We'll be travelling to Cologne, Haarlem, Bruges, and Paris this May with my family, including two sons ages 5 and 7. I'm interested in renting bikes and exploring these towns on two wheels. There are plenty of bike rental places around...but I need more practical info. Such as: are bike rentals for children under 12 readily available? Is it insane to think of biking round trip from Haarlem to/through the Keukenhof fields with our young sons? Are those Paris bike tours too strenuous for kids their age?

Thanks!

I'd be more concerned about their riding on the roads - don't assume all those tours take place on cycle paths (and even cycle paths are often just a painted strip of the road). Do you really want a 5 year old, let alone a 7 year old, riding through the traffic of a major city?

Actually, thinking about it, I have seen families on these tours with the little kids on special tandom type bikes with an adult, so you could look for a tour with those.

Thanks nona1. Cyling on the road (as opposed to a bike path) was my concern as well. After I posted this question, I thought a tandem bike would be a better solution, especially since our kids are so little. I think I'll check out tandem bikes. Ciao!

Hey NThea - have you decided about renting bikes. I will be interested to hear about your experiences if you did (or your thought process if you didn't). Looking forward to your trip report!

Have a look at http://www.bikeplanet.nl/kids.shtml. It's in Dutch but gives you an idea of whats available.