Calais to Amsterdam

nicolaclare7

I live in Manchester, and the other day a friend suggested we get a Ferry to Calais, and ride to Amsterdam at the end of our Uni year in May. I'm not a hard-core biker, but I have a bike, plenty of enthusiasm for the idea and already excercise about 4 times a week. I'm looking for any advice, pointers, go heres or don't go theres, and whether giving ourselves 3 weeks is about enough time?

Tourist Tony

Well, there is a cycle route along the Belgian coast signposted all the way to the Dutch border, and a similar route all along the Dutch coast (with the odd ferry crossing) as part of the North Sea Cycle Route.
From Calais ferry port, follow the sliproad signposted off to the right "Centre Ville" then straight across the roundabout into the industrial area. Take the second right (Route de Gravelines) and cross the motorway on a humped bridge. A network of quiet lanes takes you via le Fort Vert and Oye Plage to Gravelines, a fortified town. Past Gravelines is an unpleasant two-mile straight south of an aluminium plant and you then go through the middle of Loon Plage. Short bit of main road after LP and into Grande Synthe. Cycle routes through edge of Dunkerque to turn North to Rosendael and then onto minor roads to Zuydcoote (campsites). There is a pub to the South of Zuydcoote that does food.
Quiet roads to Bray Dunes and into Belgium (pub just after border), turn up to De Panne (cycle path). Look for coastal cycle route signs, which are pale blue-green on white, about A4 size. Belgian cycle routes vary in surface quality from superb to utter crap. There are a LOT of block surfaced bits, so skinny tyres can suffer.
This will take you through Nieuwpoort Carry on along coast to Zeebrugge and Knokke-Heist. At extreme end of K-H beach is cycle path up to giant statue of hare. Do a loop around that and go on cycle route through woods past Het Zwin nature reserve to "International Dijk" and cycle path to Cadzand in Holland. Follow coast to Breskens, ferry to Vlissingen. There are a choice of routes to Amdam from there.

Tourist Tony

PS when I did this in April, it took me two days to get from Calais to Cadzand. Three weeks is more than enough time. I would suggest you vary the route above and take in places like Brugge.

JoeLonghair

Dont know what you are doing for sleeping, but there are cheap Hotels, all over Europe, should book in advance as often they are full, called Formule 1
http://www.hotelformule1.com/formule1/index.html
about 39 e for up to 3 to sleep. I usually wait till dark, enter my code in and wheel the bike up in the room when I have to stay in town etc