0366 Prague CZ to Landshut Germany

24th Sept 2015

Horrible traffic and a long day in the saddle.

By the time we had filled up with water and done a grocery shop at the supermarket near the Prague camp site, we weren’t particularly early in getting on the road.  And we then had one of our annoyingly frequent situations where JUST as you are about to get onto the road you want, there is a sign saying “Road Closed” for repairs or whatever, and no detour signs to be seen – Or at least not once which we can read and understand !!  So you then set off trying to do the best you can to find a  way around the blockage !

In this instance, we were in the middle of Prague, the traffic was pretty busy, trams were getting in my way, and so when we were presented with the “Road Closed” sign, I was concerned that we would end up in the centre of the Old Town (which was only a few blocks

away), where Police guard the “No Vehicles Allowed” sections with a vengeance, applying fines to all.  We know – We sat in a café yesterday and watched them doing it !! Every time we tried to go a different route the roads got smaller, or ended in a One Way (the wrong way !), or similar.  Eventually we found our way out without getting stopped by any Police, but it was a good two hours since we had left the camp site !!   Grrrrrrr.  In hindsight we should have just gone back out the way we came into Prague and then gone round the ring road.  Ah well, next time…..

It really wasn’t a very interesting drive today, as the countryside, at least initially, was pretty flat and boring.  We went out SW through Pizen, and then cut down towards Regensburg, crossing the Czech / German border somewhere in the middle, once again without a sign or notification – Once again, the only way you can tell is because suddenly, as if by magic, all the car’s number plates change to a “D” instead of a “CZ” !

Just before we crossed the border, at about 3 pm, we saw a lake with some swans in it, and Janet remembered we had a pile of old bread in the back, waiting for ducks/ swans, so we did a U turn, she fed the swans and got rid of our bread before we crossed the border (!?), and we then continued on into Germany.  Lots of Casino’s, gambling, and duty free shops on the border, so something must be available on the CZ side but not in Germany !  Interestingly, not 5 kms later, the freeway was closed, and we were all

diverted into a Rest Area that was totally hidden from the road, and when we got in there, lots of police and vans were there, stopping trucks and mostly German cars, and inspecting them.  We were waved through, and out the other side of the Rest Area and back onto the Freeway, but it was very evident that at the moment, maybe because of all the refugees, the borders are not fully “Open”, even though everyone is supposedly in the EU ! 

Having crossed into Germany, we drove till about 5 pm which got us to a little town called Landshut, where we found a very pleasant little camp site on an island in the middle of the River Isar.

Nothing special today – Just making miles south towards Italy. Sometimes that just has to be done......

Pics are here :-  https://picasaweb.google.com/110185357936043625130/0366PragueToLandshut?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ72runXruyqugE