changemaven

We are planning a 3 week trip starting in Bruges 3 nights, then train to Netherlands for 8-9 days, then train to Loire Valley for self-guided bike trip ending with 4 days in Paris. From what we read April weather is iffy and we wonder if we should book a self-guided cycle trip or base somewhere and take day trips and day/cycle trips when its not raining. We timed this trip to arrive in hope for cycling around the tulip fields. The parade seems to fall within our time in Netherlands, which will be April 18 or 19 until April 27.
Here are our questions:
- where would we base ourselves (1-3 locations, one being Amsterdam for at least 3 nights) so we can cycle early morning to the tulip fields (photographer here). And want to see the parade on the weekend of Apr 25)
- would those more experienced recommend a self-guided tour or day trips from a base? It looks easy enough to do.
- Or best to base in one place for the whole time?? This is our first trip to NL.
thanks in advance

PalenQ

In any case bike from the southwest to northeast as winds often blow in that direction - going the other way can be tough with wind in your face. I say this based on leading bike tours for years in Holland and prepare for wet weather not the ideal cycling time IME but you never know th weather could be nice too - but this is a sea climate and weather can change quickly.

why not bike from Bruges to Holland - you can bike easily from Bruges to a ferry to southern Holland and go from there.

bilboburgler

This route might interest you. http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/North_Sea_Route.php start at Brugge

As P says cycle with the wind, the place is so @@@@ flat you don't want to go West.

menachem

I'd forget about cycling from Brugge to NL. It's serious trekking. For the tulip fields, Leiden, Katwijk or Noordwijk are ideal. Noordwijk aan Zee has swanky beach hotels, and lots of places where you can rent cycles.

bilboburgler

"Brugge to NL. It's serious trekking" well it is flat, with the wind, always on tarmac and only very occasionally on what could be described as a road in say rural France, nearly all the route is on bike paths off the road. Along the route you will find loads of services, maps stuck-up on poles and even ferries designed to take bikes. If you are unfit like me, I'd take 3 days to get from Brugges to Rotterdam, the central Zeeland islands lack trains to help you beat the bike but you could go around the islands on the trains and just do say a day on bikes.

bilboburgler

A long weekend not serious trekking

menachem

I do a lot of long distance biking, and I don't think it's a casual or "easy" thing.

We don't always have south westerly winds. What if on their chosen days it's north easterly? Then, immediately, it becomes a different proposition.

I've pulled up a route from Brugge to Amsterdam via Zeeland (the preferable route): that's 215 km, and, once you're past Middelburg, you're commited for about 90 km, until you can take a train from Rotterdam.

That would be 70km/day if you do it in 3 days, which is twice the distance casual cyclists find comfortable. I regularly cycle 90/day, for training I do "long rides" of about 150km, so 70km doesn't scare me.

But in reality, you're looking at 5 days of cycling if you want to do the whole distance: that's with stops and detours and leisurely lunch, so it looks like a holiday instead of hard work.

bilboburgler

Well, checking Google, it's 152km and over 3 days it seemed ok to my old bones

Yes the wind can come other directions but generally it doesn't and it is flat

hetismij2

bilbo - are you checking cycle routes or roads? Most roads do not allow cyclists on them, and even if they do are not necessarily an attractive proposition for a cyclist, certainly not for one with luggage.
Unless OP is bringing their own bike then it is pointless talking of cycling from Brugge to the Netherlands anyway, since they would have to return the bikes to Belgium.

packinglighttravel

If you're interested in guided tours, I can recommend Cycletours' Southern Relax Tulip Tour )bike and barge) and April would be the perfect month for seeing the tulips in the fields in their glory. We went in early May and missed them because spring came early. Here's a detailed review of my trip last spring:
http://packinglighttravel.com/cyclin...ike-and-barge/
Good luck.

Sue_xx_yy

There are bikes for hire at Keukenhof, the famous tulip garden. You can't ride inside Keukenhof itself, but you could certainly get out to see the fields on itineraries ranging from 3 to 15 miles. The tulips in the fields will be on their own schedule which is hard to predict. Don't, in other words, have your heart set on seeing them, take it as a bonus.

We biked out to the dunes from Haarlem, a nice half day trip.

This is not a trip you do by bike in a couple of hours from Amsterdam. It is a full day round trip by bike from Haarlem - (where there are also bikes to rent.)

This comes courtesy of poster 'spaarne' and details his cycle trip with a friend from Haarlem to Keukenhof and return.

http://www.enjoy-europe.com/travelog/Keukenhof2008.htm

We biked around Brugges using bikes from our hotel. There are good day trip options supposedly as well from Brugges, but we didn't take these.