sno_duc

Hello all.
I have a few questions, but first some background.
We are taking delivery of a 981 Cayman on 6/23.
Carman red, PASM, PTV, PDK, 14 way seats, Premium plus.
This will be our third ED, wife's 328 June 2012, and my 335 December 2014.
Itinerary.
Leave Anchorage on Tuesday 6/14, arrive Frankfurt Wednesday 6/15. Condor non-stop over the top.
Fly to Paris, two nights in Paris.
Friday 6/17 train to Le Mans.
24 hours of Le Mans, general admission tickets and reserved seats in the Tertre Rouge grandstands purchased.
Monday 6/20 train to Stuttgart.
Handover 0830 on 6/23.
Friday 6/24 drive to Murren Switzerland.
Monday 6/27 drive to Alsace region of France.
Thursday 6/30 drive to Frankfurt.
Friday 7/1 wash car and turn it in.
Saturday 7/2 fly home and the wait begins.

With a 0830 handover, what time should we get there? 0730?
Any tips for a newbie at the 24 hours of Le Mans?
What's a good airline to get from Frankfurt to Paris? Looked at both DB and TGV, trains are out would not get to our hotel until 2330.

otisdog

They're German...8:30 means 8:30. But there is a lot of construction in town, so your Taxi ride might take awhile...
Paulaner in Stuttgart is fun for food & Bier.
Le Mans - bring rain gear...you'll be one of many Rennlisters attending. Take a walk...at least try to get to the Porsche curves... The tram from the train station will get you close to TR. Mulsanne and Arnage are great, but they're tough to get to. I'm renting e-bikes this year to get around. Oh, and have a Gran Marnier crepe....
Can't help with the flights, I'm a train guy...
We're taking delivery on the 13th.
Have a great trip!

sno_duc

Spent enough time in Germany, you can set your watch by the train schedule. If it says 0801, you had better be on board, because at 0801:05 the doors are shut and it's rolling.

We also love European trains, last ED took the CNL sleeper train from Amsterdam to Munich. This time around if our flight from Anchorage arrived an hour sooner trains would work.

Le mans, I have heard that it always rains for the 24 hours. One of the reasons for reserved seats in a covered grandstand. I've read about the crepes at Le Mans. In the "village"? Where exactly? How is the go-cart track? Thinking about having some fun with the wife.

mb1

Lufthansa and Air France have lots of nonstop flights between Frankfurt and Paris

917k

Trains like clockwork.

Le M: it's tiring. On Wed it's great to see at night so perhaps go a bit later to see some night running.

It can be a bit of a madhouse so budget extra time time to/from. I think some days we took ~ 2-2.5 hrs to get in, parked and to our seats last time ('14). Lots of roads ingressing/egressing get blocked off by the police so can be a wild good chase - nonlinear - getting back.

Good walking shoes; walk around the track. Weather can suddenly turn so have rain gear.

Do do the Ferris wheel when the cars are running. The view of the cars running through the S's etc is great.

In the paddock the Porsche and other tents are worth visiting. Also, there's a Porsche pop-up store at top $ (EUR) but can get some interesting selections.

Keep an eye out for a huge gaggle of 911s: last time I was there a grp was running; most 911s I've ever seen on a public road - of course after years the return of Porsche in '14 w/ 919 Was A Very Big Deal. I have a cool t-shirt as a memento. One day I parked at Leonardo DaVinci's last residence, Clos Lucé, and the car park and side streets was filled w/ 911s.

I wish I had been driving a new P-car last time (I had a rented Merc) then - on the other hand - no paranoia re parking

Oh, and I have seen some amazing cars driving on public roads, or parked at small towns around Le M: like full-on 956s/962s etc.

otisdog

Okay, the village is basically due east of the Dunlap arch entering the esses...When you get your crepes. please note the large bottle of Gran Marnier on the counter....it is your to do as you please!
Fun with your wife? Ferris wheel after large amounts of Gran Marnier...or what ever your pleasure is...!

sno_duc

Thanks to all for the Le Mans tips.
We are staying at the Hotel am Schlossgarten.
It appears that there is an underground parking garage close by.
Has anyone used this garage? Is it safe?

Would the S-bahn be a better way to get from hotel to Porsche on delivery day?

otisdog

I'm beginning to think about doing this....everytime I look at Stuttgart on google earth, much of the city is red and orange...

mb1

It's a single 30-40 minute cab ride from from the hotel to the factory. It's no big deal. Use the vouchers and don't overthink it.

sno_duc

True.
Even after a couple of EDs as the date draws near, you become like a 6 year old on December 23rd.

To anyone who has not done an ED, it is the only way to go.
Be warned EDs are addicting, we were talking about the next one on the cab ride from BLG Amsterdam (drop off) back to our hotel.

otisdog

I haven't done a ED for decades (i'm old!) and this will be my first Porsche ED. Not excited yet, but I'm sure that it will come.

Need4S

Wasn't it confusing finding the drop off place in Amsterdam? The name on the building was not the same as the name on the Porsche drop off directory. Also, despite Amsterdam being a port, the cars are not put on a ship there, but trucked to Bremerhaven where they join other export Porsches for the boat ride to the US.

sno_duc

OH YEAH!!!
Finally stopped at one of the industrial warehouses and asked for directions, he sent us down some goat path. Call the number and got directions.
Once you've been there it's easy.
Left at the only stop light, 500 meters past the roundabout, red brick building.

Need4S

Yes, red building with Ter Haak Group on it!

917k

Yes: Take the S-bahn.

In fact I do this in any euro city - have done early AM drives around Paris, Muenchen etc - but then it's park and Metro/S-bahn. Easier and no stress w/ parking.