believe it's happening.
> 
> *2016 - M4; Sakhir Orange with black extended leather*
> DCT
> ...


Congrats, looking forward to your report


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## ChicagoBigHouse (Sep 2, 2013)

Initial E said:


> Required reading
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Remind me how you get the vignettes early?


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## RKA (Dec 1, 2002)

The swiss vignette is only good for the calendar year? So if your tripped spanned the new year you would have to get 2?


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## Eagle11 (Oct 6, 2013)

ChicagoBigHouse said:


> Remind me how you get the vignettes early?


Someone posted a link that allows you to purchase them on line.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

ChicagoBigHouse said:


> Remind me how you get the vignettes early?


WWW.tolltickets.com

Shipping was quick!


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

RKA said:


> The swiss vignette is only good for the calendar year? So if your tripped spanned the new year you would have to get 2?


As far as I know. The 2016 will be a different color and have 16 on it.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

But more pics


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## Eagle11 (Oct 6, 2013)

Initial E said:


> OK. Settled in here in Zurich. Semi bad news tho  the parking deck is so tight I curbed the bottom right side lip of the bumper. I am so upset. It's not that bad but pretty obvious. Will it be covered under the insurance? Damnit.


Yes...


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## akthorp (Jun 16, 2012)

Initial E said:


> OK. Settled in here in Zurich. Semi bad news tho  the parking deck is so tight I curbed the bottom right side lip of the bumper. I am so upset. It's not that bad but pretty obvious. Will it be covered under the insurance? Damnit.


I'll let you know after I get my car back. I scraped mine over about a 12"x12" section of my left from bumper. My car is still in the VPC apparently getting fixed. But, in my many conversations with BMW ED, they are quick to point out that they don't repair "normal wear and tear", surface scratches, minor curb rash, etc. So it seems it depends on how they classify the damage.

Based on my still incomplete experience, document it on the condition report when you drop off and hound them when you get back as much as possible without pissing them off.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

akthorp said:


> I'll let you know after I get my car back. I scraped mine over about a 12"x12" section of my left from bumper. My car is still in the VPC apparently getting fixed. But, in my many conversations with BMW ED, they are quick to point out that they don't repair "normal wear and tear", surface scratches, minor curb rash, etc. So it seems it depends on how they classify the damage.
> 
> Based on my still incomplete experience, document it on the condition report when you drop off and hound them when you get back as much as possible without pissing them off.


A 12x12 isn't minor wear. I hope yours and mine get fixed. I think we'll be alright.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

Toured around Zurich today. I think I hit all the sites. Couple quick pics. 
Also refueled the car today. 3/4 tank cost me 75francs. The hotel I'm at is right down the road from FIFA HQ


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

Also what's the deal with the bottle caps? Every single one I've had will not tear off the whole way


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

Forgot to add that they are still giving out the HK speakers


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

Sitrep:


Stuttgart is pretty damn cool. The central plaza and palace is awesome. Not as touristy as Munich and pretty low key. 

This is a city you can see in one day but I spent 48hrs here and loved it. 

Also checked out the Porsche and Merc museums. I favor the Porsche museum better. I feel like its more of a tribute to the brand in a historical way. It's very clean and modern. Not cluttered and lots of white. You can also "rent" a 911-4s and one of their 5 GT3s for 99$/hr or 250$/3hrs. When I left about eleven 911s tore out of the garage like all hell broke loose. All the kids were covering theirs years and I'm standing there feet from the curb grinning. The S bahn drops you off literally at the front door. It's very easy to get to. 

Mercedes was very fancy compared to Porsche and is about a 10min walk from the station. The football stadium is across the St and is magnificent. Mercedes to me was a bit cramped and I felt like they were trying to force me to look at literally everything. However there are certainly some PRICELESS cars here. And they do a phenomenal job at presenting them. 

Both museumes are 8$ with free audio guide. The audio guide at Porsche was pretty worthless lol. 

Stuttgart is a must see if you want to visit the big car museums.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

Oh a pic of the 911 rentals lol


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## Northcar (Sep 21, 2005)

Initial E said:


> But more pics


Great shots!


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## Northcar (Sep 21, 2005)

Initial E said:


> Forgot to add that they are still giving out the HK speakers


Is that just a perk for M buyers? I had the HK audio upgrade on my 4 Series but did not get them in March when they apparently started the speaker give aways.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

Northcar said:


> Is that just a perk for M buyers? I had the HK audio upgrade on my 4 Series but did not get them in March when they apparently started the speaker give aways.


I don't think so. Tbh not sure why they are still doing it. The HK system is standard now in Ms. Unless you really want or need a BT speaker....you're not missing out.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

Evening sitrep and last night in Germany. Dropped ol girl off at Loginout and headed literally next door to the Hilton. I got stuck in crazy traffic and missed my appointment but the guys quickly showed up. Documented the damage and that was pretty much it. 

I stopped at the AGIP station to get the car wash. Which was 7$ for the basic. A pretty good one too. 

Settled in at the Hilton and took the S8 back into town for dinner at Augusteinerkeller. Wandered the streets a bit and headed back to the airport where I stopped by a surf bar. Haha yes there was some indoor surfing going on.


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## beware_phog (Mar 7, 2003)

Initial E said:


> Evening sitrep and last night in Germany. Dropped ol girl off at Loginout and headed literally next door to the Hilton. I got stuck in crazy traffic and missed my appointment but the guys quickly showed up. Documented the damage and that was pretty much it.
> 
> I stopped at the AGIP station to get the car wash. Which was 7$ for the basic. A pretty good one too.
> 
> Settled in at the Hilton and took the S8 back into town for dinner at Augusteinerkeller. Wandered the streets a bit and headed back to the airport where I stopped by a surf bar. Haha yes there was some indoor surfing going on.


Nicely done. Surf bar. Fascinating. I've seen them in sporting good stores.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

Alright, here's the trip recap / after action report:

Flight out to Munich was pretty bad - screaming kid, no sleep, seat with zero padding, some sort of mush food. Pretty much what I got paid for flying peasant class. Despite the bad flight, I made it there, a local was kind enough to buy me a 24hr rail pass while I was trying to sort out the ticket machine. So a pretty good start. Overall, Munich is pretty awesome and I loved every minute of it. I pretty much hit all the touristy sites and beer gardens. Walked a ridiculous amount each day and the public transit system is top notch. I never got a chance to take the light rail on the streets though. I always used the S and U Bahn. The English Garden was one of my favorite spots. It was cool to see the local out just relaxing and I got VERY jealous when I saw a lot of people floating down the small stream. The good life. . Hot, hungry, and tired I made my way to the beer garden and got a brew and a pork knuckle. Headed back to the spot where they surf and hung out there for a bit. 

The delivery experience was amazing. The Sixt driver picked me up from my hotel in a very nice 7 series and dropped me off at the front door of BMW Welt. Check in was pretty straight forward and the girls that helped were very friendly and I ended up checking in and then socializing with them for about 30 min until more people showed up. Went up to the lounge and pretty much had lunch and the selection of eats was pretty respectable. For a while I was the only one there and then all of a sudden the place got pretty busy. I tried to wait out on the balcony to watch my car come up from the elevator but I think I missed it when I went to the bathroom. (I thought of it as the car coming out of the elevator was like BMW giving birth to it lol) But when I saw her sitting there under the stairs I was overwhelmed with excitement and I just had this moment to myself where I was thinking "Is this really happening? I'm in Germany picking up my dream car at its place of origin...." I seriously had to take a moment to collect myself. 

The guy who showed me to my car was Bernd - very nice and chatty. We went over pretty much everything and drew a small crowd from the other ED people who were probably interested in my color choice of the car. Upon driving out of the building I got tons of looks and lots of pics were snapped especially when I pulled up to around the building to get some pics. 

Afterwards I headed to the down the road to visit the Zugspitze which was absolutely awesome. I got there pretty late and was only able to spend about 40 min at the summit and the weather atop the mountain was VERY poor visibility but it was still worth the trip up there. The cable car ride offered some stunning views and I highly recommend it. The guys that worked there said the best time is to go mid morning to around noon. A lift ticket is $52 and there are shops and a restaurant up there. 

From there I headed over to Neuschwanstein Castle using the coordinates for "the spot" however so how I didnt end up there but close enough. The area was pretty busy with other tourist cars and people walking around. So I felt a bit odd driving down all the 'do not enter roads'. I rushed to take a bunch of pics because there was a huge family picnic that was going on behind me and ALL of them were standing up looking at me like WTF is this guy doing. However, when I left they took some pics, smiling and waved good bye to me. I guess I was just paranoid. Then made the trek over to Zurich.

Got to Zurich, was pretty tired and scraped the lower right lip of the front bumper . Checked in and was a bit upset at myself but managed to calm down enough to get some sleep. Took the #6 Tram into town, grabbed a tourist map and walked the route to see what sites were recommended, but honestly they all looked the same. However Zurich is a very beautiful city and pretty expensive compared to Munich. I did notice that people there have pretty much zero regard for oncoming traffic as pedestrians have right of way no matter what. Oncoming tram? Oh let me cross the street, stop and tie my shoe. I did tons of window shopping and bought a nice Tissot watch. 

After Zurich, headed back into Germany to Stuttgart. I got stopped at the border with a guy who saw the tourist plates and asked me a million questions about exporting the car. He asked me about anything I purchased and I showed him the watch I bought to which he smiled then told me it was alright to be on my way. On the way to Stuttgart I may have been caught on camera speeding, just 6kmh over though so hopefully there is some leniency on it. Checked in at the hotel, rested for a bit and then hit the streets for a late lunch and some sight seeing. Walking around I made my way to the Schlossplatz and was blown away at how nice and active it was with everyone there. By the way it is absolutely stunning at night. The fountains there were pretty much a free for all. Lots of people, including me, stopped to soak their feet and relax. I saw tons of kids playing in them and an older gentleman appeared to actually bathed in one. Got me the tourist map and walked the recommended sight seeing path, which didnt take long. The next day I visited the Mercedes and Porsche museums which were great then pretty much just hung out at the Schlossplatz the rest of the day relaxing, snacking, drinking beer, soaking my tired ass feet in the fountain. I brought a towel from the hotel to sit down on and used that AWESOME HK speaker to play some tunes. I really liked Stuttgart and I really didnt see that many tourists there. 

Then back to Munich to where I dropped the car off and checked in at the Hilton, which is a pretty nice hotel. The pool and spa area there is top notch. When I went to check it out the girl at the desk was super nice and we ended up getting drinks after she got off work (10p). I highly recommend staying here if you're looking to wined down after the trip. 

Overall, I'm absolutely glad I did ED and it is by far an amazing experience. One thing is that I wish I did more was to go out and see the cities at night. The only one I did was Stuttgart and I was blown away. I'm sure Zurich would be amazing too. I have a bunch of vids and I'm currently editing and will post some pics and vids a bit later.


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## Northcar (Sep 21, 2005)

A great report! Appears you took the time to "stop and smell the roses" and take in some of the local sights that get overlooked from the English Garden in Munich to the plaza Schlossplatz in Stuttgart. I assume that was a Swiss border guard who ended up pleased that you left a nice piece of change in his home country once you showed him the watch? Wished we would have had time to enjoy the pool and spa at the airport Hilton there in Munich and glad to learn you were able to do so. Nice way to spend some after work time there with the girl from the desk. You will have to see the new Man from U.N.C.L.E. film that just came out this week. Looks like they got the idea for the girl at the hotel desk scene in the movie from your real life experience.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

*HOTEL REVIEWS*

Munich:
Fleming's Hotel - Munich City
Flemming's was may first hotel upon arrival and was very easy to get to. It's maybe half a block away from the central station and easy to find. Staff is super friendly and stored my luggage while my room was prepped. The hotel was well maintained and pretty modern. One thing that is unique about this hotel is the open floor plan of the room. Meaning that that shower and bathroom are literally right next to the bed. So if you're staying here with another person, be sure you're comfortable with them pretty much watching you shower. Everything was well maintained and included breakfast. There is a nice cafe that is attached to the hotel that does the breakfast and it is pretty good. Lots of bread and meat choices, fruit and yogurt. A good way to start the day. Each room had its own thermostat and fan adjustment and the AC was COLD. The wifi here is FAST and not spotty. My room was on the 100 level and literally overlooking the front sign/door. I never felt like it was loud with traffic or anything. The location is great since it's right near the central station. Not quite right in front of it but off to the side. The lights in the room are controlled by your key card. When you enter, slid your card into a holder in the wall and the lights work. The thermostat operates separately from this so you will not come back either hot or cold room. I'd absolutely stay here again.









Hilton Munich Airport (on the way home)
This was my last hotel in Munich and if you're looking to wind down after a trip before flying out the next day, I recommend staying here. It's a 10 min walk to the terminals and to the S-bahn. The hotel is very modern with lots of glass, a great bar in the atrium area and the pool / spa area is very nice. The pool is large enough to do laps and there is a private women's sauna and unisex sauna available. They also have a licensed physical therapist on site till 10pm to give massages and help you stretch out. Downside is that wifi is not free in the rooms but free in the lobby. The staff is super nice, helpful, easy on the eyes and friendly. The elevator and rooms are access by a RFID card. The bathroom in my room was very large with combination of high tub and shower. Pretty nice TV in the room along with a recliner that I relaxed on for a bit. Pretty good hotel as to be expected by the Hilton brand.










Zurich:
Sorell Hotel Zürichberg
The Sorell Hotel is great, note that either limited ac or no ac is pretty common in Zurich. This was upsetting for me on the first night being that it was blistering hot. So everyone pretty much sleeps with the windows and balcony doors open. Downside to that is you can hear anyone that is snoring. lol The hotel has a great view of the city which is stunning at night and the grounds are top notch. A gardener comes every morning to water and plant if need be. There are multiple levels for lounging around with the restaurant at the lowest level and bar at the reception level. This hotel is very modern with lots of contemporary/modern decor. It looks good but I found that some of the furniture is cheap. The wifi here is also very fast but make sure you get a username/password rather than the SMS log in instructions. Dinner here will cost you around $40 and is pretty good and the breakfast is free. I had drinks at the bar and saw a couple order some food, which to me looked more appetizing than the restaurant. Breakfast is about the same as Flemming's.

The location of the hotel is very good, despite it being on the outskirts of the city. The #6 Tram comes up to the bottom of the hill the hotel is on and is very frequent. Plus it stops there for about 5-10min to wait on people. FIFA headquaters is literally a 10 min walk from the front door of the hotel and in the morning it gets very busy with everyone coming to work. I dont think they offer tours and the place has a heavy police presence in the morning.

Also, the road leading up to the hotel is part of some sort of 4 or 5 way intersection that has no lane separation lines or traffic signs. The Nav said I was in a restricted area probably because of the way the intersection is. Be careful crossing here in the morning or evening. I saw someone cut off the tram and was immediately stopped by the police. The tram also blocks the sight of one of the lanes so if a car is there you may not see it. Just use caution.

Another plus about this hotel is the underground parking. This is the hotel where I scrapped my lower front bumper lip because I was rushing and not paying attention. The angles turning into the various levels are pretty sharp so use caution. Parking is secure and controlled by your keycard. You'll also get a ticket that allows full in and out privileges. I'd stay here again but when the weather is a bit more mild.










Stuttgart:
Althoff Hotel Am Schlossgarten
Wasnt too sure what to think of this hotel when booking. It looked nice but primarily booked for location. This hotel is VERY nice and personally a great value for the money I paid. There is a nice restaurant inside and very nice bar. Parking is not free and breakfast is not included ($20 something). Definitely not worth. The elevators to the rooms are TINY and barely fit the luggage cart and another person. So if you're at the top floor expect longer wait times unless you take the stairs. Like Flemming's the room operates relying on your keycard for power. The thermostat is also connected to this unlke Flemming's. * Get TWO cards when checking in.* When I got to my room one was already in the card holder so I didnt need to but just in case yours doesnt. Get a spare card to keep in there the whole time.

Location is prime, near the central station and around the corner from the visitor information office. Also if you want to do one of those hop on/off buses, it stops literally right outside of the front door. I never felt like Stuttgart was touristy and honestly didnt see that many. To get to the main strip where all the action is, all you do is make a left out the front door and then an immediate left. Then youre there! Also with this hotel, despite the location, I never felt that there was excessive noise and everything was very well put together. The hotel faces away from all of the hustle and bustle but is right there with easy access to restaurants, bars and great shopping! 









Over all, I'd recommend any of these hotels to you all with confidence that you will enjoy your stay.


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## Initial E (May 30, 2015)

Quick vid I put together of my time walking around and checking out the sites.

https://youtu.be/b30MNrOkOGE


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## Northcar (Sep 21, 2005)

Fun! Thanks for the video. Nice editing and brought back memories of the places i had been and helped me to see what I can look forward to as to the places have not yet been.


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## Eagle11 (Oct 6, 2013)

Initial E said:


> Quick vid I put together of my time walking around and checking out the sites.


Nice video, did you use a GoPro?


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