About
A great country for traveling by bicycle. It's mostly flat land, only in the far south there are hills. The highest is about 300 mtr. high. The Dutch almost invited cycling themselves. It's the most common transport.
Last updated 8 Apr 2021 by Cycle PlanetEdit
People
There are more bicycles than people in the country, and bicycle lanes can be found anywhere. The Netherlands has a dense population, so you'll find small villages amd people almost everywhere. In general Dutch people are friendly, but sometimes they seem to be afraid to get in contact with strangers.
Last updated 17 Oct 2021 by Reinier LamersEdit
Visa
People from EU, Canada, Japan and USA don't need a visa. All other people need a Schengen visa to visit this country. You can find more information here https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/tourist-schengen-visa/. The visa is valid for 90 days, and allows you to travel through all Schengen countries.
Last updated 3 Sept 2020 by Bas IdsingaEdit
See and do (14)
Sorted by most likes
1. Historic city center AmsterdamSee & doVisit the capital of The Netherlands to dive into a piece of history of the Dutch culture. Wander around in the city, and cross one of the many canals. The… 2
2. KinderdijkSee & doThis village is best known for the many 18th-century windmills that are stately positioned next to the water. 2
3. TerschellingSee & doOne of the five larger islands in The Netherlands, and definetly worth to visit when you're nearby. You can reach this place from Harlingen at the main land… 2
4. Historic city center VenloSee & doVenlo has a historic city center. Nice to visit. 1
5. Onze Lieve Vrouwen ter Nood - Place of PilgrimageSee & doThere is a beautiful chapel with some impressive wall paintings. The terrain is very peaceful. There is also a monastery and some other holy places. Open from… 1
6. Planetarium Eise EisingaSee & doIn 1781, the Dutch Eise Eisinga build a live working scaled model of our solar system in his living room. It's a truly amazing achievement and it's definitely… 1
7. "Amsterdam Castle" MuiderslotSee & doMedieval castle guarding the place where the road from Amsterdam to the East crossed River Vecht. In a very scenic location by the IJmeer lake and the old…
8. BalloerveldSee & doBeautiful natural reserve and worth to cycle through.
Bike shops (9)
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1. Bike4travelBike shopSantos dealer https://www.bike4travel.nl/ 3
2. Cycle PassionBike shopGreat bicycle shop owned by Job, who is (as the company's name sais) very passionate about cycling. Website: https://www.cyclepassion.nl/ Phone: +31642441655 2
3. De VakantiefietserBike shopBike shop specialized in bike touring. Knowledgeable but sometimes overly focused on selling you expensive gear. Website: https://www.vakantiefietser.nl Phone… 2
4. Horizon BicyclesBike shopA bicycleshop specialized in tourbiking. Website: https://horizonbicycles.nl/ Phone: +31307371087 1
5. Tromm TweewielersBike shopPassionate and somewhat disorganized bike shop. They have parts and service for all types of bicycles. 1
6. Beagle BikesBike shopSantos brand store and workshop
7. CycleworksBike shopGreat mechanics and touring, bikepacking and gravel bike collection - particularly from Kona.
8. CycleYouBike shopHigh-end shop for bicycle connaisseurs. Passionate and helpful but dangerous to go near if you're on a budget.
Sleeping
Staying with locals
There are plenty of Couchsurfers and Warmshowers hosts available.
(Formal) camping
This is pretty difficult as there are many campsites around and people will redirect you to them.
Ho(s)tels
The big cities offer Hostels, while hotels can be found in many different places.
Wild camping
Wildcamping is illegal. As the country has a dense population, it can be difficult to find places where there are no people.
Last updated 3 Mar 2021 by Cycle PlanetEdit
Places to sleep (10)
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1. Between river and a special bird sanctuaryWild campingA beautiful dead ended spot between river and bird reserve. There are 2 wooden benches. Please take your waste with you. At weekends bird watchers come by… 1
2. Camping Nij WybrandaCampsiteNice, small camping at a farm. Very nice for children. They can help with milking the cows, they can feed the animals, ride on a pony/horse,... Check their… 1
3. In 't NietCampsiteA friendly campsite farm. Very small-scale with simple but good facilities. Ideal for cyclists who can also sit dry in wet weather. You can only buy some hot… 1
4. Stadscamping near the IjsselCampsiteBeautiful campsite next to the river Ijssel, with a view on the impressive skyline of Deventer. 1 night for 1 person costs 11 euro. Plenty of space and quite a… 1
5. Camping de Oude BarrierFormal campingCamping de Oude Barrier, The campsite is located in a beautiful wooded area just outside Venray. At the campsite you can have fun in the open air baths…
6. Camping ZeeburgCampsiteCampsite (campground) with a hippie backpacker vibe. Probably the cheapest place for a legal stay in Amsterdam save for hospex. Website…
7. CupidoCampsiteNice campsite and reasonable price with 14 euro for 1 person for 1 night. During the Dutch summer holidays, this place is most likely full, so book way in…
8. De Lange PaalCampsiteMore or less the only campsite at Vlieland. For now, you have to book on the website. After corona, it's likely that you can just pass by. They used to have a…
Safety
The Netherlands is very safe.
Traffic
There are a lot of roads and there is a lot of traffic, but there are bicycle paths everywhere.
Criminality
Criminality is around, so make sure to always lock your bicycle.
Corruption
Don't worry, you don't have to bribe anyone here.
Nature and animals
In the winter temperatures can drop to -10 degrees celsius, while summers can be +35 degrees celsius. There are no dangerous animals. Since a few years there are wolves around in National parks, but apparently they don't go after humans.
Last updated 4 Mar 2021 by Cycle PlanetEdit
Transport
Airplane
Schiphol, near Amsterdam, is the largest and most used airport, and has connections to many places. Smallers airports can be found at Rotterdam, Eindhoven and Maastricht.
Train
There is a very good train network that can bring you to almost any place. The tickets are a little expensive, with a maximum price of 24 euro for a single ride (depends on the distance). You can bring your bicycle, but therefore you need to buy a separate ticket online. You can also rent bicycles at every train station for about 3 euros per 24 hours. You might need a pass for this, which takes a few weeks to get.
Website: https://www.ns.nl/en
Bus
The bus network is quite good as well, and should be able to bring you almost any place in The Netherlands, combined with some train rides. However, you can't bring a bicycle into the bus.
Boat
There are connections with England departing from Hoek van Holland or Ijmuiden. Between the Fryssian Islands there are also connections with boats. You can bring your bicycle on them, but need to pay extra for that.
Last updated 16 Feb 2021 by Cycle PlanetEdit
Food and drink
Typical Dutch food is "stamppot", which is mashed potatoes with a specific vegetable (carrot, coal, spinach). At the snackbar you will find a "frikandel" or "kroket", which are the Dutch proud. As candy there is "drop" (licorice) and "stroopwafel" (cookie with caramel).
For drinks, Dutch people like to stick to beer and wine. Many different beers are being brewed in The Netherlands and if you like to taste new ones, you should visit a beer cafe that sometimes have more than a 1.000 different types of beers.
Last updated 13 Feb 2021 by Bas IdsingaEdit
Other places (3)
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1. Den Helder - TexelFerryFerry to Texel. Departs every hour at :30. One person with one bike costs 5 euro for a single ticket. Going back from Texel to Den Helder is free of charge.
2. SlotbossetorenOtherRuïne van het kasteel in het huidige Oosterhout https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasteel\Strijen\(Oosterhout)
3. Texel - VlielandFerryFerry from Texel to Vlieland. In Vlieland, you will either dock at the harbour on the East part of the island, or you have to cross the beach by a large bus…
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Last updated 13 Apr 2021 by Cycle PlanetEdit