Trip in Superb to Klaipeda, Lithuania

[Penpusher]

I arrived in Klaipeda, Lithuania yesterday after a four day journey with three overnight stops.  We didn't push on too far each day so that we could enjoy our overnight stays on the way and look around the towns we'd chosen for our stops.

 

Figures as per MFD are:-

Distance traveled: 1,573 miles;

Fuel consumption: 55 mpg;

Average speed: 54 mph;

Driving time: 28 hours 58 minutes.

 

The boot was full and the back seats were folded down for out suitcases, so the car was well laden.

 

The navigation (using v10 maps) was mainly good and estimated arrival times were quite accurate on the whole.  We had one or two delays on the road, so the times yo-yo'd up and down a bit sometimes, but that's to be expected.  The only time the navigation got it wrong was in Eindhoven, Netherlands, both arriving and leaving the hotel.  To be fair, the roads had only been built or altered very recently and they don't appear on Google Earth maps or Streetview yet either.  It wasn't difficult to work out where to go though.

 

The car's at it's best on some of the quieter motorways where you can set the cruise control for long distances.  The car is quiet and comfortable and the ventilated seats on speed one are a boon to keep you feeling fresh.

 

About 10 miles from the Lithuanian border, we were flagged down by the Polish Police.  He initially asked to see all my documents, but after seeing my passport and driving license, he didn't want to see anything else.  He was a little surprised I am British as I think he assumed we were Eastern Europeans living in the UK and wanted to see if we should be in the Superb ie is it a stolen car.  He chatted for a couple of minutes about our trip and then wished us well and left us to continue on our way.

[ILOVEMYSUPERB]

ventilated seats on speed one are a boon to keep you feeling fresh.

mmm......ventilated seats

Sent from my XT890 using Tapatalk

[Penpusher]

A rather belated update to my original post.

 

Figures as per MFD from start to finish for our journey are:-

Distance travelled: 3,398 miles;

Fuel consumption: 53.4 mpg;

Average speed: 51 mph;

Driving time: 67 hours 17 minutes.

 

The above includes 10 days in Klaipeda and making a number of local journeys.

 

On the way home, we went via Dresden and Eisenach for short stays to visit the cities and also to visit the motor museum at Eisenach where they used to make Wartburg cars.

 

The car survived completely unscathed until we'd nearly reached home.  We were driving up the A449 from Newport to Raglan when a stone hit the windscreen on the passenger's side and there's now a small chip and a very small crack.

 

It's journeys like this that the Superb is so good at, with plenty of space and comfort that I can get out at the end of the day without feeling stiff or too tired.

[linni]

 

The navigation (using v10 maps) was mainly good and estimated arrival times were quite accurate on the whole.  

How do you guys get your ETA correct?

Using V10 and now V11 maps with latest firmware on Columbus, my ETA-s are out of range.

For example: trip from Estonia to Poland, 1050 km, ETA 5 hours later than actual.

Even short, 120 - 150 km trips it gives me arrival time about 1 hour later than it should be.

Car settings are set to metrical, but I have noticed that ETA is calculated on base of road speed about 60 km/h, which matches more or less 85 - 90 km/h realsitic speed in miles per hour.

[Penpusher]

You can adjust your speed settings in the set up between slow, medium and fast.  Mine's set in the middle and ETAs are OK; what are yours set to - is it set to slow?  The results should be the same whether you use metric or imperial.

 

The base speed should vary according to the road and speed limits and should allow for buit up areas.

 

I find the ETAs go up and down a little, such when you get held up in a traffic jam or when the road is clear and you make up time, but this is to be expected.

[linni]

I am aware of this, speed setting is set to fast. Better take a tour to service centre. I have had TV tuner retrofitted, also video in motion restrictions removed. Maybe they messed up with head unit there? Just cannot be that ETA difference between Columbus and Tomtom can measured literally by calendar.

Edited 9 October, 2014 by linni

[RobClubley]

Sounds like a good trip.

 

I drove a Lexus with ventilated seats the other day. Fart distribution system?
I found them a bit weird.

[Penpusher]

I am aware of this, speed setting is set to fast. Better take a tour to service centre. I have had TV tuner retrofitted, also video in motion restrictions removed. Maybe they messed up with head unit there? Just cannot be that ETA difference between Columbus and Tomtom can measured literally by calendar.

It's odd that your ETAs are later than actual arrival times if the navigation is set to fast already.  If you set it to slow, it would could be out by a day on a long trip!

 

We have the TV tuner as standard on the L&K in the UK, but I couldn't get a signal in either Poland or Lithuania.  I tried all the settings, but didn't have any luck.  I don't know if they have digital transmissions in these countries.  I assume yours works OK?

[Penpusher]

Sounds like a good trip.

 

I drove a Lexus with ventilated seats the other day. Fart distribution system?

I found them a bit weird.

The ventilator system sucks the air out of the seats and you can see them under the seats if you move them as far back as they'll go.  The covers unclip easily and I thought after two years that they'd be full of dust, but they were surprisingly clean.  It seems odd to me that the driver's and passenger's ventilator look slightly different.

 

I'm not sure where the air goes when it's sucked out.  Not nice for anyone in the back if it comes out under the rear of the seat when you're feeling a bit windy!

[RobClubley]

The ventilator system sucks the air out of the seats and you can see them under the seats if you move them as far back as they'll go.  The covers unclip easily and I thought after two years that they'd be full of dust, but they were surprisingly clean.  It seems odd to me that the driver's and passenger's ventilator look slightly different.

 

I'm not sure where the air goes when it's sucked out.  No nice for anyone in the back if it comes out under the rear of the seat when you're feeling a bit windy!

 

That sounds better than the Lexus - that one blew air upwards through the testicle area. 

[linni]

 

We have the TV tuner as standard on the L&K in the UK, but I couldn't get a signal in either Poland or Lithuania.  I tried all the settings, but didn't have any luck.  I don't know if they have digital transmissions in these countries.  I assume yours works OK?

 

That is why I had tuner retrofitted. Original tuner decodes MPEG 2 TVB-T signals, while Eastern Europe made a little bigger step to MPEG 4 in the beginning of digital broadcasting era. UK uses MPEG 2. 

Edited 10 October, 2014 by linni

[Penpusher]

That is why I had tuner retrofitted. Original tuner decodes MPEG 2 TVB-T signals, while Eastern Europe made a little bigger step to MPEG 4 in the beginning of digital broadcasting era. UK uses MPEG 2. 

Thanks for the information.  I'm not very good at technical things, but at least I know why I can't use the TV in Eastern Europe!

[Brockysuperb]

Lost going past Eindhoven? All GPS I've found are out of date, and it's confusing as to keep on this main trans europe highway you actually take two exits. I've only gone wrong once travelling to Germany but was treated to a ten minute drive round the Eindhoven suburbs. The answer: going east follow the signs to Venlo, and coming west follow the signs to Antwerp.

[Penpusher]

Lost going past Eindhoven? All GPS I've found are out of date, and it's confusing as to keep on this main trans europe highway you actually take two exits. I've only gone wrong once travelling to Germany but was treated to a ten minute drive round the Eindhoven suburbs. The answer: going east follow the signs to Venlo, and coming west follow the signs to Antwerp.

I think I'd have been OK if we were going past Eindhoven, but we were staying on the edge of the town for the night.  The hotel was near another motorway, but you can't take that road as it has no exit past Eindhoven.  You have to come off before Eindhoven and take  parallel roads to take the exit you require.  Our navigation didn't have these roads as they are new.