Advice please. Cycle tour Netherlands

[MAC]

Hi


After some advice please. Four of us planning a 3 or 4 day mini tour in the Netherlands Summer 23. Ferry to and from either Rotterdam or Amsterdam, 50 to 70 miles per day, staying in hotels or hotels.


Which port and route suggestions very welcome.


Ta

[jiberjaber]

World's your oyster tbf. Rotterdam gives you a lot of scope for locations. Any of the long distance cycle paths will give you a nice journey. 

Lots of stop over locations, big range of budgets. Be prepared for some of the locations to expect you to park your bike with the city bikes though, my default is to not ask if I can put my bike in the room and just do it anyway.... quite a few places sometimes don't have lifts and very steep old style european staircases.

That said there is a useful organisation called Vrienden op de Fiets https://www.vriendenopdefiets.nl/en which is like a warm showers style accomodation based on arriving on foot or by bike, you need to join to get access to the list of hosts and it could be quite an immersive experience.

There's quite a few UNESCO sites for windmills (and a fair few breweries) which are worth ticking off...
Near Amsterdam, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaanse_Schans
Near Rotterdam, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinderdijk

Also Belgium oppertunities and a host of WW1/WW2 bits too.  The enclaves of Baarle make an interesting trip where you can stand eitherside of the NL/B borders in multiple places, or if you venture further in you could even put a bit of your bike in NL/B/DE at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaalserberg

National Park Veluwezoom is worth a ride through for the contrast it gives after such a long flat topography, excelent B&B in Velp too (https://g.page/mtbclinic?share ) which I stayed at a few weeks ago.

Loads of options realy... 

I note that I found food quite expensive last time I was over there, a simple tray of frits, frikandel (sausage) and a fanta was 7euro which I thought quite expensive and most meals were 20-30 euros

[Pedal Castro]

I've done 2 similar trips this year. Harwich to Hook and camping. Just returned from 🇸🇪 - >🇳🇱 which involved booking rooms using booking.com which worked well.

Routes are easy to manage just decide on your target for the day and use a route planner, Komoot is now my favourite although I used BRouter before that.

[nikki]

That said there is a useful organisation called Vrienden op de Fiets

I've had good experiences with this: everything from being made welcome and cooked for in someone's home, through to regular B'n'B operations who bring extra custom in through VodF. There's a fixed charge and it's very reasonable, so useful if you're on a budget.

[MAC]

Thanks for the replies. Really useful. Bit of route planning to look at now...

[GdS]

I've done several trips usually starting from Schipol and ending up at either Zeebrugge (no longer possible) Dunkerque or Brussels to return by ferry or Eurostar. Bike in a box by air saves a lot of time outward depending where you live in the UK but not to everyone's liking.

Also done a loop of the Ijsselmeer coming back over the Afsluitdijk which is either heaven or hell depending on the wind (done both!) stayed at Heeg Stayokay which breaks it up

my favourite region is Zeeland without a doubt (the way they have joined up the archipeligo as part of the Delta Project following the 1950s floods) but you need the wind in your favour.

Texel is also superb it's their version of the IoW but quite a long way North

I would seriously go in May to enjoy the tulip bulbfields but avoid the first weekend it's a National Holiday and everything is fully booked (although it may have changed with the new King)

+1 to Zanse Schance and Kinderdijk unmissable!

I've always used Stayokay which are their youth hostels but not that cheap

they have a cyclist network which is like join the dots between various waypoints with maps but it's definitely not the most direct way between anywhere

[andrewc]

If you want decent paper maps try to get a copy of this, which covers all the long distance routes.  https://webshop.fietsvakantiewinkel.nl/base-map-of-the-lf-route-network-2022-2023-long-distance-routes

[MAC]

More info. Ta.


Me and my buddies are now looking seriously at an Amsterdam start/finish with a 4 day tour of the Zuiderzeeroute. Any tips re places to visit and stay en route plus clockwise or anticlockwise?

[jiberjaber]

More info. Ta.


Me and my buddies are now looking seriously at an Amsterdam start/finish with a 4 day tour of the Zuiderzeeroute. Any tips re places to visit and stay en route plus clockwise or anticlockwise?

I think Afsluitdijk (the bit at the top of your route that goes across the water) will still be closed then? (there's a bus that takes bikes across). 

I cycled the Elfstedentocht route at the end of September and it was a NW wind then, but I have ridden up through Netherlads before with a headwind for 3-4 days and turned around expecting a tail wind... and.... well headwind all the way back down again! 

One thing is for certain, after a while you'll need to make peace with headwind riding 


ETA: you can see a lot of Netherlands in 4 days and still leave some left for a return visit   eg:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41282486

[yoav]

See https://www.holland-cycling.com/blog/301-afsluitdijk-closed-for-cyclists

[GdS]

More info. Ta.


Me and my buddies are now looking seriously at an Amsterdam start/finish with a 4 day tour of the Zuiderzeeroute. Any tips re places to visit and stay en route plus clockwise or anticlockwise?

I've only done the causeway that bisects the old Zuider Zee then round the new bit to the Afsluitdijk and up to Den Helder, for Texel, that route looks more interesting as it visits all the old ports and towns that were straight onto the sea until the reclamation project. It was pretty dull on the new bit just counting the wind turbines as I headed North

I only stayed in Heeg Stayokay (NL equivalent of YHA) which was very convenient and yes they all have bars!

Clockwise or anti? depends entirely on the wind I'm afraid

Ivo OTP lives around there I think so maybe worth a PM?

it looks like a cracking route from the video 

https://www.lfzuiderzeeroute.nl/en

as jiberjaber says you'll want to go back!

[farfetched]

I would seriously go in May to enjoy the tulip bulbfields but avoid the first weekend it's a National Holiday and everything is fully booked (although it may have changed with the new King)

The whole period 27/4 thru to 1st week in June is littered with long weekends. Schools are usually off for half term last week in April and/or first week in May. It's also the busiest time of the year for external tourism as they come for the tulip fields/Keukenhof.
The busiest weekend is usually 'Hemelvaart'  in 2023 thats 18 to 21 May.
Kings day is 27/4 which will be a busy weekend too as is joins up the 1st May on the Monday which is conveniently a German national holiday... There will be loads of them making their way to the coast (whatever the weather does)

[nikki]

I enjoyed a nice day out with friends by ferry and foot on Marken: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marken
Some history stuff, a lighthouse, some good birdies, lots of people out on bikes. I seem to remember eateries by the ferry terminal.


Cross reference your route with street view if you're hoping for expansive watery vistas - the section I rode* mostly involved a mahoosive flood defence between me and the water. Possibly a blessing if it's windy, of course!

* Schardam-ish, clockwise to De Weed, inland a bit until about Onderdijk, then up along the edge to Afsluitdijk.

[nikki]

Oh, and keep an eye out for llamas 

[Pickled Onion]

Komoot is now my favourite

At least you won't have the usual problem of Komoot directing you over the nearest mountain if it's a few microns shorter than the sensible route.