German road closures….. and a bit about cash versus credit cards

[Barnoe]

When the Germans close a road, oh boy.....
My Garmin lead me down a few dead ends and the find detour doesn't work.
Don't rely on diversion signs either, they don't always use them.
Its best to pull over spend 10 minutes changing things manually.

Regarding cash...
I was shocked how little i could use contactless in the Europe.
nearly all the campsites are cash only, of the 14 i stayed at this time, only 2 took card payments.

 

[Wapping]

Cash is dead in Europe. A bod who loves in France, assured us it is.

German road closures and closures in general. The trouble with relying on a sat nav, is that the road closure signs often simply delete the name of the town which is no longer accessible and points the way to the alternative route to get there.

This is fine IF YOU KNOW THAT YOUR ROUTE TAKES YOU THROUGH THAT TOWN.

However, with very good reason, bods have taken up:

A. Not using the old method of writing down place names on a sheet of paper. This means they can’t think, “Hey I am going through that town, I had better follow the detour”

B. Given up taking a map.

GPS devices are often very bad at detours, simply as they will always do their best to take you back to the magenta line. People would moan like crazy if it didn’t. Get to know how your GPS works.

And yes,….. some detour signs on rural roads are not always much more than ‘Road closed’. Why? I guess because the rural roads are used by locals, who all know the alternative routes available.

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

Depending on which day of the week it is, the time of day and the weather conditions you can save a lot of misery by simply ignoring the road closure signs if you’re on a bike.

Obviously this isn’t such a good idea if you’re in a group because that gives any workers a chance to get off their arses and do something about your act of civil disobedience but on your own I’ve found it a useful tactic.

 

[Greg Masters]

Cash is dead in Europe. A bod who loves in France, assured us it is.

Two nights in Germany; two restaurants; neither took credit cards!

The first night I managed to pay with PayPal (that's a first for me!); last night one of our number had to borrow €100 from the TV crew who, by chance, were in the same restaurant and were able to bail us out.

But, despite the above, your sentiment is correct. I travel to Europe a dozen or more times each season and never take cash. It's worked OK until this week.

 

[Loiq]

my little jaunt into germany a couple weeks ago, proved that a couple of things "waze" as a navigation tool is very good... but even that doesn't beat local knowledge or planning...

As for money, the places I stopped when I asked them what is better for you card or cash... they all opted for actual money... which suggests even the honest as the day is long germans, are taking a greek view of the world... of cash is king

 

[Berin]

my little jaunt into germany a couple weeks ago, proved that a couple of things "waze" as a navigation tool is very good... but even that doesn't beat local knowledge or planning...

As for money, the placs I stopped when asked what is better for you card or cash... they all opted for actual money... which suggests even the honest as the day is long germans, are taking a greek view of the world...

My Australian mate who never uses cash (I think it’s illegal in Australia) insisted he didn’t need any cash on his tour or Europe and was left unable to buy food and in some cases accommodation. Even after he’d been forced to go the cash machine to pay for stuff he only got a few € out, then had the same problems when he ran out again.

Same at my local butchers. Their card machine thing is always breaking and so it’s cash only, a problem for some since all the banks closed in town.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wapping]

Depending on which day of the week it is, the time of day and the weather conditions you can save a lot of misery by simply ignoring the road closure signs if you’re on a bike.

Obviously this isn’t such a good idea if you’re in a group because that gives any workers a chance to get off their arses and do something about your act of civil disobedience but on your own I’ve found it a useful tactic.

Indeed, and I’ve done it with six outright sports cars in a row, much to the amusement (and some amazement) of the French digger men. I have also done it on bikes, once confronted by a giant hole.

It’s a bit like Russian Roulette, sometimes you don’t win.

 

[Loiq]

and so it’s cash only, a problem for some since all the banks closed in town.

in 2010 when I was debanked for whatever reason... we had to just use money... till 2012 cos the bank concerned for whatever reason cancelled all my accounts and kept all the money and made it impossible to open another account...

if I was paranoid I would claim it was some form of massive conspiracy, but I don't have the mental capacity to workout the reason for picking on me...

 

[wessie]

Depending on which day of the week it is, the time of day and the weather conditions you can save a lot of misery by simply ignoring the road closure signs if you’re on a bike.

Obviously this isn’t such a good idea if you’re in a group because that gives any workers a chance to get off their arses and do something about your act of civil disobedience but on your own I’ve found it a useful tactic.

I did that last year in the Pyrenees at 1578m which adds to the jeopardy. This gate was shut going from Spain into France. https://goo.gl/maps/nTXafKchirPnYbCVA I went through and found the road was clear apart from a little bit of gravel on one very steep hairpin. No sign of roadworks. The detour to get to my booked hotel in Oloron Ste Marie was at the "oh, do fuck off, level."

 

[Wapping]

I ignored a road closure at the bottom of an Alipne pass. Only at the top did I discover why it was most definitely closed. Hey-ho, back I go….. or words to that effect.

 

[Mallard]

Sometimes, only sometimes, if there is a closure in a town you can get past on the pavement.

I did that last year in the Pyrenees at 1578m which adds to the jeopardy. This gate was shut going from Spain into France. https://goo.gl/maps/nTXafKchirPnYbCVA I went through and found the road was clear apart from a little bit of gravel on one very steep hairpin. No sign of roadworks. The detour to get to my booked hotel in Oloron Ste Marie was at the "oh, do fuck off, level."

,

 

[fs996]

Depending on which day of the week it is, the time of day and the weather conditions you can save a lot of misery by simply ignoring the road closure signs if you’re on a bike.

Obviously this isn’t such a good idea if you’re in a group because that gives any workers a chance to get off their arses and do something about your act of civil disobedience but on your own I’ve found it a useful tactic.

This. I don't remember ever being actually halted by a road closure in Germany that wasn't passable on a bike, other than when mountain passes were closed due to rockfall.

 

[Wapping]

This. I don't remember ever being actually halted by a road closure in Germany that wasn't passable on a bike, other than when mountain passes were closed due to rockfall.

Lucky you.

 

[Loiq]

tell'em to poke off and remind them if that isn't enough, if it wasn't for folks like your grandad and all his mates they'd all be speaking german anyway....!

 

[er-minio]

I wouldn't ignore road closures*. Unless you enjoy having conversations with some severely pissed off people.

my little jaunt into germany a couple weeks ago, proved that a couple of things "waze" as a navigation tool is very good... but even that doesn't beat local knowledge or planning...

I'm currently in Europe with the car. Managed to take a few days off in August and spent some time around Nice/Cassis and had some fun going up and down mountain passes on the Maritime Alps.
I'm using Waze in the car for A/B navigation (there is a thread with my "discoveries" for navi on 4 wheels). Waze is good, but also always had the knack of routing through people's back gardens to save 100 yards... it is (in)famous for this reason.

oh boy... up the mountains... it routed me through some really spastic places in order to achieve minor shortcuts
Always keep an eye on the proposed route.


*not that I am the most law abiding driver/rider

 

[Deleted account 240831001]

This. I don't remember ever being actually halted by a road closure in Germany that wasn't passable on a bike, other than when mountain passes were closed due to rockfall.

I tend to stop, size up the situation and be prepared to back down and turn around but most times it’s ok and you can get through.

 

[Blue]

tell'em to poke off and remind them if that isn't enough, if it wasn't for folks like your grandad and all his mates they'd all be speaking german anyway....!

Said that to a French Gendarme who was starting to annoy me , he wasnt best pleased with the idea, luckily wife was on the Bike with me and managed to diffuse the situation.

 

[er-minio]

 

[Loiq]

Said that to a French Gendarme who was starting to annoy me , he wasnt best pleased with the idea, luckily wife was on the Bike with me and managed to diffuse the situation.

Ah the french a nation obsessed with hating itself... to the point half collaborated with the nazi regime while the other half probably did as well.... or only dobbed in people they didn't like, outsiders or communists....