route to prague ??

[viper]

Taking the bike across to prague in a few weeks and wondered if I should follow the french road down to Metz and then cross to germany , is their any advantage/disadvantage  in avoiding Belgium in respect of tolls and borders ect. Im crossing through the Chunnel

[BigAlan]

I went right across to Colditz which is the far side of Germany and started in Belgium and went through Holland, no tolls or anything, and of course the benefit of the smooth Dutch and German roads.

Have fun.

Alan

[viper]

cheers alan, thats helpful, so it is actually cheaper to go  through belgium then

[BigAlan]

Didn't cost me a penny, went from Calais to Ostend then across.

The motorways are quick but boring, so for the last bit to Colditz we went "off road" so to speak.

Alan

[1ka]

We did this route -> http://goo.gl/maps/Fo27

I don't recall paying anything Toll related and started from the Chunnel too.  The trip through Germany was OK, but they were updating the two-lane highways to three-lanes and causing some major roadwaorks.  Hopefully, being efficient Germans, it's all finished now 

I think there was a Toll on the French route back, the green section on the map.  Can't remember what we had to pay.

[O.C.]

Taking the bike across to prague in a few weeks and wondered if I should follow the french road down to Metz and then cross to germany , is their any advantage/disadvantage  in avoiding Belgium in respect of tolls and borders ect. Im crossing through the Chunnel

I'm very jealous, Prague is a beautiful city .

[Boomer]

Prague in the summer. Beautiful but RAMMED with tourists.

Best route is Calais, Ostend, Brussels (go round the north side of the "Ring"), Namur, Luxembourg (fill up with cheap petrol and cheap fags), Mannheim, Nuremburg, Prague. No tolls and fairly scenic for a motorway run.
Most of the A6/E50 was unlimited when I last rode it so from Mannheim to the Czech border you can find out how fast you/the bike are capable of,... if you like. 

Brussels and Mannheim are both pretty big so plan to pass them by outside of the rush hours.

If you take the Calais, Reims, Strasbourg (much quieter) route then it will cost you €30 each way for the tolls, per motorcycle.
Crossing the Rhein can be done in Strasbourg but the traffic sucks.
Easier to take the A35 north-east before you get into Strasbourg and cross over on the D4 just south of Rastatt and then A5/E35 north to the A6/E50.

[viper]

Prague in the summer. Beautiful but RAMMED with tourists.

Best route is Calais, Ostend, Brussels (go round the north side of the "Ring"), Namur, Luxembourg (fill up with cheap petrol and cheap fags), Mannheim, Nuremburg, Prague. No tolls and fairly scenic for a motorway run.
Most of the A6/E50 was unlimited when I last rode it so from Mannheim to the Czech border you can find out how fast you/the bike are capable of,... if you like. 

Brussels and Mannheim are both pretty big so plan to pass them by outside of the rush hours.

If you take the Calais, Reims, Strasbourg (much quieter) route then it will cost you €30 each way for the tolls, per motorcycle.
Crossing the Rhein can be done in Strasbourg but the traffic sucks.
Easier to take the A35 north-east before you get into Strasbourg and cross over on the D4 just south of Rastatt and then A5/E35 north to the A6/E50.

thanks boomer, that is really helpful. Looks like i will go the brussels route. I actually consider the e30 worth it for the french way if the roads are more pleasant and quieter, but on the map it looks to be a lot further distance. I will be doing brussels around noon on the saturday , so hopefully wont hit too much traffic. Prague is just an overnighter, picking up the wife from the airport and then we are going down to Vienna and onwards 

another question for you boomer, I was on a german autobahn last year and didnt realise it was one of the unlimited ones, Is it obvious if it does not have a max speed ?? i never saw anything to indicate ?

[Boomer]

If it's limited then it will have the usual speed limit signs.


When the limit ends you will see this sign.


Another good indicator of an unlimited section is if other vehicles are doing 200Kph+. 

Be aware that if you survive a high speed accident in an unlimited section of Autobahn, even though you broke no laws, most UK insurers will refuse to pay out as your "excess" spe.ed is considered to have been a "contributory factor" to the accident. Excess speed is defined as over 130Kph (80Mph) as this is the "advisory" speed limit in unlimited sections.

In the limited sections, some are limited to 160kph, some to 130, some 120.

If you are running at high speed, try to stick to the "overtaking" lane (left lane) and watch your mirrors like a hawk.
You will NOT be the fastest thing on that road. There will be a car doing at least 20Mph faster than you.
As always, ride awake and aware. At 150+Mph thing get close REALLY quickly and often your brain just can't cope.
I have on occasion ridden across German and not exceeded 100Mph.
Normally when I have a hangover or don't feel 100%.