Amsterdam to Paris

[Mullerstraße]

Hello,

I am currently looking into the possibility of cycling from my doorstep in Glasgow all the way to Paris next April, in order to take part in the Paris Marathon and raise a little cash for a good cause. I am looking at cycling from Glasgow to Newcastle and I am fairly familiar with part of this route. However, I wondered if anyone has any experience of cycling from Amsterdam to Paris. If so any hints or tips would be most welcome.

All the best
David

 

[snorri]

It depends!
Would you be looking for the shortest route, or the scenic route, do you want to pass though or avoid any places in particular? Do you want to go into Amsterdam, or head for Paris straight from the ferry terminal at Ijmuiden? There are a multitude of options on a journey of that distance. IME, navigating through the Netherlands is easy, Belgium a little more problematic, and France a bit of a pain.
The prevailing wind could well be against you as you head south, so an inland route may be preferable.

 

[Brains]

Would say that an inland route is imperative if going north to south .

 

[Fietslogies]

Route planners (with cycle nodes) for Belgium and the Netherlands:
http://www.fietsnet.be/routeplanner/default.aspx and http://fietsrouteplanner.vlaanderen-fietsland.be/

But my main advice is to use the river Scheldt as an easy guide from north to south, picking it up in Ghent, and to follow it until Saint-Quentin (in combination with a canal):
Gent - Gavere - Oudenaarde - Tournai - Antoing - Hollain - Condé-sur-l'Escaut - Valenciennes - Saint-Quentin (= Schelde / Escaut + Canal de Saint-Quentin

 

[willem]

These two Dutch guides will take you to Paris:
http://europafietsers.nl/routes/gogh/route.htm
http://www.cyclingeurope.nl/routes/parijs/index.php Not from Amsterdam, but the Dutch LF routes will easily solve that for you.
There are free GPS tracks for both routes.
Willem

 

[MAtt Gaston]

It depends!
Would you be looking for the shortest route, or the scenic route, do you want to pass though or avoid any places in particular? Do you want to go into Amsterdam, or head for Paris straight from the ferry terminal at Ijmuiden? There are a multitude of options on a journey of that distance. IME, navigating through the Netherlands is easy, Belgium a little more problematic, and France a bit of a pain.
The prevailing wind could well be against you as you head south, so an inland route may be preferable.

I am looking to do the same trip. What would be the scenic route?