The obvious answer is 'ride your bike', but Munich is v.far

SimonAH
SimonAH Posts: 3,730
edited November 2011 in Commuting chat
OK Hive Mind, a challenge.

I have to be in Munich city centre on February 14th, 15th and 16th next year, along with a raft of colleagues from around the globe, Now the challenge is to achieve the lowest £ per mile to get there. Winner gets a case of Amarone.

Hitchhiking etc is out because it has to be reliable - I can't not be there on time.

Does anyone have a cunning plan? A bit of tangential thinking?

The only rules are 1) It must be guaranteed that I get there (and home) and 2) That I am not precluded from a carry-on sized piece of luggage and a laptop bag....and I suppose 3) it has to be legal.

If we come up with a winning solution then I will split some Amarone with the provider of the suggestion!
FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.

Comments

  • sketchley
    sketchley Posts: 4,238
    FedEx?
    --
    Chris

    Genesis Equilibrium - FCN 3/4/5
  • Gallywomack
    Gallywomack Posts: 823
    Convince a parsimonious Scotsman to join you there for Scotchtoberfest and split the travel costs?
    Pompino
  • sketchley
    sketchley Posts: 4,238
    Seriously has to be ride the bike + extra miles. Nothing says you have to go directly there.
    --
    Chris

    Genesis Equilibrium - FCN 3/4/5
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    £7 coach fare-jobbie to London, then ride to Dover, book a cheap ferry, then ride.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    It's 610 miles each way even once you get to Calais........that is very, very far.
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
    CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
    Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • CyclingBantam
    CyclingBantam Posts: 1,299
    You are going to have to do it really cheap if there are a lot of people doing it as even booking ahead on public transport etc would be really cheap.

    Is cycling totally out? It isn't THAT far really. It would depend if you had to include your accommodation costs. Hitching is probably the cheapest and you should be ok getting there so long as you have a little time in hand.

    What about contacting a haulage company and seeing if they will take you?
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,673
    Feb will be COLD. VERY COLD. Bikes are free on most trains in Europe.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    It's not hitch-hiking if you provide a service after you get picked up...
    _
  • Torvid
    Torvid Posts: 449
    what you really need to do is work out how much you think it's going to cost the others to get there, as it's probably only going to be about 100ish to fly from a regional airport
    Commuter: Forme Vision Red/Black FCN 4
    Weekender: White/Black - Cube Agree GTC pro FCN 3
  • Gallywomack
    Gallywomack Posts: 823
    Are you sure this isn't an underhanded scheme to dupe you all into unwittingly revealing how bloated your travel expenses are?
    Pompino
  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    London to Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt or anywhere in Germany from 49 euros (£43) each way... http://www.seat61.com/Germany.htm
    <a>road</a>
  • jds_1981
    jds_1981 Posts: 1,858
    SimonAH wrote:
    along with a raft of colleagues from around the globe

    Anyone heading there from mainland europe? If so give up, have a comfortable trip & just expense it..

    http://www.tesco.com/wine/product/searc ... ox=Amarone
    FCN 9 || FCN 5
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    el_presidente wrote:
    London to Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt or anywhere in Germany from 49 euros (£43) each way... http://www.seat61.com/Germany.htm


    Good thinking, but checked and Munich comes in at £159 rtn...... I can fly for less than that.
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
    CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
    Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • londonlivvy
    londonlivvy Posts: 644
    Humn. Coach comes out at £100 return. I'd have thought it'd be cheaper than that.
    http://minxcompendium.blogspot.com/
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    Find a haulage firm that do a run to Munich - catch a lift!
  • el_presidente
    el_presidente Posts: 1,963
    SimonAH wrote:
    along with a raft of colleagues from around the globe

    The ones on the raft will probably win
    <a>road</a>
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    CyclingBantam wrote:
    Is cycling totally out? It isn't THAT far really. It would depend if you had to include your accommodation costs. Hitching is probably the cheapest and you should be ok getting there so long as you have a little time in hand.

    Seriously, I've been to Munich in September and it was F'king freezing, I dread to think what February is like.

    And 610 miles may not be too far in your world, but in mine it's a flippin' huge distance

    What about a super car share - get a 7 seater and take 6 colleagues in it, that would actually be hugely cost-effedtive
    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • walkingbootweather
    walkingbootweather Posts: 2,443
    edited November 2011
    Could you follow the bear?

    What I'm getting at is, could there be an oragnisation that regularly does this run e.g. beer delivery, that would be happy to give you a lift in return for some free publicity?
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Is there an official designated starting point?

    If you happened to be skiing in Austria the previous weekend, or visiting a German relative, it would be stupid (and unnecessarily costly) to travel all the way home before going straight back again...

    If that's out, what if you happened to be visiting relatives in Lille? Dover?
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Walk?
    _
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Walk?

    Hmm, If I arrived in Calais on the 13th of January and maintained 3mph for eight hours a day every day then, allowing for weekends off, I would get there in time for my meeting on the14th of Feb.

    I don't think that dog will hunt m'man.
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
    CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
    Litespeed L3 for Strava bits

    Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    I'd start by calling Deutch Bahn on +44 8718 80 80 66 and see what they say.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    electric car and steal electric from other people

    *i do not condone stealing*
    BMC TM01 - FCN 0
    Look 695 (Geared) - FCN 1
    Bowman Palace:R - FCN 1
    Cannondale CAAD 9 - FCN 2
    Premier (CX) - FCN 6
    Premier (fixed/SS) - FCN3
  • petemadoc
    petemadoc Posts: 2,331
    SimonAH wrote:
    I have to be in Munich city centre on February 14th, 15th and 16th next year, along with a raft of colleagues from around the globe, Now the challenge is to achieve the lowest £ per mile to get there. Winner gets a case of Amarone.

    I guess the answer depends on how much you want to win. Surely if you cycle you will win! However it will take a few days, lets say 6 in total, is it worth it? Do you have other commitments that make giving 6 days of your life unrealistic? Or is a 6 day cycle adventure something you have the time for and would really enjoy?

    Accommodation could be an issue . . . but you could blag that this has nothing to do with the "per mile" cost ? ?

    Other suggestions such as tagging along with and HGV are good but I'd be scared they might take me to Romania and mutilate me :cry:
  • coopster_the_1st
    coopster_the_1st Posts: 5,158
    SimonAH wrote:
    OK Hive Mind, a challenge.

    I have to be in Munich city centre on February 14th, 15th and 16th next year, along with a raft of colleagues from around the globe, Now the challenge is to achieve the lowest £ per mile to get there. Winner gets a case of Amarone.

    Hitchhiking etc is out because it has to be reliable - I can't not be there on time.

    Does anyone have a cunning plan? A bit of tangential thinking?

    The only rules are 1) It must be guaranteed that I get there (and home) and 2) That I am not precluded from a carry-on sized piece of luggage and a laptop bag....and I suppose 3) it has to be legal.

    If we come up with a winning solution then I will split some Amarone with the provider of the suggestion!

    I don't think you can compete on £ per mile with someone flying in from America, Asia or Australia so I would travel in as much comfort as you can and accept you will lose this challenge.

    Sounds a great idea from the company to keep travel costs down though

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