cvazquez

Gentleman,

Please, I need your advice before flying to Germany. I plan to visit 1-10 Dec 06 and would like to take full advantage of your experiences. I would like to checkout ALL things Porsche while there. I am staying at the (Edelweiss Resort) on Bavarian Alps located in the town of Garmisch-Parkenkirchen (two hours drive from the Munich Airport). However, need your inputs to make this visit a worthwhile experience for my wife and I to completely enjoy our vacation…

Please, I would appreciate your help with the following questions:


-Best website for driving directions while in Germany?

-Must see places while in Germany (how to get tickets, schedule, and location)?

-Factory visiting hours (tours… do I need to coordinate a factory tour with my dealership or do I just show up to the factory)?

-Best factory tours?

-Hotel recommendations most Southern part of the autobahn, wherever it begins?

-Any problems using American credit cards (visa) or cash?

-Do I need to exchange my money to German currency?

-How do I rent (website or phone numbers) a 997 or Boxster S (05-06), near Bavarian Alps or Munich area?

Thank you ALL in advance,

Carlos

spiderv6

you are actually serious, aren't you.......

americans abroad....the myth lives on

p.s., you will need to get one of those pesky passport things

gravedgr

We last went for vacation in 1999 and didn't have the Internet to plan with. However, between Frommers and some other guide books (and several maps), we drove all through Scotland, England, Germany, and Austria for 3 weeks. These days, I would get a car with GPS Navi.

We did use hotels except in Salzberg and Frankfurt, and only because we arrived in the middle of the night (1-800-HOLIDAY). I would recommend some Bread & Breakfast locations. 1) You can find them all along the road anywhere in Germany, 2) they are cheap (we averaged ~$15-25 a night), 3) the atmosphere - you get a meal or two cooked by the owner, who will love to chat with you about their country (and give you tips on things to do and see).

VISA/MC is accepted almost anywhere you can use credit cards, but plan on bringing at least $100/day in cash. AMEX is harder to use, but travelers checks will often be accepted. ATM's are accessible in many locations (we found one along the autobahn in Austria) and will dispense local currency.

Yes. Some places will take $, but most will prefer the Euro (Deutsche Marks are no longer legal).

Avis had some Porsches available when we were there, but I have since been unable to to find them on their German website.

996toomey

http://www.autoeurope.com/index.cfm?...FRzkYAodEE4c0g

Googled it. This place has Porsche for rent.

stubenhocker

SpiderV6, I'm busting a gut....

Dane k.

Carlos....I believe our group rented our Porsches from Avis.All had Nav/systems..(A MUST)You will LOVE Germany..SO clean.Munich is a GREAT city...Plan on spending some time there.We toured both of the Porsche factories,and were treated VERY VERY nice.
Wined & Dined.The autobond was fun,but the back country roads and villages are also very special.You will have a GREAT time....

Dane k.

Carlos....OOOOPPPPS.......Muffed that spelling of Autobaun.....Dane

ziege

Neuschwanstein is a fantastic modern castle to visit. It is also next to a older smaller castle near the town of Fussen. If you go there, you buy tickets in the town, and can walk up to the castle on the hill. There is a less-traveled back way to go if you like to hike. You turn left just after you start up the hill, and take a dirt road about a quarter of a mile to the trail. Well worth it.

I believe you will need to make these reservations in advance. When I was in Stuttgart I did not have time to go to the factory, but I did drive by. It was neat to see the testers taking out the cars on the autobahn...

I've heard the BMW tour in Munich is good too. But you probably need tickets well in advance as well.

MHC2S

Porsche factory tour and museum in Stuttgart is a must. I did it in 1996 and will never forget that factory tour. Current museum is a let down, but I hear a new one is due in 2008. I haven't been, but I hear the Mercedes Benz museum is one of the finest in the world and a must to see while in Stuttgart.
If you are a real car nut visit the Nurburgring, nothing like it in the world and they also have a very nice race car museum and indoor go karts.

ziege

I have been there and it was very nice. A good stop if time allows. It is set up as a tour from the first car to the newest models. It's fun to see the evolution.

Alstoy

Looks like most of your questions have been answered. Unless, you are used to it, don't fly into Munich to only drive for two hours. I would stay in Munich a night or two. The underground is very clean and easy to use. There is so much to do. You can visit the beer gardens & get sloshed. I stayed at the Renaissance which was not too bad. I would then get the Porsche. Contrary to popular belief, the speed limit on the Autobhan is normally about 80mph. Once you see a round white sign with a few black lines through it-you are free to test the 178 limiter.

TheOldMan

Watch the weather in December. I have been caught in snow and ice more than once in Germany.

Visa is widely accepted and ATM's are everywhere. It is always good to carry a few hundred Euros as some places still only take cash. You can get cash at the airport when you land from the ATM.

Get yourself a portable GPS (like the garmin or TomTom). It will make navigating around a lot easier.

cvazquez

Thanks everyone for the great information provided... my first visit to Germany, so we are very excited! I now feel that I now have a general understanding on what I need to do!

I called Germany at # 9-011-49-8997-597600 (Avis), but they patched me to Spain their customer special vehicle request department. Spain will call Germany and ask for a special request on a (997) and call me back for availability and final cost. Also, asked for a navigation system, manual shift, and the P-car in Speed Yellow. I hope they can meet the above minimum request. According to Spain a two day rental will cost approx. $567.00

We plan on staying near the Alps for some skiing and snow boarding but will certainly go on many tours offered by the resort. We plan to drive directly to Stuttgart and looking forward to the (7) hour drive to the southern point of the Autobahn from the Munich Airport our pickup and drop-off points.

Again, thanks for the great information!

S/Carlos

Edgy01

Carlos,

You are in for a great trip! I stayed at the Edelweiss in June this summer shortly after taking delivery of my S Cabriolet. Will attempt to answer each of your specific questions and then hit some other issues:

If you're in need of guidance, pick up the Michelin maps or those red ones available at any book stores in the USA. Do this before you go so that you can plan ahead.

Realize the the size of Germany and Europe is not what you may expect. Figure on side trips, etc.

I took a day to drive from Heidelberg to Garmish via Neuschwanstein but merely hiked around the castle,--didn't go in as I had year ago. (There's not much to see inside, but the outside is beautiful for pictures,--even that late in the year).

After Neuschwanstein I drove to the Zugspitze and did the trip up and down. Go online and check out their hours ahead of time.

In Garmisch the Edelweiss has nice underground parking (great for me who just got his new Porsche a week earlier). The Edelweiss does arrange ski trips, as well as runs (via bus) to the Eagle's Nest and to any of several salt mines in the Salzburg area. Worthwhile. The Eagle's Nest now has an alternative in the event it is closed due to weather,--their research and artifact archives. It is near the parking lot for Eagle's Nest. Their last bus up to the mountain was at 1500,--double check for that time of year. Views are incredible.

To get to Garmisch I took the Alpenstrasse,--the Alpen highway. Mostly private, actually, but beautiful roads. Bring plenty of Euro change to pay off the tolls as you go.

Edelweiss operates in US dollars. You can get great German, Austrian food for a deal and a half,--and they have nice laundry facilities if you need to catch up on that stuff.

American Credit Cards are no big deal. Quite common. I would always keep about $200 in Euros on hand at all times,--for me, single, traveling around. Use credit cards to the max extent,--they get better exchange rates. Use your cash sparingly. Use the cards.

Arrange a Porsche factory tour in advance. With the factory. Figure 2 hours.

Renting a Porsche should not be that difficult,--but be prepared for outlaying some bucks. Same for insurance.

Contact me privately and I will try to share as much as I can with you!

P.S. Gas is cheaper in Austria!

Edgy01@aol.com

gravedgr

I agree with visiting the Zugspitze if you are near Neuschwanstein, it is a great view and you can see for miles in all directions. Be sure to ride the train through the mountain on either the trip down or up.

As for $$, you will get a better rate from your bank by changing the money before you go (and after you get back) and they will typically do it fee-free. But charge as much as you can since you'll get the best conversion rate from your credit card for that month.