Guest book
Welcome to our guest book! Do you have any questions, comments and suggestions about this site? Have you found a broken link? Do you want to tell us about your cycling experiences in Holland? We'd love to hear what you have to say. Please leave a message, or contact us at info@holland-cycling.com.
To avoid spam and irrelevant messages, this page is moderated. This means your message won't appear immediately.

Stephen Blagg
Hi Hilary,
Your website has been the best resource that I have found while preparing for a tour in early May. A friend and I will be riding from Amsterdam to Vendun via Venlo, then we will return to Amsterdam by train from Virton (BE). Though we have not ridden in Holland before, we were attracted by the cycle-friendly culture in your country. Last year we toured Spain, and seldom saw another bicycle. One thing that is confusing in your region is the many different railroads with different rules for bikes. I was gratified to see your post concerning the IC Direct trains allowing bicycles starting in “mid-2017”. Do you know if a specific start date has been established for this service?
Thanks…………Steve Blagg

Hilary Staples
I agree that the rules for taking bikes on the various international trains can be pretty confusing. To help cyclists on their way we give an overview of the rules for the various companies on our Getting to Holland by rail page.
So far I have not been able to find an exact date concerning the IC Direct trains. I doubt "mid-2017" will be in time for your tour early May, but you could contact Dutch Rail if you want to be sure.

cath dixon
Thank you for such good concise information. I am hoping to bring my family for a cycling holiday in April and was worried about cycling from the Europort (from Hull) to Rotterdam - you have reassured me that it is safe to bring my children and that I can get a good map (and which to buy). Thank you for such good information.

Ydel Zuriel
Thank you very much for the cycling information. Do you have other city pages or planning to add other city pages ? How do I get notifications for new update ? I don't have any idea about RSS feeds subscriptions.

Hilary Staples
Hi Samuel,
City pages
We only provide city pages for the four major Dutch cities, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. Information for cycling in other cities can be found on our general pages on bike rental, guided bike tours, day trips, getting around etc.
How to follow us
To get notifications for new updates on our site you can use our RSS feed. To use RSS feeds, you will need to install a RSS Feed reader or an add-on to your browser. Each RSS Feed reader is a little different. Each one has a different process to subscribe to feeds. For more information, you can visit: rss-tutorial.com/rss-how-to-subscribe-to-feeds.htm.
We always post our new articles on Facebook and Twitter. You can also follow us there.

Samuel Wanyoike
Hi Hilary Staples,
Very helpful information on your website, thank you.
I'm a cycling enthusiast from East Africa, I do road and off road cycling on my Saracen 26" bike. I would love to do cycling in Holland sometime. Can you kindly connect me with a club or an individual I can share this interest with. I have never been to Europe before.
Regards,
Samuel Wanyoike

Hilary Staples
Hi Samuel,
If you Google 'Wielerclub' or 'Wielervereniging' you will find clubs in the city of your choice and their contact information. Good luck!

Mike Jackson
Are tandems included in bikes that can now be transported on Dutch trains?

Hilary Staples
Hi Mike,
You are allowed to take a tandem on the regular trains of Dutch Rail (NS), which run on most of the main train lines, under the same conditions as those for taking a regular bike. Our experience is that a tandem will just about fit.
However, you are not allowed to take a tandem on some of the local lines that are serviced by other companies. So check out the website of the train operator you're travelling with.
Also see: Getting around Holland by rail

Francesca Wilson
Amazing service
I would like to thank the lovely young man at the red information point (bike services) outside Central Station Amsterdam opposite the ibis hotel for his assistance on Monday 12th September 2016 approximately 2/3pm.
The young man went over and beyond to help myself and my group as our rental bike was taken away as we did not chain the bike in the correct location.
He spent time guiding us in the right direction, allocated the bike office in Sloterdijk, he helped us call the office and we were getting no where however he took control of the situation and spoke to someone at the Sloterdijk bike office so we knew the bike was there. He then helped us find a route via public transport and also he wrote down the address and transport route for our reference.
I would like to thank the charming and charismatic young man for all this help as we would have missed our flight if it was not for his helpfulness.
There were 2 men 1 older white gentleman who was always smiling and the charming helpful young black gentleman.

Hilary Staples
Hi Francesca,
Amsterdam has strict rules about where bikes may or may not be parked. Incorrectly parked bikes are indeed removed. See: Bicycle parking in Amsterdam.
Sorry to hear you had to find out the hard way, but I'm pleased to hear you received such great help from the locals. I hope your helper finds your message.

Fernley Calver
We have just returned from a month touring the Netherlands in our campervan. We downloaded the cycle rides before we left and although we did not plan to we did the six we downloaded. They just happened to be in places we wanted to visit.
Generally we had no difficulty following the routes although occasionally a number was missing but as most junctions had maps we were able to find our way easily. Cities or large towns proved the biggest challenge often because of extensive road works and signs were obscured by lorries of materials. We found in Friesland tourist information provided area maps with all the junction numbers on so we were bale to explore our own routes, other areas maps needed to be bought.
Main reason for the email is to thank you for the site it gave us confidence to give Holland a go in the 28 days we were in Holland we only had one day when we did not ride so thanks.

Christine Homer
Thank you for creating a fantastic, easy to use, very informative website. On Thursday I start cycling from London, UK to the Tulip Fields of Holland via Hoek van Holland ferry - can't wait! Your website has answered all of my questions, provided me with lots of information I didn't have. It is marvellous. Thank you x

Pat Ruys
Hello Hilary & Steven,
I would like to congratulate you both on this amazing web site, its been so informative. It has helped me with my planning of my cycle tour of the Netherlands which I start on Sunday. I will be riding a Dutch bike but still wearing my cycling kit. I'll keep you updated on my travels.
Pat (Melbourne, Australia)

Hilary Staples
Hi Pat,
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Have a great tour.

Ian
Hello Hilary and Steven.
Firstly really great website thank you.
We are planning to ride both the Middleburg and Vlissingen routes. We have the personal choice to take either our full on road bikes (riding respectfully of course) or our mountain bikes. I have google street viewed much of the route and we are still undecided which ones to take. What would you prefer to ride if you had the choice, road or mountain bike ?
Thank you.
Ian Wright

Hilary Staples
Hi Ian,
All our day trips have been made with the traditional Dutch bike (with or without gears) in mind as this is the type of bike that is most readily available. Our routes follow scenic cycle paths that don't always have smooth surfaces suitable for road bikes. So if I had to choose between a road bike or a mountain bike, I would go for the mountain bike.
Have a great time!

Heather and David Dawson
Dear Hilary and Steven
We are from Scotland and coming to the Netherlands in July principally to see Andre Rieu in Maastricht.
We will be bringing our bikes and apart from South Limburg are looking for somewhere to stay for about 4 days to have a look around.
Do you have any ideas for nearer to Amsterdam?
Heather and David

Hilary Staples
Hi Heather and David,
In our Holidays section you'll find some great 4 and 5-day cycling trips nearer to Amsterdam.
At the moment we are working on two new cycle routes both starting in Maastricht. We will be publishing these day trips before the start of the cycling season. So if you're interested in exploring the Maastricht area, check out our our website the coming months.
Have a great time!

Nicholas Vanderstoop
Dear people.
I took a Canadian friend, cyclist on a 900 km trip through Holland from September 14 through October 30 2015. Brilliant, did use your web site as my Garmin did not function very well.
Absolute great country with great people and tops for bicycling.
nico vd Stoop
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada

Edson Moreira
Hello,
I'm attending a conference in Delft this month and as I have a free day, I was planning to ride a bycicle from Delft to Den Haag and then I found your site. This is very nice one and I guess it will be very useful in my planning. I'm from São Paulo, Brazil and riding a bike here is not that easy but things are improving...
Thank you and regards,
Edson

Ludivine
I wanted to say Thanks to this website. I'm a french reader and soon, I'm going to Holland. I love the cycling and your informations are very good. Thanks for this.
Sorry for my english language...Ludivine.

Highlander
hi! I'll be travelling to see the tour de France in the zeeland near the finish line. I've got few questions:
1- is the map on the website official?
2- I'll be travelling by train with my bicycle on the saterday (early in the day) to middleburg. will I have problems crossing over the neeltje jans that day will they be travel restrictions?
3- will it be possible to find a camping the satuday (day before race)??
thank you
cant wait!

Hilary Staples
1. No, the map on our website is not an official map. We offer a cycle route that follows stage 2 of the Tour. The Tour itself uses the main roads where you're normally not allowed to cycle.
2. Your best option is to find accommodation on Walcheren, the south side of the Oosterscheldedam. As the Tour arrives at Neeltje Jans from the north, the southern part of the dam is least likely to be closed off. To be sure, I'd check out the Tour de France website.
3. I recommend reserving your accommodation as early as possible.
Hope you have a great time!

Kurt G.
HOI and sincere greetings to Hilary & Steven at HOLLAND-CYCLING.COM, and also to all fans and followers of this website! I'm a 'middle aged' male from the UK and a very keen general cyclist, including touring cycling. I am a big big fan of this website and what it stands for, and a big fan of the Netherlands and it's culture generally - what an interesting (and often underated) nation it is! I only wish that the UK, and other english speaking nations around the world, could enjoy the same level of top quality cycling infrastructure, culture, and government investment in real everyday cycling needs and safety!
Over the last few months since discovering, I have been helping to 'spread the word' about this great and very informative website of very useful information, that I sense many visiting tourists (and especialy those new to cycling) will find invaluable to make the most of their cycling adventures in the Netherlands!
As someone in the UK who has done a little cycling campaigning from time to time, I am very aware throughout the UK just how poor infrastructure can be, which in turn discourages people from regular cycling (which all too often means sharing busy integrated motor traffic roads). It is sad that many people are discouraged from regular cycling in their own home countries, because they are not aware of just how good and safe regular everyday cycling can be in highly motivated nations like the Netherlands (not just "holland" but the whole of the Netherlands!), which is why I was only too glad to help by bringing this great site to the attention of such unaware cyclists :o)
Not only is the Netherlands a great liberal and motivated people orientated nation that is well worth experiancing for ones self, but also it is only by directly experiencing such excellent standards of cycling needs, that other people can be inspired to campaign at home for equally good investment in well planned infrastructure, and facilities for cyclists, and especially so over the needs of damaging motor vehicles.
Although I am UK born I do have a hint of 'oranje' in me, which is possibly the reason why cycling is important to me and also second nature to me. Yet there were still some things I have learnt from this website, that will be put to good use when I take my bike to NL for the first time next year (2015)! I'm also a keen nature photographer, and like very much the picture galllery here. I like a little 'bicycle art' with my information :o)
I find that the best websites out there, are the ones written and produced by individual people themselves who care about what they are giving to the world, as opposed to a profit making organisation or company... so well done Hilary and Steven for giving us this website!! "It's really Gouda!" :o)
Kurt in the UK, and his trusty bike "Silver"!

Monty West
Hi, I've moved to Holland this year and I'm really enjoying the cycling - your website has provided some great information but I have one question: what gps can you recommend for cycling in NL? I use my Garmin Nuvi in my car all the time and it saves a lot of map-reading. I'd like to be able to download cycle routes e.g. some of your gpx files.
Thanks, Monty

Hilary Staples
Hi Monty,
Any Garmin GPS should do, as long as it has the option to save a route. The Garmin Oregon600 is supposed to be user friendly as it works the same way as a smartphone.
Should you want to try before you buy: for a small fee you can rent the Oregon600 via one of the Bever outdoor shops. See: http://www.bever.nl/index.cfm/fuseaction/pages.service/sub/verhuur (in Dutch).

Jay R
My wife and I are traveling from Portland, Oregon, USA. We have a trip planned to bike one-way between Amsterdam and Bruges. Sept 3-12.
It seems quite easy, EXCEPT for concerns about the wind. What is the predominant wind direction? We are thinking going Bruges to Amsterdam - and hope to have the wind at our back. Is this correct?
PS: Great site in English - !

Hilary Staples
Hi Jay,
The prevailing wind in Holland is West to South West. See our page: When to go. So going from Bruges to Amsterdam gives you the best chance of having the wind from behind.
Enjoy your trip. It's a lovely route.

Robert Reynolds
Hello,
Last month (June) a friend and I spent two amazing weeks cycling Holland with the help of this wonderful sites resources. We had not one problem and info provided here on this site assured us one memorable trip! I've recommended this site (and cycling in the Netherlands ) to many cycling friends. Thank you!
Robert

anna
Hi there !
I am going to do Zuiderzee Route this summer! I need some help! At first I'd like to know if July is a good month for one week bike travel ? Won't it be very hot? At second how much will cost the rent of bike for me for one week? And at last I've heard that Zuiderzee Route isn't very difficult..I mean there are no hills or mountains...is it true ?
I am not professional and not very...sportive girl ))))))))))))))))))))
Thanks in adv

Hilary Staples
Hi Anna,
Obviously I can't give any predictions how warm it is going to be this July - you can be lucky or unlucky. The average temperature in July is around 23 degrees Celcius, which is great for cycling! See: When to go. Usually there's a breeze around the Zuiderzee, so even on really hot days, it can feel quite cool and be very pleasant for cycling. On days like this you catch more sun than you realise, so be careful to drink enough and protect yourself against the sun.
Renting a touring bike with gears for a week will cost about 75 euro. You can rent a bike without gears for less, but the added benefits of a good bike with gears by far outweigh the difference in price. You're right, Holland is flat (though you will have to cycle up some dykes) and the great thing is that you don't need to be a sportive girl to cycle here! Just do as many kilometres a day as you feel happy with and enjoy the lovely countryside and sights along the route. That's what we do!

Ben
I can't tell you enough how helpful this website is. I'm from Australia and coming over in August for a wedding. I really wanted to bring my own bike with me but it's way too much hassle, especially given how easy it should be for me to hire a bike over there!
Anyways keep up the awesome work!
Ben

Itzik Yoffe
We, a couple at the age of 60, plan to visit Holland on August 2014 for about a week. We'll have a car and carry our own bikes. The enormous availability of bicycle trails is confusing so it is very difficult to plan.
I'd request your recommendations for up to 10 daily trips (every day separate), 60-90 Km each, that will allow us to see the most beautiful landscape and monuments.
Thanks,
Itzik Yoffe

Hilary Staples

sharon
Thank you for a great site. This is first time I am visiting and there is just so much useful and relevant info in one place. Excellent! It would have taken me several cycling trips to holland to discover all of this. I feel inspired and enabled to plan a longer cycling holiday in Holland for the summer. Thank you :)

Greg Geddes

Hilary Staples
Hi Greg,
Yes, this is allowed, but you do pay an additional fee for this service - at the moment this is 10 euro. There are some restrictions:
- You can't return the bike to smaller train stations with a self-service system.
- Only regular bikes are allowed to be dropped off at a different location - electric bikes are excluded
Cycling from train station to train station is an excellent way of exploring Holland. And if you plan your journey well, you always have the wind from behind!

Carla
What a beautiful website. You definitely know how to propagate the joy of cycling in Holland!