You know know you're in the right place as soon as you de-plane, BMW Ad, Munich Airport, Germany

European Car Delivery Programs to Travel on a Budget

Hey Trippers,

Because most of my trip to Europe in May was driving, I had to shop around for car rentals.  It’s not fun but shopping around will get you a better rate and save you some big money.  Many of the bargain websites on-line don’t connect to European Rental Car companies.  So, it takes diligence.   The rates for large size rental cars with enough room to hide your belongings/luggage out of site are ridiculously expensive!  And during peak season (another downfall of peak season) availability is limited, if not sold out.  I found a way to save money, increase car size, and maintain comfort.  Buy a car in Europe!

Background: Originally my trip was Seattle to London to Rome, and back.  I was going to drive south to Naples, Lecce, and Reggio di Calabria (the point of the boot shape of Italy).  From there I was going to ferry over to Sicily.  Then, back to Rome.

How the final itinerary ended up being a flight from London to Munich and driving to Salzburg, Trieste, Venice, Verona, and Innsbruck was because I decided to purchase a new BMW in Welt, Munich, Germany.  My old car had reached its 4^th year and the warranty was going to be up.  Mind you, this decision was made last minute in the car-ordering-world.

Typically, the process needs at least 60 days to happen and I was at 45 days.  But due to the economic conditions, there was a slot available at the BMW factory to build me a car to my specifications in that time.  My airline status enabled me to change my previously booked Mileage Award Ticket (last second in the Mileage Award world) without penalty.  The downside was choice of flights but I made it happen.

Here’s the pluses of ordering a car on the European Delivery Program:

• Minimum of 60 days is usually required.

• Savings of 7 – 10% over a purchase in your home country.

• Order, negotiate, and finance (if necessary) the deal at your local dealership before you go.

• Order the car to be built with the exact specifications you want.

• Car Registration and Insurance is included while you drive around Europe – most for up to a month.  You can extend it for a fee.

• You will save Rental Car Hire fees, which can be exorbitant.

• You’ll find a wide variety of drop-off points and not all are seaports.

• Free or reduced rate accommodation and/or airfare may be included in your manufacturer’s European Delivery Program.

Here’s the minuses of buying a car with the European Delivery Program:

• You have to plan your trip around pick up and drop off points.

• Drop off points may include an extra charge.

• Financing – The program only makes sense financially if you are going to pay cash for your car or get a finance interest rate lower than your savings interest rate (assuming you keep the cash for the car in savings or invested).

• Availability of free or reduced rate accommodation and airfare is tight and the reduced rates may still be more expensive than you can get on your own.

You can find more information from the following manufacturers.

Audi

BMW

Mercedes Benz

Porsche

Saab

Volvo

The only downside of our European Delivery Experience was the Drop-off.  More on that later . . . .  Next time I will be prepared for the drop off process and there WILL be a next time.  Here’s a few photos from the experience . . . .

BMW Headquarters, Welt, Munich, Germany

Bring your appetite for the buffet in the lounge, BMW Welt, European Delivery, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

The Tornado, Architect Wolf Prix, BMW Welt Munich Germany

Car Delivery Elevator delivers your car to the delivery platform BMW Welt Munich Germany

BMW Welt European Delivery Presentation Platform is in a spiral, Munich Germany

Classic Beamer, BMW Museum, Munich, Germany

Hydrogen Car, BMW Museum, Munich, Germany

Temporary Art Installation, BMW Museum, Munich, Germany

Happy Tripping,

Carter

Hey Trippers,

Here’s a heads up to the new TSA airline passenger screening.  They want yet more information.  They will be asking you for your birth date and sex.  Redundant if you ask me.  I can’t be issued a ticket without my ID being approved anyway.  Washington Post article HERE.

Just a reminder:  When you book a ticket, always but the ticket using you name exactly as it is written on your ID.   This means same spelling, no nicknames, and middle initials.  If it isn’t the same you WILL NOT be allowed to travel.

Happy Tripping, Carter

Crammed in like sardines

Does the title tell you how mad I am?  And I know the ins and outs of the game.  I got a call from a good friend of mine asking about his seat selection for a flight he’s taking next week.  I told him to go on line to his airline’s website, enter in his Flight Confirmation Code, and change his seat.  He couldn’t do it!  The airline wouldn’t let him do it.  Three reasons:

Capacity - When your flight has reached 80% capacity all seat assignments defer to the airport check-in.  Even if you arrive very early, chances are the highly desirable seats won’t be available.   So, it is crucial you book the seats you want immediately when you book your flight.

Status – Your status with the airline is not high enough to allow you to make the changes.  Yesterday, I booked a trip to the East Coast and because of my status with the airline and my membership in the Mileage Program; I was assigned my seat preferences as default.  I prefer aisle seats so I can mover about the cabin easily and without disturbing anyone.  My seat preferences are in my profile with the airlines mileage program.  If you are traveling with someone who has a higher status and you book your travel together, you can tether to their status for better seat selection.

Revenue - Your Airlines hold back prime seating to SELL to passengers at the airport.  It’s come to the point where you have to pay through the nose for 5 MORE measly inches!  But to someone who’s overweight that could be the difference between agony and comfort.  If I had higher status with my airline I’m flying, I would have been defaulted to these seats at no extra charge.

All of this is a reminder for you to select your seating carefully when you book your flight – otherwise you can expect an elbow in both your sides or someone sleeping on your shoulder.

Seat Configuration Websites – Consult the following websites to help you with the process:

Seat Guru

Seat Expert

For more on an iPhone App to use as resource for seating information on-the-go.  CLICK HERE

Happy Tripping,
Carter

Hey Trippers,

One travel tip I’ve learned over the years I can pass on is flexibility.  Especially, when it comes to accommodation.   I have never understood how anyone can book two weeks of accommodation in advance.  I can understand it if you go for a weekend – or maybe a week away – in a popular destination’s peak season.  (But I wouldn’t recommend that you go during that time anyway.)

Open to Whimsy from Your “Hub”

When I run through many of my travel memories that have stuck with me and felt like a real sense of adventure, they happened when I practiced flexibility.   All too often I find that I enjoy a place too much that I want to spend more time there – or rarely, less.  If I have a week of reservations ahead of me that can’t be broken, I can’t enjoy that place longer.  I tend to book accommodation in a destination and look at it as being a hub.  I use the “hub” as a base and go in each direction exploring, then move on to the next “hub”.

Visit a Tourist Office and Use the Web!

I know, you think you don’t want to waste time going from hotel to hotel after you arrive at your destination.  Most destinations have tourist offices that are more than happy to assist you.  On this trip, we made sure we booked accommodation with Internet, either in room or lobby.  We used www.booking.com,  www.lastminute.com, and our “reward points” websites.  There was plenty of availability.  This trip showed me the value of having an iPhone or an Internet connecting PDA.  You can literally book while you travel.  This freedom allows you to stop, explore, linger, and stay – or – move on if a destination doesn’t meet your expectations.

Two Must Nights to Pre-Book Accommodation

The one area I don’t allow any flexibility in my accommodation booking is the day I land and the night before I take off.   I book the first night or two and the last night – well before I leave.  The reserved accommodation will be near my first day destination and near the airport of my departure on the night before.  I make sure I’m booked the first night because I won’t be in any condition to book or search for a hotel when I land (given the time change and the length of air travel).

A Dangerous Landing

On this trip, I landed at Heathrow airport, rented a car, and drove two hours to my hotel that was pre-booked in Birmingham, Midlands.  I was traveling with someone who, thankfully, did the driving.  If I were alone there would have been serious problems.  I could not keep my eyes open.  I was exhausted from the long flights, not enough sleep, and the pre-departure preparations.  If I were alone, I would have stopped to nap in the car after leaving the airport.  It was that bad.  So, plan well.  Evaluate how you really are when you land on the first day of your trip.  Packing and negotiating airports and public transport is exhausting.

Ensure a Delightful Finish

The final night of my trip is booked because I do not take any chances with my getting to the airport on time.  I would not recommend being any further than one hour or less drive from the airport you’re departing from, especially, if you have a departure before noon.  What could happen?  Lots . . . . You could be ill after an exhaustive trip or exposure to a virus or bacteria.  You could be involved in or delayed by a car / public transport accident or delay.  You could have left a belonging / electronic / camera lens, passport along your trip and need to go back for it making you late for your flight.  At least if you have a room reserved, you could stop to rest and regroup for your departure flight.

Still Able to Maintain Budget

Booking a room at a hotel near the airport doesn’t have to be expensive.  Most accommodation caters to business travelers.  You will easily find a better rate on weekends.  There are less expensive hotels located a bit further from the hotel that often offer a free shuttle as an incentive for you to stay there.  (Book that shuttle in advance, if possible)  Rates on weekdays will be higher but usually a busy international airport will have a wide variety of nightly rates and amenities.

On this trip, I booked my final night at the Sheraton Frankfurt Hotel & Towers.  It is literally attached to the airport.  What a pleasure it was and a great way to finish my trip by waking, having a good breakfast, and walking over a skybridge into the airport terminal.  I booked a room using a Starwood Preferred Guest “Cash and Points” scheme.  I used 4000 Starpoints and paid US$60.00(€42.00) for the convenience.

Upgrade!!!

When, I arrived, I checked into the spacious room with modern amenities – and found it was dirty from the previous night!  I called down to the front desk.  They apologized and assigned me another room with a room upgrade.  I was now on the Executive Floor!  This gave me access to the Executive Lounge.  The lounge was spacious, included (at no extra charge) all the chef-prepared food, snacks, beverages (soft drinks, wine, beer, liquor), and a breakfast buffet in the morning.  What a way to finish a trip!

Happy Tripping,

Carter