Great Informative European delivery list!

I took European delivery in Leipzig in April 2019. The track time was worth its weight in gold. The Porsche arranged accommodations in Leipzig were delightful.
The factory pickup experience went very smoothly. The Porsche reception staff person was a native English speaker and spent close to an hour suggesting travel possibilities, specific hints and things to consider. Only two other vehicles were picked up at the same time therefore he was not busy. My wife and I split the track time and we both used our free time to take advantage of his knowledge. I dropped off in Zuffenhausen/Stuttgart. A positive experience on both ends except the hotel failed to send a taxi to pick us up at the Leipzig train station. We flew into Berlin and spent three days getting acclimated before proceeding to Leipzig for our pickup. It was nice not to have jet lag for our track time.

I used CreaSign to put on the protective film. Very happy with their installation and it only took a full day. We were able to stay an extra day at the Porsche rate in the Leipzig hotel. An added bonus is that they removed the front plate as part of the installation. The front license plate tape would not adhere to the newly installed protective coating. It was good to have an excuse for no front plate while touring the EU. We visited over 12 different countries and one year later still no Radar tickets. I credit no front plate, not our prudent driving. Following the locals is sound advice too. The traffic camera speed traps are marked with signs and the locals know when to slow down.

We found WAZE to be good 70% of the time but needed to use Google and Apple map programs in conjunction. In Austria WAZE attempted to send us 12 hours out of our way to avoid the expensive tunnels into the Czech Republic. WAZE’s performance varies depending on the country you’re in. In theory it is illegal to use a program that indicates the location of police. During my travels I never observed a police speed trap, only the ubiquitous radar traffic cams. Radar and laser detectors are generally illegal in Europe, except Spain. On another Renn thread they have a link to a country by country penalty for use of radar detectors.

A navigation tip, In our 911, when you back out of a parking space the rear back up camera overrides Maps and Waze. Applecar play will not display again until you exceed 10 miles an hour. Before you back up make sure you know your next turn going forward, if pulling out of the parking lot in a big city.

We encountered freezing rain and snow on mountain passes in Austria, and in the Black Forest in April. Some gravel was still present on the passes.

Rush hour traffic is a pain everywhere, plan your trip’s timing accordingly. The autobahns were not particularly crowded mid day. We only encountered stop and go traffic in major cities in Italy, France Germany and Austria when we dared venture out during rush-hour.

When we used Airbnb, we put Off Street Parking as a sort criteria and had good experiences. We also found a specific parking app for reserving self park spaces in many cities which worked out well. It was often cheaper than the parking the hotel offered. In Barcelona we parked the car for four days at a very reasonable price that included a car wash. It paid to do your research for parking ahead of time and to have a space reserved. The App simplified the process. It is on my Wife’s phone.

In the Black Forest, the resort we wished to stay at was full. The proprietor kindly offered to help us find a different location. When we told him that we had a criteria of having a safe place to park our 911 his attitude changed. He immediately found a room for us, moved his personal car that was parked at the main entrance and had the restaurant stay open to accommodate us. He then showed us a framed black and white image of a Porsche parked in front of the resort from the early 60s. It was proudly displayed in the lobby of the hotel.

Tierra Howell was fabulous and attentive once I got her direct line.

We took our luggage options to the dealer one afternoon and tested different configurations before our European travel. Knowing how to pack in advance was very helpful.

I checked out in advance the locations of the Porsche dealerships in each of the countries I visited. It provided peace of mind.

Folding mirrors were a life saver on several small village roads where every inch counted.

Sprint has free SMS Texting, Free Basic Data Roaming and 25 cent per minute phone calls. We upgraded to a faster monthly data and roaming which we never used. They have increased the rate to $25.00 per week instead of a monthly plan. I brought an old unlocked cell phone but never needed to purchase a Sim card. Most of the AirBnB hosts used What’s App for free communication.

Not much road construction in April. We got off the major highways whenever possible. It often took longer but we were rewarded with unique non-tourist experiences.

Download the free Google Language Translation packs for each country you intend on visiting and all other Apps in advance of your trip.

We left a few minor car care items in the vehicle at drop-off and they made it through US customs undisturbed.

I had flexibility concerning my Zuffenhausen drop off timing. Late April and early May are not a high volume time for auto mobile transport vessels. My car sat for almost 3 weeks before being loaded. If I were to do European delivery again and had flexibility, I would seek to determine how quickly after drop-off my vehicle would be loaded. I dropped off the first week in May and my vehicle arrived on the West Coast the third week in July.

Zuffenhausen car wash is closed on Sunday nights and after 8:00pm. I washed the car before drop off to allow for a quicker inspection.

Zuffenhausen is a factory city outside of Stuttgart. It was a 45 minute taxi ride to the Stuttgart train station from the drop off. The airport is a bit closer.

Photo Link: https://gssphoto.smugmug.com/Travel-2019/i-nT8tPPm/A

 

Well, looks like my Euro delivery of the GT4 is off. There's this little thing that has come up... not sure if anyone has heard of it... starts with a 'C'. and rhymes with the name of a Roman poet.
It was actually a huge amount of fun to plan the trip - I obsessed about hotels, restaurants, everything and booked some great spots. Alas! So, thanks to everyone here for your great European Delivery tips! I can visualize the trip almost as if I had gone on it!
Side benefit: I am developing fantastic hand-washing habits, which are going to help me keep the Alcantara steering wheel looking nice when the car arrives here.

More importantly: everyone please take care of your family, your loved ones, and yourselves in this difficult time.

 

Great advice.
Is the track time in Leipzig included in the ED?
Is the track vehicle your own vehicle or one provided by Porsche?
Who does one contact to get information on reduced air fares, hotel recommendations, and basic trip planning?
Which are the other optional drop off locations (outside of Germany) and the associated costs/hassles?

 

^^this was 5 years ago but Steigenberger Leipzig has only Valet Parking, they put your car in a public garage, valet was nice enough to put my car sideways in a handicapped spot which pissed many off, he was just trying to help, the hotel is magnificent. Track time in a car like yours with instructor, Porsche ED will help you arrange including reduced fare business / first on Delta. Pick your car up in Leipzig drive the Ring stop off in stuttgart do the tour. once I dropped at S-Zuffenhausen, last time was with Simovic, hes pretty cool, take taxi to MotorWelt Stuttgart, look around, then walk to S-Bahn back to your hotel

 

Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated. Answers to all of these questions can begin with the info you get from your dealer. I can add these points, however:
- I wouldn't worry too much about looking for reduced rates on airfares and hotels. Once Covid-19 has passed there will be some great deals available.
- Also, if you choose to drop your car off in a place other than Stuttgart (and likely Leipzig) it'll cost you extra AND could add as much as an extra month to your North American delivery date.
- Porsche does provide some suggested tours, but for me that info arrived too late to be of any practical use. I would make sure the whatever plan I put together would include extra time in both Stuttgart (Porsche & Mercedes) and Leipzig. Beyond that it will all depend on how much time you have available. The more the better, obviously. Make sure your plans include a nice blend of autobahn and scenic road driving. It's a thrill to do some high speed stuff, but it's just as enjoyable to do the small villages connected by the twisties. If you drill down on <https://www.viamichelin.co.uk> you'll see the "green roads" which are the scenic ones, plus the Michelin-rated restaurants and accommodations.

Once Covid-19 has passed it'll be nice to see Euro Deliveries back in full swing.

 

How much cheaper... starting to plan for 2021

 

How much cheaper? Who knows? I have travelled to Europe often and in recent years have found the best airfares with Lufthansa. You can get price alerts from them by creating an account on their website and signing up for the price alerts applicable to the routing you'd prefer. After Covid, it'll be interesting to see what they do because in recent weeks they shut down "Wings", their budget airline, and have said that they are going to reduce the size of their fleet substantially to better match post-Covid demand. Other carrier are making adjustments too. So, again, who knows?

 

OHHH thought you where talking about Porsche charges differently. Yes airlines more from different airports.... trying to plan trip trying to look at how much driving is too much over 7 days.

 

So, with just 7 days, I'd definitely plan some sort of circular route. If this is your first visit to Germany:

Option A - Assuming you've never been to Stuttgart/Zuffenhausen, take delivery there. Assuming you're flying into Frankfurt, take the train from inside the Frankfurt airport to downtown Stuttgart. Then you are just a couple of hundred yards from two of the hotels Porsche uses for ED. Spend your arrival day just walking about Stuttgart. Have dinner and some great beer and get to bed early.
Day 1 - Do the museum and the factory tour. If time allows, take a cab to the MB museum as well; it's excellent too.
Day 2 - Delivery day. Check out of the hotel and take your luggage with you to the delivery centre. Once you have your car, drive to Heidelberg.
Day 3 - Get up early and drive to Rothenburg an Der Tauber. After lunch there and then drive to Lindau on the Bodensee (Lake Constance)
Day 4 - Slow scenic drive to Freiburg im Breisgau.
Day 5 - Freiburg to Baden-Baden along the Hochstrasse (https://www.ultimatedrives.net/top-1...route_ID=20007)
Day 6 - Baden-Baden back to Stuttgart.
Day 7 - Drop the car off, train to Frankfurt airport.

Option B - Take delivery in Leipzig. Not sure of the best routing to get there but use the balance of your arrival day to rest and walk.
Day 1 - Pick up your car, have a nice lunch at the Porsche facility and do some track time.
Day 2 - Drive to Berlin; balance of day there.
Day 3 - Berlin
Day 4 - Drive to Dresden
Day 5 - Dresden
Day 6 - Dresden to Stuttgart
Day 7 - Drop the car off, train to Frankfurt airport.

Anyway,there's just a couple of trip ideas. Buy a Michelin Green Guide for Germany and this will help you decide on the places you'd like to see. Good luck! It'll be a wonderful experience.

 

my itinerary
Day 1 Mercedes Museum and Porsche Museum relax at the Zeppelin
Day 2 Pick up car, Museum tour again, factory tour Lunch Delivery, relax
Day 3 Audi Ingolstadt, factory tour, drive to Leipzig
Day 4 Leipzig Porsche factory tour and lunch there (requires reservations) drive to Wolfsburg. if you stay at Ritz Carlton, they only have Valet Parking, but they let me park car myself
Day 5 Wolfsburg, Autostadt Wolfsburg, VW factory (they have museum in town too but I didnt go), drove to Paderborn
Day 6 Got up went to Wewelsburg, saw Himmlers SS castle, then drove to Nurburgring, got there in afternoon, drove 3 laps, drove to Zuffenhausen, dropped car off there, they took me to S-Bahn station, went back to Zeppelin, packed and went home next AM

this is when you could drop off at factory

next trip

Day 1 mercedes and Porsche museum, dinner relax shopping in Stuttgart
Day 2 Porsche Museum and factory tour pick car up, drove to Ring 3 laps drove home at night to Zeppelin
Day 3 Audi Neckarsulm factory tour and back to Stuttgart,, dropped car off at Simovic, took cab to Motorworld Stuttgart, then took S-Bahn back to Zeppelin
Day 4 flew home

I hate being bored, I tried to pack every minute in

 

Considering one is on a very tight schedule, How did you arrange the PPF? I assume prior to delivery.
Did Porsche help coordinate the PPF so it would be completed when you arrived?
Is the cost comparable to US?
Was the track time at Leipzig included with ED or additional and requiring prior reservation and payment? How much time/ many laps on the track?
Has anyone dropped off a car in a location other than Leipzig or Zuffenhausen? Additional costs and hassles?
How far in advance do arrangements need to be made?

 

I strongly advise getting paint protection before hitting the road. You could get it done as a factory option, but I have heard anecdotally that the quality isn't as good as you would get at a specialized firm. But you would save time.

I used Schwabenfolia, an hour south-east of Stuttgart. It took a full day to do almost the entire car and I was very satisfied. Contact Sandro, the owner, who speaks excellent English. Price was good as well, but even better was that all the while that I drove in Europe I wasn't concerned about surface paint damage to the car.

 

Any near Leipzig for wrapping?
So essentially, one would pick up the car and then drive to the wrapping facility, wait a day or so at the hotel before driving off.
Wow, that kills 2 or more days before seeing the rest of the country.
Is this about right?
Is there a better way logistically to conserve time?

 

As I said, you can save time by ordering the factory optional wrap. As I understand it, the product will be applied to the front end of the car, up to the base of the windshield and the leading edges of the doors.

 

Wrapping is now a Factory option but it was not available in 2019.
Go factory wrap and avoid the extra time and effort.
Wrapping was more expensive in the EU.
Now the only big benefit of outside wrapping is not having a front plate installed which saved us money in photo radar speeding tickets.
Track Time was included in the ED.
Only two other people were picking up cars, so they were not strict with track time.
They allowed me to drive one of the other cars too.
The entire morning was set aside for giving you your new car and track time.
I recall that I had flexibility with drop off in another location if I changed my mind.
It required contacting Ms. Howell to make arrangements, she needs advance notice.