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| What kind of road trip would this be without an apocalyptic road sign? No matter your comprehension of any language, the Grim Reaper holding a scythe is a good indication you should pay attention to the road ahead. |
One guidebook forewarned the Czech drivers tend to be a little crazy. For years, they were limited to crappy Russian cars- you try to name a Soviet sports car! Now that they're able to drive something with a real engine, they're heavy on the throttle. And with the autobahn in your backyard, how could you not drive a little maniacal? I found it a good change of pace. Passing lanes are few and far between but not really necessary. The flow of traffic was aggressive enough for my tastes though I often drive with one hand on the horn and the other waving a finger in the air.
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| The Alfa Romeo Brera was manufactured between 2005 and 2010, built by Pininfarina. The original was a 2002 concept car equipped with a Maserati V8 engine with 390hp. This version was built on the GM/Fiat platform (shared with the Alfa 159) with three different engines, two petrol engines- a 2.2L with 182hp or 3.2L with 260hp (both direct injected, aluminum GM-sourced blocks) and one 2.4L turbodiesel 5 cylinder with 210 horsepower; all with six speed transmissions. |
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| Does that campervan have a mother in law suite??? |
Surprisingly, the GPS system also indicates the speed limits accurately. After the first 10 miles of pockmarked road- once the female goods are in the rear view- the roads are smooth, the asphalt new and well-marked. Speed limits are easy enough- 50 kph in the city/village, 90 kph highway, and 130 kph in rural areas on the highway. Czech law requires all cars be equipped with flares and a green reflective vest in case of emergency. I never bothered to examine if these items were in the V60 and never had to worry that they weren't.
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| The Lennon wall in Prague is a great place to break out the Krylon for a good cause. |
Traffic was light until a few miles outside of Prague, where it resembled the Holland Tunnel in NYC rush hour. Parking in Prague is a nightmare. If you stay in the city, find a hotel with a parking spot for a few extra kroner. It may be blocks away but you could spend hours looking for a space. Most city streets are resident permit parking only.
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| This is why you don't see full size SUV's in European cities. Those doors lead to the parking garage! Not to mention the street is about an arm's length across. |
Don't be surprised if you pull up to what looks to be an old, ornate row home for the parking garage. A garage door opener worked the beautifully carved wooden French doors, opening barely wide enough to fit the V60. Six spaces in the courtyard on the bottom level were bordered by some seriously thick support beams begging for an intimate encounter with a fender. Maneuvering the V60 backwards into a space required a 10 point turn. Given the Nazi-like inspection at the car rental company upon return to the airport, you don't want to eff around. The Hertz lady even spit on her finger to wipe away a bug splat only to realize she couldn't charge for the lack of permanent damage.
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| Looks like this car took it in the Ass-tra… |
