We live in uncertain times!

When planning things so far in advance, without a 100% accurate crystal ball, you never know what the future holds.

Currently COVID is on the increase in all the countries I am going to pass through. Plus recently there is yet another mutation in the news.

Their level of vaccinations is way lower than us in the UK. We have had third jabs and many countries have yet to have two.

Fingers crossed that they can get up to speed and all these trips will go ahead.

Otherwise it's another one bites the dust....

Routes - Day 2 Part 2 - Würzburg to Plzeň

A change of the second night hotel means this is all change. I had previously booked into a hotel in Königstein in der Oberpfalz but after considering the journey the next day to Vernířovice I decided to make Day 2 a little longer and cross into Czech.

The obvious route would be to stay on the motorway from Würzburg and kill off as many miles as possible.  After a search around booking.com I decided on the Hotel Plzeň in Plzeň. It looks very clean and very modern in the 145 photos on the booking.com page and from their own website.

I have only booked a single room and it works out at about £30 including breakfast. I have asked them about parking the bike.  Even if I have to pay €6 for secure parking that will be okay. 

I  can't remember stopping in Plzeň before for more than a few minutes.  I think once we stopped for petrol and then for lunch along the main road.  Long before the dalnice was built from the border towards Prague the ordinary silnice went right through the city centre. So this time it will be a first.

They have sent some voucher to use on entry.  It looks as though they expect visitors to use an electronic entry system and times mentioned are 2200-0600. I'll be emailing to check that there is a human on site in daylight hours!

So the current route, V4.1 looks like this:

There should be opportunities to stop off on the way somewhere scenic. 

Although not visible in the Würzburg end of the map above, I also added a stop at the Würzburg branch of Louis motorcycle shop.  

Nearby is another bike shop called Polo. On the map there are two waypoints superimposed. I think this company rose from the ashes of Hein Gericke, but maybe just coincidence. 

The local bikers are well serviced as it looks as both are J&S style shops.

The day's mileage is about 350, but a lot of it is on motorway between "sights".

Date Confirmed

All the rally dates have been confirmed and Roman the Rally Organiser has said that he needs to know the number of rooms that the UK contingent want to book, and he needs that by the end of March 2022.

Roman will also give me a run down of the rally inn, Hotel Reoneo,  regarding rooms and prices.

Once I know the rooms that are available and the cost per night I can start the booking process with Roman. As I said earlier, although I can share I prefer to pay a bit more and have a room to myself. Medical reasons are all anyone needs to know!

Overnights booked so far

I have booked two overnights on the way out and two on the way back.  With two overnights at the rally this gives a total of 6 nights in hotels/hostels.

Currently the plan is to leave on May 25th AM and return May 31st PM.

• May 25th - https://www.booking.com/hotel/de/b-amp-b-koln-troisdorf.en-gb.html
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• May 26th - https://www.booking.com/hotel/de/gasthof-reif.en-gb.html
  
  
  
  
  
• May 27/28th - Rally. Booking to be made with organisers
  
  
• May 29th - https://www.jugendherberge.de/en/youth-hostels/colditz-schloss-698/portrait/
  
  
  
  
  
• May 30th - https://www.booking.com/hotel/de/jugendherberge-hagen.en-gb.html

All those booked through booking.com can be booked with free cancellation and no prepayment options. I have chosen hotels on the way out where there is either a bar/restaurant on site or nearby. Saves having to ride the bikes if we want a snifter or two.... Would be a shame to miss out of the local brew/distillations....

The most complicated one will be the Schloss Colditz.  This is booked through the German Youth Hostels website.  The link above takes you to the Colditz page. You need to click on "check availability" and then complete the form.

Fill in the selection boxes at the top and it takes you to the bed/room options.  These are a bit tricky as it won't let you move forward until all bits are completed.

Once you have entered the personal details and submit, it sends the request to the hostel and they reply with a booking reference. 

They then reply with a booking form they want signed. This will need to be printed and scanned in and returned ASAP.

Nothing to pay until you arrive.  The only caveat is that we have to arrive before 6pm.  We should be able to do that from Vernířovice.

Schloss Colditz DJH

Another day another update.  Whilst on leave from work across the summer it gives me something to do when the weather outside is less that wonderful.  One minute heavy rain, the next bright sunshine.

It also takes my mind off having to go to DFS and buy a new living room sofa and chairs....

Today's update is the the entire DJH network is now reserve-able online.  What is also superb is that it is a reservation system with payment on arrival.  

I should be able to get from Vernířovice to Colditz by 6pm when the reservation expires.  Although I am sure payment can be made in advance to make sure it is not lost.

Flickr gallery from our 2011 stay.

Czech Republic Centre SOC - Invader Rally 2022

Well, here we are. Another update on the trip to the Czech Invader Rally in Vernířovice and only a few days after the last post.

This is Plan C Outwards!!

How things can change. I was using Google Maps rather than MyRouteApp to try and chop the journey into three more equal parts.  This is not as easy as you might think considering accommodation and doing the trip on a budget.

I start all the routes from Calais Eurotunnel's "Avenue to France" and there is a waypoint that's clickable in Google Maps.  From there to the Vernířovice Rally site in the Hotel Reoneo is around 835.35 miles.  

Having a fuzzy brain after months of working from home, I used the calculator on the laptop to chop it up into three parts.... it comes out at 278.45 miles.

AACZ - Invader - Vernířovice OUT Plan C

So using Google Maps I tried to find somewhere around that distance for the first hotel stop. I chose the B&B Hotel in Troisdorf. It has parking and a restaurant on site.  I don't know if I really want to overlook the railway though!

Apart from the rally itself, I am booking single or double rooms (if they are the same price) with private bathroom! I don't mind sharing if I have to but given my health problems being solo or with my wife id best all round.

It's maybe a little short at 268 miles. But there was nothing further on in my price range. Or rather what I was interested in paying. 

I have kept the second stop at Hotel Reif  in Königstein in der Oberpfalz, I just had to change the date to a day later. This is another with restaurant attached.  Food and beer and no walking or need to ride the bike.

The Prague stopover is gone. A shame but it does mean I will be away from my family a day less.

The third day is a little over the 278 average. That is simply because hotels nearer the Czech border are more expensive or if comparable in price,  don't have food and drink nearby.

Plan C could easily be Plan D though...

Homeward Plan A

No changes here except that I have managed to book the DJH Hostel at Hagen for the second night after we leave Vernířovice.

AACZ - Invader HOME Plan A

I have emailed the DJH Schloss Colditz to see when they are open to take booking and they have yet to reply.

I saw on the main DJH.de website that there was a relaxation in Germany due in August, but that may be up in the air as they have had killer floods in the Rhein/Ruhr and Covid is on the increase as well. 

Czech Republic Centre SOC - Invader Rally 2022

I have been looking at the route back.  For the route out I will stick (I think) with Plan B and the southern route via Frankfurt and Nuremburg.

The return looks like this. 

Two nights and both at Youth Hostels.  The main event being the Colditz Castle Hostel (2) and then at Hagen in the Ruhr (3) on the way back. Three days on the road and each about 250-275 miles. Easily and comfortably do-able on a modern bike.  Plus allowing time to stop on the way and look at something!

AACZ - Czech Invader - Home Plan A

There's plenty of time to refine and book.

Czech Republic Centre SOC - Invader Rally 2022 - Plan A & B

Now that Vera has joined the Devall Family (or at least will have in time for this event) I have been looking at my (tentative) plans for the trip across to the Czech Invader in May 2022.

I had been looking at taking the newly rebuilt Kettle aka Suzi Triplo but even after all the time (and not to mention money!) spent to bring her back to life, a 2000 miles trip might be a journey too far.

I have a couple of Plan A's. I checked with the new secretary of the Czech Centre and he has confirmed the dates of the rally as May 27-29th 2022.  In fact that is the traditional date. That's what I had gambled on when I began to plan earlier in the year.

Those plans are on Suzi Triplo's Blog site.

With Vera taking over the long distance and more arduous trips from Suzi, all updates will be here. With a modern bike I have been able to plan for longer days in the saddle.

I have so far stuck with the Plan A outwards from the UK. Although there is already a Plan B!!!

Plan A is what I call the "A4 Route" and goes across the top of the Ruhr and a first stop at the DJH Hostel in Kassel (2 on the map). The second stop on Prague  (3). The shorter distance between Prague and Vernířovice would allow me to maybe make a short stop in Hradec Kralove and call in at my friend and former student's house.  I've not seen Rosta since 2011 when Claire and I were in the car.

AACZ - Invader - Vernířovice OUT Plan A

Plan B OUT has shorter days on the way to Vernířovice, with stops at Bingen (2) and Königstein in der Oberpfalz (3) with a final stop in Prague (4).  This gives fewer hours on the road and most of that will autobahn, and maybe give me time to "see" something".  In the end I could of course reduce the overnights to two from three. The overnights are all (cheap) hotels.

AACZ - Invader - Vernířovice OUT Plan B

Plan A HOME is still to be decided, but I would love to stay in the YH at Colditz Castle again just as a reminder of the 2011 trip we did in the car. But that is still to be decided.

The current problems with both Plan A's is that they both take the former East Germany route and much of it is retracing steps. 

Both outward routes share the same Prague Hostel Plus in Holešovice which is cheap and comes with off road parking at a small cost

A new blog/info page on the Czech Centre Invader '22

I have created a new blog to keep all the details and the plans I am making for a ride over to Czech to attend the Czech Centre SOC rally.

I have some posts on my GT750 blog as that was where I first thought of a last ride across Europe to attend the rally.

I decided to bring everything to its own place so that I can plan and share.