so bored

ram038

Want to get away for a long weekend. Is it worth the effort to get a ferry over to Calais and cycle along coast North to holland for 3 days? Is there anything to see and do, only asking as I have never been to France\Holland before. I want to do a short trip as a test for future longer tours . will only take backpack as I want to travel light.

Snudge

As I recall, there are some excellent cycle tracks all along the coast of Holland if you manage to get up there. They were paved, car-free and just magic! Just googled this:-
http://www.sustransshop.co.uk/products/ ... etherlands. I think you could probably do with more time, though those Benelux countries are quite small (you can cycle to the highest points of 3 countries in an afternoon - about 60 miles) and generally very cycle-friendly.

tim_f

Did some thing like this last August bank holiday weekend + a few days

Day 1 left work early and got train on to Kent.

Day 2 got boat Dover - Bologne and in th eafternoon did a loop up to Belgium / French Border. Camped town innland from Dunkirk. (route was simiular but not identitical to north Sea Cycle route)

Day 3 followed Canals across Belgium via Bruges and in to Holland.

Day 4 follwed North sea cycle route up coast ip[ past Hook of Holland and camped inland from Den Hague.

Day 5 cycled up coast to Ijumden (on the coast near Amstermdam ) and got overnight boat back to Newcastle.

Day 6 cycled from boat to work.

Did about 550 KM cyclling.

From London or south eat one could have a good trip with this timetable

Day 1 get boat to france and cycel to beligum border.

Day 2 cycle accross Belgium.

Day 3 cycle up to the Hook of Holland and get late boat to Harwich.

But trip merits a couple more days.

How hard such a trip is depends on the wind direction. Lots of exposed dams to cross in the south of Holland.

Flavio

If you want to travel light you should use no backpack; small rear bags and a front handlebar bag have space for small luggage and make the trip much more comfortable!

No rear rack? Use a big saddle bag + a big handlebar bag.

Weights on your body make cycling terrible

geoff_ss

Flavio wrote:

If you want to travel light you should use no backpack; small rear bags and a front handlebar bag have space for small luggage and make the trip much more comfortable!

No rear rack? Use a big saddle bag + a big handlebar bag.

Weights on your body make cycling terrible

Completely agree. Small/medium panniers or saddle bag is infinitely preferred - let the bike carry the load. I don't like handlebar bags much but they are very useful for the personal stuff - wallet, passport, tickets, camera etc and easily detached when you leave the bike.

The old Felixstowe/Zeebrugge crossing was good for a short, inexpensive trip at this time of year. I think it's long discontinued, sadly.

Geoff