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.

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.

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.

Routes - Day 6 - Homeward Bound

I have done this journey many times since 1989. Most usually slogging up the dálnice from Brno around Prague and Plzeň into Germany. 

The usual route is crossing into Germany at Rozvadov and once through the border near Most.

The Most crossing was that first return trip back in 1989 when I was with Graham Walker. He was on the GSXR1100 and me on my Cavalcade LX. We stayed overnight in Bamberg. For some reason I ended up with his camera bag in my capacious topbox.

We got separated on the autobahn somewhere. We had pre-booked the next overnight and so after waiting for half an hour by the road near Frankfurt I headed to the stop. On the way I took a photo of the Loreley for him!

When my brother and I came back in 2016 we attempted the off motorway route along silnice 23 and 19/20. Only to be thwarted by a bridge over the Vltava being closed for repairs. The bridge in question was the Žďákov Bridge.

The TomToms then had a complete meltdown and we ended up on a cobbled road for miles before we ended up near Plzeň. 

I have now plotted a route from Brno via Zastávka to look at my old school and then onto dálnice D1 for a short run past Jihlava onto silnice 19. This route will take me across country to the south of Prague and also avoid the D1 and a lot of the D5. 

As long as it is "fixed" the Žďákov Bridge shouldn't be a problem this time and I will get to ride across it.  From there it will be up towards Plzeň and the D5 to the border and back into Germany.  

I have booked the Gasthof Reif on the way back. Restaurant and parking onsite.  In one of the earlier outward journey's (long since consigned to the trash can) I had planned to stay at this inn before changing my mind and stopping in Plzeň to reduce the next day's riding in Czech.

I have factored in some fuel stops along the way. With fuel prices some €30¢ a litre less in Czech than in Germany it seems sensible to keep the tank filled up before reaching the border. Source: https://www.tolls.eu/fuel-prices

It was a big decision to change the entire return from the rally.  To cut out Schloss Colditz and the Hagen stops. To remove the Dambusters' Dams as well.  I expect that Neill and I will try to get that done some other time on a "DevallBoys" trip.

Michelin Map background

The end of day 6 sees me still just inside Bavaria with the best part of 620 miles from home.  So at the end of day 7 I will need another overnight stop!