Bicycle tour through the Netherlands

I love riding my bike. On weekends, going for a bike ride is a regular part of my leisure program. The nature is simply the perfect balance to my stressful work weeks.
This hobby gave me an idea: Why not explore other countries by bike as well?
So, I spontaneously planned a bicycle tour through the Netherlands for my last summer vacation. I will tell you what exactly I did and how I liked it in this blog post.

Reasons to choose a bicycle vacation in the Netherlands

I have always wanted to visit the Netherlands - and the country is perfect for cycling as well. So, it was ideal for my first "experiment" with this type of vacation format.

Reasons why I chose the Netherlands:

• - Nationwide bicycle paths/routes which can be accessed via route.nl (for those who prefer reading analog maps, I recommend the following bicycle guide here)

• - The option to bring your own bicycle on the train to the Netherlands
  If you do not own a bicycle or do not want to bring your own, you can check out List n ride for example. They offer a wide selection of bicycles. I personally have not used the service yet, but some of my friends have rented bicycles through the platform and were satisfied.

• - The opportunity to bring your bicycle (at certain times/under specific conditions) on public transportation in the Netherlands, in case you do not want/cannot ride a certain stretch of the route.

As you can see, these are already some very good reasons, in my opinion, to choose a bicycle vacation in the Netherlands.

And then my journey started. The journey by train with my bicycle was no problem. Just make sure to allow enough time at the train station to get the bike onto the wagon without stress.

The Route 

For the route, I chose the LF Waterlinieroute. On the one hand, because it is an already predefined route and therefore easy to find due to good signage. For my first adventure on a bicycle, I did not want to be too daring. ;)

On the other hand, this route passes by beautiful wide rivers and some historical places. I do not want to reveal too much about the route here, as there is a dedicated website for the LF Waterlinie route.
I did not cycle the entire route but chose six partial routes. I started in Beverwijk and ended the route in Dinteloord. The total distance I cycled was 319 km.
The daily stages were demanding but definitely doable. I mostly stayed in accommodations directly along the way. I was not picky: A simple room, which I sometimes shared with other people, was enough for me. If you have higher expectations, you can also book better-equipped hotels. For those who are very adventurous, a tent can also serve as a place to sleep. 

Conclusion 

My personal conclusion about my bicycle vacation experiment is that I absolutely loved it! I don't know why I didn't come up with the idea of trying this type of vacation earlier. But well, better late than never. I think especially the Netherlands offers incredibly many opportunities to explore the country by bicycle. There is definitely something for every level of endurance.
So, get on your bike and head towards the Netherlands :) Have a lot of fun on your bike trip.