I’m going to be working in Amsterdam in mid October, and was thinking of heading off cycle touring from there. No idea where to go, but there seems to be a string of islands round the coast just north of amsterdam which look promising.

Anyone done any touring over there? Suggested routes? Is it worth it, or will the flatness be rather boring? (I generally prefer biking up / down hills, but thought that flat coast might be a nice contrast for a while from my usual riding in the mountains of Snowdonia).

I did cycle to Amsterdam many years ago. It was meant to be a week cycling around France, Belgium, Germany & the Netherlands but once I got to Amsterdam the time just kind of disappeared until I only had time to cycle back to the ferry in France 😀

I did not encounter any hills but the ride up the coast & inland was not boring to me. I like the fantastic cycle network in the Netherlands (not so good in Belgium & I now hate cobbles with a passion). The coast was very picturesque, I found all the dams & bridges quite interesting and the odd ferry ride gave me an excuse to take a rest & enjoy the sea breeze. The sea breeze was not enjoyed when cycling into it though. Riding along the canals was nice too.

Thinking about it I loved the whole trip, pretty much everyone I met was very friendly & the campsite in Amsterdam was a lot of fun. Why am I sat here at work when I could be lazing in Amsterdam for the whole summer? Maybe I had a little too much weed while I was there…..

We spent a fortnight riding around the netherlands last summer – up to the islands and down the east as well as to the west coast.

The cycle network is great but there are 3 different systems in use that gets confusing. The best is the green boards at junctions that mark a network of scenic local routes. Thats the one we used mainly. There are also long distance routes and local direct routes that get confusing

email me and I might be able to find some route planning websites and stuff.

Photos from our trip. North from amsterdam to the main dyke across to the north, ferry to the islands, cycle back down south east and return to Amsterdam then cycle out to the coast