nilaz

You can contact Porsche Drive and ask for a Turbo S model. I believe they will be able to provide it.

If not at least a Turbo model.

Indeed I consider Porsche Drive program as a great opportunity instead of ED.
Many advantages to drive a rented cat instead of your brand new car.
Only major drawback is that you will visit many places and get many pictures and memories without your car.

HiAperture

I too think it is a great opportunity, and frankly I was surprised there wasn't more info about it here on RL, or really anywhere on the net in terms of real world experience with it.

The Porsche Experience vacations look great too, a lot more $$$ though, but I would consider that in the future if this goes well.

HiAperture

OK so getting to crunch time to figure out my final driving route.

I booked a hotel in Stuttgart and locked in a good rate back in May, but I am not opposed to missing one of those nights and staying overnight to see the passes. I have the car for 48 hours, from 1PM of the first day, to 1PM of the third day.

So, particularly to Monet and nilaz who have both taken this drive recently, does the attached itinerary make sense and does it look like a good use of time? Where did you stay overnight in the alps and did you feel it was a good break point or that you had gone further/not as far?

I am thinking I would do the 8 Autobahn to the Black Forest B500 drive, see Hohenzollern Castle, and end up the first night at Lindau (approx 5hrs drive time per google). Next morning drive down to Fluela and Stelvio, drive up to Garmisch-Partenkirchen around lunch, see Neuschwanstein Castle, then back to Stuttgart for the night (10 hours drive time per google). That leaves me the next morning to take another shorter drive, or see the Mercedes Museum if I am worn out.

Edit: Distance also becomes a concern as I have 1000km included, 1 euro per KM over, and this is already just over.

Monetthecat

I think its doable, but keep in mind that Germany and Austria have a lot of road works this time of year. I drove from Stuttgart to Lindau via A8 and highway 500 and arrived around 3pm, but that was picking the car up at 9am. However, by this time traffic should have died down with the holiday season winding down.

My advice is to leave Lindau very early. I left at 6:30am to hit Silvetta Pass in Austria and it was empty. Stelvio is farer and nothing it a biz kill more that road works and caravans/busses.

Ideally if you could extend 1 more day and stay in Telfs, Austria at the Interalpine that might be ideal, but I think its a workable route if you depart Lindau early.

Best of luck and please post pics!

This is mine from Silvetta

HiAperture

Thanks, very helpful information. I looked at Silvetta as well as an option, and it would save two hours about about 100km. Is there a reason you decided to do that rather than Fluela/Stelvio and were you happy with the decision?

Trying to find the balance between enjoying every opportunity while I am there, and also remembering it is a vacation and to relax a bit!

Monetthecat

I had my Porsche Drive 911 for 3 days and thought about Stelvio. Clearly a bucket-list item, but did Silvetta instead as I knew traffic would be lighter. I actually did Silvetta twice as a turned around at the east entrance and did it again.

I would say hold to your route and after passing over Fluela check if you are on schedule. It running late you can bypass Stelvio by crossing West to East at Susch (CH) to Vinadi (CH). Saves about 2 hours and still a great drive.

Don't forget you need a vignettes (tollway stickers) for Austria and Switzerland.

HiAperture

Thanks again, so helpful to have recent hands on advice. Booked my stay in Lindau. Depending on my energy level, how the drive the day before and morning goes, and ambition, I can do Silvettra and add Hahntennjoch on the way north if I feel like it, or go to Fluela and see if I feel like going all the way to Stelvio after that. I don't have time to get vignettes in the mail, I assume they are purchased at/near the border in person from what I read online?

Monetthecat

Time permitting check out this restaurant in Lindau. They have a pretty cool car collection in the actual restaurant. I've been to Lindau a few times and didn't discover it until the night I was leaving and had already eaten. I have no idea what the food is like

https://www.eilguthalle.li/en/

Sven76

seis-speed

Monetthecat

I've never rented from them, but if looking beyond Porsche Drive according to AutoEurope's website they have manual 911s for rental (also Boxter/Cayman). Not sure what locations

https://www.autoeurope.com/rent-a-porsche/

Dkk16

That had to be a great trip with your daughter.

What is the color of your 911? Beautiful!

quattroboy

Yes, it was an amazing trip.

Its graphite blue metallic, it really changes colour depending on the lighting. In overcast days, like the picture above, it is more of a deeper blue. In direct sun, it is much lighter.

HiAperture

OK so I did take this trip last year, been meaning to put my thoughts together on it and make a review post, but here is a video overview of the experience I made:

Monetthecat

Thanks for posting this and great job on the video. Hopefully this gets the word out on Porsche Drive.

I'm glad you enjoyed Lindau. My wife and I find it to be charming and have stayed multiple times.

I learned the same lesson you did the first time we did ED with Audi. I tried to pack in so many miles and alpine passes that my wife finally called a full-stop and reset the trip. She was right that we needed more time to enjoy the drive and not try and cover so much ground in a short time.

I've been debating with myself on doing Porsche Drive again this Fall when we are in Switzerland. Porsche has a "Drive" location in Rotkruez which is close to where we are staying in Vitznau. I think you just pushed me over the edge to do it