Please sign in to post.

Transportation: Biking around the bulb fields

I've been to Amsterdam and Keukenhof, but never got a chance to rent bikes a Keukenhof to cycle around the bulb fields in the area.

We will be docked in Amsterdam at the beginning and the end of a river cruise. I may pass on the included walking tour and canal ride included with cruise. I know I can take the Keukenhof Express bus from Schipol, but am I able to just purchase the bus fare and not the KG entrance fee? Last time we purchased the combo ticket in the airport. Would I need to do this again? or can I just pay driver?
Another thought: A morning visit to Keukenhof is planned at the end of our cruise. I was thinking that maybe it's logistically better to just remain in Lisse on this day and not go back to the ship with the cruise bus and to remain and do our bike touring then since we're already there. Then, I just have to figure out how to get back to the ship (near Centraal Station).

Can I buy a one way ticket from Keukenhof to Schipol and transfer to train? Or is there a bus going right from Keukenhof area to Centraal Station?

Posted by
2829 posts

The buses that link Keukenhof to/from Schiphol and Leiden train stations are scheduled (if special) public transportation buses. You can ride them using an OV-Chipkaart (notice that several bus networks have or are going to stop accepting cash on board very soon, so you need the public transportation card).

Doing a bike tour after the already scheduled visit to Keukenhof is the best plan in my opinion. You just need to arrange bike rentals. The buses linking the park depart very frequently late in the afternoon, so it will not take more than 80min between boarding the bus, arriving at Centraal Station and taking the tram to the cruise terminal.

Posted by
2487 posts

Alternative is to take the train to Haarlem. There are bicycle rentals at the railway station itself and in front of it (www.rentabikehaarlem.nl/en/) It's a straight, low-traffic road to the bulb fields along the old shipping canal to Leiden, which starts as the Leidsevaart in Haarlem. www.viamichelin.com gives a clear map.

Posted by
1005 posts

Since you are taking a river cruise, chances are your ship will be using one of the docks near Centraal Station, not the cruise terminal for ocean-going cruise ships. That means you can walk from the train station to your boat. So I'd take the cruise bus to Keukenhof and then go biking in the afternoon. Then take the bus or train back to Centraal Station (if you're in Leiden, take the train).