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Bike trip to Broek in Waterland

We will be in Amsterdam in late May for a few days and one thing I would like to do is take a bike ride (4 of us, 2 tween/teens). I have read that the ride to Broek in Waterland is nice. It seems fairly straightforward, rent bikes, take them across on the ferry and off we go. Any advice/tips? Your favorite bike shop? Better routes than the one I mentioned? About how long does the round trip take, (assuming a stop along the way for a meal). I am aiming for around 3 hours total. Any recommendations for food? Is a picnic a good idea or are there restaurants we should try in Waterland? Thanks!

Posted by
444 posts

Hi andrew. I do not understand what it is that you do not understand, because it seems that you maybe did something similar, albeit a longer trip? I do not want to spend a whole day biking since we only have 2 1/2 days in Amsterdam and we want to see other sights as well.

I recently read this:
https://awesomeamsterdam.com/waterland-daytrip-bicycle/

And it sounded nice. Just wanted some feedback from someone who may have tried this.

Posted by
2822 posts

There are several bike rental shops in town, including one just on the other side of the train station from the ferry... maybe 100 yards away. It's very easy to pick up your bikes, ride them down to the little ferry, and be on your way. A dedicated bike path begins as soon as you pedal off the ferry, and quickly splits up into a number of trails that meander out into the countryside. As was mentioned, the ride out to Marken is one of our favorites too.
The shops sell an excellent map of the local bike trails, including those over on the Waterland side of the river - costs a couple of Euros as I recall, and is worth it.
Do a google search to see where the various rental shops are - there's probably one near wherever you're staying. If not there's always the one by the train station.
A bit of advice: I suggest bringing a good pair of padded cycling shorts ... to wear "as is" or under your pants or shorts as you prefer. After a couple of hours in the saddle you'll be glad to have them. You can thank me later.