Are you coming to Holland by road? Whether you can bring your bicycle or not will depend on the mode of transport you choose.

Holland is easily accessible by car road from all over Europe. Photo © Holland-Cycling.comHolland is easily accessible by car road from all over Europe. Photo © Holland-Cycling.com

Bicycle

All cycle routes lead to Holland - that’s what the Dutch like to think. So why not come to Holland by bicycle? You can use the European cycle network to travel to Holland from all over Europe. European cycle routes that go through Holland connect with the national long-distance cycle network (LF routes).

European cycle routes passing through Holland
European cycle route Dutch section
From - to
North Sea Cycle Route (EuroVelo 12) LF Coastal Route Cadzand-Bad - Bad Nieuweschans (continues along the North Sea Coast through Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Scotland, England, Belgium)
Vechtdal Route LF16 Zwolle - Darfeld (Germany)
Europaradweg R1 LF Coastal Route, LF4 Cadzand-Bad - Zwilbrock (Germany)
Rhine Cycle Route (Eurovelo 15) Rhine Cycle Route Hook of Holland - Millingen (continues through Germany, France and Switzerland to the source of the River Rhine)
Meuse Cycle Route (EuroVelo 19) LF Maas Cycle Route Hook of Holland - Maastricht (continues through Belgium and France to the source of the River Maas)
Limes Cycle Route Limes Cycle Route Katwijk - Millingen (continues along the 'Limes' - the northern border of the Roman empire - through Germany, Austria, Hungary and Rumania to the Black Sea)
Van Gogh Route idem Nuenen - Amsterdam - The Hague - Dutch border near Breda (continues via Antwerp and Brussels to Paris)
St. Jacobs Cycle Route idem Haarlem - Dutch border near Breda (continues through Belgium, France and Spain to Santiago de Compostela)

Holland-Cycling.com focuses on cycling in Holland. This includes the international routes that cross Dutch territory. It is beyond the scope of this website to give an extensive overview of all European cycle routes. There are some other sites that will help you on your way.

Useful websites with more on the European cycle network

Europafietsers (part English, part Dutch) is a website by Dutch cycling enthusiasts, that gives a lot of practical information on all European cycle routes. The site offers a very useful map with a network of all European cycle routes. It is a good starting point to planning your route. You can click on the routes for more information. Unfortunately, this is where the English information stops. Don’t let this put you off. You don’t need any knowledge of the Dutch language to pick out some useful information, such as length of route and titles of guide books or maps.

EuroVelo is a project of the European Cyclists’ Federation to develop a network of cycling routes that connect the whole of Europe. The network is to be substantially completed by 2020. The EuroVelo website gives a useful map with all their routes, so you can see all the options. For each route there are links to maps and guides, as well as ready-made tours.

Car

Holland is easily accessible by car from all over Europe. Use a route planner to find the best route to your destination. If you’re coming by car, bringing your bicycle shouldn’t be any problem.

Finding a safe place to park your car while you're doing a tour of several days or weeks can be a bit difficult. Some hotels will allow you to leave your car on their premises while you are away. It's best to arrange this with your hotel in advance. Usually you'll be charged a fee for this service. Please note that parking - especially in the major cities - doesn't come cheap. This is to help bring down the number of cars in the busy city centres. Often it's cheaper and more convenient to leave your car outside the city and go into the centre by bike or public transport.

Properly secure your bike and bike rack at all times! Photo © Holland-Cycling.comProperly secure your bike and bike rack at all times! Photo © Holland-Cycling.com

Bike rack

A bike rack is a very practical way of transporting one or more bicycles. There are a few aspects you might want to consider when purchasing a bike rack:

  • Roof bike rack - fuel increase, height is a consideration, especially when travelling by boat or if you’re coming through the Channel Tunnel
  • Rear trunk mounted rack - boot space not accessible
  • Rear mounted rack - relatively big to store when not in use

Coach

If you want to come to Holland by coach, Eurolines is your most likely choice. Eurolines maintains the most extensive coach service in Europe. It offers cheap tickets to Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and several other Dutch cities from destinations all over Europe. Unless you can fold your bicycle and put it inside a suitcase, they won’t take it on board. Not to worry, renting a bicycle in Holland is easy and not that expensive.