Blog Retired!

This blog was created to share information for anyone that wanted to come with me to the Czech Centre SOC Rally in Vernirovice in May 2022.

With the event over and done with it is time to retire the blog.

Thanks to the one or two people that bothered to read it and get the information they may have needed.  

The rally was great and I am now looking at:

InvictaMoto's Czech Rally Trip 2023

The Trip Report

 https://invictamoto.travellerspoint.com/tag/czech_trip_2022/

A week to go....

Just a week before we set off for the east of the Czech Republic for the local Suzuki Owners Club Rally. In fact, Phil and Giles will actually be setting off on Tuesday to come across from the west country to Dover.  For me it's a 14 mile ride from door to door (as it were!).

As well as having everything printed I will have some of the details on my phone.  In fact, I'll have multiple copies of all the stuff I need to have with me. One in the tank bag and others (!) in the top box.  Belt and braces!

Today I copied the routes from MyRouteApp to the TomTom.  At the same time I saw that there are map updates for Europe and the US.  I don't usually bother with the US upgrades but whilst I am at it I might as well let it run.. 🤯

The updater came up to say that to do the download would take 10124 hours.... it changed before I could get a photo... to 1 hour 24 mins. Phew.

I also downloaded and installed the DFDS app to my phone and logged in. It shows the last check-in time to be 7.15am for the ferry we are booked on.  I will aim for well before 7am arrival at the docks. Looks like a very early start.  Just like going to work! The app also says that you can enter the API (Advance Passenger Information) using the app. I can't find that and so whilst I still have a laptop to hand I entered my passport details for the booking through the website!  Is it worth an email to DFDS to ask about the app? Hardly worth it now.

Today it is a day for changing the bikes over in the garage and relegating the Suzi the Kettle to the back and getting Vera Strom to the front and giving her a check over. She is well within the service limits and the tyres are almost new. A bit of oil on the chain. I'll use the Scottoiler oil I have left over from when I had one fitted to the Kettle.

Oh and of course the UK sticker needs to be found a place! maybe on the back of the pannier?  Which side? Decisions eh!

And finally.  I have to fit and tune the new air seat cover to my butt's needs.  The V-Strom is a really good motorcycle. It does everything you would expect from a 1000cc v-twin.  The gearbox is slick and typically Suzuki in operating but... the seat is terrible. I have tried using the Alaska leathers sheepskin pad that I have used before on the BMW and Triumphs (since 2004!)  I have had in the past. But to no avail. After fifty miles it feels like my butt cheeks are numbed and then painful! 

So I bought a Hommiesafe inflatable seat cover.  It gets great write ups on the V-Strom forums.  It needs only a little air in it to take the pressure off. I will fit it and see about a few test rides to fine tune it. Perhaps ride up to Arsenal for the last game of the season on Sunday rather than take the train. It's 75 miles each way?

New Rally Shirt

Back in the day there used to be a short lived traditional garb for attending bike rallies. 

That of the Hawaiian shirt. Worn by members of the Kent Centre SOC.

So for the Czech Invader I have bought a new shirt. 

Tada!  🎇🎇🎇🎇

A bit understated but it's cheesy enough for the rally.

Available on eBay.

Or maybe this one I bought previously.

Day 7

Once we leave the hotel in Friedburg we return to the Romantic Road.  Phil wants to stop in Nördlingen where there is a town inside a massive meteor crater.  I have scheduled a 30 minute stop there. It's only 50 miles into the day.

The next stop is in Dinkelsbühl. Only another 20 miles up the road. Both these towns are two of the only three fully walled towns in Germany. The other is Rothenburg ob der Tauber, and we stop off there on the way to the rally.

In fact after Dinkelsbühl we arrive at the A6 and tuen westwards.  On the way from Rothenburg ob der Tauber on Day 2 we come to the same junction and go eastwards.  By the end of the trip we will have created a huge figure 8!

From there we have about 200+ miles to Luxembourg mostly motorways. we pass by the Sinsheim Technical Museum and so I have added it back in.  We can decided whether to go on when we get there! There's fuel and a McDonalds outside! lunch?

  

Ferry problems!

Was it an inspired decision to book the crossing for this trip with DFDS from Dover? 

With P&O Ferries announcing that they have sacked/made redundant 800 ship staff with immediate effect having a confirmed booking with DFDS seems like a good idea. 

Let's hope that as a result it doesn't cause the hassles that we have come to expect when the French are on strike for whatever reason!

Phew!

Ferry booked!

I doubt midweek ferry's get booked up even in May but now that it seems there is minimal fuss getting into France and across to the Rally, I thought I'd book it.

DFDS from Dover to Dunkirk on the 25th May, and back on the 1st June. Same route.

Turning the clock back to 1998

I found these photos in a box in the loft as I was attempting to tidy things up a little.  They are all from Ivan Benda and I think some of them may have featured in the SOC magazine "Hustler".

L to R - Chris Worland, Tony Bayliss, Dave Greenhalgh, Me.

Dave and I receiving awards for 4th rally participation.

Chris Worland awards for Oldest Participant and Furthest Distance.

Ivan Benda special award for his work starting and running the Centre.

Some of the British participants at the old street track near Velké Meziříčí

France drops entry requirements

The French have changed their entry requirements for vaccinated people. We no longer need to pay to take a lateral flow test or PCR test upto 48 hours before arrival.

Now we need the other counties to do the same.

Channel Crossing?

I had toyed with Dover to Dunkerque on the way out and maybe the Shuttle on the way back. 

Then I checked the bookings on each of the Shuttle and DFDS sites:

Eurotunnel

DFDS

After having used the Shuttle on numerous occasions over the last 20 years I can't say that they have been much quicker than the ferry! 

Hardly ever has there been a delay-free departure at either end. 

Motorcyclists are still treated as second class citizens and are loaded last on the back of the train? Why? My 2018 V-Strom is far less likely to spontaneously combust than some of the ancient and badly loaded cars that can barely wheeze over the step to board the train....

On the ferry, bikes generally load first.

The other advantages are that there are seats, radical I know. Seats that even motorcyclists can use unlike the Shuttle where the worn and filthy decks vie with the vents and handrails along the side of the train.

I think I will be taking the DFDS option (or maybe P&O!) as I want to go to Dunkerque rather than Calais.

Finally?

It looks as though we may have finally got to the end of the planning stage.

Hotels and routes look to be sorted. All we need now is some movement from "our friends" in Europe to start opening their borders to international travel and to cut out the very lucrative PCR and lateral flow testing requirements.

It's become a veritable gold rush for companies that sprung up like mushrooms to make a fortune. Cowboy territory.

The hotels are (the links may need dates checked!)

May 25th 🇩🇪 - Hotel Stadt Coblenz on Booking.com! http://www.booking.com/Share-Cu4qVt 

May 26th 🇨🇿 - Hotel Plzeň on Booking.com! http://www.booking.com/Share-oZu81r

May 29th 🇦🇹 - Austria Traveller Hotel Lenzing on Booking.com! http://www.booking.com/Share-ChHSQr 

May 30th 🇩🇪 - Gasthof Kreisi on Booking.com! http://www.booking.com/Share-xd4mdsh 

May 31st 🇱🇺 - Hotel Carpini on Booking.com! http://www.booking.com/Share-AM8EN6

That's about it for now. I have all the routes in MyRouteApp. I could share them to any travellers that want to join us but you'll have to have a MyRouteApp login.

The whole trip looks like this.  I had to stitch all the days routes together.

Overall route as planned.

This is a rough idea of the routes all stitched together although I like to have an idea where the fuel stops are liable to be, not necessarily to stick to them, but it gives an idea of the distances involved. So each day will be updated a little with fuel stops!

All the routes:

MyRouteApp 

Of course there is no such thing as "finally" in a Devall production. I will be tweaking the routes until the day we set off!  Maybe even afterwards too! The wonder of smartphones, apps WIFI and Bluetooth tethering. 👍

Infinity and Beyond!

"To boldly go" etc.

So yesterday's post about Linz to Friedberg had a very short shelf life. 

Once I started to look for hotels in Linz and seeing that either they have very few rooms released to booking.com, or there is genuinely an over abundance of tourists when we are going to be in the area!

I then started to look at the route and the distances involved.  In MyRouteApp I started to toy with different distances.  I had set an arbitrary destination of Linz before checking hotels and even the distances involved. Perhaps I should have done some more research before blogging?  "Bugrit"!

So today as I sat watching the greyhounds at my volunteer job eating and then running around the field I started to look for hotels.  One eye on the screen, one eye on the dogs!

The "previous current" Day 5 (Sunday) route took us from Vernířovice, via Brno with a 90 minute planned stop to see my former teaching colleagues and get a drink, then S52 into Austria.  The route calculated taking us to Linz. Most of it on the A1 Autobahn. We'd need the vignette. As I said before, I personally want the sticker to put on the bike as a "been there, done that" display rather than the e-vignette.

MyRouteApp calculates that as about 310 miles and 6h40m. This includes the 90 mins in Brno but no other stops, like lunch or petrol.

Phil will have his new R1250RT and that I guess will be frugal and get decent mileage. Giles has a Katana and I have no idea at the moment what mpg he gets. Vera currently doing about 50mpg over a variety or local and motorway riding.  

So that doesn't seem too bad. This brings us back to Day 6 Monday.  We have the Eagles Nest and Neuwanstein Castle on the visit list. Although a day ending in Füssen, the nearest town to Neuwanstein might seem sensible. It would leave about 560 miles to cover the be at the channel ports by mid-afternoon on Wednesday. Not too bad over two days, with overnight stops Monday and Tuesday.

But there is a hotel problem. Perhaps Neuwanstein is the mecca for tourists as there a few hotels in the more budget range.  Personally my wallet isn't in the £100+ a night bracket!

So I have from Neuwanstein I add the edited Romantic Road route from TomTom and saw that id starts in Füssen (!) and ends in Würzburg.

So Day 5 Sunday. In the end Linz was too short and Salzburg too long a day. Using booking coms map I worked my way from Salzburg towards Linz checking al the hotels that popped up. Looking at price and the number of rooms available.  You would be surprised how many hotels and gasthofs have one room left for May 29th 2022.

In the end I got as far as 40 miles from Salzburg at Lenzing. Not that far off the A1 and 60or so miles west of Linz. Linz not actually on the A1.

The Austria Traveller Hotel has plenty of rooms available and Lenzing is only 3kms off he A1. It does bump up the day's mileage to around 340. But quite a lot will be on dual-carriageway and motorway.

Day 5 - Sunday

That means that Day 6 (Monday) will be almost as planned with the stops and then part way up the Romantic Road to near Augsburg.

This is also brings into question a stop in Rothenburg ob der Tauber on the way to the rally on Day 2.  It's on the Romantic Road!  But that's a change for another day!

The stop tonight will be at Gasthof Kreisi in Friedberg as per the original plan of only yesterday!

Day 6 - Monday

Day 6 - Linz to Friedberg in Germany

I forgot to post https://czechinvader2022.blogspot.com/2022/02/day-67-miss-out-sinsheim.html and it was still in draft from a few days ago and so it has yesterday's date on it!

Things have advanced today and Sinsheim has bitten the dust. Instead it has been replaced with visits to the Eagles Nest at Berchtesgaden and Neuwanstein Castle.

Phil wanted to go to the "Disney Castle" at Neuwanstein and so I factored that in.

Whilst in the area a couple of times I have missed several opportunities to visit the Eagles Nest. So as it was only a short detour off the route westwards from Linz I added that too.

The end of May must be popular in the Füssen area as budget priced hotels seem to be at a premium. Maybe there are loads of tourists as there seem to be loads of hotels and little availability.

So my search started northwards on the Romantic Road that actually starts in Füssen. Ever northwards and still plenty of hotels and b&b but not a lot of room availability for three blokes on bikes.

In the end I found one near Augsburg. This will add 60 miles to the day. Even with an hour each for the two main two stops it makes for a long day.

I have cancelled Heilbronn and booked this one. A gasthof Kreisi with rooms and restaurant. Address at  Herrgottsruhstraße 18, Friedberg.

I emailed Phil and Giles straightaway. It's the usual free cancellation and no prepayment terms as usual.

As the day's mileage has gone up maybe we need to look at the other end, the start and see what we can do about moving an overnight in Linz a bit further westwards? Maybe nearer Salzburg?

Channel Crossing?

With Covid-19 still not defeated and crossing the channel still a pain in the arse getting to France - still need a PCR or lateral flow test, still need to be vaccinated and boosted and on top of that some stupid "honour" statement to show the border police.

I was thinking that a ferry out would be a better option and maybe the tunnel.on the way back. 

Current thinking is Dunkerque out instead of Calais. It's the same price, the crossing is about half an hour longer and from experience it is actually more relaxed than Calais or the Shuttle.

Current fare is £37.

Food for thought.

Day 6/7 - Miss Out Sinsheim?

Question? "What if I dropped Sinsheim?"  The original Day 6 would have been a longish day starting around Brno and ending in Heilbronn.

The decision to convert Brno to a stop rather than a stopover means that Sunday evening (Day 5) could be in Austria.  I plucked Linz from the air as I have stayed there before, in the Youth Hostel.

That end point was to allow for a shorter journey the next day to Heilbronn on Monday to get to Sinsheim, visit the museum and then head homewards with an overnight stay in Luxembourg. Instead there maybe a different trip planned for later this year or in 2023 that includes Sinsheim.  So it seems a bit daft to go twice!

Dropping Sinsheim would mean cancelling Heilbronn overnight and maybe even the Luxembourg overnight.

So Day 6 from Linz onwards. Maybe incorporate the Romantic Road ending up at the end of that around Würzburg?

Even I am getting confused with what day is what and where I will be!

Day 1 (Wednesday 25/5) - Ferry or Shuttle - Overnight near Coblenz.

Day 2 (Thursday 26/5) - Across Germany - Overnight Plzeň

Day 3 (Friday 27/5) - Cross Czech - Overnight Vernířovice

Day 4 (Saturday 28/5) - Rally - Overnight Vernířovice

Day 5 (Sunday 29/5) - Leave Vernířovice, Brno, Austria - Overnight Linz?

Day 6 (Monday 30/5) - Leave Linz, Romantic Road? - Overnight - Würzburg?

Day 7 (Tuesday 31/5) - Würzburg - Overnight ???

Day 8 (Wednesday 1/6) - ???? to Shuttle/Ferry - Overnight Home!

Day 5/6 - Brno Stop?

As mentioned before. I might make Brno a stop rather than a stopover on the first stage of the return leg.

Currently, the return leg is based on two visits. Firstly to see my friends in Brno and secondly, to visit the Sinsheim Technology Museum.

If the first one becomes at stop rather than stopover, maybe Sinsheim could be consigned to the bin?

It looks as though I have some more tweeking to do!

Where to stay on the Sunday? I was thinking that if I leave Vernířovice about 10am I could be in Brno before lunchtime. A pitstop and chat, then off. But where?

From Brno it's maybe 90 miles or so to Vienna and only 45 or so to the border with Austria.

So back to where to stay?  

This would be Day 5. I have stayed several times at the Youth Hostel in Melk on the Danube. And also in Linz once. That's an idea. 

How to get there? The quickest would be to cross the border on the dual carriageway that replaced the old S52.

This was actually the first way we came in on our first trip to Czechoslovakia in 1986. We crossed from Drasenhofen to Mikulov through a very tight border complete with anti tank ditches, wire and dogs. When I lived in Zastávka I went through here a couple of times a month to buy an English newspaper in Austria and to meet my partner at the time from Vienna Airport.

I digress. To use the motorway to Linz would take the mileage to about 280 for the day. That's doable in a day Inc a stop to sea friends. It would mean buying a vignette asap in Austria as bikes have to pay to use the motorways. It's not that expensive.

I'd prefer the stick on one but you can get one electronically! https://checkout.mautpilot.com/product/10-Tages-Vignette?

The stick on is like a tourist "I've been" sticker!

To keep Day 6 (Monday) ending in Heilbronn would mean a other longish day again on motorways. Linz to Strasbourg and then into Germany. The app calculates it to be 350 or so.

Of course. I might decide to drop Sinsheim and plan something else.

All part of the fun.

Church of Bones

Way back in 2011 Claire and I were in the car and on the way back from Brno we went off motorway and called in to Kutná Hora and the Church of Bones.

I'd like to go again and maybe get a closer look 

It's part macabre and part artistic. 

(Photos are all taken by me)

Brno on the way back

Mmmm.  I emailed all my friends in Czech last week to say that (covid depending!) that this trip was on and after the rally I was thinking about returning via Brno. No replies!  

I did get one from my former student (in Zastávka) Rosťa who now lives in Hradec Králové. I planned to visit as we pass by on the way to Vernířovice. Phew!

I might plan an alternative route for the start of the ride home from the rally with a stop in Brno rather than a stopover. It will be Sunday.

More on this as time goes by.

Routes - Day 8 - Bastogne Added

A small change to the route home is a detour off the existing route to drop into Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge Museum.

It does add time and a few miles to the original route.

Routes - Day 3 - Plzeň to Vernířovice

A change I made some weeks ago and didn't update the blog. I added Church of Bones near Kutná Hora to the the route across from Plzeň. 

It is only a short detour off the D11 to the Ossuary and then back to the D11. 

The original route does take a stop off at Rozhledna Doubravka XIV.

It's just a short walk from the main road. 

Plus of course the slight detour to Poland and Boboszów!

Cross Country or Motorway

So once I get around to telling my Czech friends that I am in the area, I can think more about the way home afterwards...

So far I have these two options.

Cross Country via route 19

Via Motorways

Travelling Companions?

Welcome to Phil Hingert and Giles Denning from our Old Socs Facebook group who have joined me on the trip.

At least for the outward leg anyway. They are going to come over from the West Country and stay in Dover the night before. 

We have yet to decide how to cross to France. Either by ferry or Eurotunnel train.

I have been toying with the tunnel out and the ferry back. A hybrid working arrangement.

Why?

We have a pretty stiff schedule once we set wheels on the other side of the Channel. It's quite a long day with stops for fuel and snacks/lunch.

So maybe going over on the Shuttle with three crossings an hour would give us more flexibility.

Coming back, after a longish ride (for me) from Luxembourg, a more relaxing ferry crossing from Dunkerque to Dover seems to fit the bill. 

Of course, it all still hinges on access to Europe. The UK government is allowing all and sundry in to our country, with the minimum two jabs, but the foreigners aren't reciprocating.

Another hotel change!

All part of the fun when planning. I was looking at the Michelin map of Germany (718 National) and decided to push the envelope at little further on day 6.

Instead off Ellwangen I have moved a little further west to Heilbronn. I think we have stayed there before and I need to check and see. Maybe back in 2004?

So the Hotel Urbanus steps up for this overnight.

Why the change? Well to give me more time at the technical museum in Sinsheim. Simple as that really. 

The hotel is a similar cost and also has included breakfast and parking. It also has a restaurant on site for an evening meal.

I just need to amend the route in MyRouteApp - again!

Once I leave Brno I can decide whether to go all motorway westwards, or stick to my route to finally cross the Vltava on the bridge near Orlík.

Travel Insurance

I have been checking around for travel insurance that covers use of the motorcycle over 125cc.  There are quite a few of them and are claiming to be cheap.

They aren't.

Pre-covid I was quoted £40 for a week's trip to Spain in April 2020. That included pre-existing condition of having an arterial stent (just the one) in my heart in April 2015. I have not suffered any further problems.

Today's quotes are starting at £72. Same old questions.  Okay I am two years older than I was in 2020 but the mark-up is quite pronounced.  At least this one covers me to ride that bike over 125cc on-road.

If I change the quote to annual multi-cover Europe only it's a mere £570 for me. Given the number of weeks I'll get away, if I am lucky, paying by the week seems best.

If you want a quote then try Orange & Black's website.

In the past I have used MAG's Travel Insurance. It's about the same price for short term as O&B but their annual cover is cheaper.

Covid Tests?

In their brilliance the UK Government has decided that as long as travellers are double or triple jabbed against Covid that they can wander as and when they feel like it into the UK. Whether this is by boat or plane! 

Unfortunately this is only so much good to UK travellers wanting to go to Europe, and no dound further afield, as other countries still want a pre-departure test, whether PCR or lateral flow, and paperwork to say what a hero you are and guarantee you aren't gonna spread it.

What a f*cking joke.

The Way Back via Brno - Days 5-7

As the trip date gets nearer I am refining routes.  This part of the trip depends on being able to stay in the Brno area of course.  I don't want to be a burden and it will be a working day for my friends and I'll need a bed for the Sunday night. Sunday is Day 5 of my trip.

To fit in a visit to the Sinsheim Technical Museum (on Day 7) I have changed to hotel for the end of Day 6. I have moved it further west to Ellwangen. This will give me a longer day on Monday, but cut the mileage the next day by a lot so that I can have some time at the museum.

So I have chosen the Gasthof Kronprinzen in Ellwangen. Looks good and of course is booked using the same free cancellation and no pre-payment system as all the others. If covid interferes again for a third year, then cancelling is okay.

https://www.booking.com/hotel/de/gasthof-kronprinzen.en-gb.html

I have dropped the ride across on (silnice) S23 from Brno in favour of a quick blat up the dalnice to Jihlava and then across country to the south of Prague on what looks to be one frog and toad, the S19! I will still be taking in the Žďákov Bridge. After 2016, and the massive detour on our way back from the MotoGP,  when it was closed,  I need to go across it!!

This route mixture of some ordinary roads and motorways. MyRouteApp calculates it to be around 350 miles for the day and 6 hours in the saddle.

After the Technical Museum I planned to head up the autobahn to stop somewhere around Trier and back on the Mosel/Moselle but hotels were more expensive and so I decided on Luxembourg where it is cheaper. Although one never knows does one?  😉

Day 5 to 7 Route

If the visit to Brno doesn't actually go ahead I will need to plan an alternative route and maybe this will all change.

Hotels on the way to Vernířovice

Just confirming the hotels on the way over to the rally hotel in Vernířovice. 

It is two longish days on the road to Fachbach/Koblenz and Plzeň, but I have tried to build in some "sights" and scenic roads on the way, rather than squaring the tyres on the A3!

Between Fachbach/Koblenz and Plzeň I have built-in a trip into the Christmas Town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Who could resist the charm of the place?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothenburg_ob_der_Tauber

Photo by Berthold Werner/Rothenburg

Anyway hotels.

Hotel Stadt Coblenz - Check-in Wednesday, 25 May 2022 - https://www.booking.com/hotel/de/stadt-coblenz-fachbach.en-gb.html

Hotel Plzen - Check in Thursday 26 May 2022 - https://www.booking.com/hotel/cz/plzen-r.en-gb.html

I booked myself a single room where possible, or double when not possible. Not because I am a miserable bugger but with a few personal problems mean I sleep fitfully and disturb others.

Days 1 & 2

Whilst we have been up to our eyeballs in Covid I have been refining some of the routes from Eurotunnel at Coquelles to the stop in Plzeň. 

It's two days on the road and I have been looking to avoid the autoroutes/autobahns as much as possible.

I have added a few extra loops mostly into Day 2.  Plus a few changes to the Day 1 route to make the stops at Bad Münstereifel.

Day 1

Day 2A

Day 2B

Small changes but on Day 1 a nice scenic ride through the Eifel Mountains and then along the Moselle. The route is just short of 7 hours on the road plus lunch and any other stops then we are looking at along day. But at least most of it will be off motorway.