8 year-old on his own bike on tour in Holland/Germany. Advice?

[Blaugrana]

Hi,

Following a very successful recce this spring on my own (London to Groningen via Harwich and Hook of Holland on trains/ferry, back to Hook of Holland on bike) I've promised my son we'll both go to Holland or Germany next year, with him riding his own bike.

I'm planning to go at Easter (unless that's likely to be too cold or wet??) or at half-term in May/June. Ferry to Hook of Holland and then:
turn right and head down LF1 as far as we get
OR
get a train just into Germany and head for one of the family-friendly cycle routes.

I quite fancy going to Germany and wanted to ask if it would be as suited as Holland to this sort of trip. Is it as good for joined up cycle paths with no need for any roads with significant traffic?

Which routes near the Dutch border would people recommend? I've seen the German tourist office's cycling website. Are there any others I should look at?

Thanks in advance for any advice, tips, thoughts ...

Jeff

 

[Haitch]

Can't say anything about Germany but if you turn right at Hoek van Holland you could reach Calais and a boat back to blighty in about four days (with an 8yo). The bit in Holland is good, the bit in Belgium is so-so and the bit in France is not so good.

Can I suggest getting the train to Amsterdam and then doing the Zuide Zee route: about 400km in a big circle round the IJsselmeer, flat, lots of scenery, interesting towns and cities, a huge dyke to cross (30km, sea on one side, lake on the other), signposted all the way and loads of campsites, hotels, etc. And every time he sees a map, your son can point at it and say "I've biked round that"!

 

[summerdays]

I totally misread the title and thought you were sending the 8 y o off on his own, on tour...

Sorry I can't give any advice to the tour - but I would love to hear a write up of it when you are back.

 

[rich p]

Does the ferry go to the H of H from Harwich?

 

[Haitch]

Does the ferry go to the H of H from Harwich?

Yes

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

..depends on where youwant to go in Germnay...for the most part the radwegs are safe for kids but they do run through towns and there are parts hwere you will have to ride with traffic (although nothing like as much as in the uk). My experiences of riding with german traffic were pretty positive compared to the UK . But i rode the length of the country...you may not wish to do that with an 8 year old.

It's difficult for me to imagine a country more safe for cyclists than germany (except maybe holland where I havent ridden).

If you want to spend a week or so in one place and ride around then might I suggest the island of Fohr...

http://www.foehr.de/

it's very family orientated, clean, pleasant, flat and a very much cyclist orientated. It has some stunning beaches and lovely small thatched villages etc

I spent many happy times there riding my son around in the bike seat on the bike when he was tiny.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Of all the German long distance bike routes the River Weser route gets consistently voted as the most family friendly by the German cycling federation. There are very few, very short stretches actually on roads, some stretches are roadside bike paths but most is the bike path itself. You can get the train down to Hannoverische Münden and start cycling downstream from there. There are a couple of slopes in the first 30 km or so but nothing too dramatic. After that it's a pancake flat and very pretty route all the way to Bremen/Bremerhaven. You could get the train back from Bremen. The guidebook is the Bikeline Weserradweg book, pub: Esterbauer Verlag.

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

yep..the wesser was fun and flat and safe...Bremen has an airport to the south of th town which I flew from...the campsite i used was to the north of the town up near the university. Cycling through the town did involve crossing busy roads on occassion.

 

[Blaugrana]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions - they all sound good.

I'm not too worried about towns - my son (or both of us) can always ride on the pavement or walk if need be. I'm assuming very short daily distances (20 km to start?!) and plenty of time off the bikes as I don't want to put him off. If he wants, we can always do more.

Before reading all your ideas, I had thought of getting the train to Venlo (train to any Dutch town being included in price of Dutch Flyer train and ferry ticket) and cycling from there into Germany, heading to Munchen Gladbach (to re-visit where I was born) and then going via cycle paths towards Cologne. Are there cycle paths to make this sort of thing viable? Or is it a much better idea to head for a long-distance path?

The ferry bit of the trip is now non-negotiable as sleeping on a ship sounds very exciting to my son, and I do like the fact that using the Dutch Flyer allows us to cycle from our front door to a London station, down to Liverpool Street and up to Harwich.

Thanks again for all your ideas - I will now try and improve my German geography and see if I can get a cycle map.

Cheers,

Jeff (and Joe)

 

[Andy in Sig]

Go across the border from Venlo to Kaldenkirchen where you pick up the Niederrheinroute (guidebook of the same name again in the Bikeline series). This will also get you around Monchengladbach and to Düsseldorf, then you're on the Rhine bike path (Book: Rheinradweg Teil 3). In your position I'd take the train from Düss to Cologne to avoid the industrial areas and pedal off from there. The most spectacular bit of the Rhine is from Koblenz to Mainz. A slightly easier variant for an 8 yo is train to Mainz and then do the Rhine going downstream and just go as far as you can get.

The Bikeline books are in German but the only thing you need are the maps, which are excellent and they list hotels and campsites, by town, at the back.

 

[Blaugrana]

Thanks again, Andy, for all the very useful advice. I shall look at maps, and websites and have a think. Your idea of getting to Mainz and cycling downstream sounds good - one more to consider.

Thanks again to all,

Jeff and Joe

 

[Haitch]

To spice up the holiday variety, if you're going down the Rhine isn't there a boat between Cologne and DuBeldorf you could use to avoid the industry? I seem to remember going on one years ago.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

To spice up the holiday variety, if you're going down the Rhine isn't there a boat between Cologne and DuBeldorf you could use to avoid the industry? I seem to remember going on one years ago.

Our local paper is always advertising all-inclusive "Rhine Cruises" so there must still be something. Not sure where you'd get on it, or what the score would be with bikes but it must be doable. Surely!

 

[Andy in Sig]

There is a regular timetabled service and you can do Duss-Cologne-Bonn and possibly further. I'd certainly take the train south from Bonn at the latest as you get a mouth watering taste of what is to come when you start cycling back.

 

[Tony]

If you can get to Hamburg by train, ride down the Elbe to Gluckstadt and on to the Kiel Canal. Dead esay riding, and you have a lot of little ferry rides for the little'un. That area of Germany is covered with cycle paths, usually well-signed, and there are also the "hay hostels" where you can sleep in a hay barn,the big ships on the canal and the transporter bridge at Rendsburg. All exciting stuff for a boy.