Click here to download a printable .pdf of these questions and answers.

A.         Do you have a suggestion for mobile telephone service to call back to the US? I use ATT - my i-Phone or Blackberry works in Europe.  Or you can use the Worldwide Cell Phone rental which provides excellent service: www.cellhire.com/affiliate/?dref=5676.  If you are planning a lot of calls to the U.S. and you bring a laptop you might want to look into www.Skype.com.    

B.         Do you have a suggestion for a Hotel in London (or Paris, Vienna, Florence etc.)?  “She wants to visit the London Bridge, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace & St. Paul’s Cathedral?”  Yes, we can help you with recommendations and/or reservations anywhere in Europe.  We can also lay out a trip for you before or after the TREFFEN, including barge cruises in France; events on the Nürburgring, Hockenheim or Salzburg Ring race tracks.  We do need to make those arrangements BEFORE you leave for Europe. 

C.         Is the German city of Cologne and Köln the same?  Yes.  Bear in mind that some of the names we use in English for some destinations do not coincide what locals call their locations, for example:  Nuremberg = Nürnberg; Munich = München; Vienna = Wien; Austria = Österreich; Germany = Deutschland etc.  We had a trip to Vienna a few years ago and people complained they couldn’t find a single road sign pointing to Vienna.  Of course not, the name for that city is Wien (pron. Veen).

D.         What about jet lag?  We recommend that you arrive a day early, if possible, to get acclimated.  Some people take a nap upon arrival and some stay awake but go to bed early the day of arrival.  The latter works well for me.  The recommendation from physicians is that you should get as much daylight and exercise as possible after arrival, stay awake, have an early dinner and get a good night’s sleep.  We provide more detailed information in our FYI trip information letter prior to departure.

E.         When I arrive in Europe, how do I get to the hotel?  We will pick you up at the airport in Stuttgart, provided you either have us arrange your travel or you give us your detailed itinerary at least two weeks prior to your arrival in Europe.  If you arrive by train in Stuttgart the Steigenberger Hotel Graf Zeppelin is directly across the street from the Hauptbahnhof (main railroad station).  Look for a Hofmann Taxi representative with the Fast Lane sign – Hofmann at the Airport can be reached: 796 356 or 948 4409.

F.         What’s the weather like?  The weather usually parallels the mid-Atlantic states in the U.S.  You should go to www.weather.com to get a forecast for Stuttgart or the other venues we are visiting.  When we drive in the Alps it gets chilly any time of year, so a windbreaker or leather jacket is advisable. 

G.         What is the dress code on the trip?  This is your vacation.  Some of the 5-star hotels are more formal and there might be one or two evenings where I would wear a jacket (no tie) and the ladies might enjoy dressing up in that “little black dress.”  But we have had participants who wear a jogging suit the entire trip, or jeans . . . you have to be comfortable.  In general Germany is more formal than the U.S. Wear comfortable shoes.

H.         How much luggage can I bring?  As much as you like.  On the TREFFEN trips you can leave “large” luggage at the hotel in Stuttgart and we take overnight bags for the driving portion.  On the PORSCHE FEST (where we drive between 7 and 10 days), we have a luggage truck that transports your “large” luggage to the next venue where it is in your room upon arrival. 

I.          Do women enjoy this trip?  Read the customer comments and judge for yourself.  Ladies love our trips.  There are excellent opportunities to shop, the scenery is breathtaking and the hotels are romantic.  It’s not unusual that two “buddies” come on the trip the first time and then come back the following year with their spouses/significant others. 

J.         I have never been to Germany, is language going to be a problem?  All of our trips are escorted by linguistic guides.  Peter Sontag was born in Austria and is fluent in German.  Also most people in the under 50 generation in Germany speak English.  You won’t have a problem communicating.

K.         What is the time difference?  Europe is 6 hours ahead of the East Coast and 9 hours of the West Coast.  Noon in New York is 6:00 pm in Europe.  All flight, train, bus etc. schedules in Europe are usually on the 24-hour clock.  Simply deduct 12 hours to the times in the afternoon and evening to get to the pm times, i.e., 18:00 – 12 pm; 22:30 = 10:30 pm; 0:15 = 12:15 am. 

L.         Do I need a visa to go to Europe?  U.S. or Canadian citizens do not need a visa to go to any of the European countries.  All you need is a valid U.S. passport, preferably with more than six months validity before it expires.  If you are a non-U.S. citizen, then please check with your respective consulates. 

M.        What is the difference between Fast Lane Travel, Inc. and European Roads?  Fast Lane Travel, Inc. is a Delaware Corporation. Peter Sontag is the President of Fast Lane Travel, Inc. and has been conducting PORSCHE trips since 1976. In total, there have been over 3,000 Porsche Trip participants who have enjoyed our services. Of those close to 500 Porsches (roughly $35 million worth) were picked up on the trips over the years. Everyone has been gracious, fabulous and loads of fun.

II.         Hotel Accommodations Questions

A.         Do the hotels we stay in have Hair Dryers?  Yes

B.         Do the hotels have Internet access?  Yes, they usually have wireless access and you can buy access cards with specific time limits which usually run 1, 5, or 24 hours.  The prices range from €18 to €30 for a 24 hour card.

C.         Which brand of electrical converters should we purchase?  All you need is adapter plugs.  Personal appliances are inexpensive therefore, for example, it's cheaper to buy a German curling iron then to carry a heavy transformer. 

D.         Do the hotels that we are staying in for the TREFFEN have Televisions?  Yes, but the programs are in German, except CNN and BBC.  They also typically have programs in Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and French. 

III.        Driving-in-Europe Questions

A.         Do I need a special driver's license?   No. Your valid United States or Canadian driver’s license will suffice. It is important to remember however that driving in Europe is VERY different from driving in the States.  You will receive detailed instructions country-by-country when you sign up for one of our trips.  Remember, ONLY Germany enjoys the majority of their interstate highway system – the AUTOBAHN – with no speed restrictions.  Bear in mind though, it certainly is not a free-for-all, because you must follow some very specific rules and etiquettes.  FYI, the fatality rate is 2.4 times higher in the U.S. on our interstate highways than on the German Autobahn.  The Autobahn is safer!  I have published a copyrighted document entitled “12 Tips for a Safe and Enjoyable Trip from Fast Lane Travel, Inc.” which we provide to you when you sign up for one of our trips. 

B.         I have never driven over a 100 miles per hour – will that be a problem?  Our trips are guided by professional PORSCHE company drivers who pace the speed based on your abilities, comfort and, above all, safety.  Only Germany has no-speed limit portions of their interstate system, called the Autobahn.  We’ve had participants up to 86-years old doing just fine.  Please read the “A is for Autobahn” and “I’m in Love” articles on this website plus the past participants’ comments to get a better feel for the experience.  Our average travel speed on the Autobahn is approx. 120 mph – with the opportunity to go faster on certain long straight sections with little traffic.  There are strict traffic rules to be observed, however.  We will brief you prior to getting into our PORSCHES. 

C.         Will my 16 year-old son be able to drive on a TREFFEN trip?  Yes, if you purchase a PORSCHE.  We had a father and 16-year old daughter pick up a Cayenne in Leipzig and we laid out a fabulous route for them.  She drove all the way.  The Factory PORSCHES can be driven by 18-year olds, except for the Turbos you must be 23 years old.  Car Rental companies like Hertz or Avis typically have a 23-year to 26-year old minimum age requirement on all of their “A” class cars.  I do have access to smaller private car rental companies and we can get exceptions. 

D.         Can I drive another car?  Yes, we can accommodate you with other cars such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes, BMW etc.  We occasionally have also been able to get a TechArt or RUF Porsche Twin-Turbo for our participants.  You might also want to check out www.europeanroads.com for other trip options. 

IV.       Trip Cost Questions

A.         Why is Europe so expensive at the moment?   The current U.S. Government policy appears to maintain a low value of the Dollar vs. other currencies.  This policy helps our exports.  For example, it puts Boeing in better competitive position vs. Airbus Industries.  It also attracts visitors to the U.S. to come here and shop or buy U.S. assets, like real estate.  On the other hand traveling to Europe is, therefore, much more expensive because it takes more Dollars to buy Euros.  The Euro (€) was introduced on January 1st 1999 to further expedite the unification of Europe.  Most European countries went along with it and gave up their currencies, some did not, like the UK, Denmark, Switzerland etc.  In 1999 you could buy one Euro for $.86 vs. approx. $1.65+ today.  In other words, you pay about twice as much for the same Euro today as on the day it was introduced in 1999.  That means you roughly pay twice as much for everything but unfortunately you are not getting any more in return.

B.         Why are prices so high in Germany?  Germany has a VAT (value added tax) system currently at 19%.  Anything you buy in a store or a service you receive the price has a 19% tax built in.  In other words roughly 1/5 of all the money you spend goes to sales tax.  In addition on certain commodities additional taxes are levied, like gasoline which in March 2008 sold for approx. $10.75 per gallon for premium 98 Octane fuel (which is what we need to fill up the PORSCHES). 

C.         Where is the best location to change my money, i.e., purchase Euros with Dollars?  I order them at least 3 business days ahead of departure from my local Bank of America branch.  Exchanging Dollars at your U.S. airport or in Europe is expensive.  In April 2008 I paid in excess of $1.75/€!

D.         Why is there a single supplement charged by hotels in Europe?  The hotels in Europe have this peculiar system where they don't quote the price for a room but they quote the price for a room based on double occupancy.  For example if a “double” room costs €300 per night (€150 per person).  Thus, trips are calculated on a per person basis, which include the cost of €150 per person per night in coming up with the total trip price.  But the hotels' policy is that if only one person stays in that room they can't charge the full €300 because it would be unfair but they can't also charge only the €150 because they lose half the revenue.  So they roughly split the difference and charge €225 Euros for the room if only one person stays in it.  This is called the Single Supplement. 

E.         Is my trip deposit refundable?  We encourage you to review the Terms and Conditions on the back of your invoice.  Our policy has been to give you a full refund up until 105 days prior to the trip’s departure.  After that we will apply the unused portion of your deposit to a future trip.  Depending on the circumstances we’ve been very flexible with refunds.  You might also want to take out travel insurance to cover medical contingencies or other issues that might prevent you from taking or completing the trip. 

F.         Why do you require a $1,500 deposit per person to secure our trip slots?  In our experience on average 5 - 10% of participants cancel prior to departure, mostly for business or health reasons.  The cancellation rate for non-deposited reservations (which we permitted in the 70’s and early 80’s) is in excess of 85%.  In order to secure accommodations in Europe we must reserve hotel space, restaurant reservations, PORSCHES, entertainers etc.  They all require deposits and a participant count in some cases a year in advance!  This can only be accomplished with deposits.  For example PORSCHE Leipzig wanted to know a year in advance exactly how many participants will be on the track in September 2008. 

G.         Can I pay my deposit with a credit card or can I pay for the trip with a credit card?  No, we do not accept credit cards because the trips are so narrowly priced (we try to break even on the TREFFENs) and the card companies’ fees in the 5% range are simply too high.  In our experience, we have never lost a participant because we only accept personal checks or wire transfers. 

H.         Is there a chance that the quoted price may change?  Yes. There could be further currency swings, certain venues could increase their prices, or the number of participants requires that fixed costs, such as busses, guides, entertainment, etc., be spread over a smaller number.  In the past, price changes, were typically in the 5 – 7% range.  We’ve also had trips where prices went down or we added additional trip benefits.  Since I never know the number of participants and cannot predict the currency swings, hedging is not an option.  Each brochure and our correspondence clearly state the Euro price assumptions when each trip is designed and planned.  In 2009 we will offer the option to pay in Euros.

I.          Can I pay in Euros to minimize the currency risk?  Yes.  You can wire transfer Euro funds directly to PORSCHE and, thus, eliminate the currency risk.  Just let us know and we’ll give you the wire transfer instructions.

J.         Is the airfare included in the price? No, because participants come from all parts of the U.S. and overseas.  A significant portion of participants also use their frequent flyer miles. 

K.         What about going through Customs into Europe or coming back to the U.S.?  In Stuttgart we pick you up at the airport and channel you through customs.  Since typically you are not importing anything to Europe and just bring personal effects there should not be a problem.  Returning to the U.S. the duty-free limit is currently at $800 per person.  My policy is that I declare absolutely everything that I buy or receive as a present when I return to the U.S.  If you are over the $800 U.S. Customs usually charges 10% of the amount you are over.  The only issue is that if you have a tight flight connection you may lose some time with the U.S. Customs paperwork. 

L.         How much money should I bring?  The trip is all inclusive, so you only need money for incidentals, bar tabs, souvenirs etc.  Most stores in the major metropolitan areas in Europe also take VISA, Master Card and AmEx.  I would bring $50 per day cash in Euros for incidentals.