This kind of trip is a growing trend for boomers, and luxury car manufacturers are capitalizing on the trend by offering incredible perks for travelers and car buyers taking these types of sojourns. In many cases, enjoying this kind of trip will cost you the same or even less money than you would pay for the vehicle at a dealership in the US because of the discounts, perks and incentives the manufacturers offer.

Let’s take a look at some of the manufacturers offering European Delivery Programs (or EDP for short) and see what they include.

BMW
Fly to Munich and pick-up your brand new BMW at the famed BMW Welt. By participating in the BMW European delivery program you get the experience of a lifetime and save up to 7% off the price of your new BMW.

The perks include free companion airfare on Lufthansa, a factory tour where you can see the specific performance, design, handling, and safety technology as well as all of the exterior and interior design details that have gone into your new BMW, BMW Museum tour, complimentary Delivery Center Cafe refreshments, and more.

BMW offers a selection of memorable driving experiences including Ultimate Luxury (Lakeside Luxury, Castles and Mozart, and Spa, Sport & Drive) for those with longer itineraries, and the Sampler Serenade (The Black Forest, The Castle Road, and Build Your Own) for those who only have three or four days to travel.

The BMW European delivery experience wraps up with transport of your new BMW back to the dealer of your choice in the US. There are 11 convenient drop-off points throughout Europe, and delivery to the US takes 6-8 weeks (East Coast) or 8-10 weeks (West Coast).

Mercedes
“Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz”. The Mercedes-Benz European delivery program allows you to pick up your new MB at the factory in Sindelfingen. There are several different travel packages to choose from including the Standard Package, Black Forest-Alps Rally Package, Alpen Route Package, Spa Package, and Stuttgart Walking Tour.

The details and perks of each package vary but in general include a 7% discount off MSRP of the vehicle, 1 or 2-night luxury hotel accommodations (depending on time of year and if they’re running a special incentive), some meals, factory tour, tickets to Mercedes-Benz Museum, fifteen days of European road insurance, all vehicle processing fees, transportation, and delivery to the dealer of your choice back in the US. They also offer you the ability to drop the vehicle off at one of 12 European drop-off points from which your vehicle will be taken to the port for shipment.

Porsche
The ability to put your new Porsche through its paces on the winding roads, autobahns, and countryside of Germany after picking it up from the factory in Zuffenhausen or Leipzig is a dream that can be a reality through the Porsche European delivery program. Much like the BMW and Mercedes-Benz programs, the Porsche EDP includes a factory tour and a tour of the Porsche Museum.

Once you take delivery the rest of the trip is for you to decide. When your journey is through, you may drop your Porsche off at one of 18 delivery points in Europe to begin its trip home to the US.

Audi, Saab and Volvo also offer European delivery programs.

Exotic and Ultra-Luxury Car EDP’s
Ferrari, Maserati, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce also offer European delivery programs, but you’ll find it hard to get information about these programs online. In most cases you’ll need to visit your local dealer and discuss this option. In most cases, these programs come at a fairly high price and do not offer the discounts that some of the automakers discussed above offer.

But if you’ve got the cash, and the patience, such a trip can be an experience you’ll one day tell the grandkids all about. As proof, check out this article about a Florida Attorney who went to pick up his Ferrari in Italy.

Most of the manufacturers offering European delivery programs caution you on picking up during Winter months. Germany and some other countries have passed strict laws requiring special equipment (snow tires, etc.) on all vehicles during certain types of weather, with steep fines for non-compliance. It’s not an insurmountable obstacle, just something you should be aware of when planning your trip.

But, this is only after their specific lifestyle and convenience needs are met. The article compares the choice to “buying a Lexus Hybrid instead of a Toyota Prius”.

I’ve written about Boomers exploring different ways of going green here before, and no doubt it will be a noteworthy trend in years to come. Developers interested in the boomer market better get their green home plans and designs together!

Everywhere Magazine is comprised completely of “user generated” articles, that is, articles are submitted by readers/freelance writers/travelers and editors select the best of the submissions to put in each issue.

A 1-year subscription (6-issues) is $24.99. If you think that is a bit much you can read the issues online for free.

Hat tip to Rohit Bhargava of Influential Marketing blog for this awesome find.

I recommend having a security system installed (make sure you are given a yard sign and window stickers which can act as an added deterrent). Most people only set it when they are away from the home or when they go to bed at night, but now we’ll be keeping ours on during the day as well, and you should too.

Security systems are available through companies like Brinks and ADT. Personally I use a system through Alarm.com that uses wireless signals (much like a pager) so that if a phone line is cut, it will still notify the authorities in case of emergency.

This type of wireless security system can also be controlled through the internet, which is great for a second homeowner. Through an online interface you can see system activity, arm and disarm if necessary, and more. Check it out if you’re looking for a great wireless internet security system.

Be safe!