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.

Plans paused!

We are at that stage where planning has got about as far as it goes. It's now a case of wait and see what happens with Covid and the new variants that pop up every few weeks.

Currently travel and return to the UK results in a whole raft of testing and possibly being stuck in a quarantine hotel for two weeks on return.

So who actually knows that will happen in May 2022? I don't have a crystal ball!

No-Update Update!

It's over two weeks since I last posted and things have got worse. The pandemic that the Chinese kicked off two years ago still grips the entire world. 

The latest variant was revealed less than a week ago and it has now taken centre stage in around 56 countries according to the World Health Organisation.

The UK Government reacted quickly this time as it seemed that the variant was coming from southern Africa.  It was given the jaunty name of "omicron". It sounds more like a science fiction novel's bad guy!

This variant and no doubt all its super baddy variants will be around for years to come and that could put this trip in serious doubt.  At least for 2022! Maybe even for ever.

We'll have to see.  Luckily all the hotels on the trip are booked on a free cancellation and no prepayment basis and so I won't lose any money, I'll just have wasted time planning!  Although I do like planning trips, even if I don't go on them!

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 8 - Just want to get home!

Just want to get home!

Always the same with me when I get to the last day of a holiday.  Whether it is sitting at an airport in Spain or Florida, I just want it done and dusted.

It will be the same as this trip comes to an end.  

A lot of this return leg is on the motorway and mapping has it at a tad over 250 miles. None of it through France! What could be better?

So an early afternoon Shuttle seems reasonable. I could work in some stops but in reality I will jut want to get home.

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!