We are honored to have been selected as one of 3 groups nominated as the 2017 GTI Freundeskreis crews, and as the first ever non-European based group!
Each year 3 groups join the ‘GTI Circle of Friends’, and are awarded with an exclusive display and hospitality area on the main GTI Treffen stage. Each one of the cars joining us from the USA will be on stage for a full day at the show, and we will have our own VW backed seating area with full access throughout the show. It almost doesn’t need to be said, but we are so grateful to VW Germany and their partners, and all of last years crews, for nominating us for this amazing opportunity.
Wednesday 17 May – Depart from your local USA airport
You are welcome to fly earlier to spend some time in Europe!
Thursday 18 May – Collect the cars @ VW Emden
Rendezvous at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, with collected luggage. Van will depart at noon. Private van transfer to the Volkswagen Emden Factory, with lunch provided on the bus. Collect USA vehicles at the VW Group Port in Emden, where they will have been processed and fueled. Group dinner in Emden, Germany, and make the first Autobahn drive to the hotel in Braunschweig. Welcome to Germany!
Friday 19 May – VW Wolfsburg Factory
A short drive from the hotel, the famous Wolfsburg Factory will be in sight. The day starts with a guided tour of the VW Museum, before parking the cars at the Autostadt. The group will tour the production line in the factory, in English, and then have lunch at the Autostadt Tachometer Cafe. The afternoon will allow time to explore the Autostadt, finished off with a ride up one of the two impressive Towers that house new cars waiting for delivery. Dinner will also be on-site, followed by a drive to the hotel in Leipzig.
Saturday 20 May – Munich Tourism
After breakfast at the hotel, the group will make a 250 mile drive south on the Autobahn to Munich, with a midway stop for lunch and fuel. We will proceed to the famous Olympia Park in Munich, where there will be free time to choose from activities including viewing the city from the Olympia Tower, visiting the BMW Museum, shopping in the famous flea market, or otherwise enjoying Munich. Afterwards, we will check in to the group hotel, and have free time for dinner and tourist activities in this exciting city.
Sunday 21 May – Drive to Austria and Wörthersee Begins
After breakfast and a relaxed start time we will affix the Austrian road tax stickers to the vehicles, as we’ll soon be in Austria! A 136 mile drive will see the group in the beautiful Alps, where we will stop for fuel, lunch, and photos. Arriving in Wörthersee, we will check into the private apartments and unpack. Dinner will be at a buffet next to the famous ‘Turbo Corner‘, one of the most popular ‘GTG’ (Get Together) locations at the event. Afterwards those looking to stay out longer can visit one of the most famous locations; the ENI fuel station, where cars can be washed and new friends made.
Monday 22 May – Free time at Wörthersee GTGs
Breakfast will be provided at the apartments, followed by an additional opportunity to wash the cars, and purchase groceries for the fully equipped kitchens. A group visit to the Pyramidenkogel, the world’s tallest wood look-out tower, will give an opportunity to view the entire Wörthersee lake, where the daring can choose to take the slide down from the top. This is also a popular meeting place for Volkswagen owners, so although parking is at a premium, it’s worth the wait! Free time for the rest of the day, with chances to visit the best car meeting locations and see the best cars Europe has to offer.
Tuesday 23 May – Worthersee / Porsche Gmund
We will have a sneak preview of the offical VW GTI Treffen area, and will set up our on-stage GTI Freundeskreis hospitality area. For the rest of the day, you have the option to explore the GTGs and local roads, or to drive 90 minutes to the private Porsche museum in Gmund. This is the location where Ferdinand Porsche lived and worked, and the first post-war Porsche sport cars were built. The evening will have ample opportunities to drive the local spots around the Lake Wörthersee.
Wednesday 24 May – GTI Treffen
The official GTI Treffen begins! We have been invited to be one of only three official crews with our own onstage hospitality area for the duration of the GTI Treffen! Each day one of our USA cars will be parking on stage in our exclusive display area. The show encompasses an entire village, so it’s easy to spend several days checking out the cars and exploring. As well as there being lots of food options in the town, we will have cold drinks and seats available through the day in the Orchid USA display area.
Thursday 25 May – GTI Treffen
Our second day at the GTI Treffen, with more of our USA owners being invited on stage with their cars to be interviewed in front of the crowds. This is an exclusive opportunity offered to very select cars, and we are thrilled that all of our tour group cars will be able to do so if the owners wish. Free time to enjoy the Treffen, and the surrounding areas through the day and evening.
Friday 26 May – Bled, Slovenia
The group will have the choice to either stay in Wörthersee area or to make a 1 hour drive east, into the beautiful country of Slovenia. We will drive through the countryside to Lake Bled, which has a historic church located on a tiny island in the center of the water. There will be time for photos and exploring the lake, followed by lunch.
Saturday 27 May – GTI Treffen
Our final day at the GTI Treffen and Wörthersee, with one final car remaining on stage in our display area. The remaining cars will have time to revisit any favorite GTG spots, with your last chance to buy the final souvenirs at the Treffen, and pack our bags.
Sunday 28 May – Audi Ingolstadt
Our USA convoy will leave Austria in the morning, with any Fly-In people stopping in Munich for flights home. The cars will continue on to Ingolstadt for a group tour of the Audi Museum. The day’s driving will end at a town center hotel in a traditional Germany location.
Monday 29 May – Emden / Amsterdam
Breakfast will be in the town, with a final opportunity to purchase souvenirs and local delicacies. We will quickly drive north on the Autobahn, stopping for fuel and food en route to the VW facility in Emden. The cars will be left at the Volkswagen export location, and a private bus will transport the owners and their luggage to the Amsterdam international airport. This will mark the end of our guided tour; have a safe flight home on either the morning of Tuesday 30 May, or later if you decide to stay longer!
VWVortex Coverage Day 3
