Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Rides and Touring => Topic started by: The Family Cyclist on 09 April, 2021, 04:12:40 pm
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I did enquire a while ago about the euro velo but broadening the scope. In a couple of year's I hit 40. To celebrate id like to do a little tour with my family. I'd like it to be on the continent and ideally finish at hook of Holland as can then jump on a train home or cycle.
Probably don't want to do huge daily mileage sorta 50 km tops and mix of camping and other accommodation. Oh am thinking at Easter holidays as kids are both school age so allowing getting to start and a few days to recover 10 days cycling as a guide
Suggestions please
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You might want to talk to young jibers. He has been heavily involved in organising the ACME Dutch tours. In fact you might want to read through the threads as there will be useful background info.
Another location you could consider is the Loire valley, there is a superb cycle route and loads of infrastructure in place. Its further away but you could easily drive down there and I'm sure you'd be able to find somewhere to leave your car for a week or two. In fact we know the owners of a couple of campsites who might be persuaded to look after your car and their sites could make a nice start / finish point for a circular tour.
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Ask for Garage mort, its leaving your car, tent etc and going away for a few days. Sometimes we leave the tent onsite and do a side trip. Saves carrying all the camping gear and going lightweight to catch a route and having some luxury credit card touring.
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On my last trip to the Netherlands (2018), someone I encountered en route recommended the middle band (Dordrecht - Nijmegen sort of thing) to me. I've done the coast a few times, and it's lovely, but I might take that advice and explore that way a bit more next time.
I did make a bit of a foray inland for a few days, and did really enjoy pootling around in the forests. A lot of the mountain bike trails turn out to be very doable on a laden tourer and broke up the monotony of exquisite cycling infrastructure a bit :-) I did some border crossings one day that took in some of the trails just North of Arendonk, then West along the canal to Turnhout before heading back up through the Baarle-Nassau enclaves. Would something like that provide enough en route interest for the kids? ("School age" covers quite a spread!)
I enjoyed riding through the Chaamse Bossen forest too.
I mostly used https://www.natuurkampeerterreinen.nl/en/ with a Warmshowers host in one of the cities I went through.
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Thanks everyone so far
Kids will be 9 and 11 by then.
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Two of my recent tours that started & finished at the Hoek.
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=104738.msg2202449#msg2202449
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=109325.msg2318702#msg2318702
Some useful info here. https://holland-cycling.com/where-to-go/long-distance-cycle-routes/national-long-distance-cycle-network
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I mostly used https://www.natuurkampeerterreinen.nl/en/ with a Warmshowers host in one of the cities I went through.
I really enjoyed the natuurkampeerterreinen when I was there in 2016. Highly Recommended.
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Thanks. Doing a bit of research this morning and found the Rhine route which looks good. Possibly from Koln as qe have friends there so just a case of getting the bikes to the start but any other ideas still welcome
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Thanks. Doing a bit of research this morning and found the Rhine route which looks good. Possibly from Koln as qe have friends there so just a case of getting the bikes to the start but any other ideas still welcome
Which part of the Rhine route? - I've ridden the Koblenz - Koln section along the towpath/nearby roads ... and it wasn't brilliant. Paths were concrete block paving (the stuff with holes in it) for a lot of the route - and the "scenery" consisted of big brown-ish river with massive barges full of scrap-metal going past in both directions. I didn't enjoy it!
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Thanks. Doing a bit of research this morning and found the Rhine route which looks good. Possibly from Koln as qe have friends there so just a case of getting the bikes to the start but any other ideas still welcome
Which part of the Rhine route? - I've ridden the Koblenz - Koln section along the towpath/nearby roads ... and it wasn't brilliant. Paths were concrete block paving (the stuff with holes in it) for a lot of the route - and the "scenery" consisted of big brown-ish river with massive barges full of scrap-metal going past in both directions. I didn't enjoy it!
Also take care whenever there are tram or train tracks. There are some particularly bad ones to the North of Koln which serve the Ford factory (Neihl plant), but they are a general hazard around Koln.
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Thanks. Doing a bit of research this morning and found the Rhine route which looks good. Possibly from Koln as qe have friends there so just a case of getting the bikes to the start but any other ideas still welcome
Which part of the Rhine route? - I've ridden the Koblenz - Koln section along the towpath/nearby roads ... and it wasn't brilliant. Paths were concrete block paving (the stuff with holes in it) for a lot of the route - and the "scenery" consisted of big brown-ish river with massive barges full of scrap-metal going past in both directions. I didn't enjoy it!
If it goes as planned we may include that although as have friends just outside koln that may be a logical place to start