Routes - Day 7 - Westward Ho?

I didn't want to simply retrace my outward journey on the way back. That's why the original thinking was to go out through Germany on the A4/A3/A6 route with the odd diversion to take in the Michelin "green roads" detours.

So the start today is at the Gasthof Reif in Königstein in der Oberpfalz and I have looked at the overnight for tonight.  Hopefully the tank of fuel from near the border the night before should give me a further 160+ miles today before another fuel up. But rather than risk it I have added another fuel stop before I go too far from the hotel.  This will up that 160+ to nearer 200 and plenty of margin for error!!!

Day 6 has a little retracing from Plzeň to nearby to the Gasthof. Today I will need to get on the A9 and then the A6 to get past Nuremburg.  Unlike the DevallBoys trip in 2016 I won't be going in search of the Nazi showgrounds!

My only planned stop is at the Sinsheim Technik-Museum.  Primarily I want to see both the Concorde and the Russian TU-144 version.  As they are on the roof of one of the buildings this may be the case of paying to get in!  To maximise time there I need to get a shift on when on the A6!

I have planned a fuel stop after the museum stop and barely a mile or two away from the museum. Then it is peg it all the way to Hockenhein and once again across the Rhine. 

My destination is Luxembourg. Not actually in the city as hotels look to be at least and arm and maybe part of a leg expensive but Hotel Carpini in Bascharage.  It's a reasonable price and has breakfast included and also restaurant/bar on site.

I'll need another fuel stop before reaching the overnight hotel and there are quite a few near it. From the Technik museum it is about 170 miles and so I may need to stop before the planned fuel stop.  

All the fuel stops are based on the current average mpg of Vera of low 50's to the gallon with a safe margin of error.

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!

Routes - Day 2 - Kobern-Gondorf to Königstein in der Oberpfalz

I have an "overall" route for each day  that I use as the basis for splitting the day up into chunks. day was ended up in three pieces to ensure that parts could be planned as "no highway" and others to include highways/motorways.

Day 2 "overall" is only 250 miles and so that could be knocked off in about four hours plus a fuel stop. But I want to get off the motorway and visit something.

I have split Day 2 into two pieces. The first to utilise the motorways to get to places I want to visit, and the second, off-motorway to take in what I hope if some countryside.

For part One I am currently investigating Pompejanum, a replica Roman villa with elaborate mosaics and ancient artworks, and Schloss Johannisburg a 17th-century Renaissance palace in Aschaffenburg. With the stops that should be about 3 hours after setting off from the hotel and it will be lunch time. 

Looking for "biker" style cafes seems to have become more difficult once you get into Bavaria. I posted a note on the "Stromtrooper" V-Strom forum in the Europe section in case someone knows of places but so far no response.

Searching about on Google and Google maps looks equally futile.  

Parking in cities is also a problem.  Usually there is street parking.

I emailed one of the parking garage operators in Würzburg and they replied to say that there are no spaces reserved for motorcycles at all. I have tried the Tourist Board as well. In desperation  I even posted the question on the Bavaria Tripadvisor Forum.

The Tourist Office in Würzburg have come up trumps.  They said that they didn't have a list of places themselves but suggested I try this link - https://www.kilometerfresser.eu/motorradparkplaetze-wuerzburg/ 

See http://invictamoto.blogspot.com/2021/09/kilometerfresser.html for more info on Kilometerfresser.

So after Würzburg and the Castle I might get a chance to visit the old town. The "off-motorway" route here takes me down from the Castle to the Main riverside and the old bridge over the river. There may be time and space to stop for the photo opportunity or a coffee!

The area around Königstein is full of caves and I have added a couple to the route that are near enough to the road so that the bike isn't left unattended for too long and the walk is about ten to fifteen minutes.

Now that I have mastered the changing the odometer to kms from miles, I need to see if I can easily change Fuelly in the same way. I am sure it can't be complicated.

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.

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 - 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