My husband and I are planning 7 days in The Netherlands mid September. We want to bed down in Haarlem and take day trips with bikes. Are there enough bike routes to entertain us for 7 days leaving and returning to Haarlem each day?
Also, can anyone recommend accommodations that serves a great breakfast in Haarlem?
Can we rent a bike in Haarlem?
Thank you.
I stayed in Haarlem recently for 6 nights at the Carlton Square Hotel, very conveniently located. It serves a very good breakfast buffet.
I don't know about bike rentals but someone else will, I'm sure.
There are several bicycle rentals in Haarlem. One is at the railway station, another one at a few minutes' walk.
It's good to know that you can take bicycles on the train (not during rush hour). A bicycle ticket costs around EUR 6 and is valid all day. Take the train from Haarlem to one railway station, and let your trip end at another one. It gives you maximum flexibility.
The area north of Haarlem - between Alkmaar and Purmerend - is the real postcard Holland, including the windmills.
A popular area is just north of Amsterdam, with villages and towns like Broek in Waterland and Monnickendam.
Not very well known is the area south of Amsterdam, between Abcoude, Uithoorn and Ouderkerk. You could also have a trip from Abcoude to Naarden, via Weesp and Muiden.
The small road along the mid-17th-century Leidsevaart canal brings you in Leiden.
The immensely detailed OpenStreetMap shows you all the bicycle paths, either a separate path along roads or bicycle-only paths.
Thank you for the links and ideas. Are circled numbers on the map a part of the fietsroutenetwerk?
OpenStreetMap only gives road numbers (when applicable). I suppose that for the nodes (or whatever you should call them) you need the map of the Fietsroutenetwerk. (I still prefer the old-fashioned paper maps, so I have no experience with them.)
Yes, I agree about the paper maps. Where do I get one of those to review? The online map is hard for me to navigate.
I don't know about reviews, but the Fietsatlas Nederland looks a good one. You can order it at Bol.com (the Dutch Amazon). They take international orders.
I found a UK webshop which sells the Fietsatlas. More practical than the monolingual Bol.com. Or else wait until you're in the country. You'll find cycling maps at the ANWB shop in Haarlem.
