Of all the places to take your first bicycle ride in a foreign country, Holland, or the Netherlands, is our best recommendation. First of all, there are practically no hills. If you're really into hill climbing, check out our Tuscany page. For cyclists, though, the most welcome part of Holland is their network of bicycle roads. There are over 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles) of these roads, covering any route you could conceive. Consequentially, there are an unlimited amount of bike routes to pick from. Follow the map as you read the following description of a round trip beginning and ending at Schipol Airport.
Our route begins at Schipol Airport, about 18 Km from Amsterdam, in early June in a rather persistent drizzle. Coming from Seattle, we're rather used to riding in the rain, but it would be good at this point to remind you to bring your raingear. We chose to spend our first night in Haarlem, a 20 Km ride from Schipol, not a challenging ride except for the jet lag. Upon landing, we collected our bikes at oversize luggage and assembled them in a quiet area next to an idle baggage carousel. Then we walked our bikes through customs to the entry hall and went to the main exit. The bike path out of the airport is only about 100 meters from here, but it took us a bit of searching since we didn't see a sign. All you have to do is bear left around the plaza, and as soon as you pass the bus stand and the AWB bank office you'll see a nice red brick divided bike highway right next to the busy airport road. There are a lot of road signs, but none to either Haarlem or Amsterdam. You'll see a lot of signs to Badhoevedorp, though, because it's the first town on the way. Reaching Badhoevedorp, the signs were plain and obvious, pointing to Haarlem in one direction and Amsterdam in the other. From there, the road went straight into Haarlem.
The second stage of the ride goes from Haarlem east to Zaandvoort, and then wanders through a natural preserve known as the "Dunes" adjacent to Holland's seacoast to Schevenegen, a beach town about 5 Km from The Hague. We actually covered over 80 Km meandering through the dune paths, navigating our way by keeping track of the "Mushrooms", toadstool-shaped markers that appear at most intersections. Good thing we had made our reservations, because the popularity of this beach town keeps the hotels full.
Our third stage begins with a brief but gentle climb from Schevenegen through The Hague, then to Kinderdijk to see the famous windmills, and on to Gouda, home of the cheese. Leaving The Hague, follow the signs through Voorburg in the bicycle lane next to the A12. Continue for 17 Kilometers, past Zoetermeer, then watch for the turn to Nieuwerkerk a/d Ijssel. Follow in the direction of the Ijssel River and the signs to Krimpen a/d Issel. From there, go on to Krimpen a/d Lek, where you follow the directions to Kinderdijk. To get to Kinderdijk, you will take a short ferry ride across the Lek River. Our day concluded with a ferry back across the Lek, then to the N-210 highway, riding in the direction of Schoonhoven until the road intersects with the N-207 at Bergambacht, then into Gouda.
By now, the weather had turned for the better and we happily carried our raincoats in the bottom of our panniers for the rest of the day. The fourth ride is 40 Km from Gouda to Utrecht. Leaving Bodegraven, you’ll join a fietspad that takes you along the river Ouderijn; one of the many waterways for which Holland is famous. This is, what makes for a nice diversion from the busy highway. Once you reach Woerden, you turn toward Utrecht. Follow the N204 past pastureland until you reach the N228 and turn left. At De Meern you reach the A12 freeway. Go under and follow the signs to Utrecht Centrum. Utrecht is a transportation hub and a busy college town. You may enjoy a meal along one of the restaurant lined canals.
The fifth stage is a 56 Km ride from Utrecht to Arnhem, our furthest point east. Leaving Utrecht Centrum we ride east toward Zeist along the N237. Ride through town and watch for a left turn to the N224. There will be signs directing to Waudenberg and Ede. From there, continue through Scherpenzeel and Renswoude and then till you reach an intersection where the N224 turns toward Ede. Continue another 20 Km and you reach the outskirts of Arnhem. The signs will direct you to Centrum, where you can find the VVV--Tourist Information as well as the train and bus stations.
We found this a good stop for a few days to catch up on laundry and see some of the sights, such as the open air museum and Burger's Zoo.
After our rest, and fitted out in clean clothes, we headed out on the sixth stage; 36Km. Much of today's ride in within the Hoge Veluwe National Park and Nature Reserve, which offers 13338 acres of diverse riding through forests and plains as well as a renowned museum in the center of the Park itself. This park is a destination for many tourists as well as Dutch families. We head out of Arnhem past the Sansbeek park and continue through Arnhem's suburbs. From there, you will reach a two-way dual bike path which runs alongside the busy highway. You will eventually cross this highway, carefully and go under the A50. Then continue straight till you reach the N311 where you turn left. The park entrance is just ahead on the right. With your entry ticket you are furnished with maps of the park. Along the trails are "mushroom" signposts to direct you. The Kroller Muller museum in the center of the park, surrounded by a sculpture garden. This museum is a destination unto itself, with world renown painting by Van Gogh and other Impressionists. After a tour of the museum, we're on our way again, following the signposts toward the exit gate at Hoenderlo. Exit and go left alongside the N304. You'll cross back and forth several times along the N304 with the path on either one side or the other and continue toward Apeldoorn. Apeldoorn, like many towns, is surrounded by a "ring road." Check your map to see where to exit the ring to reach your accommodations.
The seventh stage takes us from Apeldoorn to Amersfoort; a ride of 44 Km. Exit Apeldoorn following signs to the Dutch palace at Het Loo. From the outside this looks more like a country lodge. After passing the palace and continue beside the Amsterdamweg. In about 4 Km you merge with the N344. As you continue, the woods give way to farmland. You pass through Voorthuizen and again find yourself in farmland. Continue on through Hoevelaken, passing under the freeway. Continue following signs to Amersfoort and crossing the highway to continue on the cycle path. You approach Amersfoort alongside a canal. Note the old city gates and part of the wall, which date from the 13th century and are still intact. As you enter town, the old part is on your right and the new section to your left. The old section is great for strolling and relaxing in the square.
From Amersfoort, the eighth stage is a 53 Km ride which concludes in Amsterdam; a great place to spend a few days at the end of the cycle tour. We leave Amersfoort through one of the ancient gates and ride alongside the N221 through a rather industrial area. You'll be directed again to cross over the road several times today to continue along the cycle path. Ride through Soest and shortly after, turn left to the N201 and continue toward Hilversum, under the A27 highway. You wind through residential neighborhoods on your way out of Hilversum, and soon find yourself on a wooded path beside the Loosdrecjtse Plassen (lake). Then, you'll pass over the Amsterdam Rijnkanaal, which has lots of commercial traffic. You'll be riding beside the busy A2, but on a comfortable cycle path. The closer you get to this major city, the more the fietspad traffic increases; however, the scenery is pleasant. Just outside Amstelveen you cross the Amstel river and continue straight to Amstelveen. You'll see some high-rises looming in the burbs. From here, you can pretty much follow the tram lines into Amsterdam; however, a good city map is most helpful so you can locate your accommodations.
Amsterdam can be pretty overwhelming the first time you visit. This is one of the world's major cities and it has an intricate infrastructure.....everything has it's place. For instance, the major streets have sidewalks, then fietspads, then tram tracks and then lanes for autos. You are definitely at an advantage on a cycle, and you'll have lots and lots of company. In the center of Amsterdam is Vondelpark, interlaced with bike trails and gardens. No matter where you are in Amsterdam, you'll find a bike path to Vondelpark. It's also a great place to stay... situated near the Museumplein, where the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum are located. It's also close to Liedseplein, a center for shops and restaurants. It's a short ride to Centraal Station, where you can catch trains to destinations all over Holland and the rest of Europe.
To return to Schipol Airport, start from Vondelpark and follow the signs back to Badhoevedorp, making your way to Plesman Laan, then past the Molen Sloten (Sloten Windmill) to Sloterweg to Badhoevedorp. You'll end up at the intersection that led to Haarlem at the beginning of the tour ... from here, retrace your steps back to Schipol Airport.
 

If you'd like to know more about this ride, check out our DVD.