Touring in Holland

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
JJF
Posts: 324
Joined: 17 Feb 2007, 9:14pm

Re: Touring in Holland

Post by JJF »

I suspect that Mercalia has drawn the wrong conclusion to the FAQs relating to Dutch Flyer
It says "....unable to include cycles as part of this product".

I have on occasions bought Dutch Flyer for 2 people to go from anywhere in the England catchment area to anywhere in Holland. At the car/bike check-in at Harwich I showed our Dutch Flyer ferry travel tickets and bought tickets for the bikes. The person at the desk provided the tickets without comment. Same on the return journey. The following day, on the Dutch train, the Dutch Flyer tickets conveyed the people and I paid the usual cheap fee for the bikes.

So, the people travelled as Dutch Flyer passengers and the bikes were not "part of this (Dutch Flyer) product."
mercalia
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Location: london South

Re: Touring in Holland

Post by mercalia »

JJF wrote:I suspect that Mercalia has drawn the wrong conclusion to the FAQs relating to Dutch Flyer
It says "....unable to include cycles as part of this product".

I have on occasions bought Dutch Flyer for 2 people to go from anywhere in the England catchment area to anywhere in Holland. At the car/bike check-in at Harwich I showed our Dutch Flyer ferry travel tickets and bought tickets for the bikes. The person at the desk provided the tickets without comment. Same on the return journey. The following day, on the Dutch train, the Dutch Flyer tickets conveyed the people and I paid the usual cheap fee for the bikes.

So, the people travelled as Dutch Flyer passengers and the bikes were not "part of this (Dutch Flyer) product."


oh so how much did the bike tickets cost ? stena line dont seem to indicate a bike only price only a bike/rider one?
Slowroad
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Joined: 28 Jun 2008, 9:58pm
Location: Nottingham, UK

Re: Touring in Holland

Post by Slowroad »

I have on occasions bought Dutch Flyer for 2 people to go from anywhere in the England catchment area to anywhere in Holland. At the car/bike check-in at Harwich I showed our Dutch Flyer ferry travel tickets and bought tickets for the bikes. The person at the desk provided the tickets without comment. Same on the return journey. The following day, on the Dutch train, the Dutch Flyer tickets conveyed the people and I paid the usual cheap fee for the bikes.

So, the people travelled as Dutch Flyer passengers and the bikes were not "part of this (Dutch Flyer) product."

That's very interesting. A few years ago when the bicycle option was removed from the online booking for the Dutch Flyer I rang Stena and was told that I couldn't use a bike and Dutch Flyer. So I've been getting separate tickets which is a faff and more expensive - or using my Brompton. I know some people have managed to, and this is how. But I don't know whether I'd risk it... I do have to take holidays at relatively busy times. On the other hand Stena are very accommodating, I've known them sort out things for someone who had accidentally booked an overnight crossing the wrong way. The ferry was full but they did find her somewhere!
“My two favourite things in life are libraries and bicycles. They both move people forward without wasting anything. The perfect day: riding a bike to the library.”
― Peter Golkin
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timmitchell
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Location: Saddleworth, West Riding
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Re: Touring in Holland

Post by timmitchell »

They are on Booking.com

https://www.booking.com/hotel/nl/chalet ... h=1;srhp=1

But ring or email they speak English...as did all the guests...even the 5 year old kids...much to my shame...I also speak no Dutch beyond courtesy words.
JJF
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Joined: 17 Feb 2007, 9:14pm

Re: Touring in Holland

Post by JJF »

I'm afraid I can't remember how much were the bike-only tickets on the ferry. My recollection is that I thought it was reasonable.
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pjclinch
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Re: Touring in Holland

Post by pjclinch »

mercalia wrote:
thanks for the idea. shame site is in Dutch cant understand a word


Just blow it up, make the text bold and read it e-r-g---l-a-n-g-z-a-a-m... :wink:
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
hamster
Posts: 4128
Joined: 2 Feb 2007, 12:42pm

Re: Touring in Holland

Post by hamster »

mercalia wrote:traveling on trains: is the OV-chipkaart like the London Oyster Card?


Yes! The only thing to be careful about is to make sure to swipe out and in when changing networks between Metro and NS services in Amsterdam.
Esther
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Joined: 16 Apr 2018, 12:48pm

Re: Touring in Holland

Post by Esther »

Hi, I wonder if anyone could give me some advice. I am planning a trip through Holland this summer with my two children. All looking great. We are planning on arriving in Zeebrugge and heading out east into Holland. My only anxiety is Zeebrugge being a huge port and how straightforward it is to get out by bike and onto the LF1/North Sea Coast route. I wondered if anyone has experience of doing this. Is there signposting from the port?
Any other advice re cycling up the coast and also the Zuiderzee route down into Amsterdam would be most welcome. My children are 8 and 11 and have done a couple of long distance trips in Brittany.
hamster
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Re: Touring in Holland

Post by hamster »

The great thing in NL is that the cycle path doesn't just dry up at the difficult bit UK-style.

Get the Knoppunkt maps (as upthread) and you will be fine. A quick look at Google Earth also helps.
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