ragerard

I wouldn't worry about a drop off somewhere other than the factories. I've dropped two cars with the forwarding company at Paris Charles de Gaulle and they arrivedat the port very quickly. (It did cost about 1K euros each time). The issue these days is how long it will take to get on a boat once the car arrives at the port.

toph4242

Good to know, thank you. I was basing my fear off of a couple horror stories of the car sitting at these alternative drop points for 2-4+ weeks before even moving to get in line somewhere else.
Good to know its not always the case.
I was really hoping to visit some family/friends in Amsterdam on this trip... Would have been perfect to just drop the car right at Emden!! I wonder why this option went away since the car needs to end up there anyways.

reddysum

It looks like this thread is lot more active recently @toph4242 . So I am currently scheduled to pick up my carrera T on 3/16 In Leipzig. My current tentative schedule is as follows:

My cousin and I arrive in Frankfurt early morning on 3/14 catch a train to Stuttgart and then see the MB museum that day.
3/15 Porsche Factory tour at 10 am and museum after then catch a train to Leipzig.
3/16 Pickup and then make my way to Spa in Belgium. Booked track time on 3/18.
3/19 going to the Ring.
3/19 -3/21 Black Forest Baden Baden. Want to visit Gin distilleries
Drop off vehicle in Sindelfingen on 3/21 and catch a train to Frankfurt that evening and fly out on the morning of 3/22.

So now questions/suggestions
I am assuming no advanced booking is need for train travel. If so what is a good site to purchase tickets.
I want to put on the break in miles using the AP method so a minimum of a 1000 km before getting on the track. Direct route from Leipzig to Spa is little over 600 km. Any route suggestions would be appreciated. I was thinking Dusseldorf or Cologne as stopping point on the night of 3/16.
Advice on routes through the Black Forest. Also is it worth staying/seeing anywhere else in the Back Forest besides Baden Baden.

ragerard

Definitely buy train tickets in advance. Deutsche Bahn site is bahn.com.

woobiee

Get the train tickets straight from the source with DB: https://www.bahn.com/en
I'd recommend the ICE 598 train first class. Very affordable and stress free. Stuttgart Hbf to Leipzig Hbf. I presume you are staying at the hotel that Porsche has partnered with for ED at the Steigenberger Grandhotel in Leipzig? It's about a 10 minute walk from the Hbf.

A great road to take around the Baden Baden area is the B500. Very scenic.

bobert75

The Black Forest High Road - B500 - basically runs north & south (maybe that's not ideal for your itinerary?). There are two separate parts to it - the northern chunk runs from Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt while the southern chunk runs from Triberg to Waldshut-Tiengen (the first part can be connected to the second part via B33 & B294). I plan to spend a day & night in Strasbourg in between driving the two parts of B500. It's only a one-hour drive from Freudenstadt to Strasbourg via B28 (I drove this once before back in 2017).

ragerard

On the 15th, if you like good steak and a great (very reasonably priced) wine list, book a table for dinner at Christophorus, the restaurant at the Porsche Museum. Great food, not cheap (but neither are the cars.

toph4242

I still can't believe you are going to have your Rubystar T in just a few weeks. You might even see mine on your factory tour. My scheduled build dates are 3/3-3/10... but if there are any delays at all, should be in the final assembly or the CP8.0 area when you walk through.
*I fully support the AP method before going on track. I am doing my ED with 2 college buddies and I know they are going to be chirping in my ear to open her up...but I will have to keep my cool and get the first 1.5 days of driving un under 4500rpm.
*I've spent some time in Dusseldorf... for sure more art/fashion focused... lots of interesting things to see, but I can't speak to Cologne....
*when you are in Baden-Baden you are pretty close to France... There are some beautiful country drives through that region as well and some good Wine/cheese tasting for sure! I would for sure +1 Strasburg recommendation given earlier.

woobiee

Agreed! Christophorus at the Zuff factory is great. The Leipzig restaurant...not so much unfortunately.

Angryinch

Can anyone recommend a really good wine tour in Baden Baden? Pinot Noir perhaps?

Angryinch

Good details right here for the Black Forest drive to Baden Baden, B500 looks great.

Here is a route I plotted from Stuttgart to Baden Baden via B500:

Baden-Baden, Germany to Roter Baum, Konrad-Adenauer-Straße 4, 70173 Stuttgart, Germany - Google Maps


EDIT:

This route through 462 looks decent too, anyone know a good route from the factory to Baden?

Porsche Museum to Baden-Baden, Germany - Google Maps

EDIT2:

Another route I found on here, does a loop around, the guy from Rennlist said this was full of good sights and roads.

Pennsylvaniastraße to Pennsylvaniastraße - Google Maps

Angryinch

Here is an older Porsche travel guide with various routes for Spa, Alps, Prague, etc etc:

European Delivery Travel Guide.pdf (dropbox.com)

reddysum

Thanks everyone for all the help and suggestions. I would do Chistophorus for lunch but do they offer a menu during lunch? When clicking the link it looks like a fixed menu. Maybe I need to email them. I won't have time to do dinner. Still have to find a way to put on miles from Leipzig to Spa in 1.5 days...

Angryinch

Here is a bunch of different routes for the Black Forest and Baden Baden. Different loops around or up to Baden, some really good info!

The complete driver's guide to the Black Forest - Part I - Through my eye (emodiblog.com)

garthg

Our car wasn't ready, but since they notified us only a week ahead, we made the trip anyway.
1. We had a choice of two hotels. We stayed in the one closed to the main Stuttgart Platz. It was very nice and we would recommend. I think it was the Althoff Hotel Am Schlossgarten.
2. No need to use a taxi. The Porsche factory is very near the train, and the main Stuttgart station (Hauptbahnhof) was close walking distance. Porsche gives you two taxi vouchers, but you can save them for something else.
3. You definitely should plan to spend two hours at least in the Porsche museum. We had a private guide who took us into the workshop.
4. Don't waste your time in the store.
5. They'll give you breakfast at the Porsche cafe.
6. If the weather is good, and you have time, visit the Wilhema Zoo and Park. Again, we took the train.