touring germany, maybe onto Croatia

[Tone-hd]

Can anyone give me advice on touring through Germany and maybe onto Croatia?
Is there a website I could find roadmaps for the region, or can anyone recommend a touring map I could purchase?
What would be the best ferry route for me to take?

Any advice on touring this region of Europe would be most appreciated eg. scenic routes, accomodation, places of interest, places not to miss etc....

Thanks.
Tone.

[SJC69]

Heres some sites, The titles are self explanatory!

http://www.alpineroads.com/

http://www.autobahn-online.de/index_e.html

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/viamich...MaHomePage.htm

The RN 500 through the Black Forest is a great biking road as are any of the Alpine passes except the Stelvio!

Ferry route does depend on where you live and where you are going.
If you live in the South East, Dover Calais and drive a few more miles through Belgium/France will save time over one of the overnighters such as to Holland.

Don't buy English maps, get Michelin or similar, why because they will have the town names as they are sign posted, not the anglicized versions. I.E. Köln rather than Cologne etc. can save a lot of agro!

Watch the speed limits in towns and villages especially by schools, them Germans are very strict on that!

Also consider you can not get punctures repaired in Germany, it’s always a new tyre I am not a 100% sure what the situation is if using a tubed tyre though!

[girlyglide]

Be aware that the Police around Munich don't like loud pipes and can be a real pain in the arse if they stop you.

Sundays on the autobahns are great - no trucks except essential supplies.

Don't dally in the fast lane on autobahns - the Germans don't like it and will let you know in no uncertain terms that you should really only be out there whilst overtaking.

If you travel through Austria to get to Croatia you will need to buy a vignette for the priviledge of using their roads (why don't we reciprocate I ask myself?).

Don't forget to inform your insurance company of the dates of your foriegn travel - for some unknown reason they have to know this.

Get your bike serviced in advance of your trip and perform a good shakedown before heading to the ferry port. Make sure the tyres and brakes have at least enough wear left in them for the trip you have planned.

Keep photocopies of your log book, bike insurance and travel insurance in case anyone needs to see them- don't give the originals to anyone use a copy.

Get an EHIC (replaces the old E111).

[SJC69]

RE The Vignette

You only need to buy the vignette for Austria or Switzerland if you use the Motorway system. If you don't use the motorways or expressways too in Austria you do not need to have one.

The Czech Republic also operate a simular system with the motorways.

Basically it's a Motorway Tax disc but you still have to pay additional tolls on top of this on some of the Austrian Motorway sections and passes.


They are a fwker to stick on a H-D if you don't have a screen as you must display it or else! If you don't or don't have one and get caught you get wacked with a big on the spot fine. Would you want to stick it on your tank as they suggest?

The Swiss one you can only buy a year and it runs from Jan to Dec where as the Czech and Austrian sytems you can pay for just a few days, a month or two or a year.

The paying Motorway tolls & charges can add quite a large amount to your trips expenses and there are plenty of plesant routes especially on a bike that can avoid them!
The same goes for some of the Alpine toll passes too.