Have you ever imagined zooming along the German autobahn at triple-digit speeds? How about gliding past Italy’s coastal panoramas behind the wheel of a curve-hugging sports car? Or maybe cruising the vineyards of France in classic sedan comfort is your preference. Whatever your driving style or vacation dreams, the savings you get on taking European delivery of your new luxury car, will afford an epic European driving vacation when you pick up your new ride from the factory.

European Delivery Programs

Several of Europe’s luxury automotive brands have European delivery programs offering significant cost-savings benefits that actually pay for a fun vacation when you pick up your new car at the factory. That’s right, you don’t have to choose between ‘new car’ and ‘Europe vacation’ because you can have both!

Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and Volvo all have European delivery programs for U.S. buyers. The way it works is that you visit your local dealer to order the car. When you choose European delivery, you get a five to seven percent savings off of the U.S. MSRP and shipping it back to the U.S. is free of charge. You’ll be given a date for pick up at the auto maker’s factory and you can use your savings for a unique European vacation driving your brand new car. Travel Maestro tip: Not all models are available for European delivery.

Vacation Perks

In addition to actual savings on the cost of the car, the automakers give you VIP treatment when you arrive to pick it up. European delivery programs usually include:

• Chauffeured pick up from the airport
• One night hotel accommodations
• Transportation to the factory
• Tour of the auto maker’s factory
• Lunch at the company campus
• Tickets to the auto brand’s museum

Then you get the keys to your brand NEW car, and you’re free to hit the roads of Europe on the driving vacation you’ve dreamt of. To sweeten your experience, you’ll also get:

• A full tank of fuel
• Two weeks of insurance coverage

Obviously, this is the point at which you execute the custom driving vacation carefully arranged by your expert travel advisor. You might put your new car through its paces on the hairpin bends of Austria’s High Alpine Road. Maybe you’ll leisurely view the fairy castles of Bavaria’s picturesque Romantic Road. Or if you have a head for heights, you can do some seriously dramatic driving at Provence’s Verdon Gorge Circuit. Travel Maestro tip: Most European delivery programs allow you to keep your car up to 90 days before dropping off for shipment, but you’ll pay for the insurance coverage beyond the initial two weeks.

The last phase of European delivery is shipping your new car home. Again, the auto manufacturers make this as easy as dropping off a rental car. Programs include:

• Up to 17 drop-off locations throughout Europe
• Conveyance for the vehicle from the drop off point to the shipping port
• Ocean freight shipping to a U.S. port
• Marine insurance
• Transportation of the vehicle to your selling dealer

Shipping will take 6 – 13 weeks, with east coast final destinations taking the shortest time. Travel Maestro tip: The details of each manufacturer’s European delivery program vary, so inquire with your selling dealer for the fine points.

Picking up a new car straight from the factory in Europe is an unforgettable thrill for car enthusiasts. Let the Europe experts at Covington design a custom driving vacation around your pick up date so you can get to know your new car from the very beginning.