Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
KEELIEDW
Posts: 99
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 2:01pm

Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by KEELIEDW »

Planning a very moderate 3 day moving-on anticlockwise circular tour starting & ending at Amsterdam main station for 5 middle-aged friends. I've done some research, but any suggestions will be gratefully received. We plan to rent bikes with panniers pre-booked on-line from somewhere near the station. We'd like to stick to traffic-free routes where possible. Lots of stops/sightseeing planned, so 30 to 50 km daily max. We'd like to visit Edam and Alkmaar. On starting N.Eastwards out of Amsterdam we'd like to hug the coast even if it increases mileage (there's a point where path LF216 moves Northwards inland but there appears to be some kind of bike path which continues NE (along dykes?) - is this a practical option? We'd like to stop each night in towns which are large enough to have a selection of hotels (which we would pre-book) and of restaurants, and which are possibly of historic interest. All and any advice will be most welcome.
hamster
Posts: 4131
Joined: 2 Feb 2007, 12:42pm

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by hamster »

You can do the whole thing traffic-free using the knoppunkt system. There are also the signed LF long-distance routes that you can link together.

I would be prepared to be flexible depending on the weather - considering reversing your tour if you are likely to be bashing into a brisk headwind all the trip. Also consider using the trains to link interesting bits together.

I did Amsterdam to Gronigen in early April along the coast, very pleasant it was too.
JackRabbitSlims
Posts: 225
Joined: 14 Nov 2015, 7:20am

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by JackRabbitSlims »

Is there a Map or Book (hard copy) that shows all the LF Long Distance Routes in The Netherlands?
Preferably in English.
hamster
Posts: 4131
Joined: 2 Feb 2007, 12:42pm

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by hamster »

I used the ANWB Fietskaart, the website is fine in English. I bought the entire map series (IIRC around £25) which has the LF routes adn all the numbered knoppunkts marked.
http://www.holland-cycling.com/planning ... -and-books
Vorpal
Moderator
Posts: 20700
Joined: 19 Jan 2009, 3:34pm
Location: Not there ;)

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by Vorpal »

You can buy a cycle route atlas for the Netherlands. http://holland.cyclingaroundtheworld.nl ... -Maps.html

I don't know if it's available in English, but I don't think it's necessary to have an English version, as long as you can recognise how the cycle routes are marked.

As your tour is relatively modest, you might be able to do it on just one paper map. I might buy one upon arrival.

Also, I found it pretty easy to navigate in the Netherlands by following the sign-posted routes. The exception to this was in cities; they tend to sign post the centre, train stations, and major suburbs, but not directions, so you do need a reasonably detailed map for towns if you are wandering around doing touristy things and want to be able to find your hotel again :shock:
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
iviehoff
Posts: 2411
Joined: 20 Jan 2009, 4:38pm

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by iviehoff »

I have ridden along the dike by the Zuider Zee NE of Amsterdam, most of the way to Monnickendam, but in the other direction. You can cross the water easily enough to get there via the Zuiderzeeweg bridge, it has a segregated cycle way on it. The village of Durgerdam is very pretty. There are lots of wading birds on the fields, in the spring anyway, might be reduced by September. You can ride to Marken and then take a ferry to Volendam, which is next door to Edam. The only issue with using this route is that you are very exposed to the wind. It was really blowing the day we did it, so it was a tough ride. As mentioned above, get a Knoopunkt map. ANWB have phased out their 1:100 000 maps, but the 1:50 000 maps cover a larger area than they used to, so these are a pretty good choice. Falk is another good map.

You can get a whole country atlas - I have the Falk one, but it is at 1:75 000, and lacks detail in towns. But the more compact scale is useful for when in the countryside, also shows more campsites.
User avatar
trilathon
Posts: 115
Joined: 30 May 2012, 11:23am

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by trilathon »

I've cycled up and down the northern extension of land on either coast a few times... there's a warren of cycle paths with a variety of routes to any one location, a map is as much help as it is a hinderance, but in a nice way

I rode north east atop the dyke path to Volendam ( nice place to stop ) last August (on the way to Copenhagen)..it's a circuitous route to Edam ( if memory serves me right, from Amsterdaam central to Edam along the coast is circa 45 km ) and much at the mercy of the wind, but hey, it's Holland, get the experience ( other less exposed routes are always readily available :wink: ) in the most cultivated of bicycling countries !

Hoorn seemed quite nice too, I'd imagine plenty of hotels and food options...a bit like a English county town. Other than that I much prefer the brisk dunescape hugging the North Sea from the tranquil and serene former Zuider Zee, but they nicely compliment one another.

So my advice, go no further north than Hoorn, break the journey or stay at Volendam and ride through the dunescapes between Bergen and Casticum on the West coast....plenty for a few days.
Searching for, and camping in, places of antiquity and wild beauty. Former ironman, 3PCX, Rough Stuff Fellowship, fell runner, regional time trial champion and 20 odd years of cyclo camping around Europe.
KEELIEDW
Posts: 99
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 2:01pm

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by KEELIEDW »

Many thanks for all the advice. We've now fixed a route from Amsterdam to Edam, then NW across the peninsular to Egmond aan Zee on the West coast, then Haarlem and back to Amsterdam. Hotels booked.The Dutch cycling route planning website has been very useful, thanks. One last question: we need to rent bikes in Amsterdam for our tour ( with panniers, ideally hybrids). There's plenty of choice on the internet, does anyone have any particular recommendation?
Vorpal
Moderator
Posts: 20700
Joined: 19 Jan 2009, 3:34pm
Location: Not there ;)

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by Vorpal »

KEELIEDW wrote:Many thanks for all the advice. We've now fixed a route from Amsterdam to Edam, then NW across the peninsular to Egmond aan Zee on the West coast, then Haarlem and back to Amsterdam. Hotels booked.The Dutch cycling route planning website has been very useful, thanks. One last question: we need to rent bikes in Amsterdam for our tour ( with panniers, ideally hybrids). There's plenty of choice on the internet, does anyone have any particular recommendation?


Ask your first hotel? They may have hire bikes, and if not, they can certainly recommend someplace nearby. Otherwise, just hire some at or near the station.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
User avatar
MrsHJ
Posts: 1823
Joined: 19 Aug 2010, 1:03pm
Location: Dartmouth, Devon.

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by MrsHJ »

Waterproof clothing- we did a September tour there and were like ducks. However it's the Netherlands so there are masses of cycle shops with all possible bike clothing permutations so you can buy there if/when you need it.
KEELIEDW
Posts: 99
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 2:01pm

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by KEELIEDW »

Bike rental now arranged .One last question please regarding the Dutch cycle route fixed-point waymarker posts: these appear on maps as 2 digit numbers (eg our coastal route East-North-East out of Amsterdam leapfrogs past 52, 46,47 79,77 52 etc en-route along the coast toward Edam, our first night stopover). Can anyone tell me whether we can expect these waymarkers to be clearly signed as we proceed along the route?
m-gineering
Posts: 254
Joined: 23 May 2015, 12:01pm

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by m-gineering »

With hindsight they are clearly marked, in practice they can be easy to miss. First of all they are not placed very consistently at junctions, and could use any convenient pole in the vicinity. Secondly sometimes you have to follow another signposted route to get to the next Node. As in the example below
Image
Marten

Touring advice for NL: www.m-gineering.nl/touringg.htm
Vorpal
Moderator
Posts: 20700
Joined: 19 Jan 2009, 3:34pm
Location: Not there ;)

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by Vorpal »

KEELIEDW wrote:Bike rental now arranged .One last question please regarding the Dutch cycle route fixed-point waymarker posts: these appear on maps as 2 digit numbers (eg our coastal route East-North-East out of Amsterdam leapfrogs past 52, 46,47 79,77 52 etc en-route along the coast toward Edam, our first night stopover). Can anyone tell me whether we can expect these waymarkers to be clearly signed as we proceed along the route?

I have generally not had problems following marked routes in the Netherlands. The exceptions tend to be going out from a town/city centre. While it's easy enough to leave in the correct direction, it's not always easy to follow a specific marked route. The wayposts for such things are not frequent enough, and sometimes miss junctions or turns altogether.

That said, I kind of worked out that most places, I can go generally the right direction, and then pick up my intended route. If I can't find it easily, I just ask someone, it doesn't take too long to find someone who knows and will help me.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
willem jongman
Posts: 2750
Joined: 7 Jan 2008, 4:16pm

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by willem jongman »

The Dutch cycle route planner allows you to plan your own trip, according to your preferences (e.g. fast, mainly off road, scenic, etc), using signposted routes - or not: http://en.routeplanner.fietsersbond.nl/ There is a language option for the interface. You can either print the directions, or download a GPS track
Willem
User avatar
MrsHJ
Posts: 1823
Joined: 19 Aug 2010, 1:03pm
Location: Dartmouth, Devon.

Re: Sept tour north of Amsterdam - advice?

Post by MrsHJ »

We cycled your route out of north east Amsterdam on our way in a couple of weeks ago. 52 is just before a junction and leads over a series of bridges to the 45/6, then you are very quickly in the countryside. Happy to give any more information if you need it.

Avoid volendam (it's overwhelmed with day trips tourists on the front and isn't at all charming) but Edam is very pretty. Monickdam Seemed charming. It's a very chilled out day to Edam you should have. I'll try and upload my photos to Flickr and link for you and point out the relevant days.
Post Reply