Procrastinateur

Over the years, we have sponsored 4 high school exchange student from Europe. The girls lived with us for 10 to 11 months while they attended high school in the United States.


We are travelling to Europe last part of July/first part of August to see "our" girls. And also meet the boy who will be living with us for the next school year.


We are planning on flying into Venice Italy, travelling through Innsbruck Austria and Strasbourg France on the way to the Nurburgring race track. Then travelling around Germany.


Does anyone know what is involved in driving the Nurburgring? Renting a car to drive at 8/10ths?


We want to visit a couple auto museums. First thought is to visit Porsche and BMW, and skip Mercedes and Volkswagen. Recommendations?


Where is the Corvette museum? Ok, just kidding.


Also trying to determine what travelling to do by rental car, and what do to by public transit.


All input is welcomed and appreciated.

TCracingCA

Are you kidding me! . Nurburgring Time Baby!!!!!!!

juanvaldez

I've been curious about some of the same things.

Nurburgring about $120 for four laps last I heard doable in rental car. Public transit is very good in cities and parking is a bitch. I visited Wolfburg but did not tour the factory (Christmas holiday), very nice place.

Mossy66

North of Innsbruck is a town called Seefeld. There's a restaurant there called the Wildmoos Alm. They have a small Schnapps fountain near the entry, self serve with shot glasses and a sign that says the first one is on us!

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...rian_Alps.html

Neuschwanstein Castle is a favorite, and there's a much older castle nearby for contrast. Hohoenschwangau.

https://https://www.tripadvisor.com/...a_Bavaria.html


https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...a_Bavaria.html

Daren67

You can rent any new model bmw at the headquarters in Munich. I rented a spec M3 for 1/2 day. Prices were reasonable. Look to reserve in advance.

eagles nest is a favorite of mine. That and the castle named above newswanlake in English

as to racing in the ringI l was told to rent the car there with insurance was the most practical and most convenient. Despite open to public there are ins and outs of getting decent lap time and the quickest way would be to rent a car there. I booked a beat up 3 series bmw with insurance. Pricey . I had to cancel due to snow. Got full refund. Plan to try again

Westlotorn

Wow good for you.
My son took his 99 twin turbo Corvette 900 HP on the Nurbergring, he thought he was pushing the car when a VW Golf GTI came up from behind and passed him. The regulars on that course can really drive.
If you hit the BMW museum in Munich they offer a great price to rent the new top of the line BMWs after your tour. If the tour ends close to closing time the car is not due back till the next morning.
My wife and son's rented the 6 series twin turbo and hit the autobahn at 170 mph and went to Austria for the night. They said you can do anything but spin the tires.
There is a castle we visited and the whole city is inside the castle walls, one of the few not destroyed by bombing in the war. Rothenburg, I think. It is worth your time to visit.
Most important have a beer in each little city or town you pass through.
Each town is very proud of their beers and they should be. I have never had so many fantastic beers. Never had a bad one.
Take your Debit card, most places accept debit or it allows you access to cash, Euros, many places would not accept credit cards or American cash. I was told this is because N Korea dumped so many phony $100 bills in Europe. Cabbies want Euros, no dollars.
When you use your debit card have someone block for you while you enter your pin.
There are professional thiefs waiting to steal your info. My wife was hit. It happens.
When a German company says they close at 5 pm they are driving out of the lot at 5.
Get there early or they won't help you.
Tipping at restaurants is odd in Germany, if you leave much it offends them.
If you go to a restaurant they expect you will stay relax and converse for quite some time while drinking of course. If you actually get drunk that is a social slap they don't accept that behavior.
Try a snickers bar while there. They only allow natural sugar, no corn syrup sweeteners and the taste is much better.
Those are my tips, you will have a great time.
Enjoy your trip.

69427

The Nurburgring is a must. Watch your mirrors, as the locals and regulars are a lot more familiar with the track (lots of blind type corners there) and will be running a lot faster pace than a noobie. There's a web camera at the track entrance (unless it's changed) and I've heard rumors that the rental car companies are starting to keep an eye on if any of their cars are being driven on the track. May or may not be an issue. Just FYI.

The track museum was pretty interesting too.

There is a real neat castle (Neuschwanstein IIRC) south of Munich. The wife and I enjoyed that. (Edit: I missed where Mossy66 already mentioned the castle.)

(Edit:Next door in Luxembourg is the military cemetery where Patton and many of our fallen military are buried. The locals take wonderful care of the property, and it's a very solemn/dignified/quiet place to visit.)

ohiovet

Went to Heppenheim (south of Frankfurt) on business a while back.
Took my wife, went to my business meeting then we rented a car (4 door Fiat) and drove around without a plan for a week.
It was wonderful, as were the people. English is spoken by most , but a little knowledge is appreciated by the locals.
My wife was in the army (previous husband) and I took her back to Bamberg where she lived. Great cathedral, sausage and wonderful "Smoked Beer".
Visited Heidelberg castle, Neuschwanstein castle, Zugspitz Mtn. , Innsbrock Austria, the Steif toy factory and museum, the ski jump at Garmisch, went into France for a glass of wine and lots more.
Driving was fantastic on the Autobahn, just remember to move over if someone is coming up on you from behind.
Would love to go back.
Bruce B

TCracingCA

The little sports Renaults for rent at the Nurburgring are the best deal for the price. Best to drive a complete late apex lap when either unfamiliar with a track or when you are in a slower car. The regulars in faster cars will dive in early apex to overtake you, which is best. You by doing that can blend into the flow of the turn traffic with way better pedal acceleration modulation and your exit is more on pace, helping to settle the chassis for what is coming next.

Do make sure that the insurance also covers the guard rail, because they charge you for those also!

93RubyRedCoupe

That sounds like a WONDERFUL trip, i am NOT jealous....

Jackfit

Hi, check out my post " The Car is Packed And Europe Awaits" or Facebook Corvette Vagabond or www.corvettevagabond.com

2 months and 10,000 miles with my 66 Roadster

Jack

desertpilgrim

Do the Ring's museum also; I would not skip the Mercedes museum; the gate for Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin has been saved; find it and the location of the wall; get some pictures of what-would-have-been East Berlin - 20 years after unification, the buildings themselves are darkly ominous. A side trip to Bastogne would be a must.

Geralds57

Corvette museum? I don't know how close you will be to Amsterdam, but believe it or not there is a corvette museum there. We're going on a Viking cruise in December that starts in Amsterdam and I plan on checking it out. It's in Wezep, just outside of Amsterdam. They have a huge collection of corvettes.

pmvette

Just a thought, only about 90 miles from the Nurburgring to Spa Franchorchamps. Drive most of the old GP circuit from the 30's - 60's, stop in Stavelot for a good car museum. Site of the WW II Malmedy Massacre is just east of the track. Used to be a great Model car shop in Franchorchamps, might still be there.

tuxnharley

Make sure to go to the Duetches Museum in Munich.Lots of German technological history, not just automotive. But they do have old Mercedes, Auto Union, etc pre WW II stuff.

TCracingCA

Being that you will be down in my ancestral family home area of the state of Baden and the Black Forest going to Stuttgart, you might want to check out the Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum. It is a very interesting one with space ships and Concorde Jets and stuff.

If you are traveling with Women, you must plan some stuff for them, maybe like the Faberge Museum or the Roman Bath Ruins or Women stuff also, things down Baden way!

2tired

Speaking of Munich, you must see the Mercedes dealership!! Multiple stories of glass with various Benz's on each floor.
Garmisch is beautiful, I spent 10 days there recently. As far as cool cars go, you should see lots of vintage Porsches roaming the streets, sometimes in packs.
You might even see one of these.

Revfan

Hey
I am in Stuttgart... but will probably be in the states while you are here

Tipping... as has been covered. Just round up a bit.. the "tip" is already figured into the price of the food, so if your bill is 32.10... 33 or 34 is ok.


Its best to have a reservation at a restaurant, and if you have a 6PM reservation, the expectation is that you will be there several hours. Service is kind of slow, no free ice water. The water you get will be bubbly water, usually in a bottle if you order. You can ask for water without gas... Wasser Ohh-neh Coal-an-zoy-rhe is how you would say it (wasser ohne kohlensäure). The Germans (and Europeans in general) tend to eat a bit later than Americans do. You can walk into a restaurant at 5:30 and it will have no one in it. Ask for a table and they will tell you they are full (Because when you book a reservation, you really get the table all evening). I have found that I can usually get seated if I tell them I will leave within the hour or so. So the table might be empty until 7:00 when the reservation comes in.

When in doubt, order a schnitzel. A lot of restaurants will have an english menu... you will have some time before the wait staff comes. They give you menus. Then they come to take your drink order... Then they bring the drinks... then they come to take your food order. A LOT of time can pass between all those steps. If you are short on time, have your food order ready with your drink order. "Beer fon fass... howlbe" would get you a local keg bier in a half liter. Most restaurants are privately owned... and a lot of times (not in the bigger cities) the family lives in the same building that the restaurant is in. So, the food is usually prepared fresh daily. Take the opportunity to try new things, and not pine for a burger and fries.


If you are driving in Germany... You might want to google tips as they do it a bit differently. Its expensive to get your licsense here, and they do take it seriously.
You ONLY pass on the left. If a car comes up behind you, you are expected to get over into the right lane to let them pass. On the autobahn, you will have Audi Stationwagons coming up behind you at 120+ mph, so you HAVE to use ALL mirrors at all times to see them (most US Drivers don't know they have these things called mirrors to let them see behind and beside you)

Also, in general, you YEILD to the right at intersections UNLESS its marked otherwise. When I first got here in 03, I got pissed because everyone was pulling out in front of me! Then I realized that they had the right of way.... ooops.


There is lots more stuff... obviously. But it should be an adventure for you. Go as many places you can with your "girls" so they can show you how the locals do it.

Italy and Germany is a good vacation mix.

I once read that "The Germans like the Italians, but they don't respect them... The Italians respect the Germans, but they don't like them..."

Have fun

PS
Stuttgart has the Mercedes museum which is VERY GOOD! It also has the Porsche museum, which I heard wasn't as nice... but still...
Also, MOTOR WORLD is a neat restaurant/museum concept, drink beer, eat food, and look at nice cars
http://www.motorworld.de/en/

Auto & Technik MUSEUM SINSHEIM is between Stuttgart and Frankfurt (kind of). Well worth the visit. Everything from Panther Tanks to Concorde jets

pmvette

Go to AAA to get an International Driver's License. You'll need a passport style photo. Then, you'll need to start studying this as most signs are symbols with little wording:
https://www.adac.de/_mmm/pdf/fi_verk...0915_30482.pdf

69427

I forgot about that one. Sounds like they've added a few things since I was last there. Interesting place.