Cycling UK Forum

Any suggestions for a five day tour in Holland. Starting and ending at the Hook.

My favourites: Delft, Delft Haven in Rotterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, Amsterdam (as long as it is outside of peak tourist time) and Hoge Veluwe National Park. Also the cycle ride alongside the dunes heading north from the Hook.

http://cycle.travel/map/journey/31123 http://cycle.travel/map/journey/31120 http://cycle.travel/map/journey/31121 and http://cycle.travel/map/journey/52181. That's Hook-Noordwijkerhout for Keukenhof-Soest for Utrecht-Dordrecht-Delft-Hook Add a round trip to Amsterdam between days 1&2 to make 5. Accommodation on those tracks is stayok hostels. Hope it helps!

this is some thing i want to do before we leave the eu so any ideas welcome esp camping or yha

Why not be more specific? It does make a difference if you think 30 miles is a full days work or time to get breakfast.
You might find some pointers in the link below

There are plenty of campsites in the summer season. I did a five day tour last September which took me down to the Belgian border (from the Hook there is a ferry which takes you across the waterway to go south.) previously i've gone north, a couple of easy days would certainly see you up Amsterdam direction but I would advise against camping at Alkmaar - they whack the price up at will, I had to pay twice the advertised rate for no apparent reason.

With a little research you can find lots to see and do from railway museums to windmill spotting to excellent wildlife reserves, beaches and an awful lot more.

Well worth joining https://www.natuurkampeerterreinen.nl/ for small cycle-friendly campsites.
Totally recommend Netherlands for cycling!

We just cycled from Newcastle ferry north along the dunes. A detour Inland a little bit up there there were less campsites on the Eastern side.

Of by Alkmaar you mean the small campsite with that name and a man made beach on the little river then its avoid that. We had our 4 year old and the playground there was lethal. Everything in the playground was falling apart or was wooden and splintering. It was a nice enough campsite though.

BTW with a 4 year old who wanted to do the riding for himself it's a great country to cycle in. Another world! Mind you we didn't go far each day so not got any good advice for a proper tourer doing more distance. We liked a campsite at Callantsoog. Can't remember it's name but it's through the town and a little inland. It's got a lot of facilities including a swimming pool, restaurant, shop, several playgrounds, a fitness area with various equipment to exercise on and more. A big site in the European style I think.

Den helder maritime museum is worth visiting IMHO.

We had a great week touring south Holland and Zeeland around the islands, doing just over 200 miles - we are slow and like to stop to look and eat - you could easily get round in 5 days. Out of holiday times the islands are largely deserted of tourists. Lots of good value band b on Hotel.com. or empty campsites. Don't rely on the local ferries before the holidays start - we had a bit of a detour as the service didn't start until the following week.
If you get the foot ferry from the Hook to Matvalaske over the other side of the water then you are out in to the countryside on traffic free cycle routes in no time.
Middleburg is attractive and well worth a visit.

m-gineering wrote:Why not be more specific? It does make a difference if you think 30 miles is a full days work or time to get breakfast.
You might find some pointers in the link below

We don't plan to do vast distances - around 50 miles a day.

I havent been abroad fro some time can some one remind what insurance bits of paper I need/should have for the EU to cover health problems/accidents

Free health in EU https://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

You need to travel insurance to get you home. I use Cycling UK's insurer.

LinusR wrote:Free health in EU https://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

You need to travel insurance to get you home. I use Cycling UK's insurer.

Which forces head gear

Note to moderators: this post relates to travel insurance. Any mention of helmets is ancillary to a discussion of travel insurance. Feel free to move/delete replies which deviate from a discussion related to travel insurance.

mjr wrote:Which forces head gear

No, not for cycling.

The wording of the policy is:

"Participation in the following activities is covered at no additional premium and without the need for prior declaration, when
participating on a recreational and non professional basis during any trip. Any involvement in these sports and/or activities is
subject to your compliance with local laws and regulations and the use of recommended safety equipment (such as helmet,
harness, knee and/or elbow pads)". (my emphasis)

In the Netherlands there is no law requiring helmets for cycling. In Spain the law is not straight forward but in effect it is requiring all cyclists to wear a helmet on the roads patrolled by police. So the policy wording is referring to laws in those countries.

If you are taking part in an organised activity, even if it is non-competitive, the organisers may require you to wear recommended safety equipment. So the policy wording relates to that and you are not covered if you do not follow those requirements. For example, if you are doing an organised mountain biking holiday and the organisers say you must wear a helmet, knee and elbow pads, then you may not be covered if you don't comply.

On page 16 of the policy it lists sports "covered as standard without charge".

"cycling (on-road and off-road, no racing)"
"mountain biking (no downhill, no racing)"

Note this exception: "roller skating/blading/in line skating (wearing pads and
helmets)"

So my understanding - I've used City Bond through CUK for a number of years - is that you just need to comply with local laws, and if you are doing an organised activity, you need to follow organisers' recommendations.

https://pqe.citybond.co.uk/policy/Cycling-UK-Policy-Wording-2018.pdf

Please note I am a consumer of cycle insurance not a lawyer with experience of such matters.

Doesn't matter what you understand it to be. The insurer clarified it differently, as reported at viewtopic.php?f=6&t=111440 - there's also some reports of weaseling so I'd expect any recommendation even from the equivalent of DfT THINK to result in denied cover.