hbo6

Hello. Will be in Amsterdam May 2023. Interested in cycling in Amsterdam Noord. Is this a bicycle path to follow? A map to follow? Or a bicycle tour to take? Would appreciate any advice!

bilboburgler

The whole country is networked by a massive spidersweb of cycle paths. Lots of apps exist and maps are posted along the routes ( though fewer than before). Where paths do not exist, roads do and Dutch driving around cycles is exemplary.

menachem

Hello back. Amsterdam Noord and Waterland are great destinations for an afternoon's worth of biking. It's a beloved area and you can make use of the Junction Network, which are numbered points on the map that you can follow from point to point.

I really recommend cycling out from the Buiksloterweg landing of the ferry across from Central Station. Nieuwendammerdijk gets you to Durgerdam, with a coffeestop at Cafe 't Sluisje in Nieuwendam, and then from Durgerdam you can cycle into Waterland via Ransdorp en Zunderdorp and then return via Buiksloterdijk back to the ferry.

Here's a link to an excellent Dutch biketrip planner (google maps has a preference for cycle ways alongside car roads) and you can switch on the junction markers and note down the numbers on a piece of paper and cycle from point to point.
https://en.routeplanner.fietsersbond.nl/

The route I described above would be: 46 - 47 - 44 - 43 - 42 - 40 then 39 - 38 - 36 back to the ferry in Noord. There's a map at every junction, so you can locate yourself, and change your route to another junction if you want. Apart from 't Sluisje, there's a very nice cafe in Durgerdam and a frites place in Zunderdorp. Many people have little courtesy coffeestops along the way, where you'll often find a bench and even a filled thermos with coffee if you're lucky. A great area for casual cycling

menachem

I forgot to mention that signs pointing to your next route number are abundantly present, so you only need to follow the signs to tick off the junctions on your route. I hope you get to do it, because Waterland in spring is beautiful: the first wave of migratory birds is settling in the pastures and it's a sight to behold.

hbo6

Menachem, Thank you so much for the wealth of information! Sorry so late in replying. I was reading in a tour book that there are two bike rentals near the Central Train Station...Star Bikes and Macbike. There will be six of us biking so would it be wise to reserve the bikes in advance?

hbo6

Another quick question.....will we see windmills on the bike trek?

bilboburgler

Turbines yes

There are some famous historic windmills (use google maps) and one about 500 metres south of 36 Krijtmolen d'admiraal

menachem

Call them the day before. Macbikes has a good reputation. There's also a bike rental at the northern end of the ferry and it's this one. https://bikerentalamsterdamnorth.nl/en/home/

The good thing about renting in "Noord" is that you can drop of your bikes on the way back to the ferry and you'll be done.

menachem

D'Admiraal is good example of an 18th century industrial mill, so if you have a chance to visit it, please do!