In my last post, I discussed the process and some stresses around booking the bike's flight to Ireland.
Again, worst case was that I'd forget some piece of documentation that could only be retrieved by me from back in Canada. I had my passport, my booking numbers, hotel address in Dublin (required for the motorcycle shipment documentation), travel insurance, stacks of foreign currency.
The flight over was reasonably uneventful. I only had my laptop bag and my nearly-empty small waterproof duffel (with one change of clothing in it), so I kept them as carry-on. Spent some quality time in the Air Canada Lounge as usual. The flight was delayed almost an hour, but I was in no rush. The flight was originally due to land in Dublin around 11:30 or so, and I couldn't check into my hotel until 15:00, so any delay was welcome!
The flight was a bit bumpy though. I kept imagining how my K1300S, Raven, was handling the turbulence. 😟
When we landed, I started trying to get my iPad and iPhone online. Switched out SIMs, etc, and noticed that knowroaming's relationship with 3 seems to SUCK over here. No packets were flowing!
DUB doesn't have much of a border clearance area. The entire airport felt small, after the time I've spent in YYZ, SFO, LAS, MUC, FRA, LHR, BCN, etc. But immigration was anything but small-time. Most airports barely glance at your face while they distractedly ask one or two questions and stamp your passport. At DUB, every flier got an in-depth conversation.
"Where are you from?" "Why did you come to Ireland?" "What are your plans?" "When do you leave?" "Leaving so soon?" (rain predicted!)
In answer to my motorcycle plans: "You flew with a motorcycle? What are you plans for that?" and "When do you leave with the motorcycle?"
All in all, it was fine, just way more questions than I usually have to answer, but I had answers! I don't normally have more than "fly in on this day, fly out on that day." planned, but knowing I might have problems with the cargo customs office, I did a little more this time.
Walked out, and had to get directions to the cargo terminals since I couldn't pull up gmaps (no packets flowing!). Customs was in Cargo Terminal 1, and Swissport and my motorcycle would (eventually) be in Cargo terminal 2.
It was about a 15 minute walk to Cargo Terminal 1. I wasn't sure if I'd need anything from the motorcycle to provide to customs, but since I was passing by Customs on the way to the bike, might as well ask.
Hey, the outlets I'm seeing are UK sockets, not EU sockets. I'm in the Republic of Ireland, aren't I, a member of the EU? I'm confused.
This is when I realized that the only documentation I might have for the bike was the receipt I had been handed back at ACC and had so casually handled during my prep. Uhh, oh good, laptop bag. Holy crap, holy crap, probably one of the more important documents I had to have! Whew!
Anyway, the conversation went well. The customs agent asked similar questions to the immigration people, and was pleased that I already had my ferry booked as evidence that the bike would be leaving Ireland. He did ask if I had proof of my bike's flight back to Canada. I did not; can't book it until 28 days before, and I'm not flying back from part 2 until about 6 weeks later. He said "Okay, that's fine, I don't need that."
Handed over my Ontario driver's license (still wasn't sure where my IDP was. hrm, brb. nope, can't find it again!), Green Card insurance paper, ownership papers, shipping receipt, and waited about 5 minutes while he made copies. Then he handed me my customs clearance paper and I left.
Walked next door to Cargo Terminal 2. Talked to one of the crew, and they told me the bike wasn't there yet, but would likely show up in 30 minutes or so. Went over to the office at the side, paid the dock handling charge (based on mass, was about EUR140 for the 290KG bike), and continued to beat on my knowroaming SIM to see if I could make something happen. 25 minutes later, I was directed to return to the terminal, where I saw two workers pushing the bike out the gate for me!
That was it! No drama, no impossible questions (prove you're flying home with the bike), had all my paperwork, done done done!
Of course, it started to rain. One of the forklift drivers yelled over as it started to shower "Enjoy your rain, welcome to Ireland! *hahaha!*" I didn't care much about the rain though; it wasn't cold, it wasn't a crushing downpour, and I had been drenched with sweat about 6 times since I put these clothes on before flying over anyway.
Loaded the laptop and duffel on the bike, got my helmet and jacket out, fed the hotel address into the GPS, and got on the road.
Oh, the Republic of Ireland drives on the left side, like the UK? I am in the Republic of Ireland, yes? Isn't this the EU? I'm confused. Rain stopped for a couple minutes. Oh goody, showers are back! Jumpin' into the deep end of the pool here, with all the airport traffic, jetlag, other-side driving, roundabouts, motorway between me and the hotel. Certainly a brisk start to things.
The ride was short and uneventful. I had enough gas to not worry about filling up, so I just focused on driving where the locals drive (other side, ramps, roundabouts) on the way to the hotel. The room was ready, so I parked, occupied, and got ready to start my 8 hour remote work day (9-5 in Toronto is 14-22 local).
Work went okay. Internet in the hotel sucks, but I finally got my knowroaming SIM sorted out; it often defaults to using 3, but 3 seems to be very broken. I forced it to use Meteor, and that's been pretty good.
I use KnowRoaming a lot. It is a SIM sticker, thin enough to piggyback on your regular SIM, and you can switch back and forth using a "SIM Application", then running their app to change your APN back and forth between knowroaming and your regular SIM's settings.
I'm on a 7 day unlimited data package right now in the iPad, and knowroaming allows for tethering. Whew!
I switched my iPhone's SIM to a 3 SIM. They have an interesting 12GB roam-like-home option when you sign up for their All-In-One 20 plan, allowing me to roam across Europe within that 12G so I'm trying it out. Too bad 3 is SUCKING here. Sigh.
Friday, 28 July 2017
2017 Summer Epic part 1, prelude
This year's Summer Epic tour is broken into two parts; 2 weeks starting tonight, return for 2 weeks of work-related stuff, then back to Europe for two more weeks as part 2.
Since I bought a new main bike for North America, my old main bike, my devastatingly spectacular 2013 BMW K1300S, Raven, flew with me to Dublin, Ireland yesterday. I'm working remotely yesterday and today, and start my vacation in earnest tomorrow.
Getting the motorcycle over here was stressful at times, because I wasn't sure of the process, any forgotten paperwork would have ended the adventure before it began, etc. But first thing was, let's plan the meatbody and bike flights.
Air Canada Cargo has been doing motorcycle shipment sales for the past 4 years or so. As an example, shipping my 290kg K1300S (with some luggage) hit me for CA$950 (one way) taxes included!, YYZ to DUB. Regular price on that journey is CA$3324.07. Screamin' deal.
They only offer this deal on certain destinations, depending on how much emotional effort it takes at the other end to deplane the bike. This year, they've pretty much limited it to several Europe destinations and within Canada. They don't do South America anymore because of difficulties with customs, they won't do the US because it is an administrative nightmare flying "dangerous goods" into the US these days. And they can only fit bikes into "wide body jets".
Dublin was on ACC's sale list, and I figured Dublin, being on an island, and being somewhat remote from Europe, would be a good place to start or end a tour. Dublin it was! Booked both my meatbody and bike on the same redeye Wednesday night Rouge flight. I actually booked my meatbody flight months before, but I couldn't book the bike's flight until 28 days before departure. Had to do my own research to ensure this was a widebody plane, etc. It all worked out.
You also need insurance. For Europe, you want Green Card visitor's insurance. It is good for a huge list of Western Europe countries and then some. I got mine from knopftours.com as soon as I booked my meatbody flights; he mailed me the green papers ages ago. I put them in a ziplock bag in my wallet for safe keeping.
Then work got busy, and I barely had time to think about any of this. July is our fiscal year end. *busy* Plus my credit card got skimmed 10 days before the trip, and I had to factor in retrieving the new card from my local RBC (takes 7-10 business days to be shipped to your home, 2-4 to an RBC branch).
Did manage to get my International Driver's Permit (IDP) while retrieving my new CC. CAA handles that, it costs $25/year, and CAA also takes care of the photos required.
On Monday, I started researching what to expect when I fly over on Wednesday, and ran into several comments that you can't import a bike with a lien on it. And I had a lien on my K1300S.
When I signed the financing contract for the K1300S, it specifically stated that I could not take the bike out of the country for longer than a month. The sales manager added "But seriously, what do we care? As long as you keep making your payments, I wouldn't worry." Seemed cool, and I had no intention on hurting my credit rating by screwing over BMW.
But then I read in a few places that the importer might run a search for liens on the bike. I don't know how easy that is or isn't for them, so I started to panic; this was now the day before my flight after all. My sales manager was on vacation, so I called BMW Finance.
The first agent I talked to said it was next to impossible to pay off the financing on Tuesday, and have all the paperwork processed and in my hands by sooner than Thursday (I was flying Wednesday), and then I'd still need to get this paperwork to the ministry to clear the lien. She said there might be faster way to clear this up, by getting some waiver on the lien from my dealership. She went off to research that option, and 5 minutes later, I lost the call. *stress*
I called back in, and got a new agent. He was less than helpful. "I've been doing this for 12 years, and you will not get that lien sorted out before Thursday, or more likely Friday." He had some other golden bits of knowledge to pass along too:
Several times over the past 4 days, I've randomly seen my IDP. It is an extremely inconvenient size, larger than a passport, thick, shouldn't be folded, and made out of moisture-wicking paper that wouldn't handle a rain well. I "put it away" every time I found it, but the only proper "away" place should be my wallet, which it won't fit into. So I keep losing it! It isn't critical as most countries probably wouldn't require it, but I'd like to have it if I get to Poland and beyond.
Since I bought a new main bike for North America, my old main bike, my devastatingly spectacular 2013 BMW K1300S, Raven, flew with me to Dublin, Ireland yesterday. I'm working remotely yesterday and today, and start my vacation in earnest tomorrow.
Getting the motorcycle over here was stressful at times, because I wasn't sure of the process, any forgotten paperwork would have ended the adventure before it began, etc. But first thing was, let's plan the meatbody and bike flights.
Air Canada Cargo has been doing motorcycle shipment sales for the past 4 years or so. As an example, shipping my 290kg K1300S (with some luggage) hit me for CA$950 (one way) taxes included!, YYZ to DUB. Regular price on that journey is CA$3324.07. Screamin' deal.
They only offer this deal on certain destinations, depending on how much emotional effort it takes at the other end to deplane the bike. This year, they've pretty much limited it to several Europe destinations and within Canada. They don't do South America anymore because of difficulties with customs, they won't do the US because it is an administrative nightmare flying "dangerous goods" into the US these days. And they can only fit bikes into "wide body jets".
Dublin was on ACC's sale list, and I figured Dublin, being on an island, and being somewhat remote from Europe, would be a good place to start or end a tour. Dublin it was! Booked both my meatbody and bike on the same redeye Wednesday night Rouge flight. I actually booked my meatbody flight months before, but I couldn't book the bike's flight until 28 days before departure. Had to do my own research to ensure this was a widebody plane, etc. It all worked out.
You also need insurance. For Europe, you want Green Card visitor's insurance. It is good for a huge list of Western Europe countries and then some. I got mine from knopftours.com as soon as I booked my meatbody flights; he mailed me the green papers ages ago. I put them in a ziplock bag in my wallet for safe keeping.
Then work got busy, and I barely had time to think about any of this. July is our fiscal year end. *busy* Plus my credit card got skimmed 10 days before the trip, and I had to factor in retrieving the new card from my local RBC (takes 7-10 business days to be shipped to your home, 2-4 to an RBC branch).
Did manage to get my International Driver's Permit (IDP) while retrieving my new CC. CAA handles that, it costs $25/year, and CAA also takes care of the photos required.
On Monday, I started researching what to expect when I fly over on Wednesday, and ran into several comments that you can't import a bike with a lien on it. And I had a lien on my K1300S.
When I signed the financing contract for the K1300S, it specifically stated that I could not take the bike out of the country for longer than a month. The sales manager added "But seriously, what do we care? As long as you keep making your payments, I wouldn't worry." Seemed cool, and I had no intention on hurting my credit rating by screwing over BMW.
But then I read in a few places that the importer might run a search for liens on the bike. I don't know how easy that is or isn't for them, so I started to panic; this was now the day before my flight after all. My sales manager was on vacation, so I called BMW Finance.
The first agent I talked to said it was next to impossible to pay off the financing on Tuesday, and have all the paperwork processed and in my hands by sooner than Thursday (I was flying Wednesday), and then I'd still need to get this paperwork to the ministry to clear the lien. She said there might be faster way to clear this up, by getting some waiver on the lien from my dealership. She went off to research that option, and 5 minutes later, I lost the call. *stress*
I called back in, and got a new agent. He was less than helpful. "I've been doing this for 12 years, and you will not get that lien sorted out before Thursday, or more likely Friday." He had some other golden bits of knowledge to pass along too:
- "Are you sure you can even bring your bike into Ireland? You know it is impossible to bring a non-Canadian-spec bike into Canada, period, right? Impossible. I bet it is impossible in Ireland too."
- "There is no way to waive a lien."
- "No, you cannot talk to the agent you talked to before."
- "BMW will never allow you to take your bike to Europe with a lien on it."
- "That 30 day out-of-country implies taking it to the United States, not overseas. You will not be allowed to take it off the continent."
- "No, you cannot talk to the agent you talked to before."
- etc. There were a few other nuggets, but I've wiped them from my mind.
*stress*
I calmed down for a few minutes, unfortunately not until after a coworker called to get me to do some work. Sorry George; that could not have been a pleasant experience for you. ;)
I called back in, and got a new new agent. He was a bit more reasonable about things, but he still agreed with the crux of the issue; paying off the lien on Tuesday would not likely resolve anything until Friday. He did however point out that I didn't need to provide anything to the ministry myself. He thinks the process the first agent described was specific to leases, where the title holder is actually the leasing company. In my case, with a standard loan, the title is in my name so there's nothing to change there. *slight reduction in stress*
With that last conversation, things got better. Even if Swissport holds my bike at the terminal until the lien clears, I should be able to manage all that from Ireland, assuming I get the lien paid off immediately.
The lien still had $10k outstanding, but the stars aligned, $8300 in expenses got reimbursed literally 1 hour before I first called BMW on Tuesday, and I scraped together the rest in an hour. I raced off to the bank, got a bank draft, then hauled butt to BMW Finance near Major Mac and the 404 in Richmond Hill, and got that taken care of.
I stopped by Air Canada Cargo on the way home and talked with them too. Further destressing ensued; ACC themselves have no way to check for liens. When I asked what the likelyhood was that Ireland would check, they said "it is random, at best". Okay, I figure that's gotta be 50/50 that I'd either get my bike immediately or have to wait for Friday.
I also stopped at RBC on the way home, to get personal travel insurance. I thought I got that through my work, but all the documentation I could find specified that it was only for business trips. Got the uber 1-year contract for about $175. Covered!
I also stopped at RBC on the way home, to get personal travel insurance. I thought I got that through my work, but all the documentation I could find specified that it was only for business trips. Got the uber 1-year contract for about $175. Covered!
A few other things came of the ACC conversation and the later inspection for shipment;
- Though ACC were filling in the motorcycle mass on the Dangerous Goods (DG) document, and even stated not to have the DG consultant (DGC) fill in the weight on ACC's web site, they're not actually allowed by Industry Canada to fill in the weight field; only the DGC can do that, and they don't have a scale. You're required to weigh it yourself, or stop by ACC to get weighed, then go to the DGC for him to fill out the document including the weight, then return to ACC to ship the bike.
- ACC is only allowed to edit three fields on the DG document; waybill number, source, and destination.
- They can give you maybe 10KG wiggle room in the mass of the bike vs the DG doc, but anything more means you have to pay for a new DG document to be written. That happened to a guy an hour before I got there; he estimated his mass to the DGC, and he was 28KG high.
- They let you ship clothes and tools with the bike, but there are limits:
- You can't ship ANY batteries on the motorcycle besides its lead acid battery. Don't bother packing batteries with your flashlight, because they won't be allowed. Don't bother packing a Li-Ion jumpstart battery, because it won't be allowed. etc.
- You DON'T need to disconnect the bike's battery anymore. You used to have to disconnect the battery and tape the leads to the frame. Their attitude now is that modern motorcycles are pretty safe, as long as the keys are not in the ignition. ACC provides a ziptie to attach the keys to the handlebars, but you might have fun trying to remove them without a knife at the other end.
- You can't ship any compressed gas canisters, including shaving cream, CO2 for tire inflation, etc.
- Don't even try to smuggle anything on the bike. The security guys go over the bike with flashlights, looking between the fairings and engine, underneath, under the seat, etc etc etc. I felt bad for my motorcycle; she was violated!
- With your permission, they put all the extra stuff (clothes, tank bag, jacket, etc) through an Xray machine.
- 1/4 full gas tank, or less. Since they often can't see into the tank in many bikes (with unusual tank shapes to maximize capacity), they want to see the meter.
As usual, once you're done, you just walk away. They have people that will put your bike on a skid, or sometimes in a container, strap it down, and send it on its way. I absently put the receipt in a bag with refused batteries.
After getting weighed, I zipped over to the DGC, got the paperwork, returned to ACC for the previously-mentioned invasive bike inspection, and *done*.
I took a taxi home, packed some clothes to take with me in case my bike would not be retrievable for a few days, and got ready for my meatflight. I absently put the receipt for the motorcycle shipment in my laptop bag.
I also found out that to temporarily import the motorcycle into Ireland, they really want to know you are going to leave with the motorcycle too, as opposed to selling it in Ireland I suppose. I looked at Ireland's weather, figured I'd want to flee Sunday before the real rain began, and booked a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead in the UK, and paid a little extra so I could cancel or change the booking.
I also found out that to temporarily import the motorcycle into Ireland, they really want to know you are going to leave with the motorcycle too, as opposed to selling it in Ireland I suppose. I looked at Ireland's weather, figured I'd want to flee Sunday before the real rain began, and booked a ferry from Dublin to Holyhead in the UK, and paid a little extra so I could cancel or change the booking.
Several times over the past 4 days, I've randomly seen my IDP. It is an extremely inconvenient size, larger than a passport, thick, shouldn't be folded, and made out of moisture-wicking paper that wouldn't handle a rain well. I "put it away" every time I found it, but the only proper "away" place should be my wallet, which it won't fit into. So I keep losing it! It isn't critical as most countries probably wouldn't require it, but I'd like to have it if I get to Poland and beyond.
Wednesday, 7 June 2017
The new bike
On May 28, 2017, I bought a new motorcycle: the 2017 BMW R1200RS.
Its role in my life is to become my primary North America ride, replacing my 2013 BMW K1300S (Raven). Raven is still in my life and will remain so as long as I can hope, but it will likely become my Europe bike this summer.
I say that with hesitation, because I still love Raven. I plan to leave her overseas for a few years, but part of me feels like I'm betraying her. She is such an incredible bike. :)
Anyway, over the past week, I put about 1700km on the RS (Bessie), and took Raven out for a long ride afterwards, giving me a good opportunity to compare them.
First off though, Bessie. Someone reviewed the engine and called it agricultural, and at low RPM, I gotta agree that it reminds me of a tractor. Plus, there are pictures of the GS (on the same engine) taken head-on that is remarkably similar to a cow. So for now, Bessie. I say that very affectionately though!
The KS and RS are similar.
And the KS and RS are radically different.
Its role in my life is to become my primary North America ride, replacing my 2013 BMW K1300S (Raven). Raven is still in my life and will remain so as long as I can hope, but it will likely become my Europe bike this summer.
I say that with hesitation, because I still love Raven. I plan to leave her overseas for a few years, but part of me feels like I'm betraying her. She is such an incredible bike. :)
Anyway, over the past week, I put about 1700km on the RS (Bessie), and took Raven out for a long ride afterwards, giving me a good opportunity to compare them.
First off though, Bessie. Someone reviewed the engine and called it agricultural, and at low RPM, I gotta agree that it reminds me of a tractor. Plus, there are pictures of the GS (on the same engine) taken head-on that is remarkably similar to a cow. So for now, Bessie. I say that very affectionately though!
The KS and RS are similar.
- They're both sport touring; they bridge the gap between a fully-upright touring and torture-rack sport postures.
- They're both intended to go long distance but also be masterful commuter bikes with a lot of luggage space, though the KS leans so far on the sport side of sport-touring that its luggage options take more of a shoehorn to apply.
And the KS and RS are radically different.
- The KS envelops a phenomenal 1293 cc inline-4, putting down 175hp (128kW) and 103 ft-lbf (140Nm).
- The RS sits on the incredible water/air cooled BMW 1170 cc opposed twin, the wasserboxer, delivering a bit more reasonable 125hp (93kW) and 93 ft-lbf (125Nm).
- The KS has a traditional throttle assembly, where the RS is throttle-by-wire with almost no feedback and a much different fueling curve.
- The KS has the rider in a lower lean while the RS is a bit more upright. The KS has better fairing wind protection, while the RS is half-naked.
- The KS has an awesome and rare Hossack-inspired "BMW Duolever" front suspension. The RS has traditional inverted front forks.
- The KS' electronics were probably cutting edge when the K1200S was designed in 2004, but they didn't see many electronic changes in the KS' 12 year production runs.
- The RS' electronics borrow heavily from the proven R1200GS and R1200RT lines and is probably one of the more electronically advanced bikes on the road today.
- The KS does not have a cruise control, and really wants you to lose your license.
- The RS has an awesome cruise control, and without it, you'd risk losing your license before you left the parking lot due to its feedback-less throttle-by-wire. Admittedly though, the RS engine isn't really one that begs you to wring it out at license-losing speeds.
Had the R1200RS existed when I was .. upgrading from the CBR1100XX, I probably would have bought it instead of the K1300S. The RS is simply a better sport-touring bike, has better electronics (like the cruise control), and is less likely to destroy my driving record.
When I started looking at buying the RS, I talked to the dealership about trading in my KS. However, after a great year at Cisco, I had enough money to keep the KS, and I realized just how happy I was about that. I love the KS. If BMW released a KS with all the new electronics and some touring kit (real hard boxes, etc) but left the ergonomics alone, I'd buy another one as quickly as finances permitted.
Why the urgency to buy the RS? Cruise control, flat out. I've wanted a real cruise control for years. Throttle locks are useless; wind, elevation changes, and slipstreaming all affect your real speed, and place you at risk of either defying the pace of traffic or the law, requiring you to be ever vigilant about your speed.
I've twice rented the R1200RT in Spain, and being able to lock in my speed with a real cruise control and stop worrying about it is an awesome feeling. I can really relax, redirecting my terror-fueled speed attention to other things like watching traffic, looking at scenery, and relaxing.
I'm disappointed that the RS doesn't have the Duolever front forks. I'm not prone to pushing my hardware to its limits, so I'm not immediately able to say Duolever is vastly superior to traditional suspension, but I think I am noticing that the RS has considerably more front dive when I brake than I've come to expect on the KS. I'll need a few more comparison rides to get a better opinion on that though.
In the end, I love both bikes deeply. I genuinely think the RS is a better commuter/sporttourer than the KS because of its tamer engine. But the KS ergos are nearly perfect and its engine is incredible. I'd rather have the RS in North America specifically to save my driving record, but I long to feel the KS breathing deeply.
Hopefully I can open up Raven on the German Autobahn this summer, and feel the bike stretch its wings in its native habitat.
Tuesday, 23 May 2017
Tips learned on the road
Europe
- Photo radar is everywhere.
- Some countries have made photo radar GPS alerts illegal, like France. Some posts suggest if your GPS is found with warnings for ANY COUNTRY, France will clip your wings.
- Garmin has gotten around at least having GPS speed warnings in France by alerting now on "safety zones", which are expressly legal in France.
- Many countries require having a reflective vest with you on the bike, in case of a breakdown, an accident, or rain. Makes sense to always have one regardless of what countries you'll be visiting.
- Many countries, with France in particular, require you to have a full complement of spare bulbs for your vehicle.
- Speed signs are round, unlike in North America.
France
- Though they apparently aren't checking much yet, you are required to have 2 breathalizer testers with you.
- Speed limits are often 120km/h on motorways, and 130km/h on the tolled Autoroutes. They're not fans of speeding.
- All safety zones (speed cameras) are marked, afaik. The markings on the sign also specify if the cameras are front-facing or rear-facing; if there is a motorcycle on the sign, that's a rear-facing camera that can grab the motorcycle plates.
- Not terribly big fans of credit cards in some restaurants, at least in smaller towns like Saint-Genis-Pouilly near Geneva. Even the customers are offended if you pull out a credit card.
Germany
- Look up the German signs for right of way; streets that merge from your right have Right of Way by default.
- The Autobahn has lots of unrestricted ("unlimited speed") sections, but there are lots of traffic calming sections especially around population centres.
- Don't hang out in the left lane on the Autobahn; you are not the fastest vehicle on the road anymore.
- It is illegal to run out of gas on the Autobahn, as that is a preventable calamity.
- Expect to be seated with strangers in Bavarian beerhalls. Hope you get both East and West Germans at your table, as the cultural lessons are beyond measure.
- Don't jaywalk. What kind of example are you setting for the children, you monster?
- Lane Splitting isn't officially accepted. Some feel you're setting a bad example for the children (see above), but some do it anyway. It is only really accepted in heavy traffic. You may run afoul of the law.
Austria
- Vignettes (toll stickers) can be purchased for Autobahn travel in short and long term forms. Fines are high for being caught without one.
- The Austrian Autobahn has a 130km/h speed limit.
Switzerland
- Vignettes are only sold for the calendar year; If you're riding a motorway from Dec 29 through Jan 2, you'll need two yearly stickers. Last I bought one, they were 40 Euros per year.
- Don't seed in Switzerland; their speed cameras are tuned really low.
I'll post more later.
Update on Loyalty Programs
In 2016, I managed to .. invest a lot of money into my loyalty programs;
- Achieved Air Canada Elite 50k
- Achieved Hilton Honors Diamond level
- Achieved Accor Hotels Silver level
- https://secure.accorhotels.com/gb/leclub/program/cards-status-benefits.shtml
Air Canada kinda crapified part of my interest in their Elite program, by making 1st Class eUpgrades nearly useless; used to cost about 8 eUpgrade points to upgrade flights from Europe, but now it is 21! With E50k, you can get up to 40 points, but you consume over half of them with a single flight!
They're useful to a point for North American flights (10 points for Toronto to SFO, for instance), but still. :( Never the less, I think I'll be confirmed for E50k again for 2018.
HHonors Diamond level is nice, but it isn't critical. I can sometimes get reserved Diamond member parking by the main doors at Hampton Inns, sometimes get room upgrades (though a lot of hotels tell me they don't have any, or mumble something about already being in a "premium room"), free "premium Internet", and you get more check-in perks like water AND sweets, etc.
Turns out, I can get HHonors Gold automatically due to my job, but I expect Diamond would still be a big mountain to climb. I doubt I'll bother with getting Diamond for next year.
Accor Silver was unexpectedly nice; late checkout on request and complementary booze at check-in. I look at Gold and while I'm sure it is nice, I'm pretty happy with Silver's rewards!
Thursday, 30 June 2016
My Travel Tips
I've done a bit of travel in recent years, and there are a number of things I do or have discovered to make my life easier. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).
Loyalty Programs
I can't say enough good things about loyalty programs; they are directly responsible for my first trip out of North America after all.
RBC Avion
I had an RBC Platinum Visa. I got it because it had rental car insurance and I liked its colour. I used it to recover my credit rating by switching all my recurring bills to go directly to the card, and then I only had one bill I needed to remember to pay every month.
8 years later, I discovered it was a points card. When I called RBC to ask what I could do with those points, they recommended I upgrade the card to their Infinite Avion Visa, and I had enough points for 3 European flights (minus the fees and taxes of course). I think it was two weeks later when I made my first flight off this rock; visited a couple friends in London, then spent 4 spectacularly enlightening solo days wandering Paris.
Since then, I think I've managed about another 8 or 10 flights out of points, 4 of which I even paid for the taxes and fees out of points.
RBC Avion points do not expire. You earn 1 point for every dollar spent, and they seem to have some nice accelerators to get even more points. I now have an Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card, that accrues at 1.25 points per dollar.
Air Canada Altitude / Aeroplan
Back when I started flying, I flew on whatever seemed swell; American Airlines, Delta, United, Air Canada, Westjet, British Airways, KLM, etc. Some were swell, some were less swell.
A friend of mine in London UK, Misha, mentioned he was inclined to use BA for all his flights. I looked into BA, but I found they weren't the most useful for a Canadian on Canadian soil. So I was quickly down to choosing Air Canada and Westjet. Having flown both, I strongly preferred Air Canada.
One year, I managed to do enough flying to earn their Elite 35k status with Air Canada. With that, I got things like priority check-in, extra checked bags, and eUpgrade points. eUpgrade points are fantastic (or they were, rather). With these points, I managed to get about 5 first class upgrades for free. After that first upgrade, I was definitely hooked on first class lie-flat long haul berths!
The Altitude program has changed a bit, making first class upgrades pretty harsh; they often require a big cash payment in addition to consuming almost all your eUpgrade points. However, Air Canada has also created a new seating tier called "Premium Economy"; nicer seats, long legroom, etc. Not a lie-flat berth, but still very nice. And with my e35k status, I had one of those upgraded for free from LHR to YYZ due to an overbooked flight, to demonstrate who is likely to get those prized free upgrades first.
Air Canada is a part of the Star Alliance. The two partners I've also used are Lufthansa in Germany and United in the US. It is swell knowing I'll get my status miles from them as well.
Wyndham Rewards
Wyndham is a hotel chain that includes Super 8 and Days Inn, two brands of motels that I really like on my motorcycle trips. Cheap, okay breakfast (usually only cold offerings though they sometimes have waffles), they're nearly everywhere in Canada and the US. Until this year, I've used them extensively and gotten countless free days out of accrued points.
One thing that drives me bonkers with Wyndham is their booking system; their web site isn't the greatest on a phone, and their iPhone app sucks to the point of uselessness. When I'm on a road trip, I don't usually book the night's stay until early afternoon after I've been on the road for a while and gotten a feel for how far I'm going that day, so having a crap phone-based booking experience is a daily curse in the middle of my Zen time.
Hilton Honors
I was never a Hilton person. Hilton seemed to be the last hotel chain to offer wifi, they are expensive, and I never felt like I needed that level of room fixtures.
When I joined Cisco, I was sent to San Jose for a week for on-board training, and a couple coworkers recommended a Hilton Garden Inn near the Cisco campus. I cheerily booked it, literally not realizing it was a Hilton. Couple weeks later, I was back in San Jose for product update training, so I booked the same hotel because it was now a "known quantity". Before I knew it, I was Hilton Honors (HHonors) Silver, with enough points for a couple free nights.
Hilton has partnered with AT&T for their hotel wifi. It works fairly well, and they generally offer two levels of service; low bandwidth, and premium bandwidth for a cost. Some Hilton-brand hotels offer the low bandwidth service for free while others require you to be an HHonors member to get it for free. For 90% of my stays, the free level is more than enough.
I typically stay at three of their brands; Hilton Garden Inn, Embassy Suites, and Hampton Inn and Suites. HGI makes a fresh hot breakfast for you for a cost (until you're Gold, I think). (Some?) Embassy Suites have a free breakfast buffet and some also seem to have free happy hour drinks. Hampton Inns have a decent free hot/cold breakfast and are close enough to being affordable that I've started using them a lot on my motorcycle trips.
Their iPhone app is pretty good. I'm still in my Zen space about 3 out of every 4 times I use it.
I'm a handful of stays away from getting my HHonors Gold status. Looking forward to seeing what that will do for me.
Accor Hotels
For many European countries, I've been using Accor Hotels.
I usually stay at their Ibis or Ibis Styles brand. They're an inexpensive chain, with probably the most cookie-cutter experience I could imagine; even their washrooms are cut from only a couple moulds and screwed into place. Cheap and cheerful. Usually an okay free breakfast, though often only cold food options.
Historically a complete crap loyalty program though. Looks like they just changed ownership or something, and there may be a point now; once you get Silver (10 stays or 2500 points), you get free Internet, usually a 3 Euro/day/device additional cost.
Knowing they seem to have a functional loyalty program now actually makes me quite happy. With all the uncertainty with foreign travel, I love the "known quantity" feeling of staying at my Ibis at night.
Huh, with their recent corporate change, they now seem to have some options in the UK. Excellent!
Rental Car Programs
For obvious reasons, I really haven't "picked" a rental car loyalty program yet. While Cisco's primary option is Hertz, I've been the happiest with National; nicer cars than Hertz in San Francisco anyway.
Work Travel and Loyalty Programs
Cisco's travel policy is pretty good in that they allow you to enter your loyalty program memberships into their internal travel site, so you can always get your rewards with Cisco-paid travel. Quite remarkable, really.
Surviving the Airport
We've all had bad experiences at airports. Long lineups, checked baggage costs, long waits at the gate.
Check In
Air Canada recommends you check in 2 hours before any US or European flight.
Checking in online is handy, especially if you don't have any bags to check. I've done this a lot, and there's a chance that when they're looking for whom to give free upgrades to (when overbooked), the earliest check-ins may have an edge. But I'm wavering on that a bit.
When you check-in, you're sometimes offered a discounted first class upgrade. I chose that once, but the Air Canada system crashed before it could let me finish the check-in process and forced me to check-in with a human. The check-in concierge commented that my upgrade had gone through (for like $150 or something), but if I had not done that and simply asked her, she would have given it to me for free. Huh.
Anyway, if I'm not looking to upgrade and I don't have any checked bags, checking in early is fantastic. Enter the airport and proceed directly to security.
Note, when you're checking in early, update your passport information to add your Nexus ID (if you have it).
If you have checked bags, you'll need to stand in the lineup for bag dropoff. That can be a pain. However, if you're, say, Elite 35k, you might be able to use the Priority Check-in counter for Air Canada flights to solve that. Elite 50k adds priority check-in for all Star Alliance carriers as well.
Security
If you're in Canada or the US, Nexus is your saviour here. Yeah, you have to give up a lot of your privacy to get it, so I understand why many don't like it. But with it, yeah, it can be heaven.
And additionally, if you entered your Nexus ID during check-in, you may get "TSA Pre", which is a godsend. In participating airports, about all you need to do is take your phone out of your pocket. It is wonderful.
Lounges
I love having lounge access. I shell out for the Maple Leaf Worldwide Lounge card. One year I got a big discount due to my E35k status, this year I paid for it using Aeroplan points.
Many of the airports I use have Maple Leaf Lounges. If you go near a mealtime, there are usually some good buffet options (their turkey and wild rice soup is addictive) and there are free drinks (though not during the morning).
Comfy chairs, roomy washrooms, snacks, magazines, smiling people, great atmosphere. I love my lounge access. Really takes the edge off getting to the airport early. In fact, I usually show up even earlier than I need to so I can have some quality lounge relaxing time.
Delays / Cancellations
I've only had one flight in recent memory cancelled on me. It was at SFO, and it was hell.
The rule of thumb I've heard is, the moment your plane is delayed due to a malfunction, rebook. Either call someone or make a bee-line for the reservations counter (which seems risky to me). I think I have access to a priority reservation help line with my Elite 35k status, and I think my Infinite Privilege Visa also has one (if I booked using the Visa).
I didn't know any of this, and it was about a 3 hour experience to get rebooked on a flight the next day. Nicely, Air Canada threw in a night at a nearby Embassy Suite hotel though.
Anyway, make sure you know what your help options are, just in case.
The Gate
If you are willing to pay extra to get Premium Economy seats, or in some cases just the long legroom premium seats (for an extra fee), you can get into "zone 2" and be one of the first to board.
Elite 35k also gets you priority boarding on Air Canada, while E50k gets adds Star Alliance partners too.
Now, I've met a few people who don't bother to board until the last minute; let everyone jostle and get settled before you take your seat. Nice idea, but that means you're sitting at the gate longer. It is ill-advised to hang out in the lounge past the first boarding call because if boarding is quick, you may be holding up the flight even though you're still "on time".
Internet and Phone
I'm a big fan of having an unlocked phone, which allows me to use any carrier I want. When you're traveling, this can be a huge savings. My back-of-the-napkin calculations suggested the extra cost of an unsubsidized phone was equal or less than the expected costs of roaming using a Canadian carrier's idea of "roaming charges".
I think it is law that the Canadian carriers must offer an unlock service, typically usable 3 months into your contract. Bell, Telus, and Rogers charge $50 + tax.
An interesting roaming option for newer Apple devices is the Apple SIM; I've used it in Spain and it worked well enough. However, note that the Apple SIM roaming contracts are per-country. If you expect to visit a few countries, you'll need to decide if their rates make sense for your shorter per-country periods.
My go-to roaming option is KnowRoaming. Their SIM is so thin it gets taped onto your existing SIM, and you use a "SIM Application" to switch between your "Home SIM" and the KnowRoaming SIM. Their Unlimited Roaming packages aren't cheap, around US$8/day, but they're multi-country.
Loyalty Programs
I can't say enough good things about loyalty programs; they are directly responsible for my first trip out of North America after all.
RBC Avion
I had an RBC Platinum Visa. I got it because it had rental car insurance and I liked its colour. I used it to recover my credit rating by switching all my recurring bills to go directly to the card, and then I only had one bill I needed to remember to pay every month.
8 years later, I discovered it was a points card. When I called RBC to ask what I could do with those points, they recommended I upgrade the card to their Infinite Avion Visa, and I had enough points for 3 European flights (minus the fees and taxes of course). I think it was two weeks later when I made my first flight off this rock; visited a couple friends in London, then spent 4 spectacularly enlightening solo days wandering Paris.
Since then, I think I've managed about another 8 or 10 flights out of points, 4 of which I even paid for the taxes and fees out of points.
RBC Avion points do not expire. You earn 1 point for every dollar spent, and they seem to have some nice accelerators to get even more points. I now have an Avion Visa Infinite Privilege card, that accrues at 1.25 points per dollar.
Air Canada Altitude / Aeroplan
Back when I started flying, I flew on whatever seemed swell; American Airlines, Delta, United, Air Canada, Westjet, British Airways, KLM, etc. Some were swell, some were less swell.
A friend of mine in London UK, Misha, mentioned he was inclined to use BA for all his flights. I looked into BA, but I found they weren't the most useful for a Canadian on Canadian soil. So I was quickly down to choosing Air Canada and Westjet. Having flown both, I strongly preferred Air Canada.
One year, I managed to do enough flying to earn their Elite 35k status with Air Canada. With that, I got things like priority check-in, extra checked bags, and eUpgrade points. eUpgrade points are fantastic (or they were, rather). With these points, I managed to get about 5 first class upgrades for free. After that first upgrade, I was definitely hooked on first class lie-flat long haul berths!
The Altitude program has changed a bit, making first class upgrades pretty harsh; they often require a big cash payment in addition to consuming almost all your eUpgrade points. However, Air Canada has also created a new seating tier called "Premium Economy"; nicer seats, long legroom, etc. Not a lie-flat berth, but still very nice. And with my e35k status, I had one of those upgraded for free from LHR to YYZ due to an overbooked flight, to demonstrate who is likely to get those prized free upgrades first.
Air Canada is a part of the Star Alliance. The two partners I've also used are Lufthansa in Germany and United in the US. It is swell knowing I'll get my status miles from them as well.
Wyndham Rewards
Wyndham is a hotel chain that includes Super 8 and Days Inn, two brands of motels that I really like on my motorcycle trips. Cheap, okay breakfast (usually only cold offerings though they sometimes have waffles), they're nearly everywhere in Canada and the US. Until this year, I've used them extensively and gotten countless free days out of accrued points.
One thing that drives me bonkers with Wyndham is their booking system; their web site isn't the greatest on a phone, and their iPhone app sucks to the point of uselessness. When I'm on a road trip, I don't usually book the night's stay until early afternoon after I've been on the road for a while and gotten a feel for how far I'm going that day, so having a crap phone-based booking experience is a daily curse in the middle of my Zen time.
Hilton Honors
I was never a Hilton person. Hilton seemed to be the last hotel chain to offer wifi, they are expensive, and I never felt like I needed that level of room fixtures.
When I joined Cisco, I was sent to San Jose for a week for on-board training, and a couple coworkers recommended a Hilton Garden Inn near the Cisco campus. I cheerily booked it, literally not realizing it was a Hilton. Couple weeks later, I was back in San Jose for product update training, so I booked the same hotel because it was now a "known quantity". Before I knew it, I was Hilton Honors (HHonors) Silver, with enough points for a couple free nights.
Hilton has partnered with AT&T for their hotel wifi. It works fairly well, and they generally offer two levels of service; low bandwidth, and premium bandwidth for a cost. Some Hilton-brand hotels offer the low bandwidth service for free while others require you to be an HHonors member to get it for free. For 90% of my stays, the free level is more than enough.
I typically stay at three of their brands; Hilton Garden Inn, Embassy Suites, and Hampton Inn and Suites. HGI makes a fresh hot breakfast for you for a cost (until you're Gold, I think). (Some?) Embassy Suites have a free breakfast buffet and some also seem to have free happy hour drinks. Hampton Inns have a decent free hot/cold breakfast and are close enough to being affordable that I've started using them a lot on my motorcycle trips.
Their iPhone app is pretty good. I'm still in my Zen space about 3 out of every 4 times I use it.
I'm a handful of stays away from getting my HHonors Gold status. Looking forward to seeing what that will do for me.
Accor Hotels
For many European countries, I've been using Accor Hotels.
I usually stay at their Ibis or Ibis Styles brand. They're an inexpensive chain, with probably the most cookie-cutter experience I could imagine; even their washrooms are cut from only a couple moulds and screwed into place. Cheap and cheerful. Usually an okay free breakfast, though often only cold food options.
Historically a complete crap loyalty program though. Looks like they just changed ownership or something, and there may be a point now; once you get Silver (10 stays or 2500 points), you get free Internet, usually a 3 Euro/day/device additional cost.
Knowing they seem to have a functional loyalty program now actually makes me quite happy. With all the uncertainty with foreign travel, I love the "known quantity" feeling of staying at my Ibis at night.
Huh, with their recent corporate change, they now seem to have some options in the UK. Excellent!
Rental Car Programs
For obvious reasons, I really haven't "picked" a rental car loyalty program yet. While Cisco's primary option is Hertz, I've been the happiest with National; nicer cars than Hertz in San Francisco anyway.
Work Travel and Loyalty Programs
Cisco's travel policy is pretty good in that they allow you to enter your loyalty program memberships into their internal travel site, so you can always get your rewards with Cisco-paid travel. Quite remarkable, really.
Surviving the Airport
We've all had bad experiences at airports. Long lineups, checked baggage costs, long waits at the gate.
Check In
Air Canada recommends you check in 2 hours before any US or European flight.
Checking in online is handy, especially if you don't have any bags to check. I've done this a lot, and there's a chance that when they're looking for whom to give free upgrades to (when overbooked), the earliest check-ins may have an edge. But I'm wavering on that a bit.
When you check-in, you're sometimes offered a discounted first class upgrade. I chose that once, but the Air Canada system crashed before it could let me finish the check-in process and forced me to check-in with a human. The check-in concierge commented that my upgrade had gone through (for like $150 or something), but if I had not done that and simply asked her, she would have given it to me for free. Huh.
Anyway, if I'm not looking to upgrade and I don't have any checked bags, checking in early is fantastic. Enter the airport and proceed directly to security.
Note, when you're checking in early, update your passport information to add your Nexus ID (if you have it).
If you have checked bags, you'll need to stand in the lineup for bag dropoff. That can be a pain. However, if you're, say, Elite 35k, you might be able to use the Priority Check-in counter for Air Canada flights to solve that. Elite 50k adds priority check-in for all Star Alliance carriers as well.
Security
If you're in Canada or the US, Nexus is your saviour here. Yeah, you have to give up a lot of your privacy to get it, so I understand why many don't like it. But with it, yeah, it can be heaven.
And additionally, if you entered your Nexus ID during check-in, you may get "TSA Pre", which is a godsend. In participating airports, about all you need to do is take your phone out of your pocket. It is wonderful.
Lounges
I love having lounge access. I shell out for the Maple Leaf Worldwide Lounge card. One year I got a big discount due to my E35k status, this year I paid for it using Aeroplan points.
Many of the airports I use have Maple Leaf Lounges. If you go near a mealtime, there are usually some good buffet options (their turkey and wild rice soup is addictive) and there are free drinks (though not during the morning).
Comfy chairs, roomy washrooms, snacks, magazines, smiling people, great atmosphere. I love my lounge access. Really takes the edge off getting to the airport early. In fact, I usually show up even earlier than I need to so I can have some quality lounge relaxing time.
Delays / Cancellations
I've only had one flight in recent memory cancelled on me. It was at SFO, and it was hell.
The rule of thumb I've heard is, the moment your plane is delayed due to a malfunction, rebook. Either call someone or make a bee-line for the reservations counter (which seems risky to me). I think I have access to a priority reservation help line with my Elite 35k status, and I think my Infinite Privilege Visa also has one (if I booked using the Visa).
I didn't know any of this, and it was about a 3 hour experience to get rebooked on a flight the next day. Nicely, Air Canada threw in a night at a nearby Embassy Suite hotel though.
Anyway, make sure you know what your help options are, just in case.
The Gate
If you are willing to pay extra to get Premium Economy seats, or in some cases just the long legroom premium seats (for an extra fee), you can get into "zone 2" and be one of the first to board.
Elite 35k also gets you priority boarding on Air Canada, while E50k gets adds Star Alliance partners too.
Now, I've met a few people who don't bother to board until the last minute; let everyone jostle and get settled before you take your seat. Nice idea, but that means you're sitting at the gate longer. It is ill-advised to hang out in the lounge past the first boarding call because if boarding is quick, you may be holding up the flight even though you're still "on time".
Internet and Phone
I'm a big fan of having an unlocked phone, which allows me to use any carrier I want. When you're traveling, this can be a huge savings. My back-of-the-napkin calculations suggested the extra cost of an unsubsidized phone was equal or less than the expected costs of roaming using a Canadian carrier's idea of "roaming charges".
I think it is law that the Canadian carriers must offer an unlock service, typically usable 3 months into your contract. Bell, Telus, and Rogers charge $50 + tax.
An interesting roaming option for newer Apple devices is the Apple SIM; I've used it in Spain and it worked well enough. However, note that the Apple SIM roaming contracts are per-country. If you expect to visit a few countries, you'll need to decide if their rates make sense for your shorter per-country periods.
My go-to roaming option is KnowRoaming. Their SIM is so thin it gets taped onto your existing SIM, and you use a "SIM Application" to switch between your "Home SIM" and the KnowRoaming SIM. Their Unlimited Roaming packages aren't cheap, around US$8/day, but they're multi-country.
A Rare Update
This has been a good year so far. And this has been a sad year as well.
My father died in January. As I understand it, by complications due to pneumonia and possibly a return of his cancer. Noone was with him when he passed; he didn't let anyone know he was in the hospital besides his neighbours.
I went to Mission Texas with my uncle in March to clean up my father's place (which is actually my grandparent's old winter home).
Since then, I've had a few trips.
Flew the VFR800 to Vancouver in May and rode it down to San Jose for 2 weeks of training. Stored it just south of SFO for my future California trips. During this trip, I ordered a new Sargent seat for the K1300S to bring back with me with my duty exemption.
Rode down to North Carolina (RTP) on the K1300S in June for training. What an awesome trip! Skyline Drive and part of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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