is this part of Holland worth a visit?

[mercalia]

looks interesting

and the tilbury ferry to Zeebrugge - any opinions? ( is this freight only?)

easy to get to if you live in London - I see there is a foot ferry from Gravesend?

[foxyrider]

I went to that bit of Holland last year. Is it worth visiting, well i'd say yes but it depends what you like.
There are plenty of lovely towns, some great museums, you can hunt windmills, travel inter island by road or ferry, nice beaches - yep it's worth a visit. Plenty of camping too.

Can't help on the ferries as i'm up north so use Hull to Rotterdam usually.

[ANTONISH]

I was there about thirty years ago. It's a pleasant area - plenty to see and good for cycling (unless you are cycling into a head wind).
That was when the OLAU line ferry ran from Sheerness to Flushing/Vlissingen.
Now you would need to use the Harwich - Hook of Holland ferry.
The Breskens ferry still runs for foot passengers and cyclists so it's possible to travel between Belgium and Holland by Bike.

[mjr]

Rode it last year. Overnight at Vlissingen/Flushing, morning in Middelburg, lunch at Domburg, an afternoon of exposed barrage cycling, overnighted at Hotel Renesse (avoid the most coastal route into it - it's deep sand, showing that even the Dutch are not immune from bonkersly bad surfaces), coffee stop at Goederede (very pretty, several cafes, but not loads to do there), then across the extreme industrial landscape of the Rotterdam port area and the fast ferry across to the Hook for the ferry home. It's a fun ride, but that section doesn't have many big showy attractions compared to the Belgian coast, Bruges, Sluis and Damme which we'd just visited.

[simonhill]

From what I remember of my geography, it's called the Delta Area. After the 1953 floods, the Dutch said never again and built a series of long dams or dykes, connecting the islands.

It had 3 main effects:
stopped the flooding;
turned the delta area into fresh water and lots were reclaimed; and
enabled roads to be built on top of the dykes, thus linking the islands and whole region.

I could go on, but won't.

For me it was interesting because I got see a major bit of engineering that transformed that part of The Netherlands. It's pretty impressive to drive and presumably cycle along the dykes. It also created large inland 'seas' that are great for windsurfing.

[jk49]

Went for 10 days two years ago. Loved it. Lots of little campsites, amazing civil engineering, barrages etc. Some good museums to do with the great flood. Went to Dordrecht to see the wind mills and took a waterbus to Roterdam which was fun. Nice wetlands area NE of Dordrecht with good camping again. Lots of picturesque town centres, but slighty less attractive outskirts! Dutch people were always lovely and the cycling experience and culture is awe inspiring.

[Toffee]

Rode up the coast last year across the dykes. Bloody hard work when the wind is against you.

We had a good time though.

[steady eddy]

Went there two years ago - ferry from Harwich to the Hook then over the river on the foot ferry and south through the big industrial area. You are out in open countryside in less than an hour and did a big circle of the islands. Great weather, good accommodation and apple pie to die for. We loved it.

[tandem2]

We have been there three times we have started in both Rotterdam and Zebrugge and have cycled up or down the North Sea route. We normally do it for a long weekend and use Burgh Hamstead as a stop off. We tend to ride recumbents when in Holland and definitely find that there are plenty of types that we can see and try as we ride along. This has to be one of the best areas, but we have been up as far as the German border.
If the wind is on your back you can do enormous distances and it's worth it. Bear in mind that if you get the oportunity continue.Because the trains allow bikes and recumbents. We have used this to get from Groenigen back to Visslingham and then cycled back to Europort. The trains have a maximum charge so once you exceed the distance there is no reason not to go to a border to get another long downwind blast.
The cycle routes are well signed and once you understand the numbering system you can follow them easily. Travelling through the big towns is a lot slower than you would expect.
The greatest feature is the difference between how car drivers treat cyclist. It's a totally different experience.
Enjoy


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