Bratislava’s strategic position (it sits astride the Danube River and is the only capital city in the world to border two independent countries, Austria and Hungary) and multi-cultural history have lured many global companies to the city, bringing many business travelers with them.

Since 2010, there has been yet another good reason to visit the city: the Kempinski Hotel River Park.  Located in the newly-built River Park business complex, on the banks of the Danube, the hotel is minutes away from Bratislava’s historic Old Town and close to the city’s castles, museums, and monuments.

As we drove up (I was accompanied by Christian Stampfer, our European Editor), the hotel’s Rolls Royce Phantom sedan, which transports guests at no charge to various destinations within the city, was parked in front.  The doorman ignored the Rolls, welcomed us to the hotel, and escorted us to the front desk.  As we checked in, we were offered a cup of warm tea made with fruit and wine which was so good I took another cup up to the room.

THE ROOM

My Executive Club Room, located on a high floor, was warm and inviting and had wonderful views of the Danube.  A fruit platter, which welcomes every guest at the hotel, was waiting for me on the side table.

The king-size bed was extremely comfortable and I woke up refreshed and ready for the challenges the next day. The mini-bar included a choice of complimentary beverages as well as some that were available for purchase. The bath area merits special mention as the water temperature in the standalone shower (there is a separate tub) was digitally controlled (see the slide show).

The climate control was easy to use but, as Christian found out in his room (which was identical to mine), it could not be turned off completely.

ROAD WARRIOR SUPPORT

The generously-sized writing desk gave me plenty of room to spread out.  The good-looking desk chair was comfortable and supportive (a rare combination). Wireless internet access was fast and free.

The Executive Lounge, in addition to being a comfortable place to relax with drinks, has two private meeting rooms reserved for Executive Club level guests.

The Zion Spa offers a variety of stress-relieving treatments but my favorite was the Alpha Sphere, which, perhaps somewhat in keeping with Bratislava’s UFO bridge, was out of this world.

The Alpha Sphere combines light and sound, a lounge-type chair, and an enclosed space. During the treatment, which lasts about 40 minutes, the sound is felt throughout one’s entire body and, when combined with the monochromatic blue color, the gentle rocking of the chair, and the chair’s warmth, serves to decrease stress and tension and (according to the Alpha Sphere’s creators) enhance creativity, lower blood pressure, and widen one’s perception.   I definitely felt less stress and tension after my treatment, as did Chris after his.

For meetings and gatherings, the hotel’s 11 elegant and modern meeting and banquet rooms can accommodate as many as 340 people and as few as six.

DINING

The River Bank Brasserie serves breakfast as well as lunch and dinner. The breakfast buffet offers a vast assortment of freshly baked breads (the hotel has a German baker in house), cheeses, cold cuts, fish, cereals, yogurts, and juices as well as an unlimited menu of hot items.  The waffles with warm maple syrup were particularly tasty.

The Arte Restaurant offers unique food and wine pairings in a relaxed atmosphere.  The Park Lounge, located off the lobby, has a wonderful wine list (I could have spent hours examining the wine wall).  I tried the Kempinski White (2009), which was half chardonnay and half rulandské šedé (Pinot Grigio), and it was the best Slovakian wine I had on my visit.  It was somewhat complex with a lively acidity but extremely well-balanced.

In the Executive Club lounge, a light breakfast is served in the morning and canapés are served in the evening, along with drinks.  Beverages including a variety of juices are available throughout the day.

BOTTOM LINE

Business travelers invoke multiple criteria when choosing a hotel but stress reduction is rarely on the list.  Stepping into the Kempinski River Park’s airy lobby began a process that continued throughout my stay and made me feel relaxed and stress free despite a hectic schedule.

Small details make one’s stay memorable and the staff did everything possible to make our stay pleasant, in some cases going above and beyond the call of duty.  When my camera’s battery lost its charge more quickly than expected (and I didn’t have the charger along since it usually lasts over a week), a member of the hotel’s staff made arrangements for the battery to be charged overnight at a local camera store and she delivered the fully charged battery to me the next morning.

The Kempinski Hotel River Park Bratislava is only 35 minutes from Vienna International Airport and is easily reachable by car or train from major European cities.  I hope to be returning soon.

Kempinski Hotel River Park
Dvořákovo nábrežie 6
811 02
Bratislava, Slovakia
Tel +421 2 3223 8222
www.kempinski.de

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

KEMPINSKI RIVER PARK – THE ROOM

KEMPINSKI RIVER PARK – HOTEL ENVIRON

KEMPINSKI RIVER PARK – DINING

A short walk along the Wachaustraße took us to the the main retail location for Wieser, a purveyor of local apricot marmalade (Marillenmarmalade) and apricot liquor (Marillenlikör).  After stocking up, it was off to lunch at Holzapfel’s Prandtauerhof, also in Weißenkirchen.  Lunch started with an étagère (see photos in slide show), followed by roast sirloin with potatoes, and finally Marillenknödel (apricot dumplings).  Holzapfel is one of the many vintners in the Wachau and each course was accompanied by a local wine.

Winzer Krems is a local cooperative of growers in the Wachau and has an amazing wine production facility.  A tour and tasting here is highly recommended.

Then it was off to Stift Göttweig, an abbey that is also in the wine making business.  Note the view from their terrace towards the valley.

Dinner was at the Nigl winery in Senftenberg.  We started with marinated salmon, a foamy soup of carrot and ginger, prime rib of beef, and a curd cheese tartlet with apricot sorbet.  Each course was accompanied by one of Nigl’s wines, ranging from a 2008 Riesling Senftenberger Piri to a 1999 Grüner Veltliner Zweittl to a 2007 Eiswein for the dessert course.

The slide show takes you through the day.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

The ultimate souvenir: our 3er Series parked in front of the Hilton Budapest WestEnd

In recent years, savvy business travelers have joined the thousands of Americans who each year take a trip to Munich, Germany with one goal in mind.  Unlike other tourists, they are not there for the beer, the Schnitzel, the museums, and art galleries.  The real reason for the trip: to pick up a new BMW at BMW’s factory delivery center.

Some business travelers are en route to or from a meeting; others simply hop over to Munich for the day to garner the savings. Still others, including myself, integrate the European Delivery experience into a business trip cum holiday.

For years, BMW has offered its customers the option of picking up their cars at the factory.  After delivery, and being driven on the Autobahnen, Bundesstraßen, Landstraßen, and Autostrade of Europe, the car is shipped by the manufacturer back to the United States.  The trip has almost become a ritual for some; indeed a third of BMW’s customers have picked up a car at the factory in previous years. I am a member of that group, having joined the club in January 1982.

2363 BMWs were sold through BMW’s European Delivery program in 2005; BMW expects the number for 2006 to be even higher. European Delivery packages can include significant discounts (published discounts are seven percent on most models; individual dealers will frequently offer even better pricing), discounted or free airfare, meals, and the thrill of a factory tour that is the birthplace of the car being picked up.

For many, the opportunity to drive a BMW in its native habitat, the German Autobahn, is a major draw.  And for the business traveler who might be driving between cities for meetings, there is no need for a rental car.

EARLY DAYS

The European Delivery program has its roots in the 1950s when members of the U.S. armed forces returning from Europe brought with them a taste for smaller, sportier European cars. Many shipped their own cars to the States.

At the time, other than the occasional Volkswagen Käfer (Beetle), a non-U.S. manufactured vehicle was an unusual sight in the United States.  The eventual appearance of foreign cars was mostly due to Max Hoffman, the Austrian emigrant automotive entrepreneur who, starting in 1948, single-handedly created the imported car business in the United States and during his career marketed Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jaguar, and BMW vehicles.

The author's 1982 BMW 320iS near his residence in Munich at the Studentenstadt Freimann

In the mid 1960s, with the advent of the jet age, Hoffman saw an opportunity to boost both sales and mindshare for BMW by offering prospective buyers the opportunity to take their first European vacation and drive around Europe in their own car (naturally, a BMW), which would follow them back to the U.S., giving the traveler a unique experience, saving money on the car purchase, and eliminating rental charges.

Hoffman was not alone. By the end of the decade, Mercedes, Saab, Volvo, Porsche, and Volkswagen all offered factory delivery for tourists.

ARRANGING YOUR EUROPEAN DELIVERY

European Delivery sales are arranged through dealers in the United States.  Many dealerships have one salesperson as a designated specialist.  Buyers should expect more paperwork (after all, buying a car usually doesn’t involve one’s passport) and need to be aware that the wait time for redelivery can be six to eight weeks.

Each BMW comes with premium auto insurance with no deductible for 14 days.  It can be extended at extra cost.  Each car is custom built; orders should be placed at least two months prior to the desired delivery date but depending on scheduling, a month in advance might work in some cases.  Buyers need to be aware of German (and other national) holidays when making travel plans; the delivery center is closed on German holidays and drop-off centers (over a dozen throughout Europe) are also likely to be closed on local holidays.

THE PROCESS

In the past ten months, I ordered two BMWs for factory delivery (one for me, one for my partner).  Placing the orders was easy.  The first car was a 2006 330xi in Sparkling Graphite, delivered in November 2005; the second was a 2006 325i in Japanrot (“Electric Red” in the U.S.) picked up in August 2006.

THE TRIPS

In November 2005, I combined a BMW factory delivery with client meetings in Munich and Vienna.  In 5 days, I covered 2426 km and four countries (Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Italy). I crossed international borders 22 times.   I only had meetings on the first and final days of my trip so I was able to plan each day’s drive the night before, choosing my destination primarily based on the promise of good weather.

Alongside the Donau (Danube) River in the Wachau Valley, Niederösterreich (Lower Austria)

After picking up my 330xi in Munich last November, my partner Dan Lafler decided he would like a new Japanrot (“Electric Red” in the U.S.) 3er .  I had a client meeting in Vienna planned so we planned a trip that would have us visiting three major cities on the Danube: Budapest, where the river is called the Duna; Bratislava (Preßburg), where it is called the Dunaj; and Vienna, where it is the Donau.  The Danube, the longest river in continental Europe, is a crucial link between the east and the west.  It has served as a frontier, separating warring parties, and as a blue artery of life, carrying food and people.

We arrived on 31. July around noon and were met by Rolf Raffelsieper (see resources).  Rolf brought us to our hotel, the Holiday Inn on the Leopoldstraße, but wasn’t inclined to let us relax from the trip; instead, we immediately headed out to the Biergarten at Kloster Andechs, one of the best breweries in Bavaria.

The next morning we were off to the factory delivery center and soon were on the way to Budapest via Austria.

Before crossing the border into Austria, we stopped at a Raststation and purchased a Mautvignette (toll sticker) valid for 10 days at a cost of €7,60. This is required on the Autobahn in Austria  (another is needed for Hungary, where they call it a Matrica).

Driving on the autópálya (highway or Autobahn) in Hungary

We entered Hungary at the border crossing Nickelsdorf/Hegyeshalom.  Hungary, although now part of the European Union, does not yet have a Schengen border (countries that have signed the Schengen agreement have removed border checks between participating countries), so passports are checked and stamped.

After a 700 kilometers drive, we arrived at the Hilton West End in Budapest.

For the next two and a half days, the 3er sat and we walked. We walked across the Lanchid(Chain Bridge) to Castle Hill, taking the cog railway up, and explored the hills of Buda including the spectacular views from Gellérthegy (Gellert Hill).

Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities on the Danube, a place that was intellectually and culturally drawn by the river toward Vienna and the West.   The Duna (Danube) divides the city into its two component parts, Buda and Pest, flowing beneath the famous bridges that link the two halves.  The river itself is the heart of the city, passing before the neo-Gothic Parliament building and the great castle of the Hungarian kings.

The view from Bratislava Castle

Finally, it was time to leave Budapest and get back in the BMW.  After 190 rainy kilometers and two hours of driving, we arrived in central Bratislava, parking in the Old City.  As we walked to Bratislava Castle, overlooking the Dunaj, it drizzled on and off. However, it was worth the walk since the views of the city were magnificent.

Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is situated near the borders of Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.  Bratislava was closely linked with Vienna, only 60 kilometers away, and was an important center of economic, political, and cultural life similar to other European capitals.

Soon it was time to continue to Vienna, our last Danubian city.  Vienna, an opulent city with a stubborn majesty as the capital of a long-gone empire, is a city of palaces, museums, concert halls, opera houses, and parks, the capital of a country that has what may very well be the largest per capita cultural budget in the world.  Of course, Johann Strauß II composed what has become the unofficial Austrian anthem, An der schönen blauen Donau, reflecting the Blue Danube’s importance to Vienna.

The next day, despite the rain, we still made it to the top of Stephansdom for incredible views of the city, walked through the Stadtpark, where the presence of Strauß and Beethoven is felt everywhere and shopped appropriately.  The afternoon and evening were reserved for meetings.  After all, this was business travel.

A Beisl, or small restaurant, at the Old Danube (Alte Donau)

The next day, the sun came out as we drove to Schloß Schönbrunn, the Habsburg summer palace.  After touring the castle and grounds, we drove 84 kilometers to Dürnstein (the town where Richard Löwenherz (Lionhearted) was held captive; it was too rainy to hike up to the ruins where he had been imprisoned so we “settled” for dining a local restaurant (which featured the local wines from the Wachau region, such as Grüner Veltliner).

The final full day in Vienna included a trip to the Alte Donau (Old Danube), a beach/resort area.  The following morning, we drove to the offices of Auto-Service Wien, the local agent for E.H. Harms, BMW’s shipper, where we turned in the car with 1416 kilometers on the clock.

A quick taxi ride to the airport and we were on our way back to New York. The car wouldn’t be far behind.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

10 STEPS TO EUROPEAN DELIVERY

1.) Ca. three months before the desired date, pick out the color and options, and negotiate the price.

2.) Sign the purchase order, which your dealer then submits to the European Delivery department with your desired delivery date.

3.) Your car is manufactured ca. 30 days prior to delivery.

4.) You pay for the car, usually 14 days before scheduled pick up day; if you are leasing, your lease starts on this day.

5.) You pick up the car in Munich.

6.) You drop the car off in Europe (within 30 days for BMWFS lease, 90 days for BMWFS finance, 6 months otherwise; insurance for 14 days is included).

7.) Car is transported to port and then put on board ship.

8.) Your car reaches USA (from drop-off, this takes up to 3-4 weeks for the East Coast, 5-6 weeks for the West Coast)

9.) Vehicle clears customs, is processed at the VDC and shipped to the dealer. (Depending on a variety of factors, including how backed up U.S. Customs is, this can take 1-2 weeks.)

10.) Redelivery.

ADVICE

Some suggestions to make the European Delivery experience more fun and less stressful for American visitors:

• Order Satellite Navigation and get the DVD for Europe.  Arriving hours late for a business meeting is bad for business. Getting lost on the byways can spoil your fun.
• Learn a few phrases in German and the language(s) of any countries you will be visiting.  “Danke” (thank you), “bitte” (please and you’re welcome), and “Guten Morgen” (good morning) will go a long way.
• Plan for local weather.  Don’t order a car with summer (performance) tires for a mid-December delivery.
• Don’t overplan.  Many first-time visitors to Europe try to see everything.  Pick a few destinations and get to know them well.
• Verify the location and hours for your intended drop-off location when you are at the Delivery Center.

EUROPEAN DELIVERY RESOURCES

BMW NA Web Site

BMW presents an overview of European Delivery, including pricing, at http://www.bmwusa.com/bmwexperience/europeandelivery/

European Delivery forum at Bimmerfest.

Over 10% of BMW’s European Delivery customers utilize this online forum, asking questions and making travel plans, www.bimmerfest.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=25

Rolf Raffelsieper – BMW Pick-up Service

Herr Raffelsieper started working at BMW in 1967.  For a very reasonable fee, he will pick you up at Flughafen München Franz Josef Strauß and take you directly to the BMW European Delivery Center or to your hotel.  He can also arrange various tours, including visits to BMW facilities of interest.  E-mail Rolf at rolf.raffelsieper@web.de

Ricki Shamen, DiFeo BMW

I have worked with Ricki on multiple European Deliveries (and several U.S. deliveries) over the past 16 years. rshamen@unitedauto.com

European Delivery 2006 Calendar

As a fun project, I created this calendar with photographs from Germany and Austria along with all U.S., German, and Austrian holidays.  Available at http://www.lulu.com/content/198766.

EUROPEAN DELIVERY PROGRAMS

View from Hilton guestroom towards Gustav Eifel's Nyugati train station.

WHERE IS IT?

Situated in the center of the business district, the Hilton WestEnd is convenient for meetings and touring.  The views overlooking the Nyugati train station are grand. The hotel is connected to what might be the largest indoor mall in Europe (the WestEnd  City Center), itself refreshing in its lack of American-style blandness. It  is a quick walk to the Duna (Danube), where crossing one of the many bridges takes you to Buda, the aristocratic capital, where the views from Géllerthegy (Gellert Hill) and the tiny streets of Castle Hill await.

ROOMS

The hotel was full, with the Hungarian Formula 1 race in town, as was the garage, and we probably got the last available room.  When I entered the room, its somewhat diminutive size gave me pause (the sleeping area looked not much bigger than the bath and entranceway), but the designers created a most comfortable environment despite the space limitations.  For me, beyond a comfortable bed, a hotel room needs to have good lighting, especially for reading in bed, a desk with easy access to power points for electricity and the Internet, and a comfortable desk chair.  The hotel excelled in these areas; during my stay, I participated in several conference calls (using Voice-over-IP on my laptop) and I was almost as comfortable as in my office back home.  The room also has a color television, voicemail, a minibar, bathrobe, slippers, iron and ironing board, a coffee/tea maker, lots of closet space, (wired) Internet access, and a fairly easy-to-use climate control.  The executive lounge on the 4^th floor provides a staff member who can assist with any detail (my key stopped working and she replaced it without my having to go to the front desk), plus a café that offers complimentary sandwiches, desserts, beer, wine, soda, and coffee.  An adjoining roof deck/lounge provides outdoor café-style seating with views of the Buda Hills, castles, and parliament.  Executive Floor guests receive private check-in/out in the lounge, and international daily newspapers and magazines.  Wireless Internet access  in the lounge is free.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS

After having an iced coffee in the café, I didn’t want to leave.  The café featured a full menu including traditional Hungarian favorites such as gulyás (goulash), a soupy peasant staple of stewed beef, vegetables and lots of paprikás.  Breakfast was served in the restaurant, and featured a small but tasty buffet of Hungarian cold cuts and cheese plus an assortment of eggs and other hot items.  I didn’t sample Restaurant Arrabona for dinner but the menu, a fusion of light Mediterranean food and Hungarian specialties,  looked enticing.  Kosher food is available.

BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES

The light and airy meeting rooms (all enjoy natural daylight) at the Hilton WestEnd were some of the most modern I have seen.    The Ballroom (A+B) can seat up to 350 people while 11 other meeting rooms (all equally modern and airy) can handle meetings of all sizes and shapes.    They feature state-of-the-art technology and wireless Internet access.  Hilton Meetings has its own Business and Service Centre.  The comfortable and spacious Boardrooms feature ergonomic “eight-hour chairs” and are soundproof, perfect for smaller meetings.  A roof garden is available for receptions and dinners.  The hotel offers pecial activities for meeting attendees, such as a day with the hotel restaurant’s chef, who will teach how to prepare Hungarian recipes (highly recommended), and a balloon ride for sightseeing, which leaves from the WestEnd City Center’s adjoining rooftop.

LEISURE

The WestEnd Fitnesz Klub offers a wide variety of new workout equipment, including Technogym’s Cardiovascular and Strength products.  The Klub also has a brand new Finnish sauna and is located on the top floor of the hotel, also with spectacular views.

MY VERDICT

I always ask myself two questions: was I able to work productively and do I WANT to come back.  Given the comfortable rooms, excellent Hungarian cuisine, central location, friendly staff, and traditional Hungarian hospitality, I wouldn’t hesitate to return to the Hilton WestEnd (but I might ask for a bigger room next time).

CONTACT
Hilton Budapest WestEnd
1069 Budapest
Váci út 1-3
Telephone +36 1 288 55 10

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

In 5 days, I covered 2426 km and four countries (Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Italy). I crossed international borders 22 times.   I planned each day’s drive the night before, choosing my destination primarily based on the promise of good weather.

11. November – 460 km, Germany, Austria, and Italy

Friends Rich and Jill joined me for breakfast and soon enough, we were on the Autobahn in two 2006 3er Series BMWs.  Our itinerary: drive across the Brennerpaß into Italy and then head back north to Berchtesgaden.  I wonder if anyone noticed the consecutively numbered license plates on the two automobiles.

Destination: Berchtesgaden

We headed south in tandem on the A8, continuing on the A93 and then the A12 (Inntal-Autobahn) as it led to the Brenner-Autobahn (A13) and became the Autostrada del Brennero (A22)

Heading south was a good idea as it offered the best weather in the region. It turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day, with temperatures reaching 13°C.

Once we got to Sferzing (214 km later), it was time to change direction and head towards Berchtesgaden.  This involved retracing our steps until we reached the motorway intersection at Inntal, at which point we headed east on the A8 towards Salzburg.

I let the navigation system guide me the final kilometers to Berchtesgaden and the InterContinental Resort.  Given the fog, the late hour, and the fact that we were climbing to an altitude of 1000 m, I was able to enjoy the ride knowing that a little voice would tell me where to go.

Tired but exhilarated, I checked into the InterContinental. Even though it was dark, I could sense how incredible the view from my window would be.  I couldn’t wait until morning to actually see it.

View from the author's room at the InterContinental, Berchtesgaden

The view was incredible.  The InterContinental Resort Berchtesgaden, built on the site of Field Marshal Hermann Göring’s house near the Berghof, is promoted as being “between heaven and earth,” set on a small plateau 1000 m high overlooking the Nationalpark Berchtesgaden in Berchtesgadener Land, Bayern (Bavaria) adjacent to Salzburg, Austria.  Innately beautiful, the Nationalpark contains five main mountain ranges; one third of the park is rocky and glaciated, a further third is covered in mixed woodlands of spruce, beech, fir, and other conifers; alpine pastures comprise the remainder.

12. November – 550 km, Salzburg and Niederösterreich

Today was a ca. 550 km roundtrip to Dürnstein.  Leaving the InterContinental, I took the windy Alpenstraße (B160) to the Tauern-Autobahn (A10), staying on that a brief 7 km or so until I get on the West-Autobahn (A1).   I stopped briefly along the banks of the Mondsee, one of the most beautiful lakes in the Salzkammergut.  I continued driving west to Melk, where I turned on to the Donau-Bundesstraße (B3), running along the Donau (Danube).

A view of the Danube in the Wachau valley

Dürnstein is where Richard Löwenherz (Richard the Lionhearted) was held captive after having been captured in Erdberg by the Mayor of Vienna in 1192. He was held in a huge fortress on a hill high above the village.  His loyal troubadour, Blondel de Neale, found him, so the story goes, by wandering around Europe singing Richard´s favorite ballads outside every castle, until a response came.

I stopped at the Gasthof Goldener Strauss for a glass of Grüner Veltliner (a local specialty), Frittatensuppe, Forelle (Trout), and for dessert, Powideltascherl before returning to Berchtesgaden.

13. November – 370 km, Bayern, Salzburg, Steiermark, Kärnten, Osttirol

Today was a Landstraße/Bundesstraße day. I started on the B305 leaving Berchtesgaden and, after 10 km, crossing the border into Austria, where I continued on Landstraßen and then the B159 for several kilometers.  At Hallein, I entered the Tauern-Autobahn (A10), going through the Tauernautobahn Tunnel.  After 128 km, at Lendorf I switched to the B100 to get to Lienz.  I then headed to Kitzbühel and back to Berchtesgaden taking the Felber Tauern Straße and Tunnel, and for the drive into Berchtesgaden, the Alpenstraße.

I drove through many different climates (coldest: 0,5°C – warmest 12°C in Berchtesgaden), went from light frost and a little snow on the ground to sunshine, and went up and down several times to 1200 or 1300 m.

14. November – 747 km, Germany, Austria, Hungary

For this trip, I planned a mix of Autobahnen and Bundesstraßen, allowing me to take the Tauern-Autobahn for ca. 60 km, and continue with Bundesstraßen (the B99 and the B320) for 75 km towards Liezen in Steiermark.  From Liezen I took the Pyhrn-Autobahn (A9) towards Leoben (Kärnten) for ca. 80 km.  From there I continued on the Semmering-Schnellstraße (S6) through Steiermark and Niederösterreich. The S6 meets the Süd-Autobahn (A2) at the Anschlußstelle Knoten Seebenstein where I continued on the A2 towards Wien (Vienna).  Near Wiener Neustadt I switched to the S4 (Mattersburger-Schnellstraße).  From there, I took the S31 to the Südost-Autobahn and in 6 km I was crossing the border into Hungary.

Neon-lighted highway rest area

I did get a chance to practice my Hungarian (which is somewhat limited) and enjoyed some nice palacsintá (with chestnut filling) and Hungarian coffee.  With some quick shopping (stocking up on paprikás and Marzipan), I still had a 380 km trip back to Berchtesgaden so I headed towards Wien and took the West-Autobahn (A1) for a fast drive back.

15. November – Berchtesgaden to Garching bei München – 173 km

The weather this morning was the best since I arrived. Sunny, 12°C (of course that was at 1000 m.  When I got down to 500m, it was .5 ° C).  I didn’t want to leave the InterContinental (in addition to the view, I was becoming especially attached to the electronically-controlled, gas Kamin (fireplace) in the room), but it’s a good thing I did.  Two days later, Germany was hit with heavy winter storms and, although my car has xDrive, it also is equipped with high-performance summer tires.

My final drive for this trip would take me to the offices of E.H. Harms in Garching (bei München).  A ritual I’ve followed many times before. Condition report; power of attorney form, remove front license plate (I had already removed the first aid kit and warning triangle and shipped these with other sundry items from the hotel), and hand over one key.

Rolf Raffelsieper (see resources), who worked at BMW since 1967 before retiring, was happy to pick me up at E.H. Harms and drive me to the airport in a new 745d.

Before I knew it, I was on board Lufthansa flight 410 to New York.  I logged into FlyNet, for on board Internet access.  The adventure was over, but I had a lot of e-mails and pictures to send from 11,000 m aloft.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.