Frank Wulfers

Travels in Europe

Travel to Trollhattan
May 14, 2006

I checked with the IDS coordinator for Saab USA 5 days before I left to make sure they received my travel information and everything was all set. They confirmed receipt of my travel info and a driver would be at the airport.

After a long flight (Santa Ana, CA --> Chicago --> Frankfurt --> Gothenburg), I arrived at the airport of Gothenburg. Unfortunately, no driver from Saab waiting for me ... After an hour, I decided to take a taxi to Ronnums Herrgard which is about 70 miles from Goteburg. Arriving at the hotel, I discovered it is closed on Sundays.. I wish Saab would tell you beforehand you won't be staying there if you arrive on a Sunday.

I was lucky to be able to reach someone from the hotel because my taxi already left. They were very helpfull and sent over the groundskeeper to give me a key and let me into the hotel. Not what I expected for the first night but at least I had a place to stay. Of course, the restaurant is closed on Sundays as well so no dinner for me that night. I found a supermarket near the hotel where I was able to get a sandwich and some other things.

Picking up my new car
May 15, 2006

The hotel already contacted SAAB ANA (the dealer where they handle IDS deliveries) and arranged for a taxi to take me there. Later at the dealership, Monica (the IDS coordinator) told me she never received the information from Saab USA about my arrival. The first time she heard I was coming this day was when she received a call from the hotel. She was very nice about it and immediately offered to pay for the taxi fare (about $200).

My new car was waiting in the delivery area of the dealership, among several other cars for local customers. Monica showed everything about my new car I needed to know. After that, we went through all the paperwork and signing of the necessary documents. I was there for about 1 and a 1/2 hours so there was enough time, nothing was rushed.

There was a mistake made with the order entry of my car. They forgot to enter the body-colored door handles into the system. We agreed it would be best to have this corrected by my dealer in California. My advice is to make sure you're familiar with the standard equipment of USA-spec cars and check when you take delivery.

Please note: My experience with these few problems are an exception to the rule. Saab does hundreds of IDS deliveries a year and I am sure most of them go smoothly. As with anything, there is a possibility for problems but don't let it ruin your vacation and enjoying your new car.

After leaving the dealership, I drove to the nearby factory for the factory tour. The tour started at the welcome center for a brief overview of Saab history. The actual tour starts at the stamping plant and goes through the entire production process. It was very interesting to see how the chassis with wheels, engine etc is joined with the car body coming from high above the factory floor. The plant is very clean and pretty quiet. A unique experience to see how cars are manufactured and I highly recommend taking this tour if you take delivery of your new Saab in Trollhattan.

The Saab museum was the next stop and is only a short drive from the factory. It is not very big but gives a nice overview of the history and future of Saab vehicles. Entrance is free when you mention you are an IDS customer.

Travel through Scandinavia
May 15 - 20, 2006

I spent the first week of my European adventure in Scandinavia. After I was done in Trollhattan, I headed to Oslo. Next stop was Bergen. All the fjords in this area are simply breathtaking. Nothing can prepare you for seeing these majestic mountains with beautiful clear waters. Wow.

The days are pretty long at these latitudes. I kept thinking of the movie Insomnia (the first Norwegian version) when daylight finally fades around 11:00pm. The sun greets you again around 4:00am so nights are pretty short. I still need to experience the midnight sun some time.

From the fjords, I headed southeast following the road along the Jostedalsbreen glacier. It’s the highest mountain pass in Northern Europe and there was still a lot of snow left. The temperature hovered around freezing so the snow was not going anywhere soon.

Back again through Sweden. I didn’t see a whole lot of Sweden but made a little detour from the highway through the southern part (Skåne). The landscape around Trollhättan with all the lakes and rocky shores was remarkably similar to what you find in the U.P. of Michigan and Ontario around Lake Superior. That could be the reason so many Scandinavians emigrated to that area (and Minnesota as well). Strange to see a landscape so familiar so far away from home.

From Sweden to Denmark over the Öresund link, a combination of a long bridge and tunnel. Quite an engineering accomplishment. Denmark took me to Germany where I had the opportunity to try out the top speed. I was able to get the 9-3 over the magical mark of 200 km/h (125 mph) for just a minute or so. The wet road surface and many vacationers with caravans (travel trailers for you Americans) limited the fast-driving experience. Northern Germany passed by quickly after which I crossed the border with Holland.

Week in Holland
May 21 - 28, 2006

The second week was in Holland for visiting family and friends. Just a few places to visit so not much to report as far as sightseeing goes. I am originally from Holland and it’s difficult to give an objective touristic view of your own country.

England and Wales
May 29 - June 5, 2006

From Holland, I took the ferry to England (IJmuiden - Newcastle) which was an overnight trip. I drove from Newcastle along the Scottish border towards the west coast. Through the Lake District and south to Liverpool. Interesting city, lot of history as well. Onwards to Wales.

It’s very interesting to listen to Welsh radio stations. They say Dutch is a hard language to learn but Welsh seems to be up there as well.

The area around the Snowdon mountains is beautiful. There are too many castles to visit but I was able to explore some. From there I headed south to Cardiff and then on towards Stonehenge. I expected it to be a very touristic but it is one of those things you have to see at least once in your life. And yes, there were a lot of tour buses and large groups of people

Looking back, I enjoyed visiting the much smaller Castlerigg stone circle in the Lake District more due to the solitude in that location.

Dropping of the car in London
June 6, 2006

The agent for the UK is located near Heathrow airport. It is a small office inside the Renaissance Hotel. All paperwork was handled quickly and efficient. The handling fee had to be paid in cash and came to GBP 215. I also had to hand over my keys and say goodbye to my car. "So long my friend, see you in a couple of months!" I wanted to shout to my Fusion-Blue companion with tears in my eyes but I was able to compose myself.

I have driven a total of 3651 miles with an average of 28.2 miles per gallon (US). Not bad at all. I just shouldn't think about the $9 per gallon I paid on average throughout my trip. Ah well, how often can you drive your own car through the most beautiful places in Europe, right?

From the hotel, I took the Hoppa hotel bus to the airport where the Underground took me to the centre of London. Just a few more days in London and then back home. It was all over but the memory and pictures will last a lifetime.

Continue with part 3