# Dog Hotels, Italian Noise Canceling Headsets and our ED



## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

Well I didn't follow the 12 hour rule but I did honor the redelivery rule (post before redelivery)...

This is really both a first ED and first time trip to Europe for my wife and I. Those seasoned European traveler's probably forgot their first trip and the novelties of it. We loved our trip to such a beautiful country. The first are things I was NOT prepared for, no matter how much I read. The second is a summary of the places we stayed and visited with comments in bold for must see and must avoid.

1.	Noise canceling headsets: Nice to have feature but for some reason it cannot filter out loud Italian arguments at 3am. The Italian couple, oblivious to anybody but themselves, launched into a full argument in seat 31a,b. Unfortunately we sat in 30 a,b. I got 2 hours of sleep. For the future I would have preferred to travel later in the evening and get into Europe later in the day for an "easier" transition.
2.	Thomas apparently thought it very funny that I took my passport out of a money belt. He asked if I was planning on traveling to Poland! He was right, Germany proved to be a very safe country to travel in.
3.	You need LOTS of Euro coins. I mean LOTS and LOTS. Everything costs money in Europe. I am surprised they don't charge for oxygen, I am sure they will figure this out soon though. You need coins to park, wash cars, dry cars, subway (it won't take large bills or even smaller bills, nothing more than 10 euro paper moneys) and nobody wants to make change without buying something. So guard your change preciously.
4.	German's love road signs. When I didn't see a sign on a federal highway for 500m I started to worry I was going the wrong way. Then I realized that there probably would be MANY signs for that. This website answered so many questions and bets between my wife and I. It should be given to all drivers from the delivery center. http://gettingaroundgermany.home.att.net/zeichen.htm 
5.	There were many incomprehensible things to me about German culture. They don't want you to run your car unnecessarily (hence the rest button on the climate control) but they insist on smoking more than I have seen on the West Coast. They have the most unhealthy appearing diet but yet I saw very few "obese" people. I think its all that walking and riding bicycles. 
6.	I saw very few Porsche's on the road. (Winter time?)
7.	Working appears to be optional in the winter. Most stores opened at 9 or 10am and closed early. In fact in the country, the typical hours were 10-12am and then 2-4pm. I am baffled how people can support themselves in what appears to be a heavily taxed and expensive place to live.
8.	There are a lot less visitors in the winter which is nice but a lot of things are closed. Probably 1 in 4 "attractions" were closed for the winter or only open for seemingly 2 to 3 hours. Most large fountains were obscured from view.
9.	The Nav system in our car was HUGE! I never seen a more accurate nav system in a car and very complete. I could never have seen so many things in a such a short period of time without it.
10.	Traveling in the off season meant we got some great deals on a 4 and 5 star hotels via hotels.com.
11.	Internet cafes were difficult to find. T-mobile has many wireless hot spots in most larger cities. You can pay by the 15 minute block or by hour blocks.
12.	For being such an "advanced" society, the rest stop off of the autobahn have a medieval contraption that looks like a toilet. Are you suppose to sit on that thing or just hover? WOW (see this link for picture: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2042976&postcount=6 )


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Excellent write-up. I truly enjoyed it. Danke! :thumbup:


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## mwagner1 (Aug 13, 2004)

I agree with Jonathan.....excellent info...can we expect more write ups in the days to come???

Cheers,


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## Blue1 (Nov 17, 2006)

Excellent write up, glade you had a great time. I hope the wait to get your baby back home is not toooo long.

12.	For being such an “advanced” society, the rest stop off of the autobahn have a medieval contraption that looks like a toilet. Are you suppose to sit on that thing or just hover? WOW 

As for these contraption, I spent 9 months travelling through Eruope not on a ED just site seeing and although these thing were a bit daunting at first they we a much more pleasant and cleaner experience to the western alternative. Public restrooms outside the major cities were pretty bad, looks like things haven't changed.

Got to love the Europeans.


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## X3 Skier (Aug 21, 2005)

Make that four votes for a great write up. I usually travel in the off season for the reasons you mention. Post Pics when you can.

Cheers


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## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

*Munich*

You guys are way too quick to reply... Here come the pics

Day One
Munich: 
For those planning on a November or later delivery, many suggested flexibility and I would agree. Rolf said if you can***8217;t see the mountains from Munich because of clouds then don***8217;t go to the mountains. We stayed at Le Meridien near the Hauptbahnhof (main train station). It was overpriced for the level of accommodations but it turned out ALL hotels in Europe appear to be overpriced compared to here in America. Nevertheless for those contemplating staying at Le Meridien I would definitely recommend it. Nice location (near subway and main train station), but there are slightly better locations (see below). On a side note, the subway dispensing machine directions are only in German. Stayed up all day and went to Marienplatz, Asam Kirche, Residenz and Theatinerkirche. If you have any interest in religious artifacts I would HIGHLY recommend a visit to the Residenz. Some of the collection are unbelievable. A must stop for all that haven***8217;t visited Bavaria is dinner at the obligatory Hofbrauhaus.

Pics: 1-2 Theatinerkirche 3-6 Residenz 7-8 Glockenspiel


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## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

*Day Two-Delivery Center/Tubingen*

Day Two
Delivery Center/Tubingen

Picked up car at ED. Directions to ED at http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174529 were great!

Left for Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Turns out there is more than one Rothenberg in the BMW Nav System. Uh oh, we end up about 1 hour away from the correct one. First lesson is that the BMW Nav System while invaluable is not infallible because it is still subject to human error. Ended up driving through Tubingen and finally stayed at an utterly forgettable but nice hotel in Freudenstadt, Hotel Baaren, in the Black Forest. I would have liked to have spent more time in Tubingen, a great University town.

Pic 1-4 Delivery Center Pic 5 Black Forest


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## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

*Day 3*

Black Forest:

We drove around the black forest in a large loop. It was a beautiful place to visit but in the off season very desolate, with few places open and fewer people speaking English. Went to the clock museum in Furtwangen. We wanted to buy a cuckoo clock and I figured the town with the clock museum would be selling clocks up the ying yang. WRONG. More German idiosyncrasies. The only place that sold clocks was closed for the day. We finally were directed north to Triberg to the House of 1000 clocks. Great selection but a little too touristy for my tastes.

An absolutely great driving adventure if you are in the area, was the Scharzwald panoramic highway from Waldkirch to Furtwangen. Nobody on the road but very wet that day so I couldn't push it too hard. But warmer weather and a dry road and this would be a FANTASTIC road to test your new car's mettle. In general I think the black forest is great to drive through but not a destination location in November.

Pic 1 Black Forest Pic 2-3 Scharzwald panoramic highway Pic 4-5 Cool Clocks (pic 5 is a very important clock to history) Pic 6 The Devil Car


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

northernlights said:


> Left for Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Turns out there is more than one Rothenberg in the BMW Nav System. Uh oh, we end up about 1 hour away from the correct one. First lesson is that the BMW Nav System while invaluable is not infallible because it is still subject to human error. Ended up driving through Tubingen and finally stayed at an utterly forgettable but nice hotel in Freudenstadt, Hotel Baaren, in the Black Forest. I would have liked to have spent more time in Tubingen, a great University town.


Getting lost is part of the fun. Happens to everyone and makes for a more fun experience.


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## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

*Day 3 Bodensee*

Bodensee/Lindau
Finished in Lindau on the Bodensee that evening. Had top speed of 156 on an open 3 lane section of the Abahn. I really liked the Bodensee and would HIGHLY recommend it as a destination. Lindau sits on an island near the Austrian/German border and a beautiful place to visit. We stayed at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof with a great view out our window at the entrance to the harbor. This hotel, while expensive, was a great find and I would definitely recommend it for its location. In fact Lindau was a really great hidden treasure although one of the locals told my wife that in the summer it is overcrowded.

Pic 1-2 Bodensee and Birnau at dusk Pic 3-7 View out our window over Bodensee and Austrian/Swiss Alps Pic 8 Hotel Bayerischer Hof


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## MarcusSDCA (Jan 14, 2004)

northernlights said:


> You guys are way too quick to reply...


What??......you think we'd be out having fun or Christmas shopping when we could be here glued to this website 24-7 reading every new post?? Please.

Great write up...witty and insightful. I would have asked the Italians to pipe down.


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## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

*Day 4 Romantistrasse*

Fussen/Wieskirche/Oberammergau
The Wieskirche was a beautiful church inside and out with heavenly views of the Bavarian Alps. If you are traveling on the romantistrasse it is worth seeing. Next off to Castle Neuschwanstein. We ran into fellow Bimmerfester, Jeffnin, also from Phoenix and the same dealership and the same car but in white. Talk about a small world! Our OCD tendencies were boldly displayed when we compared notes about our trips and now our redelivery wait. Next overnight in Oberammergau. Our first choice for hotel was based on a recommendation from a friend but it was closed. We see the quaint and charming Hotel Wolf. It is late, we are tired and they have a room! One problem it turns out it is a hotel for dogs and their owners! 25 rooms and 50 dogs that night. At least we got a free pet dish and bark collar to use during our stay. Two paws down for the Hotel Wolf or as we have renamed it Hotel Woof. In fact there wasn't a night (except for Hofbrauhaus) we didn't see a dog in a restaraunt, those German's love their animals...

Pic 1-2 Neuschwanstein
Pic 3 Which way to go on the Autobahn?
Pic 4-5 Wieskirche
Pic 6 What the heck? I didn't think you could conjugate so many words together. What does it mean?
Pic 7 In case my CA checks this post, for the record it wasn't my car 
Pic 8 Hotel Wolf value added accessories for your stay!


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## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

*Hotel Wolf*

Pic 1 Another perk for staying at the Hotel. Can anybody give the overview of what this says...

Pic 2 No wonder the birth rate is so low in Germany...


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## MarcusSDCA (Jan 14, 2004)

Fire-brigade starting zone. (Feuerwehranfahrtszone) Yeah....don't park there......


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## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

*Day 5 Mittenwald/Salzburg*

Started the day at Schloss Linderhof and ran into a section of road they had freshly salted because of close to freezing conditions. The tour of the inside was amazing but the grounds are the real attraction and were pretty well buttoned up with winter fast approaching, definitely a place I'll visit in the summer. A great driving route with views of the Austrian Alps and certainly stop in Mittenwald if you can. We end up in Salzburg, my new favorite city.

Pic 1-3 Schloss Linderhof
Pic 4 Kloster Etal with an unbelievable rotunda
Pic 5 Mittenwald
Pic 6 Nude (Rolf's term) and Badged 3 series
Pic 7 EU version of border security.


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## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

*Day 6 Salzburg*

We arrive in the afternoon. We stay at the Hotel Goldener Hirsch which is perfectly located in the old city. We stay for around 150 euro's a night, I notice the rack rate is 500+ euro/night! Don't waste your money at Mozart's birthplace museum, but do go the castle on the hill, Festung Hohensalzburg. We missed the horse/carriage ride around the city and found an ad for what looks like a great dinner in the fortress (see pic). We had dinner at the Peterskeller and had a fantastic Mozart dinner experience there, would definitely recommend.

Pic 1, 6 Old city section of Salzburg
Pic 2 Handpainted eggs
Pic 3 Cemetary near entrance to Festung Hohensalzburg
Pic 4 Those crazy Austrian's, I guess this means if you light a match the Funicular could explode into an atomic cloud.:yikes: 
Pic 5 Sound of Music Country
Pic 7 The imposing fortress
Pic 8 The intriguing dinner ad


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## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

*Day 7 Return to Munich*

Back in Munich with a stop at Dachua. A truly sobering reminder that man***8217;s greatest enemy is man. Dropped off the car at Mada/Harms with 10 minutes to spare.:eeps: Didn***8217;t do the best of jobs cleaning the car at the Shell Station car wash, mainly because I burned through many quarters to try and find the correct button. We stayed at the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski, a classic European hotel. We enjoyed sitting in the lobby and people watching while enjoying some great wine and not so great port. DO NOT MISS the Verona hot chocolate. A better location than Le Meridien but the price reflected this and in high season I don***8217;t know if it would be worth the full price. Back to the USA the next morning.

That concluded our fantastic ED experience. Thanks to my wife who no matter how much I warned her ahead of the trip about the autobahn speeds still almost lost it several times while passing, braking, and generally having a good time(for me at least) but still hung in there. I now understand that every function and form for the BMW is designed for Germany and her roads. It gave me a real appreciation for BMW's after this trip.

Again many thanks to those ahead of me who took the time to write about places to see and visit. I hope this info is as helpful to those who plan their next ED. I know I'll be back but probably in the summer with a trip down to Italy, Switzerland, French Countryside, etc.

Pic 1- The road sign EVERY E.D.'r likes to see. 
Pic 2-Dachu
Pic 3-The Viktualienmarkt at dawn.


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## emdreiSMG (Dec 10, 2003)

N.Lights-
Glad you had a successful Ed adventure. Great photos! 
My .02...
It looks like your weather was pretty good for this time of year. 
You should have been able to get LeMer on Priceline for a price that felt right. 
Didn't your 4 and 5 star hotels have internet access for you? (LeMer has a business center with 3 computers that you can use for cheap/free.)
I generally avoid sitting on public toilets and try to save that for the nice marble bathrooms in my hotel. A cup of strong coffee and a smoke (I'm a non-smoker) generally helps me ensure that I get it done before I leave. But, if ya gotta go, I would def. choose hovering over that!


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## X3 Skier (Aug 21, 2005)

Great Pics!!!

Thanks


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## ddtan (Apr 28, 2006)

Great write up. My vote for ED write up of the week, maybe even month.


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## Gran Turismo (Aug 7, 2006)

northernlights said:


> Pic 4 Those crazy Austrian's, I guess this means if you light a match the Funicular could explode into an atomic cloud.:yikes:


Well, those crazy Austrians have lost their humor regarding fires in funiculars a few years ago: CLICK


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

X3 Skier said:


> Great Pics!!!
> 
> Thanks


+1 ! Thank You!


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Gran Turismo said:


> Well, those crazy Austrians have lost their humor regarding fires in funiculars a few years ago: CLICK


Ja, we are really not so crazy.


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## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

Jspira said:


> Ja, we are really not so crazy.


Wow, I guess not. I remember something about this now but didn't remember it being in Austria or involving a funicular. That's a terrible tragedy, I guess that sign makes a little more sense now.

I did find Le Meriden at a reasonable price EU of around 150-180 I think. Yes those better hotels did have internet access but the one and two star hotels had nothing.


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## mwagner1 (Aug 13, 2004)

WOW...another excellent writeup and WONDERFUL images!!!!!:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: 

MANY thanks,

Cheers,


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## mscamp (Jan 31, 2005)

This was great! Nice write-up.:thumbup: 

Wife and I are seriously considering doing an ED in a few years when we are going to upgrade to a 5er. It we also be our first ED and trip to Europe. Were hoping the my best friend and his wife can go also as he speaks fluent German...me, I'm still learning.

Thanks again!


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## mdsbuc (Mar 17, 2005)

northernlights said:


> 12. For being such an "advanced" society, the rest stop off of the autobahn have a medieval contraption that looks like a toilet. Are you suppose to sit on that thing or just hover?


:rofl: Great report! I had titled my ED report "101 ways to flush a toilet" for obvious reasons. But never in our 3 1/2 week trip did we have to hover. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


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## jeffnin (Jun 30, 2003)

:clap: Great write up and pics, Chris! It's about time, geez...was beginning to think that you weren't really in Europe! I noticed that the pic of you doing 150mph was a bit shaky....was the wifey a bit nervous :yikes:


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## the_fox (Jul 6, 2006)

Great thread and info! Bookmarked for future reference!


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## Gran Turismo (Aug 7, 2006)

northernlights said:


> Pic 1 Another perk for staying at the Hotel. Can anybody give the overview of what this says...


The sign says: "Headlamp - Helps finding your dog's poop easier in the dark - Please leave it in the room when checking out - Available for purchase at the reception for 15 €"
A very dog-friendly hotel indeed! :rofl:


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Gran Turismo said:


> The sign says: "Headlamp -


 Foreheadlamp, actually.


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## gesoffen (Jun 18, 2004)

northernlights said:


> We stayed at Le Meridien near the Hauptbahnhof (main train station). It was overpriced for the level of accommodations but it turned out ALL hotels in Europe appear to be overpriced compared to here in America.


It may be a day late and a dollar short but I've found that if you stay at the family run hotels (gasthauses or inns especially) you'll find much better deals than at the chain hotels. Fore example, priceline and hotwire bargins aside, you won't find many hotels here in America that have as central as a location and as friendly staff/owner with only a $130ish/night rate as the Acanthus Hotel. Granted it isn't a full service hotel but if you're the type that only uses a hotel for sleep, than what difference does it make.


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## mason (Jun 8, 2006)

northernlights said:


> 1.	Noise canceling headsets: Nice to have feature but for some reason it cannot filter out loud Italian arguments at 3am. The Italian couple, oblivious to anybody but themselves, launched into a full argument in seat 31a,b. Unfortunately we sat in 30 a,b. I got 2 hours of sleep. For the future I would have preferred to travel later in the evening and get into Europe later in the day for an "easier" transition.
> 
> 5.	There were many incomprehensible things to me about German culture. They don't want you to run your car unnecessarily (hence the rest button on the climate control) but they insist on smoking more than I have seen on the West Coast. They have the most unhealthy appearing diet but yet I saw very few "obese" people. I think its all that walking and riding bicycles.
> 
> ...


1. Doesn't that prove italians are passionate people?? :rofl:

5. I agree. And no body should keep the cars running idle for extended period of time. Yes, we have people complaining getting ticketed for running the engine idle in another forum.

8. Yes, that's why you can see BA running "Where is everybody?" promotion deal advertisment in the winter.

12. I am still not used to people standing outside restroom collecting "service fees". Those coins come in handy at such time.


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## Contact Patch (Nov 11, 2005)

nivki89 said:


> +1 ! Thank You!


+2! :thumbup:


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## NateXTR (Aug 8, 2006)

I, too, agree with your points and enjoyed your pictures. Great write-up! 

Regarding #12, when in France on my Honeymoon, we stopped at a truck stop near Biarritz. The men's room was out of service, so I was directed outside to what I thought was an outhouse. Needless to say, it wasn't a port-a-potty like the ones we are used to here. The hole in the ground just wasn't working for me, so I decided to hold it for a few more hours...


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## EDDOCINPRGRESS (Dec 22, 2006)

Great write up and love the pics. Just an FYI....Europeans work to live, not live to work. Far cry from the Americans standpoint. Government pays for a lot AND they have 6 week holidays every year. Most of German spend their time in the beer gardens drinking pints of ale and smoking their lungs out. Had a friend that lived there for three years.
'
Glad you guys had a great time.

Tracy


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## northernlights (Aug 31, 2006)

mason said:


> 12. I am still not used to people standing outside restroom collecting "service fees". Those coins come in handy at such time.


I had a "near death" experience outside the visitor shack at the weiskirche, when I couldn't find any coins in my pocket and natured didn't just call she YELLED. Thankfully my wife had the requisite 50cent euro. Best money ever spent. Once again ALWAYS keep coins handy...

The car is back in the US and has the obligatory 1200 miles on it. Time to, as my friend in Munich says, "let her breath".


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