Final impressions from this side of the Atlantic

I received my final packet from Audi earlier this week. Everything looks in order. They were able to make my hotel arrangements as I requested; however, I was booked into a different hotel. This actually works out better because the Hotel Rappensberger is located downtown and close to restaurants. The NH Ambassador is located nearer to the Autobahn and would have been a 20-30 minute walk to restaurants. Since we will be there two nights without a vehicle, walking distance is a good thing.

I also decided to ditch the train ride from Stuttgart to Ingolstadt and rent a car instead. The more I looked at the hassle of getting to the Bahnhof from the airport and then finding a safe place to stow our luggage on the train, I decided a two-hour drive is preferable. My decision also was inspired by watching a Rick Steves Europe episode in which he discussed train travel in Europe. I was reminded of what German train stations are like. I rode the trains frequently as a teenager in Europe and most train stations are kind of seedy. Unlike airports, which once behind the security screening are fairly safe, train stations are a haven for thieves who target unsuspecting tourists. I have no pretense that my daughter and I will look like local nationals. No, as most Americans do, we will stand out like sore thumbs. Given the amount of luggage we will be carrying, I felt it would be safer and more convenient to just rent a car at the airport and drive directly to our hotel. I will rent it one way (there is a $25 drop fee) and drop the car at the Hertz office in Ingolstadt.

As I get closer to my pickup date, I want to give my impressions of the European Delivery Program, thus far. First, Audi has done a first-class job of getting everything ready. My dealer's relative inexperience with the program seems to have been offset by Audi's professionalism and organization. My impression is that Audi of America is very good about walking their dealers through the process and making sure everything is seamlessly coordinated. Frankly, I worried that I would see a case of the left hand not talking to the right hand, but I have seen no evidence of such. AoA and the local dealer have been in lock step the entire time. Very impressive. The proof, as always, will be in the pudding. I will find out in a few days if everything is as it should be. I will make one final check before I leave to make sure I have everything I am supposed to have, but I anticipate no problems. To date, there has not been a single hiccup in the process. I am looking forward to my trip and hope I have many more positives to report.