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Bike trip from Amsterdam with teens

Hello
We are looking to do a bike trip this summer with our two teens. Is there a DIY option that we can do ourselves but has luggage transport only and I can find the hotels on my own. I am trying to save some money but not sure if it is worth the expense, or if it is possible. We are pretty good and experienced travelers but I am can not find luggage transport options on its own. I think I only found one, but wondered if anyone has used a good diy tour (probably 7 days) and I have heard good things about doing:Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam
Day 2: Amsterdam-Haarlem/Santpoort
Day 3: Haarlem/Santpoort - Leiden
Day 4: Leiden - Delft
Day 5: Delft - Gouda
Day 6: Gouda/Oudewater/Bodegraven - Amsterdam
Day 7: Return home

. Any advice on:
- diy tours
-luggage transports
-hotels that you enjoyed
-things you did along the way
-if there is sailing along the way (my teens love to sail -so that could be cool on a day off of biking?).

Any thoughts are helpful!

Posted by
89 posts

When you are saying Haarlem/Santpoort, are you staying in Santpoort (Zuid/Noord)? Not that many hotel options in Santpoort. There are a few options there and in Bloemendaal, if you prefer to not stay in Haarlem proper, with Bloemendaal being the next door village.

Have you considered bags that can be attached to your bikes?

Posted by
327 posts

Sounds like a great adventure!

First off, I'd mention how "short" those distances are per day (not in a bad way). To me, that means you are really ideally set up to carry your own "luggage" in panniers and could do the whole loop with no support or added expense. Pretty much all hotels are going to allow a luggage drop or a luggage hold, so you can very easily ride from Hotel A - Hotel B, drop the pannier, and continue with exploration by bike, foot, sailboat, canoe, etc.. Riding from Amsterdam to Haarlem will be under a 2 hour meander at <10mph, so if you're riding that bit in the AM, you end up with midday into late afternoon wide open for other exploration. Only the Gouda to Amsterdam day looks VERY long compared to other legs of the trip, so maybe consider a stay in between those two stops (or realize that ~50 miles is a nice challenge day!). Aalsmeer is about halfway, and it might offer the opportunity to add the sailing bit you mention. Boat rentals seem relatively common in the Netherlands, but sailboats a little less so. If not Aalsmeer, maybe Sloterplas in western Amsterdam is an option (and we've seen sailing elsewhere on rides in the countryside like outside Delft).

Haarlem to Leiden presents a perfect day for the "beach", so I would definitely make sure your route runs along the coast for that bit.

You will also get to ride ferries - big and small - and they can be a real fun time. We really loved the hand-operated one we encountered outside Delft where I shared the crank spinning duties with a Dutch family to pull our little ferry across a canal. Other ferries had a nominal fee (1 euro or so), so keep some change handy (never hard to do in Europe). I have to recommend - in Amsterdam - taking the BIG ferries that connect downtown to north Amsterdam (leave behind Centraal station). Free and fun way to get a longer trip on the water.

One general thought is to get familiar with the Dutch knooppunt route marking system that connects the countless cycling routes easily and efficient (and into Belgium and even a little to Germany). I like and use the fietsknoop app and website. Free and straightforward.

The other good rule for all travel these days is to plan museums WELL IN ADVANCE if you want to get a ticket. Not all are swamped, but Summer is high season, so having your timed entry locked up will help you both plan and actually get in to the museums that interest you.

Another rule to live by - STOP EARLY and OFTEN - to snack, stretch, relax, shop, have beers/ice cream, take photos, explore. As I wrote, the distances are SHORT, but for my wife and I add quite a chunk of time to all rides because we are stopping to check things out. For example, we did the Leiden "Cheese Route" loop while staying in Leiden which was a 13 mile loop through some dairy farmland, and one stop was for fresh ice cream from a dairy we rode by and towards the end, cafe sitting to have beer and snacks while people watching. Taking those breaks almost doubles the 1.5 ride time, but is why we enjoy riding vs doing that in a car (or not doing it at all).

What sort of budget are you thinking for hotels? We generally spend a little more on a hotel than some folks but since a dollar goes a long way still, it never seems extravagant (compared to "normal" US chain hotel pricing). Also, are you going to spend a few days at the beginning or end in Amsterdam? I would definitely home base there for a few days. And what about general attitudes about what to see beyond the bicycles? Museum interests? Historical areas? Food?

And a final mention of using Dutch Bike Tours as a planning tool. They've got routes and loops you can look at as a good way to craft your own plans.

Posted by
8 posts

this is amazing information thank you! I was wondering is there a better trek that offers a bit more biking you would suggest? I feel like 2 hours is a bit short... even with the stops? I will take a look at the website you gave. Is there one that you think teens would be more interested in but also a mix of other activities? Maybe we will carry our luggage than with us. It sounds doable by your description.

How did you find your ferry rides? Those sound so cool. Do you have an itinerary and ideas that you did that you can share with me> it sounds like you have such a great mix of things to do.

Again thank you so much!!

Posted by
8 posts

Also I am having a hard time finding a bike rental place that you can then do yourself and create a tour and carry your own luggage. Does anyone have a good company to rent the bikes from? Thanks so much!

Posted by
8 posts

Or is this a better option?
Day 1: Arrival Leeuwarden
Day 2: Leeuwarden - Sneek
Day 3: Sneek - Stavoren/Rijs
Day 4: Stavoren/Rijs- Makkum
Day 5: Makkum - Franeker/Harlingen
Day 6: Franeker/Harlingen - Dokkum
Day 7: Dokkum - Leeuwarden
Day 8: Return home

Posted by
327 posts

It looks like you got a chance to look over the Dutch Cycling Tours and the Pearls of Holland and the Frisian Eleven Cities tours were interesting to you?

I think the both are fun adventures, with the Pearls being more of the "shorter ride time, but more time to explore" and the Frisian one with slightly longer daily mileage, but also covering some more "unique" towns that most folks won't visit on a normal American trip to the Netherlands.

We hope to get to that part of the country, so if you do choose West Frisia, I'd love to hear what you thought of it.