For years, I’ve had dreams of visiting far-off lands to experience car culture around the world. I want to know what loving cars looks like to everyone. Now, my dreams are finally coming true with my first international trip. Next week, I’ll be in the French Riviera to drive an Audi, but I have a feeling I’m going to spend every minute in awe. Yet, I really have no idea what I’m doing, so you get to watch me go through this whole process of opening a new chapter in life.
Ever since I was a kid, I had dreams of boarding a plane, flying to a far-flung place, and having vehicular fun somewhere new. These dreams filled my head after watching countless Top Gear challenges ranging from riding motorbikes through Vietnam to the legendary Sabine Schmitz absolutely hauling a Ford Transit around the Nürburgring. Now, I’m wondering why I didn’t start this journey sooner.
Back in late August, Audi invited us to France to drive a new car. Now, stuff like this would normally be difficult because our team is small. That would be almost a whole week without one of our regular writers. So, if we attend these events, we might send a contributor. But our editors had a brilliant idea. Who didn’t have a passport and who hasn’t ever left America? That would be yours truly. Now I had a reason to speed-run the passport process like this:
Passports Can Be Easy!
Getting the passport was actually easier than I expected. Most of the work was just gathering documents. I needed my birth certificate, my name change court order, my driver’s license, and photocopies of all of those.
One of the things I was worried about was how my gender appeared on my documents. I have not been able to amend my Wisconsin birth certificate yet so that still had the letter “M” on it. But, my driver’s license shows “F” on it. Is that going to cause a problem? The U.S. Department of State makes this pretty easy. You have to fill out an application to get your passport and choosing your gender marker is as easy as checking a box.
I gathered my documents and made a next-day appointment with my local post office. There, they took my picture, collected the fees, and sent off my application.
One of the other scary aspects of the passport application is the processing time. The U.S. Department of State says routine processing takes 6 to 8 weeks. An expedited passport takes 2 to 3 weeks while it’s also possible to get one within 14 days. The processing time does not include the days your application and passport spend in transit. The U.S. Department of State goes as far as to say that it could take two whole weeks before it even begins processing your passport application.
This timing was a bit confusing. At the time, the Audi event was 4 to 5 weeks away. That was too soon for routine processing but also cut it close for expedited processing after delays are factored in. Yet, it was also too far out for urgent processing.
Matt Hardigree suggested choosing the fastest possible option for everything. So, I chose expedited processing and then tossed in the faster one- to two-day shipping. It’s $160 to get your passport book and card, another $60 for expedited processing, plus $21.36 for the fast shipping. I also paid another $50 to the USPS for my picture and for the acceptance fee. Amazingly, I got my passport in just two weeks, and that included a delay due to Labor Day.
The Trip
Right, so I have my passport, now it’s time to fulfill some lifelong dreams.
My test drive for international travel will start at O’Hare next week. Audi gave me a choice of airlines and flights out to Europe. One flight had me going to London before heading to France and another option was going to Amsterdam first. Admittedly, I chose the flights based entirely on aircraft type. I hoped for a Boeing 747 on the transatlantic legs, but none of the flight options offered one. So, I chose the pair of aircraft that sounded the coolest to me. I’ve never flown on a Boeing 787, so that was an easy choice. I also haven’t been in a CRJ-900 in years, so that was my second choice.
So, I’ll be flying into Munich, Germany first, which is pretty awesome because part of my family ancestry traces its roots back to Germany. Then, I’ll hop on the little CRJ-900 and I’ll be off to France!
I was then surprised to see that Audi paid for first-class seats on every aircraft. The United 787 I’ll be departing on has those cool cubicle things with lay-flat seats. As all of you know, I’m a serial cheapskate. There’s no doubt I’ve purchased multiple cars for the price of just one of these flights. I’ve never flown anything better than Economy, so I have no idea how I’m going to react.
Look at what United Polaris is like. I want to be clear that this isn’t an advertisement, I fly with whatever airline has the coolest plane for any given trip. But, to my cheap heart, this is amazing:
Matt and David warned that things aren’t going to be as easy as hopping on a plane and flying over. I should try to have at least some of the local paper currency. David also gave me a sweet wall adaptor that will charge my phone and laptop no matter where I am in the world.
Audi will be putting me up in some ridiculously swanky five-star hotel and weirdly, that’s the part I’m least excited about. It’s an open secret that automakers wine and dine journalists. I mean, Toyota put me up in Hawai’i for a whole week for an event that was realistically just two days. It’s funny the lengths some automakers will go to impress. Still, just look at the place I’m being sent to. It’s called the Le Mas de Pierre:
What I’m really excited about is car spotting. There’s a whole world of cars the United States never got and it’ll even be fun to spot differences between USDM and Euro-market cars. It’s probably a good thing that press events sort of lock you into an ecosystem for the whole trip. If I’m left to wander I’d probably try to figure out how to buy and store a Smart Roadster until it’s old enough to come to America. You know, I might try to do that, anyway.
Of course, this is still a press trip, so I’m going to be able to drive the Audi [REDACTED] around Côte d’Azur for a couple of days. I can’t wait to see what driving on another country’s roads is like. Maybe if Audi releases our leashes for long enough I could also take a swim in the ocean.
[Editor’s Note: Mercedes is going on one of the nicest possible press trips you can go on. It’s the French Freakin’ Riviera! This is like having your first meal out at The French Laundry. There are maybe nicer one-off press trips (perhaps Fancy Kristen could tell us), but as far as places where cars are regularly launched it’s the tops. I hate to lose a writer, but Mercedes is great and deserves a cool experience like this. I can’t wait to read about it. – MH]
To be clear, this would normally be just another press trip, one where I would write a disclaimer about what the automaker paid for. I’ll do that at this event as well, but we’re going to use this trip for more than just driving a new car. We’re going to document what it’s like going on my first-ever international trip.
I’m expecting this to be a stepping stone to something even greater. I have a long list of dreams that I now have the ability to accomplish. I want to take a Smart around the Green Hell, I want to experience Chinese car culture, and I want to ride a motorcycle through some of the greatest vistas the world has to offer. That’s just the beginning of what I want to do outside of our borders. Driving an Audi in France will only be just the first step. So, I hope you enjoy my discovery of what it’s like to leave home.
If you’re thinking of getting a passport, I highly recommend it. I’ve delayed mine for so long thinking getting a passport was going to be hard. As it turns out, getting a passport was super easy, barely an inconvenience. So do it, go out there and have fun with me!
Lufthansa do fly the 747 from Chicago to Frankfurt (or at least they did until recently). Shame they weren’t able to offer an itinerary that worked! The 787 is a nice ride though. Try and get a window seat!
Re having some paper money- most places in Europe take card for everything, (although Germany is an exception to this) and I rarely take out much cash. But tips at places like coffee shops are typically done using cash – the beautiful little cafes in town squares are waiter service, and if it’s waiter service, you tip a couple of euros. If you’re having a meal, then tip 10-15%. Your US cards should work fine in Europe but check with your bank regarding fees etc.
My mother-in-law’s first time out the USA was for our wedding. I’m English, my husband is American, and we live in the UK. She absolutely loved it, and she’s saving up for her next trip
Regarding electrical adaptors etc- things like laptop chargers tend to be fine, but European electricity is a bit spicier (230v vs 110v in the US) and so things like hair dryers and straighteners might not be happy.
You’ll have an amazing time.
Honestly, contactless payment is so prevalent now (in the UK and Netherlands at least), that I rarely use cash at all. Even Big Issue sellers (a newspaper that’s sold by homeless people) have a contactless machine these days.
Using Chip+PIN is somewhat anachronistic now.
you are coming to my neck of the woods! i live the next village over from st tropez, and since you are getting a fancy car and coming to the côte d’azur, you will probably pass this way. because that’s the fancy thing to do. 😀
if you do decide to come up to St Tropez region from Nice, you can either take the A8 autoroute to Frejus, and then the coastal road up to ST. another alternative is take the coastal/hill road from Cannes to St Raphael/Frejus. Nice to Cannes along the coast is terrible slow, but after Cannes it is a very nice hill drive on curvy hill roads that takes about 2-3x times as long as you would taking the highway, but it’s a good drive.
Luckily for you traffic at this time of year is much better than at the height of the tourist season. mornings to St Tropez and afternoons from still suck. But if you find your yourself in traffic leaving St Tropez, you can take an alternate route via Ramatuelle. this is a great road, and in high traffic season it is twice as long in distance, but less time to get out. i highly recommend this because it is peak rural Côte d’Azur, with vineyards and medival villages. Ramatuelle is worth a stop too.
i would also highly recommend the coastal road from La Croix Valmer/Gassin to La Lavandou.it’s a spectacular drive.it’s all slow driving but man, it’s worth it. 🙂
but just so you know, the roads are NARROW on some roads. so take it easy. no shame in it either. i have seen super cars passed by scooters on some of these hill roads.
it’s a great place to come and visit, especially if you have a good car. i hope you get to experience it.
So happy for you, you will have a fantastic time! Pro tip for driving in France: An arrow-shaped sign on the left of the road pointing right means: go straight. If it is on the right-hand side of the road, it means turn right.
I have been visiting France for 30+ years, and it usually takes me about 3 wrong turns before I truly remember. It’s OK. Just enjoy the experience!
Speaking from a lot of experience, from now on you will be broken and will want to travel ALL THE TIME.
This is awesome…I’m so happy for you! Have fun…don’t forget to eat French fries and French toast ha ha
With the exception of visiting Toronto on a semi-regular basis as a kid (and Bermuda once), I have spent the entirety of my 51 years in the good-ol USofA.
I’m hoping that will change next year, when my wife and I are hoping to visit Europe for our 20th anniversary in June. In the meantime, I’ll just live vicariously through you, Mercedes. Enjoy the trip!
So, how many SmartCars and obscure motorcycles can one check as luggage with United Polaris? Asking for a friend….
Enjoy! I’m stoked to read all about it, this sounds so fun. But really, I think going front of the plane on one’s first transAtlantic flight is potentially a terrible curse, like your horse winning on your first bet at the track. My only tips are: 1)if you must sleep the first day, only a quick nap. 2) To fight jetlag, I skip the nice freeze booze on the plane/lounges even though it rips my poor cheapskate heart apart to pass it up. 3) If sleep is more important to you than the business-class experience (maybe not!!),have a meal in the lounge, skip the meal on the plane, and go straight to sleep. 4) A friendly “bonjour” and smile when walking into a shop, etc in France gets you a long way and isn’t necessarily automatic to us yanks… Lots of good travel advice here already.
Re: language, the French appreciate (perhaps more than average) a little bit of basic effort even when you don’t speak the language. Basic meaning like the typical ‘bon jour’ when you enter a building or greet somebody. And if it’s at all evening, it’s ‘bon soir’ – I actually got corrected on that by a Parisian bakery owner once, LOL. Maybe a couple of other things like learning how to say ‘I don’t speak French’ and ‘do you speak English?’ if you find yourself somewhere where you think the person might not, which I think will be unlikely where you are.
Enjoy the trip Mercedes.
Personally I’ve been unsuccessful on flying on a Boeing 747 despite trying that for the last 10 years. They were never available on the routes I tried and for the most part it’s next to impossible now that airlines are increasingly eager to get rid of the few quad engine jets they have.
You’ll like the 787 but it ain’t a 747 nor an A380 (which I loved more than any other commercial plane I’ve ever been in).
Enjoy the driving experience in Europe. Lots of quirks but you’ll get used to it by day 2 or so.
My last piece of advise is: Don’t bring much cash anywhere and watch out for pickpockets and keep any backpack in front of you when walking or taking public transport as they’re quick and stealthy. Most places are ok with credit card and the currency exchange is not half bad. Enjoy!
As someone who was born in a non-US country, took my first international flight at age eight weeks, and spent the first half of my childhood traveling several times a year between three countries, I am persistently surprised when I read about Americans who have never left the US, and then I remember that this is a great lot of people. If there is anyone on the Autopian staff who deserves a trip like this, it’s you. You’ll love it, and you’ll write a great report about it. I’ve flown United Polaris before and it’s fantastic (and not even the best business class out there) and it spoils you forever.
I’m not so sure you’ll need Euros. On my last three trips to Europe, not once did I need cash anywhere. I used my credit card for everything.
I love seeing people realize their dreams. You make me want to accelerate mine of driving the Nurburgring myself (in anything, really).
true that. Most London places don’t even take cash anymore, but France still does some cash
be warned :
Addendum: If you’re on a narrow road, and an oncoming vehicle pulls over to let you pass, give them a little ‘thank you’ wave, or flash your lights or something.
You are going to France you say?
Be sure to bring a shrubbery.
Ooh, another tip for Mercedes: don’t forget to check with your mobile carrier to see if you need a different sim card or e-sim for your phone. Some US carriers overcharge you for international roaming, and some don’t. You do not want to find this out when you get home. You may even need a new sim just to make the phone work while you’re there. Wifi calling and data are usually still ok.
Though due to how cheap mobile subscriptions are in France WIFI is less developed than in the US, so whle you will get wifi at the hotel, getting wifi elsewhere might means popping in a Mc Do or a Starbucks. ( usually both have free wifi )
Edit : You can find prepaid sims (voice&data) in lots of places ( newspaper/tobaco/Lottery outlets, some supermarkets, … ). They can be refilled in the same places.
The eSIM option is exellent for most people. I got mine with 10GB of data for something like 20 Euros. Plenty for a 15 day stay
Good reminder. My US service gives me free international data roaming and wifi calling, which is one reason I got it. However, it is generally 3G or sometimes 4G so it’s….slow. I’ve seriously considered getting a SIM or eSIM.
Using something like Whatsapp/Facetime for voice calls back home will help save on international calling.
Have a great trip! I used to go to Frankfurt on occasion when I was in the industry, to visit with customers at Opel. Two language things I noticed:
1) Almost everyone I spoke with spoke English much better than I do German (mainly because my German was absorbed from my Swabian grandma, and Swabisch isn’t really German). People seemed to want to practice their English with me anyhow, so that was fine.
2) Many German people learned to speak English with a British accent, which I found amusing.
Also, remember that jet lag is a real thing and it’s generally worse when you go West back to the USA. I always just tried to gut it out until I could go to bed at the right clock time, but the first day back was always “sleepy zombie day”.
yeah, Germans and Dutch are really good at English. But French, Spanish and Italian are not that eager, nor are that good with pronunciation anyway.
Have a safe trip and enjoy every minute of your European experience. And don’t worry too much about the foreign languages. You will find people speaking English almost everywhere.
Based on my experience you will have an awesome time, and every future spirit flight or motel 6 stay will be pretty depressing. It’s hard to go back once you’ve experienced the fancier ways to travel.
I was looking into flights recently to go to Europe during the Christmas holidays and was playing with different departure dates/airports/etc because I’m flying into one airport and out of another no matter what and found myself seeing what flights were on what planes. I noted that Lufthansa seems to have a few 747 flights to JFK from Frankfurt. On one hand, I want to fly the 747 once to say that I have done it, but on the other, am concerned that I’d get an old outdated plane to sit in for a transatlantic flight when one of the newer Boeings or Airbus flights would have better IFE etc.
If you’ve got any flexibility with your schedule, think about taking the train back to your departure airport instead of a regional flight. It’ll of course take more time, but if you can get the TGV or any of the other fast trains, it’s a great way to see the countryside. Plus you come back wondering why we can’t do that in America.
I didn’t know any major commercial airlines are still flying the 747, that’s cool! I don’t know how dedicated you are to the 747, what layouts they have, or what your budget is, but I did get to fly business class in the top level of a BA 747 once on a work trip a few years ago, just before they dropped them, and while it wasn’t like it was objectively better than any other plane, it did feel kinda special in that it’s a really small deck (and in this case was only half full) so I sort of felt like I was on a private plane sitting on top of a jumbo jet. pretty memorable for that reason. I would definitely accept an outdated plane, bad IFE to experience that again, but only I I knew I had a good chance of being up top.
The majority of Lufthansa’s 747 fleet is the 747-8 which are 9-12 years old. I would expect those to be (relatively) modern. I would stay away from their -400s as those are probably getting fairly dated at this point.
I should not really spoil the fun, but it always makes me laugh when people, who have seen photos like the one at the top of the story, rush to the beach in Nice and find… pebbles.
Lying on them takes some getting used to.
And I am sure most of the photos from the tourist office have been photoshopped to make them look sandy.
Usually a very good beach culture there, even so.
I had this very experience in August.
This is so cool, and a wonderful article to kick it off with. Enjoy their hospitality!