Cycling in Holland

[Kathleen Robinson]

Just got back into cycling after many years and would like to tour Holland on a DIY basis but where do I start? Any suggestions to make this cheap and cheerful, any suggestions of places to stay would be welcome, preferable out of town but within commuting distance. And routes where best to go are route signposted well. Any help would be appreciated

 

[Auntie Helen]

It's easy!

Hop on the ferry from Harwich to the Hoek van Holland (overnight is best, costs about £70 each way).

Then follow the many hundreds of Dutch bike paths, such as the North Sea Cycle Route. Maybe have a few towns you might want to visit (I can recommend Delft, for example).

Pre-book your hotel the night before when you have an idea how far you'll feel like riding (I use booking.com on my iPad).

Enjoy!

(A warning is that I found Dutch hotels and food establishments much pricier than German ones. Maybe 65€ per night for single room in a B&B/hotel, Germany was 40€).

You can read about the Dutch section of my last year's Berlin to London ride on here: http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk/berlin-to-london/ (Day 13 onwards)

 

[XRHYSX]

This may help.. We're planning on doing this year after next http://www.cyclesprog.co.uk/blog/setting-out-family-cycling-holiday-in-holland/

 

[e-rider]

Harwich to Hook of Holland overnight crossing
Head north along the coast
Use 'stayokay' hostels - cheap and very clean plus with a bar and plenty of people to chat to (advance bookings needed in summer)
You can't go wrong - it's brilliant - done it 3 times myself
Only things to note are that the cycleways are slower going than roads so I first planned 80-100 miles each day, but found 65 to be plenty (loaded with panniers), especially if windy. Also, if there are cycleways in an area, you are not allowed to use some roads - cars will beep if you make this mistake! Also beer is expensive in the pubs!

 

[snorri]

and would like to tour Holland on a DIY basis but where do I start?

Don't do it, cycling in the UK will never be as enjoyable again.


I found the LF 1, part of the North Sea Cycle route, makes a good and easy to follow introduction to touring in the Netherlands. Google has lots of info on the LF 1.
The LF1 passes within half a mile of the ferry terminal at Hook of Holland, and you could choose to go north or south from there. Pick up good cycle maps at a VVV or ANWB shop, the locals will tell you where to find one, these will give you sufficient info to go off the route to visit larger towns along the way.
Cheapest accommodation would be a tent, lots of good camp sites available.

 

[e-rider]

Don't do it, cycling in the UK will never be as enjoyable again.


I found the LF 1, part of the North Sea Cycle route, makes a good and easy to follow introduction to touring in the Netherlands. Google has lots of info on the LF 1.
The LF1 passes within half a mile of the ferry terminal at Hook of Holland, and you could choose to go north or south from there. Pick up good cycle maps at a VVV or ANWB shop, the locals will tell you where to find one, these will give you sufficient info to go off the route to visit larger towns along the way.
Cheapest accommodation would be a tent, lots of good camp sites available.

I found that the most poorly signed section of the LF1 long distance route is that around the ferry terminal - it's easy to get lost from the path especially if a first timer. However, once you get about 3 miles north of the ferry terminal the signs are great and easy to follow - worth noting as you wouldn't want to spoil the first 15 minutes of the holiday thinking that the whole trip will be like that!!!

 

[snorri]

Good points e-rider

 

[Haitch]

Cycling in Holland is ridiculously smple, loads of people do it. First decide where you want to go to and plot a route. This site might help. It's in Dutch but pretty straightforward. The LF1 is only one of many national cycle routes cross-crissing the country. Most are clearly signed and will take you through scenic countryside. Have a look at this site. Cyclists also have their own road signs and there is a "junction route network" that lets you plot your route as you go along.

The prevailing wind is from the west and it is worth bearing in mind. The country is billiard table flat and open in the west. It gets hillier and woodier the further east and south you go. Accommodation, as said above, can be expensive (even campsites). This site will help you find a campsite and this site will getyou couchsurfing (in Dutch only but you can mail for info here: administratie@vriendenopdefiets.nl).

 

[Kathleen Robinson]

Thanks for info, but I should have mentioned I intend taking the car and leaving at a base (if a good one is recommended) and cycling back and forth for this year to see how I get on before I commit to going the whole hog with tents panniers etc. unless anyone can suggest a good base where we can leave car securely do a whole circuit route staying at various places then cycling back on last night to pick up car before travelling home.

 

[rich p]

Leave the car in the port's secure car parking in Harwich - it's what I did.
Here is my route FWIW
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=6840&v=37

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

We left the car at Harwich as well secure parking, the time we went to Denmark, no issues there.

We have also cycled through the Netherlands. (Holland is only a part of the Netherlands btw, rather like Surrey being part of England.)

Great place to cycle, if a touch daunting on day one whilst you get the hang of it. The Dutch have this "Knooppunt" system for navigation which will now be across the whole of the Netherlands - there was only one area it had not been introduced to when we were there 2 years ago. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=8S&page_id=188002&v=fL is part of my journal that explains the system. we nicknamed it "cycling bingo" but basically each of these notice boards has interconnecting cycle routes and each junction is a number. write down the numbers you need to follow and look for the little signposts...

One point to mention, if you camp in the Netherlands, most campsites don't include toilet paper, hand twoels or soap, so you have to take your own... we found out the hard way. There is also a network of much smaller campsites which we came to prefer. Half the cost, quieter and much friendlier on the whole. Do watch out, as others have mentioned, for that headwind. It is without mercy.

 

[slowmotion]

Random stuff....
Places to stay in Amsterdam can be expensive and hard to find. This place is pretty good for the money and very central on the Bloemgracht, a very pretty canal. You may have to book a long time in advance.
http://www.hotelvanonna.nl/english.html
They have a secure bike garage a few yards from the hotel. Bike theft in Amsterdam is a big problem.

The Stena overnight ferry is great fun and very comfortable. Take a couple of lengths ( say 18") of thin cord to tie your bars onto the wacky bike stands on the ferry.

Almost nobody wears a helmet in the Netherlands.

You'll have a lot of fun.

 

[derrick]

If the weather is a bit rough when you get there head inland, the LF1 can be hard going if the wind is up and it's raining, i know that's how we found the first day, much nicer to follow the canals, Delph is a must, every ware we went we enjoyed.

 

[ceepeebee]

First time we went we stayed in NH hotels which are generally business type ones but got very good deals for it being the weekend (plus they seem to do decent offs), I can recommend the heemskerk one (the lf1 up to the Amstel on the way there is just great through kennermerland) and the noordwijk one. The latter is basically a conference centre, but ridiculously cheap when we went (46 or so for a twin)

 

[Biscuit]

Hi great thread. Lots of good info. Like the OP I too am off to tour the Netherlands. My first venture in touring. Taking ferry overnight to Hoek and either camping or using Vrienden Op de Fiets where I can.

Can't wait.