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As many of you know my lovely wife and I were married in July of this year. Though we did take a brief, "mini" honey-moon here in California immediately following the wedding, we are now beginning to plan our "real" honey-moon visit to Europe in late April and early May 2016. While my 993 did play a part in both our wedding and mini-moon, it won't be participating in our Europe trip. So I'm going to need to get a little Pcar content through other means.
We have our trip dates and major destinations already planned out, so I don't need advice there. We'll be starting out trip in Germany then taking the train through Italy and then having a brief layover in London before returning home.
In Germany we are planning to spend a couple nights in Stuttgart and one night in Munich. We are planning to visit the Porsche Museum and Factory while in Stuttgart. We likely won't have the time/budget to visit The Ring though (unless someone has a connection that I might be able to leverage).
While we have visited Italy before, we haven't been to Germany. So we'd greatly appreciate any lodging/dining/shopping/sight-seeing recommendations that folks might have for Stuttgart and Munich.
Thanks in advance and here are some wedding photos with Pcar content as previously requested by RLers:
I have been to Stuttgart twice. We visited the Porsche museum, then took a factory tour in the morning. We jumped on the train and went across town and took in the Mercedes Benz museum all in the same day. I would recommend doing that all in one day.
The Porsche Museum + Factory Tour are impressive. But I'd try to spend a full say there. There is just a lot to see and take in. Just sitting outside the museum and watching classic and development (!!!) Porsches drive by is intoxicating. Then go to the Mercedes Museum the following day. It is an incredible place full of automotive and world history. And I'd do it in that order because otherwise the Porsche Museum will feel much less impressive. You don't have to spend the whole day at the M-B museum, you can also check out Kongistrasse (the main shopping pedestrian thoroughfare) and the Schlossgarten in the "downtown" area.
BTW late April/early May is such a great time to visit the Germany. The rapeseed are in full bloom along the highway and so are the chestnut trees in Stuttgart. Beautiful. Also the Fruhlingsfest is around that time and that's a must see! Plan to spend one evening at a beer hall there.
Regarding the 'Ring, it's a 4 hour drive from Stuttgart on the Autobahn. But it's in the opposite direction from where you're headed. Spectating is free, but I highly recommend renting an econobox (Clio or Polo or some such) from one of the track rental companies and taking it for a few laps. It's the experience of a life time and well worth it.
Only one thing to add to the above from Ilko - get a ride as a passenger around 'ring, I did it in a 964 RS. Most fun you can have fully clothed!
Cheers
Thanks for the advice so far. First off I'd be happy to just do a ride along at proper speed o the Ring. I doubt my wife would be wild about it though. I'll be so jet lagged (since this is our first stop) that I wouldn't be in the best state to drive on the Ring anyhow.
If it came down to spending time at MB or at the Ring, which would you choose?
Lastly I note what Ilko is saying, that the ring is in the opposite direction of the rest of our trip destinations.
Last edited by Spyder_Man; 10-15-2015 at 01:43 AM.
One day in Munich will just whet your appetite for more. Enjoy the food and the beer because Bavarians like to eat and drink. No matter where you are, the U-Bahn can pretty much take you there. Check out the BMW Museum, stroll through Marianplatz in the center of Munich and the delightful open air market is within walking distance as well. If you can work out time and transportation to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, South of Munich, do it.
Depending on hoe interested you are in museums you can easily spend 3 days in Munich going to museums. Depending on your particular taste you can go to the Alte, Neue, and Modern Pinakothek museums but make sure you time it right as only the Neue is open on Mondays. If you are interested in seeing some local favor I recommend taking a stroll through Englischer Park (larger than central park) and the Eisbach (artificial river wave for surfing) but beware of some less than desirable nudity in certain parts of the park. The BMW museum was quite impressive (not as well kept as the Porsche Museum) but well worth a visit. NCTRACKRAT recommended Marianplatz which is where you will find the Rathaus (town hall) and the bell tower. Depending on how much of a Porsche nut you are you can easily spend anywhere from 4-8 hours at the Porsche Museum and then the Porsche Zentrum Stuttgart is across the street but closes at 4 so make sure to get there before close. Also if you want to do Porsche Drive which I highly recommend make sure you reserve several days in advance. If youa re going during the week you should not have a problem but weekends are quite busy. I drove a Carrera 4 GTS with GT3 color matched buckets for only 99 euro and it was well worth the money being able to drive the autobahn etc. The Mercedes-Benz Museum is great and has a much more historical focus that follow the influence of world events on the automobile and vice versa. As far as food goes in Bavaria you need to try some pork knuckle and butter brezel with a large beer, a meal that can be served for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or all of the above! Sorry for the long winded response but I love Germany and I'm sure you will have the time of your life with your wife!
Stuttgart is a beautiful city. The Schlossgarten is vast, the Wilhelmina Zoo at the north end is worth a visit. Go to a spa. Lots of great restaurants. The Porsche factory and museum are worth a full day; the Mercedes Museum at least a half day. From ther it's a short drive to the Black Forest or Schwabisch Hall, a beautiful mideival town in the other direction.
Hey folks. I am bumping this thread again the reality of this trip becomes nearer. Presently we have two nights planned in Stuttgart, then we take the train off the Munich. Presently I'm thinking for the full day in Stuttgart we'll start with a early tour of the Museum followed by a factory tour. I don't think my wife could handle touring the MB museum immediately following that, so we'll likely do some "non-car stuff" in the afternoon/evening.
One thing I'm wondering about is the "Porsche Drive" opportunity where you can rent a new 991/981 for a hour/3 hours/day/week. Obviously due to the brevity of our visit only a 1 hour or 3 hour booking would be possible. My question now is whether it would be "worth it" to rent a Porsche for 1 to 3 hours of driving time in Germany?
It certainly seems like the 1 hour (100 km) option would barely allow for enough time to leave town and then turn around again. What about the 3 hour (250 km) option? Were could/should one go for a 3 hour drive during a Friday afternoon in and around Stuttgart in mid April?
where you can rent a new 991/981 for a hour/3 hours/day/week. Obviously due to the brevity of our visit only a 1 hour or 3 hour booking would be possible. My question now is whether it would be "worth it" to rent a Porsche for 1 to 3 hours of driving time in Germany?
No. You can rent a new Porsche anywhere. You can't see Stuttgart anywhere. (IMO)
Spend time in Stuttgart proper. Shopping, eating, take it in. Lots of good restaurants. Drive through the countryside. Take pictures (not while driving lol). It should be beautiful that time of year. Find a castle, visit it. Visit museums, take the U-bahn, walk around. Have fun. There's some kind of old Mercedes test track in the hills, I forgot to ask about it.
Spyder man, congratulations on your wedding.
Drop me a line (or PM) about a week before you start your trip. My mom lives in Stuttgart, my sister in Munich. My wife and I maybe able to schedule some time.
From what I've heard, you can rent a 991 and ride in a group, following the Porsche instructor who guides and manages the drivers. I understand that they won't let you drive it wot. The Swabian Alps are close by so most likely they show you the local hills and turn around. The Autobahns around Stuttgart A8 or Munich A9, A99 are pretty clogged up most of the time anyways.
You might want to read the fine print before you rent. All the suggestions above are already spot on so it's going to be hard for you to choose.
I won't bore you with any more details. If you have questions, let me know. I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time in Europe.
Ed
For Munich:
Hofbrauhaus is overrated. If you want to show your wife a classy time, take her for a drink at the rooftop bar of the Bayrischerhof hotel. It has an excellent view of the city and you can get your car fix because there are always entertaining cars parked in front of it. Last time I was there a polar silver 993 pulled up in front! I was giddy (my wife not so much), seeing a top down view of a 993 is the best. The company Stadtvogel provides good history tours and they have groups for beer/culinary tours as well. Make sure to try the Bavarian Weisswurst+Pretzel+Weissbier breakfast while in Munich!
Stuttgart:
I did the factory tour last week and it was flat out awesome. Really in-depth, way better than the Ferrari tour I did last year. Make sure to call ahead and book the tour, they get booked out fast. The museum is excellent as well. Factory + Museum is easily 4-5 hours.
10-14-2015, 04:26 PM
Seeking Advice for Honey-Moon Visit to Germany
