tkamiya - Books vs CD - It really depends. I used to hate it when they started putting software development documentation only in electronic format. I remember having had a hard time getting used to it when Microsoft stopped shipping books (SQL server). So I now use a combination of aftermarket books and electronic documentation.
In terms of the Benz CD manual - print it out! It's gonna cost you $10 in paper, and some laser toner...
yhliem - Stuttgart is a very pretty place, actually. Worth a stop over. It's green, and the center of town is nesteled by hills and old vineyards with absolutely gorgeous homes along them. It's very expensive and very wealthy - next the Munich the most expensive place in Germany. The train station is impossible to miss - it has a huge Merceds Benz star rotating on the top of its tower!
You might consider visiting Germany via Stuttgart rather than Frankfurt - it's less stressful, and Delta Airlines flies there on a regular basis (out of Atlanta, I believe).
With that background, your dad could probably put a Benz together from scratch!
