Wanderlust (/’wändərˌləst/) — A strong desire to travel.
In my 24 years of life, I’ve been very fortunate to have travelled a lot, both with family and friends. However, I’ve never travelled outside of North America, and I’ve never taken a vacation by myself. Yet this recently changed. I guess you can say my wanderlust kicked in, and I rather impulsively took a solo trip to Europe to clear my head of my busy work and personal life, take in new cultures, journey back to my ancestral roots in Alsace and Bavaria, and fulfill my nearly lifelong dream of visiting BMW Welt.
Though just a quick jaunt, lasting only four days, it was filled with sights and activities, and in the end I visited four countries (including my layover in the Netherlands and run into Austria) drove some 1,000 kilometers, mostly all Autobahn in my rental, and left with a lifetime of memories and numerous personal feats.
My journey started off on a Wednesday evening with an overnight flight to Amsterdam on Delta Airlines. I’m by no means a fan of flying, finding it more of a headache than anything, but I’ve always had better luck with Delta than any other airline and this was no exception. In fact, the two transatlantic flights were the best flying experiences I’ve ever had. Paying an extra $100 each way to upgrade to Delta Comfort+ (better seats, priority boarding, more legroom, complimentary alcoholic beverages) was definitely worth it. I also had no one sitting next to me on either flight! But I digress…
My departing flight was followed by a brief layover in Amsterdam, and then an hour flight to the tiny Strasbourg airport, where I picked up my rental. Turo isn’t active in the Strasbourg area, so I went with a traditional rental agency. Having heard nothing but good things via word of mouth, I went with Sixt and reserved a “BMW 3 Series Touring or similar” (with the “similar” listed as the C-Class or V60 Estates) back in June.
Much to my dismay, despite my “reservation”, when I arrived on time, Sixt did not have a car in the class that I reserved. I was immediately reminded of the Seinfeld episode in which Jerry encounters a similar situation:
You see, you know how to ‘take’ the reservation, you just don’t know how to ‘hold’ the reservation. And that’s really the most important part of the reservation: the holding. Anybody can just take them.
Despite my well in advance reservation, I was offered a choice of three cars: a “large car” Renault Talisman, an “SUV” Renault Kadjar, or a stick-shift VW Beetle cabriolet. Having driven current generation Beetles on multiple occasions, I knew to stay clear. I certainly didn’t want what is essentially a Nissan Rogue CUV to drive on the Autobahn, so that left me with the Talisman. I had no idea what to expect, having the slightest idea of what a Talisman even looked like. In fact, my only association with the word “Talisman” was of the Cadillac Fleetwood Talisman of the 1970s.
Walking out to the parking lot carpark, I was greeted with a vaguely Hyundai Azera-looking midsize car with an obviously French face. Though highly disappointed that I would not get to experience the handling of a rear-wheel drive German car on the Autobahn, at least this car was well equipped to modern “Talisman” levels of expected luxury.
This Talisman happened to be a top trim “Initiale Paris” version, including features such as supple Nappa leather seats with heating/cooling/massage function, open pore wood trim, a Tesla-like vertically-oriented 8.7-inch touch screen, ambient lighting, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, and navigation with real-time traffic and speed limit alerts.
Simply being in Europe was something of a surreal experience for me, having dreamed of travelling there nearly my entire lifetime. Strasbourg, where I was based, was simply beautiful and full of old world charm, its combination of multiple century old buildings, French and German-influenced architecture, cobblestone streets, numerous sidewalk cafes, rivers, and so much more.
As for accommodations in Strasbourg, I chose the Hotel Cour du Courbeau for this same level of charm and character. Located in a building dating back to the 16th century, it was by far one of the best and most interesting hotels I’ve ever had to fortune of staying at.
Despite being very jet lagged, the last thing I was going to do was waste time indoors on a beautiful day in an entirely new land to me. I set out exploring the very pedestrian-friendly city, wandering up the various side streets, checking out some of the shops, and enjoyed a small lunch and a glass of wine at a sidewalk cafe while people watching.
In the morning I got up early to go for my very first run on the European continent, then proceeded on the day tour I had booked of Alsace through Ophorus tour groups, which I highly recommend to anyone if they have a spare day in Alsace.
Traveling with a group of seven other tourists hailing from the U.S., Australia, and India, our Alsatian guide, Florence, took us on a nine-hour excursion that included Alsace’s second-largest city of Colmar…
as well as the picturesque villages of Eguisheim…
and Riquewihr…
a tasting at a designated Alsace Grand Cru winery…
and a tour of Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg, a medieval castle fully rebuilt and restored under the direction of Kaiser Wilhelm II immediately prior to World War I, when Alsace was part of the German Empire.
My next day commenced with a quick run and breakfast, then I fired up the Renault and set out east, crossing the Rhine into Germany en route to the small Bavarian town of Füssen (above) right on the border with Austria, where I’d be staying that night before heading to Munich the following morning for BMW Welt.
After about half an hour, I was officially driving on the Autobahn, à mon Renault, which I found quite slow. Powering non-diesel Talismans (or is it Talismen?) came from a Nissan-sourced 1.6L turbo four-cylinder rated at 200 horsepower and 260 lb-ft torque.
While this might sound like an adequate amount of power, for a 3,600 pound car on the Autobahn, it was no where near so. Never before in a car have I floored the gas pedal so much and been met with such painstakingly slow acceleration.
Top speed is rated at 237 km/hr, but the greatest speed I was able to get it up to was 207 km/hr (128.5 mph). After flooring it for nearly a minute, it simply would not go any faster, and the Audi behind me was flashing their lights for me to allow passing.
Thankfully, the Talisman did not us a CVT, as found in most of Nissan’s cars with the same engine, but instead a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
A manual would’ve been fun, but I’m glad I opted for an automatic as the streets of Strasbourg were stressful enough to navigate with their various one-ways, pedestrian crossings, and bike lanes. Traffic on the Autobahn was actually significant too, making the automatic a better choice.
In any event, driving the some 1,000 kilometers, mostly on the Autobahn was truly an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life. The scenery was beautiful and the roads brought much driving pleasure. Although much of the Autobahn is 2-3 lane sections of straightaways, just like most U.S. interstates, the Autobahn was originally designed with great emphasis on experiencing the natural landscape, and sections I experienced such as the Drackensteiner Hang were particularly memorable for me for this reason.
Additionally,all the various cars we don’t have in North America which I drove alongside brought little bursts of excitement that only car enthusiasts can relate to. Among those such sights was spotting this loosely camouflaged Bentley sedan near Stuttgart.
I arrived in Füssen late afternoon, hitting a far greater amount of traffic on the Autobahn than I would’ve expected for a Saturday. I explored the town by foot for a brief while, finding most of the businesses closed down for the evening, before getting dinner and then turning in early in preparation of my big day in the morning.
Despite the rainy and rather cold weather, I got up early and went for one of the most scenic runs of my life, along a mountain road which ran parallel to the Lech River which took me into Austria, making it the first run I’ve ever ran through two different countries! Along with the breathtaking natural alpine scenery, it was absolutely one of the most exhilarating and surreal experiences of my life!
After a quick shower and breakfast of eggs and toast (if you are like me and don’t eat red meat or dairy, traditional German food is rather bland and unexciting), I set out on my pilgrimage to the holy land, BMW Welt.
Now I’m not a religious person, so visiting BMW Welt and the museum was truly somewhat of a religious experience for someone who loves BMW as much as I do. Having dreamed of going nearly my whole life, it was truly awe-inspiring finally being there at BMW’s wonderfully curated headquarters in Munich. I felt like a kid being in Disney World for the first time running from one attraction to the next.
The main ultramodern exhibition building is somewhat of a massive permanent auto show, with various new BMWs, MINIs, and Rolls-Royces on display, interactive demonstrations and technology, the massive delivery bay where one can take delivery of their brand new BMW, along with several shops and restaurants.
Walking over the pedestrian bridge took me into the museum, which takes you through the entire history of Bavarian Motor Works, covering over 100 years of innovation with a plethora of historic vehicles on display.
Among highlights for me included seeing this M1…
a 1995 Z3 used in the filming of GoldenEye, my favorite Bond film…
and this Z1, a car that I find is one of BMW’s most intriguing of all time, and a car which a coworker has lovingly dubbed the ultimate embodiment of me as a car.
I truly could have spent multiple days there, but I had a five-hour drive ahead of me to get back to Strasbourg by sunset, as I was leaving for my long journey home in the morning. I did take time for a relaxing light lunch of salmon crudo and a glass of Riesling hailing from the Rheingau region of Germany at BMW’s Bavarie restaurant, before heading back to Alsace for my final night on the European continent.
Though short and sweet, lasting only four days in Europe bookended by one day of travel each way, it was full of sights, experiences, and memories I will have for the rest of my life. On that note, I easily crossed more items off my bucket list during these couple of days than I ever have in such a short period of time. And hey, I even got to drive a Renault for the first time ever, very extensively.
While clearly fast-paced with me always on the go, that’s how I prefer a vacation to be, doing and seeing as much as I can in the allotted time all on my own schedule. I can rest on the sofa watching Netflix when I get home. To anyone who hasn’t tried it or may be skeptical of it, I highly recommend travelling solo at least once. I loved it because I did everything I wanted, when I wanted, at my pace.
There was no one to get on my nerves or argue with, which always seems to happen at least once per vacation, and I can honestly say that my stress level during these couple of days was at its lowest in recent memory. This trip was just what I needed and one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself in my entire life! I can’t wait to go back!
I wasn’t the one doing the driving, but my memory of the Autobahn from 2006 was how orderly the traffic was compared to Interstates in the US. Slower traffic for the most part keeps to the right lane, and as such no one overtakes on the right. When people want to overtake a slower car they move to the left lane, pass, and move back to the right lane. Which is exactly how it should be.
+1. “Predictable” is another word I’d use…
“the law” is another word I would use. 😉
I remember riding with my aunt on the Autobahn in her VW Polo – at 90 mph, being passed by vehicles traveling at 100+ mph.
And I felt safer there than I do on many interstates here, primarily because it was apparent that German drivers actually pay attention to driving the vehicle while behind the wheel.
The summer between 8th and 9th grades, I went to Germany to visit my grandmother (71 years old). She picked me up in her BMW 2002 tii and she drove on the Autobahn well in excess of 100 MPH. Many years later, I still think about how cool she was.
When I was 22 I flew to L.A. to visit my great aunt and learn more family history while I could. She was 100 years old. I was going to take a bus to Pasadena where she lived in that part of the families mansion since childhood (she had gone through 3 husbands), but she said I would be picked up, look for a new (1970) Cadillac convertible, gold, with white top and interior. I was waiting at the curb when I heard the sound of a large four barrel carb, it was the Cadillac, she was driving, I put my bag in the trunk and got in. She motioned to give her a kiss on the cheek, As I did, she had the tires spinning as she pulled out. She was 4’10” and 90 pounds. we hit the on ramp at 100 (500 cubes 400 hp) mph, she checked over her shoulder went through an open spot into the fast lane and kicked it to 120+. She was sharp as a razor mentally, with reactions as fast as a teen. She’d been diving on L.A. freeways since there had been L.A. freeways, with never any accidents. Over a week I learned about our family, good and bad. She knew where the bodies were buried. We were talking about a visit to her when I was 10. My parents had sent me by air to visit her, She was my first trip to Disneyland and a lot of other places, in a one year old (1957) Imperial Crown convertible the same gold as the Cadillac. She said she still had it, matter of fact, still drove it. She asked it I would like to borrow it since we covered most all the peccadillo’s of our family. I did, and it was great, but riding with her was more exciting than any theme park thrill ride, as she was so precise and good at driving. The Pasadena freeway is in no way an autobahn, she realized that, and could point and squirt with the best when needed. Because of her and other relatives, another “Auntie Mame” style aunt in particular, all emphasized go out and live. I’ve been told I’ve lived enough for three lifetimes, but I’m not done yet. My Pasadena aunt lived to 114, and our family has longevity. She died on the dance floor. When I was 19 I took off most of a year and drove through all of Mexico, all 48 connected states, all of Canada and to Alaska, adding 108,000 miles to my Electra convertible. Since then with the Electra and other of my cars I kicked that to millions of miles, I still have wanderlust, our entire family does. Whatever age, if you are still moving (and as much as possible if you aren’t), go see, do, live. My lady of 47 years passed away this year, I still like her quote from The book Stand on it.” If you’re ever gonna stand on it, do it now, ya only get older” To Life!
Traffic on the Autobahn is indeed very orderly! Everyone is very courteous and just goes with the flow, following the rules… German efficiency I guess! I was impressed at just how safe I felt, even driving at those speeds.
We Got Tons Of French Cars Down Here But For The Taste of First world People I Think Cars With More Powerful Motors Are More Exciting.French Cars Are Reliable And Comfortable A To B Cars.
Great stuff Brendan, thanks. This brings back good memories, as our high-school class stayed in Strasbourg in April 1982 for a ten days trip. We also visited Colmar, the other villages shown in the article and that castle. Plus an excursion to the Peugeot factory in Sochaux (in their bad pre-205 era…).
About the “car class”. Strictly speaking the Renault Talisman sedan (or wagon, see below) is in the same D-segment as a BMW 3-series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A4, Volvo S/V60, Peugeot 508, VW Passat, Ford Mondeo, etc.etc.
Except for fact that the Talisman sedan was in total some $250 less for the total cost of renting it than the wagon I reserved, though Sixt still charged me the full amount. I had to file a complaint in order to be refunded the difference.
But in any event, it was the ultimate trip of a lifetime and I didn’t let this minor blemish phase me.
One nice thing about renting in most of Europe is that the counter person is almost always able to tell you what engine is in each car. So a Golf with a 1.8 is a generally better bet than a Mercedes with a 1.4 for long distances. Conversely, if you are going to doing a lot of city driving then the smaller engined car makes more sense due to gas prices…
I’ve generally had bad luck with Sixt in regard to not getting what I reserved but generally was happy with one of the offered substitutes. EuropCar has (for me) usually ended up as a better option (but I like VW and Audi which are a large part of their range in Germany).
My experience with Sixt hasn’t been much good either, and I live in their hometown Munich where they have a name to live up to. Booked a van to use for just a few hours 2 weeks in advance, only for them to call me to tell me it wasn’t there. Without so much as an apology. A colleague who saw me lose my shit over it then sent me exactly that Seinfeld video.
Very nice. TOAL- Trip of a Lifetime! Cars and beautiful scenery, what a great combo!
TOAL… I love it!
An excellent travelogue, Brendan! I must ask, was the ride of the Talisman as smooth as the French cars of yore? That would be a bummer, first time on the Autobahn with a distinct lack of thrust. At least you weren’t in an SUV, though.
When I was about your age I drove solo out to the east coast to visit relatives. I spent a day alone in New York City checking out many of the famous sights before meeting up with some cousins for dinner at the South Street Seaport. 9/11 was particularly jarring for me because the World Trade Center was my first stop that day (about 1986). I arrived there via the subway from Jersey and spent about a half hour in the sightseeing lounge, taking in the amazing view.
Thanks James. The Talisman was a very silky smooth car. Soft, a little too much so for my personal preference, but it did feel more solid and refined than any related Nissan I’ve driven. Definitely appreciated its lack of significant NVH too with all those hours of Autobahn driving.
That sounds like a very memorable trip too. Despite being only a 4 hour drive away, I’ve only been to NYC a handful of times in my life, all of which occurred after 9/11. My late aunt Kathy did visit the WTC only about a year before 9/11, which I remember her telling me about.
This is considered a large car, D segment, in Europe. It shares a platform with the Nissan Rogue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault%E2%80%93Nissan_Common_Module_Family#Current_on_CMF-C.2FD
Dear Brendan, You write well in that you whet the appetite of the reader to want to experience what you have. The informational tour is excellent. I hope that you have more opportunities in life to enjoy such trips, especially while you are young and without a wife and children. The travel definitely changes when the children are in the picture. As The Bible tells, us, “there is a season or everything.” Enjoy this season of your life and thanks again for sharing this motoring trip. Herzliche Grussen!
Indeed now is the time to live a little while I’m young. I hate to sound cliche, but as they say, “you only live once”.
Definitely live. My Lady and I went into our relationship with an agreement, if either of us wanted or needed to go somewhere or do something, we could opt to do it alone, or with friends, without them. We didn’t exercise it often, but it did happen, Even with members of the opposite sex, We knew each other well enough and trusted each other, it worked until her passing after 47 years., My son is quirky/adventuresome in ways she was and thank God, loves cars, loves to travel and explore. Also the “Live a little while your young” I also lived in my 30′ 40′, 50′ and my 60’s, I intend to keel over living and doing something interested, and with the longevity in our family, should be about 30 years from now.
Congratulations on the trip! And thanks for the great summary of everything. Colmar and Strasbourg are about 30 miles from where I was a kid just over the border, been to both many times.
It sounds like the Renault was by far the best of the three choices. You know my feelings about the rental car lottery…Still, a large car, even if slightly underpowered, is a very comfortable way to spend time on the Autobahn. It certainly beats an underpowered small car…
As a first trip abroad, it sounds like a great way to get started. Now you know some more things to account for the next time! Wait until you go to England, driving on the wrong side (sorry, Roger), of the road is a surreal experience at first.
The best way to approach German breakfast is to just with the flow. Don’t try to americanize it, just enjoy the (cold) offerings. Even without red meat and dairy, there are tons of different breads to try, other non-red meats, some soft spreads, even some vegetables (mainly pickles, I guess), as well as some fruit jellies and jams. For a full Vegan it gets much harder (but over here the same hold true). When I took two friends to Germany in 2003 for a car trip, one went full German for breakfast, the other tried to make it what he was used to over here and and wanted/ordered fluffy pancakes, bacon, hashbrowns etc. The first one was amazed and fell in love with the variety and choices, the second one very disappointed.
Thanks Jim! It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to visit the land of my ancestors, and I’m already planning my next trip, hoping to see more of Germany, in addition to so many other parts of Europe to see in the future.
The Talisman definitely was the best of what Sixt offered me. In hindsight, I should have checked out the other agencies at the airport before I paid, as I noticed a number of more appealing vehicles in their sections of the lot when I went out to my car.
But in the end it wasn’t a bad car, and indeed a comfortable one. Massaging seats were definitely a plus for the many hours of highway cruising I did, though I did wish it was on the seat bottom in addition to the back.
Thanks for the advice of the German breakfast too! I will say, both in France and Germany, the selection of breads and fruit jams were easily the best I’ve ever tasted, especially the “kirsche” or cherry jam in Bavaria. Thankfully I eat fish, as I was rather surprised you can get smoked salmon mostly anywhere, anytime 🙂
I’ve never driven a Renault, but have ridden in several as taxis in Singapore (Safrane) and Buenos Aires. I had the opportunity to ride in a large Peugeot in Lisbon last year and from the passenger standpoint, I am hooked. Large French cars are very underrated. They are so comfortable to ride in.
A wonderful narration of what was a very enjoyable trip.
While I can understand your worshipping at the altar of BMW, you and I are quite different in our expectations of a rental car on the continent. I’ve always worked on the basic rule of: If it’s a brand that I can buy in the states, I’m not interested. If I can travel to England (twice now) or the Continent (have yet to make it), I want to drive something that I cannot drive in the US.
So far it’s worked very well for me. First a first generation Ford Fiesta S, then many years later a Triumph Trident 900. Both were driven before they were available in the states, and eventually I ended up owning one of each.
That was my takeaway from the Renault: “I’ve never driven a Renault or French car, period, before and when am I going to get the chance to drive one again?”. It was definitely an experience I won’t forget.
It sounds as though you had a great trip! Is the Talisman based on a Nissan platform – either the Maxima or Altima – or is it an entirely unique vehicle?
It shares a platform with various Renaults and Nissans, but not the two you mentioned, AFAIK.
Great account of a great if short trip. I clearly sense going to Munich was the highlight!
Hire car companies are notorious for never offering what you expect or think you might have planned. I’ve had a Lumina instead of a Cavalier, a A4 instead of a Twingo, a Mercedes instead of a Skoda, the list goes on.
You did well to catch that Bentley, and even better to get a shot of it. But if a UK traffic cop saw you taking the photo, or that one of the speedo at 120mph, he’d had words…
The Talisman is really a Samsung, though built in France in LHD only. It sort of replaced the Laguna, though is quantifiably larger and further upmarket. The Laguna was really replaced by the Kadjar, a Nissan Qashqai in Renault colours. Still, the best of the 3 offered for what you wanted to do.
Alsace and the Rhineland are really wonderful places, and it sounds like your day trip caught many of the best parts of it.
A quick Wikipedia search, FWIW, learned that the Renault Talisman was introduced in 2015 and that Samsung SM6 (built in South-Korea since 2016) is the South-Korean name for the same car. The Talisman is based on the Renault & Nissan CMF-CD platform.
Well I learned something new today. I had no idea there were Samsung cars, even though from Wikipedia it looks like Samsung Motors is now a subsidiary of Renault with Samsung owning a minority share.
+1 on hire car/rental car companies. A few years ago we and our friends in Paris were going to drive from the city to the Coast (St Malo) in a large minivan, such as the Renault Espace for 6 of us. Well, Hertz didn’t have the car and they could only offer us two small cars. So it was a Renault Scenic and a Opel Corsa. I drove the Corsa – pretty roomy for its size and appropriate as we drove through Norman villages with narrow lanes.
Fabulous scenery. A trip I would like to make, if I had some working knowledge of German. My best guess at “autohof” in one of your pix was a motel…apparently it’s actually a parking garage, or maybe a truck stop. Either way, by the time I figured it out, I would be miles past the off ramp.
re underpowered French cars, my Renault was nowhere near as grand as yours, and even slower. One time I tried to pass a semi on the freeway in the days of the double nickle speed limit. I was overtaking him at a reasonable pace, until I hit the bow wave coming off the tractor. With the pedal floored and all 50 French horses at full gallop, I could not top 55 and break through that bow wave. The stalemate was finally broken when we started up a steep hill and the semi quickly lost momentum.
It’s never too late, Steve. Virtually everyone your age and younger in Europe speaks English and is generally not afraid to use it and be helpful. One doesn’t really even need a car in most of the countries. Trains and other public transportation are quick, efficient, safe, numerous, and generally reasonably priced (compared to rental, gas, and parking for a solo traveler).
I loved everything about this post: the narrative, the spontaneity captured, the pictures, the “Seinfeld” reference – simply awesome. And I totally see Hyundai Azera from a rear three-quarter view.
Reading this made me want to either travel abroad, myself, or at least watch some PBS tonight. 🙂
A wonderful trip and a great read! Color me happy for your exploring outside North America.
Solo travel can be a delight for the exact reasons you offer. May you continue to do so before you get bogged down with other things in life.
Being thirty years older than you I’ve done my fair share of traveling Brendan and I have found traveling on my own has been the best.
It is really the only time in this modern world where we can experience life on our terms. As you said, no matter who you travel with and how close you are there are always compromises.
I’ve had family and friends I’ve loved being with but by far the best trips have been when it’s been my trip, my plans and my time!
Use this as a precedent Brendan. Make sure as work and family obligations change over the years there is always time for (even a short) all about Brendan trip!
Great read and so beautiful. A whirlwind trip such as yours probably was best taken solo.
Car heaven where 128 MPH is slow, people follow lane etiquette properly, and the police don’t bat an eyelid at these speeds.
Great pictures as well, as beautiful as the PNW is, you were in some really impressive scenery.
Brendan you’ve brought back memories of driving in Europe on three occasions. In 03 with a Fiat Panda from Poland, a Focus in 07 (kinda like the 07 hatch I drive at the moment but not), and a newer generation Focus in 2010. When I split off from my oldest daughter and her husband in Kiev, I flew to Munich and had the choice of a Kia or Citroen minivan kinda rig. Can’t remember the name. I hit 186 kmph with the Citroen on the Autobahn and there was a little left over but didn’t think reaching 200 was possible. Nor was I comfortable in going that fast.
Travelling alone in Europe by car was very much to my liking. Actually, a long road trip anywhere is good. Even driving with the radio off is a good thing. I have to agree with Bill Shields that travelling with someone does mean compromises. Alone time is good.
The trip in 2010 also took me to Stuttgart where a contact at Porsche Canada help me tour the Porsche plant with a group of Americans. I highly recommend seeing the Porsche Museum and the Mercedes Museum. The Mercedes Museum is huge and contains exhibits relating to every type of vehicle the company has produced. Be sure to allow plenty of time to take it in.
What a great story! My exposure to Europe has been mostly through building jigsaw puzzles. Big Ben Puzzles have always been a favorite. The pictures that you have shared with us are as good as any that I’ve seen on a puzzle. Your story captures the imagination. It’s like a 3 dimensional postcard. Nice work!
Great trip — thanks for bringing us along for the ride.
As I was reading, I thought that if given the choice, I’d actually choose a Talisman over a “BMW 3 Series or similar.” After all, we can drive a 3 series here in the US, but a Renault?? Now, that’s something interesting to me!
I’ve always had a fascination with big French cars, so it was great to read your perspective of driving one. Maybe on your next visit to Europe, you can rent a Citroen!
Nice post.
Europe is very beautiful. If it had been me, I would have taken the Beetle. I would have brought along a ipod/memory stick filled with songs from Kraftwerk (especially Autobahn with its beginning where a Beetle is started up and driven off)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iukUMRlaBBE
Did the BMW Museum have a Eisenacher Motorenwerk (EMW)? After WWII the Soviets seized a BMW factory in Eisen and made prewar BMW’s until the 1950’s when the company changed to VEB and made Wortburg cars.
How cool that you saw a camouflaged Bentley. It looks to be the next Flying Spur.
Thanks for this (in particular the high definition pics). Next time try reaching Vienna:)
The Talisman from what I’ve heard is probably the most relaxing and comfortable car in its class but I totally agree with you 200 hp in a car this size is inadequate.
Oh and as for driving habits, yes, Germany is very good…
Wow, you went all the way to Alsace and didn’t go to the Mulhouse automobile museum nor the Bugatti hometown of Molsheim? Hmmm… a second trip might be worth your while!
Congrats on catching that Bentley though.
Brendan’s story blows my mind and illustrates the dramatic difference between how the young travel today and how they traveled in my day. We carried a change of underwear in our backpacks together with a copy of Frommer’s “Europe of $5 a day”. We bought a 30 day Eurailpass for $100 and slept on the train. We got there on Icelandic Air, which was able to offer cheap flights by using obsolete piston powered Super Constellation aircraft.
I am in a quandary as to how I would advise a twenty something today. A trip to Europe (or any nonAmerican culture) is really essential for anyone’s social and intellectual development, countering our rather isolationist view of the world. For myself, I no longer permit myself air travel given the menacing threat of Global Warming. But the young really need to get out there and see and absorb the world first hand. A real dilemma.
For what it’s worth, I actually got quite the steal in terms of an airfare/4-star hotel bundle on Expedia. All-in with airfare, hotel, rental, and all expenses incurred (mainly dining and fuel), it was less than $2,500. Not bad these days for a trip halfway around the world for someone with rather expensive tastes.
Though I hate air travel, I haven’t yet discouraged myself from doing it due to global warming, although I’m happy to report that in Europe they are to a great degree conscious of it. I didn’t go a day in any of the countries I’ve visited without climate change being brought up in regards to everyday life and how they are trying to reduce their carbon footprint. It’s nice to be in a land where people don’t question scientific facts that have been proven over and over again for decades.
Apologies for using you as an example Brendan. It seems like you did indeed get a good deal on your trip to Europe. We can both be happy that more people are dealing pragmatically with real science.
Brendan: you did something I do in Europe – stay in smaller, easier towns when you have a rental car. It is stressful driving and parking a strange car in a big, busy strange city and I’ve learned how to cope – like you did.
I’ve based in Mannheim for Frankfurt & Heidelberg; Goppingen for Stuttgart; Ingolstadt for Munich and Colmar for Mulhouse (a dirty, dump of a city).
I enjoyed the read; thanks.
Last time I went Europe (Berlin) working my way up from the lowest prices on from NYC that fit my schedule I found Air France down there just above Aeroflot. (Yes. Aeroflot.) I got a base price seat on Air France.
The planes from NYC to Paris and the return were actually spacious and the food was pretty good and included before, during, and after dinner drinks(!). Back of seat movies were the latest tech and a lot of good choices. Cabin attendants were nice. Highly recommended.
Never had a massage seat in a car but yeah, it should include the seat cushion. Like the loungy chair at my dentist’s.
Found this cute Renault TV ad a while back. I suppose this is their answer to how does a sybaritic French company appeal to engineering oriented Germans.
Among other things, Germans seem to understand the value of time.
Nice memoir of a great little trip you had here, Brendan! Didn’t go to Neuschwanstein castle while staying in Füssen?
Living in Munich, BMW Welt is one of the venues I go to frequently, just because I can. Entry is free and the collection of cars changes regularly. The museum is quite costly (€10 pp) but still my favourite of the many museums this city has. Hope you had time to have a peek at the Olympiapark right next to it, the architecture of the stadiums is fascinating, there’s generally a great atmosphere and. More seriously, a new memorial dedicated to the terrorist attacks at the 72 Olympics has just opened – worth a visit.
As for the A8 going up the Drackensteiner Hang, it’s one of the few remaining Autobahn stretches dating back the Third Reich era and it shows. While it’s fascinating to drive, the building standards are not up to today’s traffic volumes anymore. Replacement is in the planning stage but it’s been delayed many times, since the geography of the area makes building any (rail-) road up there very cost-intensive. If the submitted plans are approved, the current road will be replaced by 2 new tunnels and 2 bridges. The old uphill stretch will stay open for local traffic while the downhill part, which is in a much poorer shape, is to be removed entirely. Note that the same thing already did happen to the Aichelberg stretch just a few km towards Stuttgart about 20 years back.
I can’t believe I missed this article on the day of publication. Strasbourg is a stone throw from the town I grew up in. I remember the times when we had to have our papers ready to show the boarder controls. We took our Renault 4 TL to go shopping in a large Supermarche just outside of Strasbourg and enjoyed the variety of cheeses, inexpensive wine, and exotic fruits.
Great travelogue! So many pictures that took me straight home. Did you ask passers by to take pictures of you ?