I would check with BMW that the insurance you have with the car covers you for Italy.

For example (I realise its not a rental), but very few rental companies will cover you for Italy in a BMW due to the high risk.

I think it would pay to check beforehand

Geordie

Hi K,

>Our plans are to spend about 2 weeks in Italy--- maybe 3 days in Venice, 3 in Florence, 2 in Rome, and the rest in Tuscany.

Drive to your Tuscany location.

Drive around Tuscany.

Drop car off and visit Venice, Florence and Rome by train.

Enjoy your visit.

Have you seen this thread re driving Alpine passes? You might want to spend some time in the Dolomites:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

If you want a nonstop flight, there is about to be one nonstop a day on Alitalia to/from LAX to Rome. Otherwise I'm not aware of any nonstops to Italy from LAX.

You could fly to Munich, drive as far as Tuscany, go back north to Zurich, and get a nonstop out of Zurich to LAX on Swiss Air which is owned by Lufthansa, and so could fly on a Lufthansa ticket.

I don't understand. If you're buying the car, how can you drop it in Florence? Can they ship it from Florence? It's not a port, being well inland.

Definitely look into open jaws tickets into one city, out of another. They may (or may not) cost a little more, but you save money and precious vacation time not backtracking.

Thank you for your replies. I have lurked on this board for quite a while, and your "collective wisdom" has been enjoyable to read and so helpful!

BMW does insure the car until I take possession of it in the states. What do you guys think of plans in Venice or the general area?

I'm inclined to start out in Munich, too, or in some city in that area, and travel with the car as far as Florence/Tuscany. We can take the train to Rome. I heard about Alitalia's new flight, but I wondered if that was a safe risk since they are struggling financially. The open jaws ticket is worth considering.

I read that Lufthansa offers a free companion fare when you are purchasing a beemer on their European Delivery Plan. I hadn't heard about this when I last purchased the car there, but I have to look into it for this trip. Returning home through Zurich is a thought.

I understand that there are many cities in various countries where you can drop off the car, and they arrange to ship the car. When I dropped if off in Paris the last time, they transported it to the states from there. I don't pay extra for this. If Florence isn't an option, then I'm sure they offer the service in a city in the area.

Thanks again for your input.... Any more ideas out there?

Please check out info here for BMW ED specific information.

(fyi:I recently read that there is a fee charged for BMW to transfer (drive) your car from Italy for transfer home.)

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=25


http://www.bimmerfest.com/wiki/index.php?title=BMW_European_Delivery

Hope that helps!

Enpleinair, what a gold mine! Thanks so-o-o much for the links! And I'll have to check on the fee possibility from Italy. That could affect our route.

Any advice out there for the Venice area? Would you leave a new car in a parking lot near the city? Any other suggestions?

Thanks again!

The bigger problem than the fee for dropping your car off in Italy for BMW ED is that it is driven out of Italy - you'll have someone else driving your car in Italy and there will be the extra miles on the car.

I'd visit Italy, but I'd drop it off with E.H. Harms in a different country.

I vote for trying out these roads:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyormrcNhrk

Maybe I need to find out about other drop-off places. The info on BMW European Delivery was very helpful!

Kat12 - Here is a bit more detailed info on dropping off a BMW in Italy.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=259130&highlight=Italy+drop+off+fee

Looks like the extra fee is over $1000. US for a driver to drive your new car back for redelivery process.

That said, when we've done the MBenz ED we were told the cars wouldn't be covered at all if we drove them into Italy. (The mafia has a habit of stealing them.) I believe we were told that at the Porsche factory also.

When I purchased the car in Europe the last time, we did drive in Italy and there were no restrictions regarding insurance. That was in 2001. Perhaps the rules have changed--- I will definitely ask about it.

An extra $1000 is alot to spend---- the purpose of buying the car in Europe is to enjoy the sights and pay less for the car. I can always turn the car in somewhere else. But this is new info for me and much appreciated.

Any suggestions on where to turn in the car? Assuming I can still drive in Italy, I'd love to have the car for travel through Tuscany, but then we could swing north and east or west.

Here is the BMW drop off locations:

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Experience/Events/EuropeanDelivery/Delivery/Locations.aspx


BMW does allow their/your car to be driven into Italy, I was referring to the other German manufacturers that stated NOT to take them into the big cities as theft is VERY high & their insurance did not cover.

You might want to begin your trip in Italy then fly or train to Germany for your ED car pickup then tour Germany, Switzerland or Austria then return the car in one of those locations. just a thought

Get a good map & some guide books & start the planning.
How many days ?
Decide if you want more sightseeing or just driving or a bit of both. Don't try to cram too much into your visit or it may become a blurrrrr.

Enpleinair, what a gold mine of info! Thanks so much. I bookmarked it--- does it list the places where I would pay fees, such as in Italy?

It's late at night and I was out of town until late today. I'll check out the websites tomorrow.

If we started out in Italy, would any of you reading this recommend Rome or maybe Milan? We plan to spend just 2 days maybe in Rome ( been there ) and more time in Florence and Venice, and the Tuscany area is new territory for us. I've been thinking about Vienna, too, ( haven't ever been there!), and Switzerland is a possibility. We'll have 2 weeks--- maybe a day or two more. I was thinking we could get a train pass for part of the trip- maybe multicoun try. And I started this post because I needed help with focus and didn't want it to be a blur of a trip, whizzing through Europe. I'll be travelling with my sister. We were in Paris for 8 days last year, and it was a great way to get to know the city well.

Since I don't want to drive in Rome, maybe we should start out there and then head north.

When I ordered the car in 2001, I ordered it in January for a late May pick up, and that was too late. I had to search around for a nonlocal dealership. So for a late June trip next year, I need to order the car in September or October.

Tonight I couldn't resist checking out the links I was given. Enpleinair, I couldn't open up the link to countries for drop-off to check out cities.

On BMW forums, I read about the 2 for 1 airfare deal with Lufthansa. But I might need to go directly to Munich instead of Rome in order to take advantage of that. I would hope it's extended through 2009.

on the last link I posted just click on -select location-
the cities will drop down for each specific country.

I do recommend you research your trip ideas on the bimmer forum. There are many tips on trip/touring planning that others have done with their cars. That might help you narrow it down. There is sooo much to see it is hard to choose! But you do want to enjoy the experience & not feel exhausted or not able to recall what you sped through.

If you start in Rome you could then head north like you atated!

Enpleinair, I agree. Last questions on this forum and then I go back to researching.... By the way, when I did click on the country, no cities appeared.

First, Fodorites, are you recommending that I don't leave the car in a parking lot near Venice? With no specific responses on this, I'm guessing no one has first-hand experience with it. But your opinion, please?

Second, since we'd like to have the car for touring Tuscany, which city would you recommend for drop off that would not be too far away and would provide a scenic trip? Maybe I just have to accept the fact that on this trip, we would not be anchored in one location and try to make the best decision about the driving part of it.

Thanks so much for your input and time.... Back to reserach after some final feedback from you.