4-day cycle in Belgium and Holland

[lozfuller]

Hi,

You guys were very helpful last year when I was plotting a route from Lille to the Hook of Holland.

Five of us are off on another trip in June 2026 (on hybrid bikes with panniers), getting the overnight Hull to Rotterdam ferry and I've come up with the following two options. Would be really grateful for any advice as to which of these offers the nicest cities for the overnight stops and also the scenery along the way. Appreciate that one might have the nicer cities and the other the nicer route, but any advice very welcome!

1. A one-way route (hopefully with the prevailing wind in our favour!), getting the train from Rotterdam to Brussels on the first morning, with first night in Mechelen, second night in Breda, third night in Gorinchem and then back to Rotterdam to get the overnight ferry, as follows:

google.com/maps/dir/Brussels+Midi+Train+Station,+Fonsnylaan+47B,+1060+Brussel,+Belgium/Mechelen,+Belgium/Breda,+Netherlands/Gorinchem,+Netherlands/Rotterdam,+Netherlands/P%26O+Ferries+%7C+Rotterdam,+Luxemburgweg,+Europoort+Rotterdam,+Netherlands/@51.9879323,1.5316495,7.25z/data=!4m38!4m37!1m5!1m1!1s0x47c3c4e87f85c5b9:0xa3b206161a5f91a8!2m2!1d4.3354547!2d50.8360867!1m5!1m1!1s0x47c3e59450852049:0x40099ab2f4d5800!2m2!1d4.4793443!2d51.0279827!1m5!1m1!1s0x47c6a1b47e17d16d:0xe5057ea284d71b41!2m2!1d4.768323!2d51.5719149!1m5!1m1!1s0x47c68604c18bfc53:0x400de5a8d1e6be0!2m2!1d4.9758292!2d51.8372247!1m5!1m1!1s0x47c5b7605f54c47d:0x5229bbac955e4b85!2m2!1d4.4777326!2d51.9244201!1m5!1m1!1s0x47c452ce28734bf9:0xa47dcbbbb8fb7ca6!2m2!1d4.1320559!2d51.9433221!3e1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAyNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

2. A round route, cycling all the way from Rotterdam, with first night in Gorinchem, second night in Utrecht, third night in Leiden and then back to Rotterdam to get the overnight ferry, as follows (or alternatively the same route in reverse):

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/P&O...try=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAyNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw==

The routes shown are just rough at the moment using Google maps, but I'd use Komoot or a similar app for plotting the exact route. Or take advice on specific route if anyone has actually done any of these before?

Many thanks,

Loz

 

[The Crofted Crest]

Route 2, defo!
Gorinchem (pronounced Gorkum) is pretty but not much to do apart from the South Korea museum. Utrecht is pretty and loads to do. Ditto Leiden. Gouda (see Gorinchem, but without the South Korea museum) lies between Utrecht and Leiden. Rotterdam tourist hotspot.
Countryside is mainly manicured grassland and very flat.

 

[mjr]

I've done something similar to route 2, but our southern stop was Dordrecht or actually a nature reserve east of it. We also went in May so we could visit Keukenhof at Lisse, near Leiden, and enjoy the tulips.

 

[The Crofted Crest]

Suggestion: out of Rotterdam head north to The Hague and pick up the LF 4 bike route to Utrecht.

 

[lozfuller]

Route 2, defo!

Thanks for the advice. So, would you say Route 2 is preferable both for the route and the overnight city stops?

 

[Spartak]

I have done the Brussels to Mechelen section on your Route 1 itinerary.
Very nice ride out of Brussels heading towards Zaventum then north to Mechelen.
I regularly visit Mechelen for work, it is a beautiful city with lots to see.

If you need any route information let me know, meanwhile here are some pics of Mechelen ...

 

[The Crofted Crest]

Thanks for the advice. So, would you say Route 2 is preferable both for the route and the overnight city stops?

On both counts, route 2 is better. I've never been to Mechelen and Ghent and Bruges are nice if you can tweak the route but, to be frank, Brussels is a shithole. And northern Belgium is just as flat as the Netherlands.

You can get to The Hague from Rotterdam, should you choose, on the Coastal Route (LF1, as was) through the dunes on the coast.

 

[All uphill]

You can get to The Hague from Rotterdam, should you choose, on the Coastal Route (LF1, as was) through the dunes on the coast.

I love this route. Cuckoo's, Highland coos, even some ups and downs. Glorious mid-week when the sun shines .

Not a car in sight.

May 2022

 

[lozfuller]

I've done something similar to route 2, but our southern stop was Dordrecht or actually a nature reserve east of it. We also went in May so we could visit Keukenhof at Lisse, near Leiden, and enjoy the tulips.

I have done the Brussels to Mechelen section on your Route 1 itinerary.
Very nice ride out of Brussels heading towards Zaventum then north to Mechelen.
I regularly visit Mechelen for work, it is a beautiful city with lots to see.

If you need any route information let me know, meanwhile here are some pics of Mechelen ...

View attachment 791560

View attachment 791563

Thanks - looks a nice place!

 

[lozfuller]

On both counts, route 2 is better. I've never been to Mechelen and Ghent and Bruges are nice if you can tweak the route but, to be frank, Brussels is a shithole. And northern Belgium is just as flat as the Netherlands.

You can get to The Hague from Rotterdam, should you choose, on the Coastal Route (LF1, as was) through the dunes on the coast.

We went to Ghent this year and then up along the coast back to Rotterdam and the year before we did Bruges. We weren't planning on staying in Brussels, just getting the train to there, but on balance Route 2 does sound better and avoids us having to rely on the train from Rotterdam (which let us down badly last year - I thought only us Brits had crap train services....).

LF1 and LF4 look like good shouts.

 

[TomDW]

When I did the Rhine Route starting from Hoek van Holland we visited Dordrecht & Woudrichem (nr Gorinchem). These are both very charming and worth altering your route for. Dordrecht is a gem and gives you a slice of what Rotterdam might have looked like before the war.

Visiting these will involve a ferry but that's the way and they are frequent during the day.

 

[Gwylan]

Rotterdam, Delft, The Hague, Leiden - sort of Oxbridge of the Netherlands. Keukenhof, if you are into flowers and it is open.
Amsterdam, Utrecht, Dordrecht, or bang straight back to Rotterdam.

My experience, based on 20 years in the area is that the Dutch can be very chilled and relaxed until they are not. Especially over behaviour, that really includes cycling. Imitate the good examples.
Think you have to be Dutch to understand.
Also you have to face it that you need to be Dutch to enjoy drinking kernmelk.

Make no assumptions about the wind direction or strength, either.

 

[mjr]

When I did the Rhine Route starting from Hoek van Holland we visited Dordrecht & Woudrichem (nr Gorinchem). [...]
Visiting these will involve a ferry but that's the way and they are frequent during the day.

It can do, but the F16 cycle route between Rotterdam and Dordrecht uses bridges. It's then possible to use the Baanhoekbrug to reach the Parallelweg to Gorinchem or it and a couple of road bridges to Woudrichem. But ferries give more options and often more direct.

Has anyone mentioned Kinderdijk yet? North of Dordrecht, that is easiest by ferry.

 

[Dirk Van Der Dirk]

Route 2 for me. Leiden and Utrecht are awesome. If you do decide to go south, try the Waterbus which goes from Rotterdam Erasmusbrug all the way down to Dordrecht. You take your bike on it. In the summer especially it's a nice thing to do as part of a tour

 

[adamhearn]

Five of us are off on another trip in June 2026 (on hybrid bikes with panniers), getting the overnight Hull to Rotterdam ferry and I've come up with the following two options. Would be really grateful for any advice as to which of these offers the nicest cities for the overnight stops and also the scenery along the way. Appreciate that one might have the nicer cities and the other the nicer route, but any advice very welcome!

1. A one-way route (hopefully with the prevailing wind in our favour!), getting the train from Rotterdam to Brussels on the first morning, with first night in Mechelen, second night in Breda, third night in Gorinchem and then back to Rotterdam to get the overnight ferry, as follows:

2. A round route, cycling all the way from Rotterdam, with first night in Gorinchem, second night in Utrecht, third night in Leiden and then back to Rotterdam to get the overnight ferry, as follows (or alternatively the same route in reverse):

Up to you of course but I'd got route 2 with an adjustment of visiting Den Haag before taking the Maassluis - Rozenburg ferry (thus bypassing most of Rotterdam that is relatively commercial) - route.

Utrecht is a great place (personal recommendations of dinner at Meat & More, coffee at tijm/Keen Coffee Bar).