[Kwando]

For over ten years, I’ve read countless BMW European Delivery journals on this forum and every day I’ve dreamt about doing one of my own. This past June I finally realized my dream and this is my experience. I’ll try to keep the text to a minimum and let the pictures do most of the talking. Be sure to check out my travel tips and highlight video at the end of my write-up!

Two years ago I proposed to my girlfriend and during the wedding planning process, I floated the idea of doing the European Delivery as a part our honeymoon. To my surprise she did not dismiss the idea. She was keen on the idea of traveling through Europe and what a better way to make our honeymoon more special by picking up our own BMW to use on the trip? So from there our plans started rolling.

We decided to take a three week honeymoon and selected our destinations:

• Munich, Germany
• Salzburg, Austria
• Hallstatt, Austria
• Vienna, Austria
• Budapest, Hungary
• Linz, Austria
• Heiligenblut/Grossglockner, Austria
• Venice, Italy
• Milan, Italy
• Lake Como, Italy
• Lucerne/Zurich, Switzerland, via Gottard Pass
• Back to Munich
• Trip Statistics, Trip Tips, Summary, and Extended Highlight Video (12 minutes)

In order to hit all the places we wanted, we stayed about 2 nights in each place we stopped at, which was more time than we thought we needed to fully experience each place. We’re the busy-body type who keep moving so although some may think that’s not enough time to actually see each City, it was enough for us. We avoided attractions that required really long lines or we went to attractions first thing in the morning so there were no or minimal lines. No regrets on the amount of time we spent in each place.

I purchased the car from Endras BMW in Ajax and they were immensely helpful throughout the process. I always dreamed that I would do the delivery with an M car but it wasn’t in the cards this time (I did have a wedding to pay for!). Going with a 340i xDrive was a great compromise.

Model: 2018 BMW 340i xDrive in Alpine White with Coral Red
Options: 704M, M Performance Package I and II, Essential Executive Package, Black Kidneys

My wife surprised me with a special cake a few days before our wedding

[Kwando]

Munich, Germany (Day 1 – 2)
We arrived in Munich the day before the delivery to get settled in and acquainted with the City. Our complimentary shuttle from SIXT picked us up in a 740d and chauffeured us off to Hotel Koenigshof. During our stay in Munich we visited the Victuals Market, Marienplatz, Hofgarten and other sights and shopping areas in the City Centre. We were on a strict diet of pretzels, goulash, schnitzel, potatoes, bratwursts, cured meats, and pickles.

Day 2 was delivery day. I scheduled the delivery appointment in the morning so we could partake in the 11:45 am factory tour (register in advance). We took the U-Bahn outside of our hotel to the Welt. As soon as we saw the Welt our expectations were immediately met. The experience and service from BMW was phenomenal. They really make you feel like a valued client. We checked into the front desk and we were ushered to the third floor to sign some paperwork. Following this we headed for the complimentary premium lounge. I thought I knew what to expect but I was blown away at how much food and drinks were available. We were at the Welt from 8am until 4pm so we probably visited the lounge for food and drinks about four times.

Come delivery time we met with our delivery specialist Rolf. It felt surreal walking down the same stairs that I use to see in pictures on the internet. My car was the first one parked in front of the stairs to greet me. Rolf reviewed all the car’s details before I took the car for a victory lap. No valet available so I parked in the garage and head back into Welt for the factory tour, which even my wife enjoyed. We planned to go to the Museum after but by that time it was BMW overload and for the sake of my wife’s sanity I decided we should skip the museum, creating an excuse to come back again in the future. You can definitely spend the entire day here at the Welt.

[Kwando]

Salzburg, Austria (Day 3)
On day 3 we packed up and left Munich for Salzburg. During the drive we stopped off at Winklstüberl. Worth it! Once we got to Salzburg we checked into a very traditional-looking Hotel Goldener Hirsch, which is conveniently located along the shopping street of Getreidegasse. We took in the sights and visited the birthplace of Mozart, churches, Mozartplatz, Kapitalplatz, Residenzplatz, Mirabellgarten, and the Museum of Modern Art.











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[Kwando]

Hallstatt, Austria (Day 4)
On day 4 we drove out of Salzburg to Hallstatt for our first taste of the Austrian Alps and it didn’t disappoint. The views were unbelievable and just kept getting better as we drove. We went to the Hallstatt Skywalk early to beat the crowds and it was worth getting up early. The only downer of the day was that I didn’t download all the pictures from my camera before I erased it. The only time I made this mistake on the trip. Hallstatt is also home to the world’s oldest active salt mine - we didn’t have time to check it out but the gift shop is accessible to those who go to the Skywalk. The salt that you buy there is much better quality than the ones you see in the gift shops in Salzburg. We headed back to Salzburg after.

[Kwando]

Vienna, Austria (Day 5 and Day 7)
Vienna is filled with beautiful architecture and amazing food. Checking out its cathedrals, shopping districts (Kohlmrkt and Mariahilfer Strreet), and Naschmrkt was a must for us. I had the best sausage on my trip at a little stall called Wurstelstand. They seem to have a few stalls here and there. Trying the Sacher Chocolate Torte from Sacher Hotel is also a must.

[Kwando]

Hungary, Budapest (Day 6)
My wife really wanted to go to Budapest so while in Vienna we joined a day trip to the capital. I can’t remember all the places we went to and it was hot as balls so I didn’t take many pictures but I can tell you that Budapest is a beautiful city and I would recommend visiting to anyone. Too bad the day we went the centre square was all blocked off due to a concert. However, the food and the architecture made up for the lack of major sights that day.

[Kwando]

Linz, Austria (Day 8)
Leaving Vienna we stopped in Linz for breakfast and found a place to try the famous Linzer Torte at Jindrak Cafe. We wandered for a bit before heading off to the Grossglockner.

[Kwando]

Heiligenblut / Grossglockner, Austria (Day 8)
Driving from Vienna to Venice was the longest drive of the trip so I decided to stop off in Heiligenblut for a day to break up the trip. It turned out to be a great decision and one of my personal highlights. We drove the Grossglockner High Alpine Road (toll road) and reached an altitude of approximately 2,500 ft.

[Kwando]

Venice, Italy (Day 9 and 10)
As we continued to make our way to Venice, the drive down Grossglockner was even more scenic than the day before, mostly because the weather had improved. Every turn we made we had to stop for pictures.

When we arrived to Venice we parked in the large parking garage on the island and took a public water boat to our Hotel Violino d’Oro in San Marco. Venice was by far my least favourite stop. I didn’t mind the crowds that much but everything was catered to tourists, which I guess I understand given such a reliance on tourism.

[Kwando]

Milan, Italy (Day 11 and 12)
Driving through the centre of Milan was the most stressful with no painted lines, big trucks moving through tight spaces, and scooters. I was happy to get to the garage and park the car unscathed. Our hotel was right next to the Duomo Cathedral, which was actually one of the few attractions we actually paid to get into. Being in Milan we did quite a bit of shopping here. Surprisingly we had some of the best food in Milan. Notable mentions of Piz and Gino Sorbillo for some amazing pizza.

[Kwando]

Moltrasio (Como), Italy (Day 13 and 14)
I was really looking forward to getting to Moltrasio as it would be the first chance we can actually relax. We found a great play to stay at Grand Hotel Imperiale Resort & Spa. It was by far the best hotel we stayed at during the whole trip. One of the primary reasons we stayed at this location is because it was one of the few places that had a private pool with a few of the water that was within out budget. After checking in we headed out to tour Villa del Balbianello before heading into Como proper. We ended the day by taking the furnacular up the mountain to Brunate for dinner and some of the best views of Como. The spent the next day lounging by the pool.

[Kwando]

Lucerne and Zurich, Switzerland (Day 15 and 16)
The drive from Como to Lucerne was short but the views were absolutely stunning. We could have spent the day exploring the roads but we were tight on time so we only have time to run the Gotthard Pass once. I’ll definitely be back. We arrive to Lucerne and checked into Ameron Hotel Flora, right next to the Chapel Bridge. My wife and I are chocolate lovers so in the afternoon we headed 40 minutes north to Zurich to take part in a Lindt chocolate all-you- can eat tasting.

The next day we took a tour to Mount Pilatus and did some hiking. The views were absolutely phenomenal.

[Kwando]

Munich, Germany (Day 17 and 18)
On the second last day we had to drive from Lucerne back to Munich. During the trip I finally had a chance to stretch the car’s legs on the autobahn and achieved 204 km/h. We stayed at Moxy Airport Hotel, which is a short distance to the airport.

We headed for a car wash near the airport the next day. I had originally planned to go to the Agip but it was on the opposite end of Munich Airport so I settled for the OMV self wash. All debris on the car must be removed from the car prior to shipping or they’ll charge you 42 euros for them to clean the car.

I arrived to the BMW drop off point and parked next to a stunning M550. Another M550 was parked there as well but suffered some unfortunate quarter panel damage from what I suspect was a tight parking garage. From there I signed off the final papers and said goodbye to the car, hoping that I’ll soon be reunited with it in the next few weeks.

[Kwando]

Trip Statistics
Days Traveled: 18 days
Kilometres Driven: 2,600 kilometres
Drive time: 27 hours
Hotel Cost: Average of $300 Canadian per night (200 Euros)
Spent in Petrol: $490 Canadian total (320 Euros)
Spent in Parking: Average of $33 Canadian per night (22 Euros)

Trip Tips

• When booking flights, my wife suggested selecting the special meal options. Not only are these healthier for you, they tend to be better than the standard meal you get and most importantly - we were served first. We sat in mid-section of economy class and we finished our meals before they even started serving the rest of the plane. This may be airline specific.
• Find the locations/attractions you want to see/do, then find the most convenient hotel with parking or was close to public underground parking. We maximized our sight-seeing time by staying in the most conveniently located hotel.
• I strongly recommend you do whatever you need to do to get data on your phone so you can use GPS (and social media) while you walk around. International roaming from my carrier is too expensive so I bought two data sim cards from https://www.ebay.ca/itm/202072152287. It worked..but it was an absolutely nightmare fiddling with the settings to get it working.
• Check https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice...p-country-list to find out if you need an International Drivers Permit for certain countries.
• You need a toll pass if you plan on driving on Austrian motorways, which can be purchased at gas stations. I like to plan in advance so I bought mine online from https://www.tolltickets.com/ (I also bought my Swiss pass here). You have to choose what date you want it valid for. I suggest getting one longer than you think you need. I got one that was valid for a few days during my stay in Austria, but at the very end of my trip I drove back to Munich from Zurich and had to pass briefly through Austria on an expired toll pass (oops!).
• European Delivery includes 14 days of insurance and no deductible at no charge. An added insurance cost is applied for time over the 14 day period. It’s not prorated so because I went over the limit by just a couple of days I had to pay $650.
• Keeping a full tank of petrol. With such a thirsty engine and small tank I almost ran out of petrol twice. I was also thinking that petrol would be cheaper in the small towns. Boy was I wrong. I found petrol to be cheapest in Austria and Germany compared to Switzerland and Italy.
• Along with the souvenir keychain (which they engrave for you), you also get discounts for certain items at the gift shop if you’re doing the delivery. Make sure you look at the flyer that they give you because there are some nice perks in there (i.e. free engraving for additional keychains that you purchase - a great gift idea for friends and family). When shopping at the Welt gift shop, focus on buying exclusive items rather than ones that you can find anywhere else.
• Always keep some loose change on you - most public bathrooms charge for usage; the “fancier” places have someone or a machine dolling out change but if there isn’t, you’re pretty much stuck!

Summary
I still can’t believe that the trip happened. Overall I’d say that the trip was immensely positive. We are already planning our next European Delivery trip since we didn’t get a chance to go to a number of places we wanted to go. If you’re on the fence about doing the program I can’t recommend it enough. Thanks for reading!

I put together a highlight video of our trip. Sorry that it’s 12 minutes long but there was too much I wanted to share. Also sorry if our music preferences aren’t the same!

[silvrbreez]

Thanks so much for sharing. A honeymoon for your wife and your car all wrapped up into one!

Loved all the pics, but that shot of the goat on the hill was just amazing.

[Kwando]

Originally Posted by silvrbreez

Thanks so much for sharing. A honeymoon for your wife and your car all wrapped up into one!

Loved all the pics, but that shot of the goat on the hill was just amazing.

Thanks bud!

[.BMW.]

Looks lika a great ED.

Thanks for sharing all beautiful photos!

[cfm56d7b]

What an amazing trip and thank you for sharing. Although I did not have a chance to do European Delivery yet, pictures from Vienna, Lucerne bring back memories. Yes, sacher torte at Hotel Sacher is a treat.

How did you plan your parking while traveling through Europe? Did you manage to find safe parking garages? I remember parking at Marriott in Milan, Italy and the largest parking garage could accommodate was no larger than a small Fiat.

The choice of Coral Red interior is fantastic.

[rayxi]

Wow, congrats on the wedding & new car. Sounds & looks like you're living the dream.

[Kwando]

Originally Posted by rayxi

Wow, congrats on the wedding & new car. Sounds & looks like you're living the dream.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

What an amazing trip and thank you for sharing. Although I did not have a chance to do European Delivery yet, pictures from Vienna, Lucerne bring back memories. Yes, sacher torte at Hotel Sacher is a treat.

How did you plan your parking while traveling through Europe? Did you manage to find safe parking garages? I remember parking at Marriott in Milan, Italy and the largest parking garage could accommodate was no larger than a small Fiat.

The choice of Coral Red interior is fantastic.

Thanks! Of course on site hotel parking was preferred but if it wasn't available I used Contipark or just plain Googling. Parking spaces were definitely tight! I'm glad I wasn't driving a 5 Series. At the end of the trip there was 550i at the drop-off location with a damaged rear quarter panel from what I suspect was from a tight parking garage.

Originally Posted by .BMW.

Looks lika a great ED.

Thanks for sharing all beautiful photos!

Thank you!

[_bdiddyb_]

Very beautiful pictures. Thank you for planning my future M Delivery. LoL

[mike@x-ph.com]

Very nice!!

Im going there in September