JimSand

Thanks to Jay's @eilig contact at PCNA and all the great input that you all shared and I will be participating in the European Delivery at no extra charge

The GT3 should be completed on February 21st and the European Delivery Specialist stated that I should add a two week buffer for any unexpected delays so that means that I should arrive Stuttgart on Monday March 10th. Any thoughts on arriving sooner or later than the two week buffer?

Also any input on traveling from Stuttgart to Paris is greatly appreciated. I have driven in South Africa and Australia however never in Europe, please feel free to share any driver beware info. My goal is to stay in and around Stuttgart for 3 nights and 4-5 night in Paris.


Thank you,

Jim

jhene

Hi Jim, first of all congrats in advance in receiving your car directly from factory, its a great feeling and they make this hand over as a nice event. You will also be able to make a factory visit. Two weeks buffer is the maximum you need.......even less. But ok, no worries, Paris and Stuttgart are absolute nice cities and you can explore them. You can make some day trips from Stuttgart to explore the area around. Travelling from Stuttgart to Paris is not a problem at all. Smooth highways, good to drive and good signages. You need around 6 -7 hours. So don' t worry at all. Do it and enjoy.

PasPar2

that should be an incredible trip! post some pics.

armbar

Hi Jim,
A couple things you may want to review before leaving is european signage. You can Google something to the effect. Some signs may not be intuitive so best to have a working knowledge before leaving. The most important one being the sign for "no speed limit" on the autobahn! You're gonna love that one!
I've found when driving in Europe that it seems to be more enjoyable to visit and tour the smaller towns and hamlets rather than bigger cities, especially in a nice car. Parking is difficult in the large cities and navigation can be challenging even with GPS.
Another thing that can catch you out is parking structures. Unlike many places in the states, one has to pay at a "pay station" before getting in your car. If you forget this, you could end up at the front of the line to exit with a number of cars behind you and no attendant in the exit booth. Embarrassing to say the least.
I haven't driven in France, but I have in Germany. I'm sure you already know, but I'll say it anyway....watch your rear view mirror and stay out of the left lane unless passing!
I hope this helps.
Enjoy!

jhene

......and Jim, after you collected your car, add one day in Stuttgart and plan a day trip to the Black Forrest.......superb roads and good to break in the engine.........:0)

sqweak

if I were doing ED on a GT3 I'd repeat a road trip I did this summer by heading down to the Swiss/Austrian/Italian alps. After that you could head west to Monaco and then up to Paris. LMK if that speaks to you and I can get you a suggested route similar to what we ran. Best drive of my life!

eilig

Congrats Jim!! Very glad to hear it all worked out for you... Looking forward to hearing about your trip and seeing pics!

928cs

Enjoy your trip!

I advise you to visit the following places, if you can:

A crazy museum, really:
http://sinsheim.technik-museum.de/en

The Mercedes Museum, within "Mercedes city"
http://www.mercedes-benz-classic.com...ome.flash.html

The Schlumpf collection:
http://citedelautomobile.com/fr/home

The city of Strasbourg, very nice old town

Epernay:
http://www.champagne-ardenne-tourism...e-epernay.aspx

Verdun. It is very impressive to visit an old war cemetery and also the trenches:
http://www.en.verdun-tourisme.com/

The city of Reims, with its huge cathedral, and its old track (nice place to take pictures)
http://www.reims-tourism.com/
http://www.amis-du-circuit-de-gueux.fr

Please, respect the speed limits in France. The Gendarmes have no more sense of humor with this subject...
130 km/h on the highway, 90 km/h mainly outside and 50 km/h in towns.
Refill your tank outside the highways in France. The prizes are crazy there.

In Paris, park your car into your hotel, and move with the subway or tramway from there. It is stupid to travel by car there, and most drivers are stupids also.

race7117

Congrats Jim, I did the Zuffenhausen ED a year and half ago for the 991 Carrera 7MT and am going for the Leipzig ED this April for the GT3.

There is great driving in the Black Forest not far from Stuttgart and staying in Baden Baden is also a great side trip. Watch your speed in Germany on the off ramp and in town! A lot of PhotoCameras to get you to slow down but I never received a ticket. France is difficult as the Gendarmes are not like Germans when it comes to speeding. Watch your speeds France has a lot of Photo cameras ON the highways and tickets get very pricey. Also a lot of scams in the south of France and in Paris with Valet parking. Guys will take your keys and you think they are valets but actually car thieves. Always keep one of your spare keys with you or in your hotel safe. If your car is stolen with all the keys inside the car the Zurich insurance company will not cover the theft. They might have changed that since I went but don't bet on it. Overall very safe and no worries in Germany and even in France as long as you are careful and smart should no problem but there were a rash of thefts in the South of France and in Paris a couple of years back. They look for the ED license and they know you are a tourist so park in known hotel lots with hotel employees and you will be fine. Have fun enjoy the tour the Lunch and the Museum in Zuffenhausen either of the Hotels offered by Porsche are great and if you get a chance catch a VfB Stuttgart Football (soccer) game! Stadium is right next to Mercedes and a lot of fun. Stuttgart also has a Fair area with a Octoberfest like beer festival that occurs frequently during the year check it out if its going on. Paris is great but difficult to drive at anytime other than 3-4 in the morning. Though I did do that and it was very cool! The subways in Paris are a bit confusing but if you plan ahead should be good. Great trip and I look forward to mine in April!!

Larry Cable

1) factory tour
2) Porsche museum
3) Nordschleife!
4) European maps on car nav or portable GPS

Polesitter

Did ED this summer on a new Cayenne GTS and drove Southern Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Czech Republic then back to Frankfurt. I disregarded every traffic law, including highway cameras, without repercussions....but it may have been pure luck. However, I was careful inside of metro areas and didn't run over any orphans or old ladies.

Brenners Park is a great hotel in Black Forest/Baden Baden area. Make sure they set up your Nav system properly upon delivery as it is a lifesaver. Take off one of your Euro plates before you return ship or you won't get one as a souvenir. Smaller towns are nicer/more quaint in most of Germany from a sightseeing standpoint. We destroyed most of the big ones although they have more enriching arts and cultural experiences.

Traffic can be seemingly random. Your clicking along at 135 mph one minute and stuck behind 5 miles of trucks and crappy diesel Opal sedans another. Plan on nearly $200 to fill up with premium fuel each stop.

W. MITTY

Stay the heck out of the left lane unless you are actively passing. Europeans to not seem to suffer fools when it comes to this. Be prepared to be punted off if you insist on driving like an American

Beware the traffic in Paris. We did ED on a 2012 Mercedes S550 and it was nerve racking to drive there in a brand new, shiny car. I swear that at times there were cars literally 2 incbes from rubbing against me. My daughter about had a nervous fit after 10 minutes there. Park and walk. If you can find a parking place. I love Paris. I do not love driving there.

Prepare to be amazed at the Porsche and the Mercedes museums. Simply awesome in every way.

Prepare to be amazed at Germany's billiard smooth freeways. Oh man, are they great when you get to crack that throttle open, which isnt as often as you may think.

Macca

Hi there. We have just returned from a driving holiday in Europe in the new GT3. We covered 4200km whilst there (3300 in the GT3). My wife and I have driven approximately 20,000 km in Europe over three trips in the last 14 years. There is nothing to be concerned about. Try to avoid driving major cities like Paris and Rome unless you have prior experience with these towns - but if your plans take you there then so be it. You have to learn sometime and most of us did it by just barrelling in there. We travelled in early Dec and you will be travelling in early March which will probably be fractionally colder than when we were there so maybe stick to the coast where the R compound tyres will find more grip. The German race course would not be advisable in late Feb. If it were me I would hot tail it to Southern Spain or Sicily for a few weeks and drive the ***** off of it in 15+ celcius. I also would seriously consider taking at least 30 days with the car to really get to see and appreciate Europe and driving the new GT3. Its impossible to do it in two weeks IMO (30 days has been our briefest Euro trip). Sure time is money and you probably have a job or a company to run and I appreciate that, but life is short and its for living and its a huge organisational effort and cost to get there and generally takes teh same pain and organisation to be away for 2 weeks or 4. To go for a fortnight is a crime and to only see a couple of cities and a motorway or two such a shame. Have a look at the thread on here where I posted many pictures and video and stories and youll get a feel for it although everyone is different and this may not be for you.

JimSand

My wife is an amateur photographer so I'll definitely be posting lots of pics

Great insight thanks for sharing!

Black Forest, checked!

Definitely interested in any routes from Milan to Stuttgart passing thru Switzerland and the Alps. Thank you!

Thanks again Jay, I wouldn't be going on this trip if it wasn't for your contact at PCNA.

I'll definitely be stopping by the Museums and by Epernay.
Do you know where in Champagne-Ardenne can we find the best landscape scenery?

Thanks for the heads-up! Black Forest, checked!

Thank you!

Thanks for your Feedback Post and all the great reviews, pics and vids. I have revised my itinerary a bit, since this will definitely be a one in a lifetime opportunity.
Would you kindly provide me with the info for the luggage that you used on your trip?
Thank you!

JimSand

I now plan to leave on Sunday April 20th and Depart Sunday May 4th for a chance of better weather and spending the following nights at these destinations;
Stuttgart Area: 2 nights

Paris Area: 3 nights

Lyon Area: 3 nights

Milan Area: 3 nights

Switzerland Area: 3 nights

Stuttgart Area: 1 Night

Any suggested routes with beautiful Landscape and Architecture would be greatly appreciated.

THANK YOU!!!