For the most part, I averaged about 160 kph (100 mph). This seemed to be the standard speed in the f

One of the highlights of this trip for me so far has been to drive a BMW M3 on the autobahn. enterprise car rental discount coupon The BMW M3 has always been my dream car, and being able to drive it on the most famous highway in the world was an amazing experience.
Getting an M3 in Germany is no easy task. Being a somewhat enterprise car rental discount coupon exotic car, most standard car rental agencies enterprise car rental discount coupon such as Avis and Hertz do not carry the M3. The specialized agencies that do charge at least $1000 USD/day. Given those prices, I had all but given up hope on being able to drive the M3. However, a visit to the BMW Welt in Munich changed all of that. They had the M3 for rent for only 40 euros/hour. Not only that, but you could rent it for an entire day and only pay for 4 hours. This is about 1/4 the price that a traditional car rental agency will charge you. Renting the car couldn t be simpler. We made a reservation, and then showed up on the day of the rental with our passports. About 20 minutes later, I was behind the wheel of a jet black 2011 BMW M3.
Once we got the M3, we decided to take the A96 autobahn to highway B17. Highway B17 is also known as the romantic road , and is a gorgeous stretch of highway in southern Germany that leads up to the foot of the alps. One famous stop along the B17 is Neuschwanstein Castle, which served as the inspiration for the iconic Disney castle.
I drove carefully at first, being unaccustomed to the power of the M3 as well as the German highway system. After about 1/2 an hour though, I was ready to push the vehicle enterprise car rental discount coupon to its limits. For those who don t know, the German autobahn is one of the best highway systems in the world. It is also one of the only places where there is no speed limit. We found this to be only partially true. Most of the areas around Munich actually had posted speed limits. However, once you got out of the metropolitan areas and into the countryside, then the speed limits disappeared. This is where the fun begins.
The German autobahns are typically quite narrow, with only two lanes per direction. Similar to the US, the right lane is for slower traffic, and the left lane is for passing and fast traffic. However, unlike enterprise car rental discount coupon the US, there is a huge speed difference between the two lanes. Since there is no speed limit, it isn t uncommon for cars in the fast lane to travel at twice the speed. For the most part, Germans are much better drivers than their American counterparts. Everyone seems to know the rules of the road, and I never had a single experience of being stuck behind a slow car in the fast lane. If only the drivers on the I-5 from SF to LA were just as accommodating!
For the most part, I averaged about 160 kph (100 mph). This seemed to be the standard speed in the fast lane. When there were no cars around, I managed enterprise car rental discount coupon to punch it up to 275 kph (170 mph), but these were rare occurrences.
Once we exited the A96 and got on to the romantic road, the traffic was much slower and the road was much more windy. The views, however, were gorgeous. enterprise car rental discount coupon The B17 had some of the most romantic scenery I ve ever seen. Rolling green hills, enterprise car rental discount coupon snow capped mountains, quaint villages surrounding emerald-green lakes. It looked like something out of a fairy tale, especially once we got to the base of Neuschwanstein Castle. Once we got there, we were stuck in a maze of traffic. In fact, we didn t even have time to go up to the castle enterprise car rental discount coupon due to the traffic and parking situation around the castle. If you want to make the trek, I would strongly suggest taking the train instead of driving. Or if you do drive, park in a nearby town and take the bus. Even though the castle is in the middle of nowhere, it s just as crowded as Disneyland.
Overall, I was very happy with the chance to drive my dream car at top speed on the best highway in the world. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience, and something else to scratch enterprise car rental discount coupon off the bucket list.
We had to park really far from the castle since traffic was just atrocious. But we were able to get this nice shot of the front of the M3 with Neuschwanstein Castle in the background. This is probably one of the most beautiful castles I ve ever seen, and it s small wonder it was chosen as an inspiration for Walt Disney.
The Autobahn is the pinnacle of the German driving experience, perhaps the ultimate in driving altogether. Virtually all of the world s serious drivers have heard of it and longed to take their shot at conquering it. Teutonic cars are known for their precise engineering and craftsmanship; the Autobahn completes the driving equation.