Here's the deal:
The Car: MERCEDES BENZ
The Savings: As with other carmakers, the cost includes
factory preparation, accessory installation, tourist registration,
customs duty, ocean freight, marine insurance, wharfage and
handling fees, and transportation to your stateside dealer.
The Bonuses: Transport from
Stuttgart airport. Free
breakfast or lunch at the Sindelfingen factory restaurant and two
nights free hotel in Stuttgart. A full tank of gas. And, once on
the road, hotel rates of one-third to half off along suggested
routes through the most scenic parts of
Germany and the Alps.
The Insurance: 15 days of free all-inclusive insurance
The Pick-Up and Drop-Off: You pick the car up at the
Sindelfingen factory. Return it at no charge in eight German
cities:
Berlin,
Frankfurt,
Hamburg,
Munich, Sindelfingen,
Bremerhaven, Mannheim, and Bremen. There's no charge to return it
in these cities, either:
London,
Paris, Nice,
Antwerp, Amsterdam,
Madrid,
Zurich, or Geneva.
The Lead Time: Order your car six weeks to two months before
your trip.
The Contact: Mercedes-Benz USA, Client Assistance Center, 3
Paragon Dr., Montvale, NJ 07645; (800) 367-6372;
www.mbusa.com.
The Car: VOLVO
The Savings: 7 to 10 percent off MSRP
The Bonuses: One free round-trip coach ticket on American
Airlines to select cities. A free ride to the factory, a full tank
of gas, a dinner and one night's stay at a Göteborg,
Sweden, hotel.
A week of free wireless phone rental, a complimentary cabin upgrade
and free vehicle passage on any of the DFDS Seaways European
city-to-city cruise liners offering passenger and vehicle cruises
between Sweden,
Norway,
Denmark, the
United Kingdom, and northern
Germany. Scandinavian package tours offer hotel, breakfast, some
dinners, and museum discounts for trips of three to 11 days and
cost $355 to $1,850 per person for double accommodations. Trips
focus on Swedish glass, castles, or culture, with stop points
including
Stockholm,
Oslo,
Copenhagen, and elsewhere.