Wot 12 hour rule !. I didn’t take my laptop and with the hotels in Europe charging 5 euro for 15 minutes internet it’s had to wait until we got back stateside – so here’s a recap.

But before I start and because you’ll probably get bored reading my blog, I’m going to start with my tips, tricks and observations –

Winter delivery on summer tires – got a 325xiT with sport, I’d read all the threads re’ this and I was worried !, but gotta say the car handled it fine. The temp was rarely above 40 and often snowy or wet, the only time it felt iffy was the tunnels around the Brenner when the temp was in the teens.

Time of year – pro / con –
Pro – the hotels are empty – we stayed at Hiltons, Sheratons and Marriotts and always got upgraded to exec floor / suite etc (either automatic or asked for it), try doing that in Italy or Munich in summer ! ;
There’s less tourists and the service staff have more time / are more friendly.
Con – the weather will probably be crappy so need to pack warm (more luggage to lug) and don’t plan on seeing post card views or testing the cars top speed – I don’t think we got above 85.

Drop off – Harms is not easy to find (and I’ve done ED before). The little sign on the street board reads EHH Shipping but someone’s stuck a Harms sign and a left arrow on the street sign in front of you – this makes you think you should go round the back of the building – Don’t ! – go up the ramp and follow your nose until you see the Harms signs on the (outer) walls.

Munich airport – we flew LH, MUC to LHR. Got there 90 mins b4 departure, waited in really long check line for about 15 mins then LH person told us if we’d bought by credit card we could use self / machine easy check in so went over to that section – probably 10 machines but most people having problems and only 2 LH people helping. Eventually got to a machine and it said it had no record of our confirmed reservation so no check-in. This took about 15 mins and we had to re-join the back of the long line. Got to check-in desk 10 mins b4 departure and was told we were too late.
Resolution – We had to go to ticketing and re-book on a later flight, ticket agent said there was no CC info in system (even though CC had already billed me). We’d booked LH 2for1 so if you’ve done this check the CC info is in LH’s check-in system b4 you go,
Or – If you’re with another adult have one person try the auto check-in while some one else stays in the regular line as a placeholder.

Upgrade – Our itinerary was all LH and UA. When it’s confirmed / ticketed you can go to UA’s web site and request an upgrade, if any are available it will ask if you have an e-code or a paper certificate, check paper and it will upgrade you. The only leg of ours that was multi class with availability was LHR to IAD (Dulles) so it bumped us up to business class. When we checked in at LHR the clerk asked how we were supporting the upgrade and I gave him some waffle about it being a Lufthansa / BMW offer, he said OK and we were in !. Exec lounges at LHR and IAD and a great flight across the Atlantic – going back to cattle class is going to be really nasty.


Now for the blog -

Left Tampa 12/19. Arrived in snowy Munich 8AM 12/20, U-bahn to Hilton City. Good hotel – got an exec room and a few hours sleep then checked out the local area and Marienplatz / Christmas market – don’t think the temperature got above freezing.

12/21 – U-bahn to Freiman. In a rush and couldn’t work out the ticket machine so we didn’t get one, then 4 ticket gestapo pounced on us 2 stops before Freiman, They didn’t understand my English and I didn’t understand their German. In the end they blew it off – I think they realized that anyone from a country that elected Bush and then re-elected him must be an idiot that needed all the sympathy they could get – thanks George. Walked thru the snow and rang the infamous bell and by 10AM we were in. Went up to the café and ordered lunch to go, signed the Bimmerfest book, met Jim and Brandy (one of 4 ‘festers that were picking up that day) and then we got the call. Did the paperwork and then went to meet the new addition to the family – my white 325xiT – complete with summer tires !. Car looked great – I’d never seen one in the flesh before so I was well pleased / relieved. Quick photo session and briefing and by 12 we were on our way. It beeped at me almost as soon as we were thru the doors (something I was to hear a lot over the next 7 days). Seemed to feel OK in the slush / snow and before we knew it we were on the A99 – that’s when I realized I’d forgotten our to-go lunch – ah well – gives me a reason to do another ED sometime. Zipped down the A99, the sun came out and before we knew we were in Italy. Stayed at the Sheraton, Bolzano, good hotel and got a nice junior suite and a surprise – a condom (new – not used) in the bathroom amenity kit and another one on the night stand. Might have expected this in Vegas but this was catholic Italy ! - so here’s where the story ends for that day.

12/22 – headed to Milan, temp got above 40 (whu-hoo) and we left the snow behind. Used mapquest directions which got us totally lost and then my navigator wife missed the Milan exit we needed and before we realized it we were west of the city. Our hotel was in downtown east so I decided to use local streets and (big mistake) drive across town. That was about 4PM, we eventually found the hotel (Diana Majestic) around 6.30. Probably drove about 20 miles, most of it in the dark and had a real tense / surreal time dodging the crazy Milanese drivers and cyclists and trams – not what I’d intended for my 2’nd day with the car. Parked as close to the hotel as I could and then came back with the valet and let him drive it to their lot – could be the only time I get to ride in the back seat.

12/23 – did Milan on foot, our first time there and I really liked it. Classy and busy and very few tourists – I only heard other people speaking English twice the whole day.

12/24 & 25 – Florence in the rain and cold. I thought, being Italy, everything would be closed on Christmas day, it was no Manhattan but there were lots of people around (tourists and locals) and a few shops and many restaurants were open. Not the best touring day though – we stood on the Ponte Vecchio and could just about see the next bridge.

12/26 & 27 – Padova and Venice in the gray cold. Did the usual tourist stuff, glad we stayed in Padova – all the streets in Venice were flooded. It cost all of euro 2.50 for the 30 minute train ride into Venice (take that Amtrak) and the station is right on the Grand canal.

12/28 – Padova to Munich – 331 miles. We left about 9AM, temp of 34 (and that was the high for the day) and frosty, started snowing as we got closer to Austria, 16 degrees when we got to the Brenner with heavy wet snow, still snowing by the time we got to Harms (at 2.30 PM) but temp had got all the way up to 28. Car handled the conditions fine, only scary part was the tunnels around the Brenner where the dampness had allowed a thin layer of ice to form on the road surface and I think any car would have noticed (and slipped on) this regardless of tires. With much relief we dropped the car off at Harms – did 1135 trouble free miles in 7 days – well impressed with the car and looking forward to re-delivery / the next ED. Took a cab from Harms to our airport hotel (50 euros), really snowing heavily now and the cab driver drove like it was a summer day – I cringed / closed my eyes a few times. Took a walk in the fresh snow – having lived in Florida for 13 years it was the first time for more than that many years I’d been able to do this – and it was right pretty / christmasy – though I wasn’t that upset to leave it behind the next morning.

12/29 – 1/3 – London. New Years eve celebrations and all that jazz – fun but cold time – nice flight back – see above !.

Now we’re back in boring Tampa thawing / drying out – great trip – wouldn’t have changed anything – it’s still a great experience – the only way to do it – gotta do it again (and again and again etc etc).

Thanks to Chris at Southpointe BMW, Sarasota for a painless process.

Now for re-delivery – and to wash off the road salt.

I’ve added a few photos (cropped but not very well so they'd fit) just for the record (delivery, drop-off).

Andy + Rosemary.