There's a possibility i may be off to Skoda Land at easter to visit some friends i've known since a holiday a few years ago.

The question is, as i'm planning on driving, how the hell do i fit beam deflectors to the clear headlights on the Octavia? Is this another case of a kit only the dealer's sell, or will Halfords save the day once again ?.

Also, i've never actually driven "over there" before, as i usually spent most of the time battling to walk straight, let alone being in any state to drive, so does anyone have any tips (apart from stay on the "wrong" side of the road? )

I also have to occasionally drive on the "wrong - side" of the road, (Sometimes even on the Continent !!).

I have xenons on the RS & the handbook says something about having to go to the Dealer to have them changed !!

Anyone have experience of whats involved ??

Or shall I be

a) A complete Xenophobe & not go as it is not England !!

or

Just take the ususal UK approach & say that everybody else is incorrect & if the other drivers are dazzled, then that is their fault for driving on the wrong side of the road!

:eek:

Here you go monkeyhanger, from my website. Just reverse the images as these are for LHD cars coming to the UK

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jotero/docs/headlight.pdf

Is this your first time driving on the mainland or just your first time in the Czech Republic ?

Czech roads are now much the same as the rest of Western Europe - so yes the key thing to remember is that YOU should be driving in the gutter.

If you were going further East, say to Romania of to a lesser extent Hungary then you would need to expect such things as livestock in the middle of the road (that includes the motorways).

Assuming you will cross from Germany when you enter Czech. The chances are the road from the border will be lined with "working girls" (both proffessional and amateur). By all means window shop but try to keep your mind on the driving, I've seen a number of German "day trippers" rear-end each other because they get distracted.

If your using their motorways, you are supposed to pay a local road tax which you can do at the garage/service station when you first cross.

BUT...

I've been driving over there, on and off for over five years now and never paid it yet.

Now to the important stuff...

The best kept secret in the Czech Republic is their "black" beer (cerne pivo). Not all bars carry it, but once you find it ENJOY - you can also pick up the stuff in their supermarkets for next to nothing.

:cheers:

Supermarkets are also good for picking up bits and pieces for the older Skoda family, Favorit, Felica, etc.

Have a good trip...

:drive1:

Thanks Mannyo, very useful, and another site for me IE Favourites Skoda section

Johntomkins, both lol...First time driving over there, and first time in Czech, i'm going to see some people i've known a few years from a holiday some time ago, but i've never seen them on their "patch" so to speak.

I wont be going anyfurther east than Czech (Brno, to be accurate) so cattle in the road shouldnt be a prob, apart from the Border Girls lol.

Thanks for the road tax warning, i'll have to investigate that further. How much does it cost, just in case i decide to be honest and pay it ? lol

As for the beer, i've already been warned / informed, i sense a hangover coming on already. :cheers:

Thanks for all the advice, i just have to sort a few things out at work before i can make plans, then try and get booked on a ferry from Newcastle, other wise i'll be heading for the Hole under the Channel !

Originally posted by mannyo in this post

Here you go monkeyhanger, from my website. Just reverse the images as these are for LHD cars coming to the UK

Those images look like they've been reversed already :confused:

Originally posted by bandit1 in this post

I also have to occasionally drive on the "wrong - side" of the road, (Sometimes even on the Continent !!).

I have xenons on the RS & the handbook says something about having to go to the Dealer to have them changed !!

Anyone have experience of whats involved ??

Or shall I be

a) A complete Xenophobe & not go as it is not England !!

or

Just take the ususal UK approach & say that everybody else is incorrect & if the other drivers are dazzled, then that is their fault for driving on the wrong side of the road!

:eek:

Xenons are fun. Some people may remember my extended thread on this subject on the Vortex, when I had the L&K.

It's like this:

the headlights can be adjusted -they have an adjustable dip mask, which moves the dip pattern from dipping to the left, to dipping straight down. Unfortunately, you have to take the front of the car off to change it! My dealer reckoned about 2 -21/2 hours work. Its because of the extra depth of the headlights, compared to the standard ones, so they have to come out to move the little lever. Skoda suggested that I have the adjustment made, then leave it, for both UK and European use.

In the end, I just parked it right in front of the garage doors, and stuck bits of black tape in roughly the right place!

I didn't get any complaint during half a dozen trips, including two weeks and 1800 miles across France. Bear in mind that most countries can prosecute you for dazzling other drivers.

just my 10p (or 10 Euros) worth.

Phil

Originally posted by bandit1 in this post

Just take the ususal UK approach & say that everybody else is incorrect & if the other drivers are dazzled, then that is their fault for driving on the wrong side of the road!

Hey, that's my continental approach exactly whenever I travel to the UK! :p

BTW, it's great fun driving those British B roads with a LHD car - it's literally cutting-edge(s).

I've heard it said, but never had the chance to prove it, that it's much easier to forget which is the "right" side of the road if you take a RHD car over there. If you're in a LHD car it seems more natural to be on the right side of the road anyway.

The only times I've had lapses of concentration have been when pulling out of areas of static cars (e.g. car parks, petrol stations etc) into the traffic flow, ESPECIALLY if there is no traffic to jolt the brain into remembering to drive on the right. It's easy to just pull out and bimble along on the left (wrong) side until an oncoming car brings reality back into focus with a nasty shock.

Conversely the other time to be really careful is when just arriving back in the UK. Surprising how the right hand side of the road becomes natural after only a few days away and it's easy to make the opposite mistake when getting back here.

Originally posted by ZootyRS in this post

Those images look like they've been reversed already :confused:

Just realised, never really looked at them before. you could be right. When I went to germany the other week I didnt bother assuming that I wouldnt be doing much night driving. In the rain I just used the front fogs instead of headlights.

Originally posted by ncarring in this post

I've heard it said, but never had the chance to prove it, that it's much easier to forget which is the "right" side of the road if you take a RHD car over there. If you're in a LHD car it seems more natural to be on the right side of the road anyway.

Conversely the other time to be really careful is when just arriving back in the UK. Surprising how the right hand side of the road becomes natural after only a few days away and it's easy to make the opposite mistake when getting back here.

I've got a friend who lives in France half the year, and over here the other half. He has a mantra which may help when returning to the UK (repeat after me...)

"Steering Wheel to Centre"

Simple!

Phil

That's absolutely right, IF you change between RHD and LHD cars when in the relevant country. If you don't, you have to remember to use the mantra half the time and tell your brain to forget it the other half of the time.

Originally posted by mannyo in this post

Just realised, never really looked at them before. you could be right. When I went to germany the other week I didnt bother assuming that I wouldnt be doing much night driving. In the rain I just used the front fogs instead of headlights.

Now there's a thought.

The way i'm planning it, i probably wont be doing much night driving anyway, so the deflectors might only be needed in an emergency.

Some good advice by the way, thanks everyone

BTW, it's great fun driving those British B roads with a LHD car - it's literally cutting-edge(s).

A bit of poor proof-reading there, Mattijs! You presumably meant to say cutting-hedges.

PS I was almost killed last summer walking around a bend on a B road in the countryside. I heard a car coming and managed to press myself into the bushes as it sped around the corner, clipping what little verge there was!

Originally posted by DGW in this post

A bit of poor proof-reading there, Mattijs! You presumably meant to say cutting-hedges.

I won't question your editing prowess there, Denis!

Yes, the Scoob's left side mirror - and sometimes a bit more than that - has frequently clipped a hedge on its way from the Eurotunnel along the South coast on my annual trip to Goodwood. And there's a soft shoulder or two that have seen me throwing up a bit of mud too. But you drive an off-roader - you'll know

Agree with all John Tomkins advise and the girls they will make you go blind!! , I am also a frequent visitor to CZnext visit will be in June, I have always paid the motorway tax - its not that expensive and is available for short period of a week or so. personally I would get it as the Police will Fine you on the spot and will make up the amount.

Stick to speed limits especially when entering towns on country roads - there are lots of speed checks - if you see someone waving red flags its probably warning you of speed traps - again fines are on the spot.

Drivers indicate when going round bends to show side road drivers their intention - as road marking showing right of way may not be painted on the tarmac. Signs show priority, the fatter road on the sign has the right of way.

If you get chance visit the Skoda Museum in Mlada Boleslav - its open Sundays also - or was last time I visited.

The headlight stickers are available from your dealer via order, about

Thanks for the advice, the trip was planned for the easter weekend, but something else came up

SO its on hold for a while.

Hmmm, i notice the Euro Touring Cars are in Brno at the end of may....

I wonder....

Talking of the ETCC , i was watching the Qualifying on Eurosport yesterday , no sign of the Superbs again , does anyone know whats happened to them..???

Originally posted by Dmac1969vRS in this post

Talking of the ETCC , i was watching the Qualifying on Eurosport yesterday , no sign of the Superbs again , does anyone know whats happened to them..???

Probably back at the dealer's for new coil packs

Lol!!

I dont know if they are using the 1.8T engine or not tho , id assume it wont be a TD engine or the V6 TDi , so maybe youre right! PS the SEAT Toledo Cupra came 6th and scored points in the 2nd race. Both races won by the BMW factory team car of J.Muller.

Doesnt sound like our beloved 1.8T

Some basic details here.

http://www.eurostc.com/Default.asp?callpage=contentEntrylist.asp#

Originally posted by MonkeyHanger in this post

Doesnt sound like our beloved 1.8T

It isn't, and that's because the ETCC category is called Super 2000. So only normally aspirated 2-litre engines are allowed in.

Car and engine may be homologated seperately, so the engine doesn't have to be based on a standard spec Skoda Superb engine, but must be a VAG engine.

ABS, ASR and VVT are illegal in the ETCC so I wouldn't be able to tell you which engine the Autospektrum team are using.

Christ i hope its not the 2.0 8 valver!

I drive a lot in Eastern Europe with RHD vehicle - currently living in Ukraine with new 1.9TDi Octavia I drove out from UK last week.

a) The dealer in UK insisted that headlamp masking is not necessary. I disagree and have now found the diagrams on this site - thanks.

A 'vignette' or motorway pass is required in Austria, Slovakia and Czech republic. I advise buying the austrian version (borders and service stations) because it is available for one day and only costs about 2.50 (pounds). The slovak and check versions are annual which means serious money. On my last trip to slovakia I was told the system had been suspended - anyway I never bother and have not been stopped so far - I think a foreign registerd car would probably get away with it.

c) Road conditions are reasonable until you get as far east as the former soviet countries (Ukraine and beyond) - it then deteriorates rapidly. My basic advice is DO NOT DRIVE AT NIGHT in any eastern european country unless you are very familiar with the road and experienced in local conditions.

I drove all the way to Germany and back without deflectors - only because I didn't realise I needed them and I only found out about them when I got back to the UK... It was only a brief stay though and I've no intention of going back soon (oooh, what about the RING, the RING?)