This six-day bike holiday is an ideal combination of sporting activity, nature and pure relaxation. In the daytime, roam the Dutch outback. In the evenings, make yourselves at home in a cosy hotel in the welcoming village of Doetinchem. A varied array of shops draws people from miles around. Doetinchem lies in a remote eastern corner of the country in a region known as De Graafschap (The County).
If you want to cycle on the arrival and / or departure day, please request extra days of bicycle rental through the remarks field in the booking form.
Arrival in Doetinchem. Doetinchem is the bustling centre of a remote and sparsely populated region in the Netherlands known as Achterhoek. It’s a pleasant town known for its good assortment of shops offering accessories for the home, fashion, delicatessen, toys etc.
After eating your fill at the breakfast buffet, you will mount your bikes and set off on your first day’s cycling. Beautiful Montferland nature reserve is a promise of deciduous woods and gentle hills. Please be aware that not all of the Netherlands is flat. If you book this holiday you will encounter some undulating terrain. Picturesque villages lie hidden in the woods. In summer, fields of wild flowers are fringed by hedgerows teeming with small wildlife. The town of ’s Heerenberg is very old and will entice you on a walk of exploration. The earthen wall surrounding the old town centre (Muntwal) is still visible near Kasteel Huis Bergh. This moated castle, over five hundred years old, is open to the public and boasts a collection of medieval paintings, coins, manuscripts and arms. The grounds, called Plantage, also merit a visit.
You can also choose to cycle a longer route of 49 km, which will take you to Germany. This route has an extra loop from Stokkum to Elten and the 'Elter hill', from which you will have an beautiful view of the Rhinebridge and valley near Emmerich.
You will start off following a quiet bike track on the banks of the River Oude IJssel. Outside hamlet Laag-Keppel stand a watermill and a Frisian polder mill. They used to belong to the estate dominated by splendid Keppel Castle. You can catch a glimpse of it through the trees. It’s one of the biggest castles in the Achterhoek region. Next you will reach our cultural highlight of the day: the hanseatic town of Doesburg. In the 13th-17th centuries, 150 merchant guilds across northern Europe were united in the Hanseatic League, a trading alliance. Their main aim was to ensure safe passage for travelling merchants. They also helped each other with information, knowledge and contacts. This network generated income, allowing merchants to invest in culture and architecture which explains why Hansa towns, centuries on, are so attractive to tourists. The River IJssel, which emptied into Zuiderzee sea, counted seven Hansa towns on its banks. Completely surrounded by water, lovingly renovated Doesburg is a picturesque place to spend an unforgettable afternoon. Sights abound: the mustard factory museum, the old town hall, the old weighing house, the Rene Lalique glass museum, and much more! Hansa festivities recur in June. After Doesburg you follow the beautiful IJssel valley to the picturesque town of Bronkhorst, the smallest town in the Netherlands that still has a medieval atmosphere.
Via the charming village of Hoog Keppel and the Kruisbergsche forest you cycle back to Doetinchem.
Against a backdrop of ever-changing natural scenery, your day will start by passing through the small village of Zelham. Cycle further through a lovely landscape of meadows, fields, forest areas and estates, interspersed with small towns. The farmland and woodland will never cease to delight you. The village of Hengelo is a nice village for a coffee break. As the sun sets in the evening, put your feet up in your comfortable hotel in Doetinchem.
An alternative, longer route, will take you to Vorden, a village surrounded by beautiful estates, forest and known for Vorden Castle. This route is 56 km in total.
It’s open countryside all the way. Lush pastures, tidy cropfields, charming old farmhouses with colourful country gardens will have you smiling with pleasure. Your pit stops for the day are the villages of Terborg on the River Oude IJssel and Ulft, near the German border. Via the forest at estate Slangenburg you will cycle back to Doetinchem.
Today you also have an option for a longer route, which will take you via the Landfort estate to the Castle and Museum Anholt, just across the border in Germany. This is a route of 65 km.
After breakfast, it’s time to go home.
Starting dates:
Daily from April 1 till September 25.
Price pp | € | |
Double room, breakfast | 600.00 | |
Single room, breakfast | 925.00 | |
Extra night double room, breakfast only | 80.00 | |
Rental bike | € | |
Child bike | 77.00 | |
Hybrid | 91.00 | |
E-bike | 196.00 | |
Extra services | € | |
Bike Breakdown pass | € 5.60 x 5 | 28.00 |
Child seat | € 7.00 x 5 | 35.00 |
Bike theft insurance | € 3.00 x 5 | 15.00 |
E-bike theft insurance | € 6.00 x 5 | 30.00 |
Tag-along bike | € 14.00 x 5 | 70.00 |
Child trailer | € 25.20 x 5 | 126.00 |
Bike helmet | per piece | 10.00 |
SGR | per piece | 5.00 |
Starting point:
Doetinchem
The hotels and the B&B on this trip have been carefully selected for their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. All rooms are en-suite. A list of the accomodation we work with appears below. If a certain accomodation is unable to confirm due to lack of availability, we will try to request a comparable alternative if possible.
When selecting the accomodation, we try to take into account as much as possible a safe and closed bicycle shed. However, we cannot do this with all of them guarantee and this partly depends on the number of bicycles of other guests.
If you don’t bring your own bike, you can rent one from us. Our touring bikes are 24-speed gear. You can find all the information regarding our rental bikes below.
You will find your rental bike waiting for you at your first hotel. The hotel reception staff will give you the keys for your bikes and direct you to the bicycle shed. All bikes are provided with chain locks.
Why the Dutch don't wear helmets!
Our hybrid bikes have 24-gears with hand brakes.
The hybrid bikes are circa 16,5 KG.
The e-bikes have a small electric engine and battery, which can be charged at the hotels. You still have to pedal: it just makes pedaling much easier. Some experience with e-bikes is recommended, as the bikes accelerate faster and are heavier than regular bikes because of the electric engine. The weight of the e-bike is ca. 25 KG. We recommend a minimum height of 160 cm for the e-bike.
For children who are at least 120 cm, we can also arrange bikes (these are 24”or 26” for children that are bigger than 140 cm).
The child bikes come with at least 7-gears and hand brakes.
The maximum body height for a child’s bike is 155 cm.
24" child bike:
26" child bike:
All our rental bikes come with a bell.
All our adult bikes come with hand brakes.
For children up to 30 months old (max. 15 KG) it is possible to rent a front child seat. This is not possible with e-bikes, due to the display.
For children older than 30 months (max. 22KG) it is possible to rent a rear child seat. This is also possible with e-bikes.
Both front- and rear child seats are €5,- per day.
Helmets are not mandatory in the Netherlands, but can be rented for €10,- per piece.
Available sizes: Adult: 54-61 cm, Child: 50-55 cm (only available for children over 5 years).
All our bikes come with both front- and rear lights. You need to push the button on the lamp and it will flash three times. This means that the lights will automatically start working when it gets dark.
When you push again, the lamp will flash one time and the lights will be turned off.
Our bikes come with a defender lock with plug in chain (cable lock that is attached to the regular lock, see picture).
You need to turn the key a bit, take out the pin from the cable lock and attach it to a pole/other bike/fence etc.
When you push the pin back into the regular lock, you need to lock the regular lock as you always do, and both locks will be secured.
1 pannier is included at the 'standard' bikes and the e-bikes.
Height: 42 cm
Depth front to the side: 17 cm
Wide top: 32 cm
Wide down: 23 cm
Volume: 20 liters
It has an easy click-on/click-off system. The panniers are water resistant, so everything will stay dry.
The rental bikes come with regular pedals, so no click-in/SPD pedals.
All our bikes come with a quick release system, which makes it very easy to adjust the height of the saddle and the handle bars.
There is one small puncture kit included, which can be found in the pannier. In case a rental bike has another problem, we always advise you to go to a bike repair shop or call the bike breakdown emergency number which is provided in the travel documents when you book this extra service.
Saddles can be adjusted in height without using any tools, see ‘Quick Release’.
Our saddles don’t come with a gel cover.
Dutch Biketours does not provide water bottles. We can also not guarantee that there are bottle holders on the bikes. You will always receive 1x pannier, so you can always store your water bottle in your pannier.
We have a limited amount of tandem bikes available on request.
Tandem bikes are suitable for two adults only.
The tandem bikes have a frame size of 48 cm.
We mostly use the Victoria Spezial 8.7.
This tandem bike comes with 24-derailleur gears or nuvinci gears.
The height of the handle bars on a tandem bike cannot be adjusted.
We have limited family tandem bikes available on request.
The family tandems have 7-gears and can be used for one adult and one child with a minimum body height of 125 cm.
A tag-along bike is a good option for children between approx. 100 cm and 125 cm, as they can pedal themselves and on their own pace but don’t have to worry about other traffic.
Child trailers can be rented for a maximum of two children who are up to 100 cm (max. 35 KG in total).
We mostly use the XLC Duo 2 child trailer.
Child trailers are not possible in combination with e-bikes.
Mile after wonderful mile of untroubled cycling is what we would wish our clients. However there is a minimal chance of breakdown along the way. If this thought is a nagging worry to you, a Bicycle Breakdown Assistance insurance policy may ease your mind. If you buy this insurance from our partner ANWB pechhulp in advance, their service is as follows. The costs are €4,- per bicycle per day. If your bike breaks down by the roadside an ANWB bicycle repair man will drive to you in his repair van and fix your bike so you can continue your tour. You won’t have to pay him repair costs. If you are cycling on your own bicycle you will be charged for any new spare parts your bike may require. If you are renting a bicycle through Dutch Bike Tours any new parts are at our expense. If it turns out the bicycle cannot be repaired on the spot, or if you can't continue cycling, the repairman can drop you off somewhere in his van. One companion plus bikes may join you in the van.
Do you wish to insure your bike against theft? The cost is € 3,- per day per standard hybrid bicycle.
For an electric bicycle, premium bike or racing bike: € 6,00 per day per bicycle.
Please see the General Terms and Conditions for Bicycle Hire and Insurance.
If a rental bike gets stolen or damaged, we will hold the client responsible.
If your insurance does not cover this event, you will have to pay the costs yourself.
Article 1 Bike Rental Price
The bike rental price is determined by the rates mentioned on the Dutch Bike Tours website at the time of the booking; or as subsequently agreed.
Article 2 Payment
a. The rental price and any other due sums regarding the rental agreement must be paid before the bike is handed over to you.
b. If, for whatever reason, you cannot make use of the bike(s) you have rented, Dutch Bike Tours will not be held responsible for any resulting expenses or damage.
c. In the case of the article 2b, the client remains obliged to pay the full rental price and any other amounts mentioned in the invoice, in accordance with our General Terms and Conditions of Booking, unless the client can prove that his not being able to use the bike was the consequence of a defect that was already present at the beginning of the rental period.
Article 3 Rental Period
a. The rental period runs from the morning of the first cycling day (day 2) to the end of the holiday (the departure day), as stated in the booking confirmation.
b. Extension of the rental period is possible only after approval by us and according to the (extension) rates as mentioned in article 1.
c. No refunds are possible after the rental period begins. If you return the bike(s) to us before the end of your holiday, the rental agreement will automatically be terminated and you will not get any of your money back.
d. At the end of the last cycling day of your holiday, the bike(s) must be returned to the hotel from where it was/they were issued, no later than the time stated in the booking confirmation.
If you book a one way tour tour you can leave the bike at the last hotel of the trip.
e. If the bike(s) is /are not returned by the return time stated in the booking confirmation, we will continue to charge you rent until such time as the bike(s) is/are returned to us or is/are received by us. In the event of late return, the rates as mentioned in article 1 will continue to apply, plus a fine of €25 per day. We also reserve the right to demand payment for any costs and/or damages suffered by us due to late return of our rental bike(s).
f. Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, in the event of late return of our rental bikes, we reserve the right to dissolve the rental agreement without judicial intervention and immediately claim back our bicycles where ever they may be and from whomever has them. Dutch Bike Tours also holds this right in the event that the client does not comply with any of the other conditions stated in this rental agreement.
Article 4 Improper Use
a. The bicycle(s) may only be used for its/their intended purpose and only by the cyclists listed in the rental agreement.
b. The bike(s) must be returned to us in the same (clean!) state in which you received it/them.
c. You must take excellent care of the bicycle(s), as if it/they were your own. You must take every precaution against damage, loss or theft.
d. The bicycle may not be used on the beach; or on sandy paths in the dunes unless a paved path is unavailable.
Article 5 Damage, Loss and Theft
The renter will be held responsible for damages to or loss of the bicycle(s) or parts of it, as well as bicycle keys and chains and locks, for such an amount as is determined by us according to standard market prices. You must understand that you are not insured for damage to the bicycle(s) or for any damages to third parties.
Article 6 Theft Insurance
It is possible to purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance. Covered are: damages arising out of the theft of the bicycle; and damages to the bicycle as a consequence of the theft. Not covered are: theft of bicycle parts; and damages arising out of attempted theft.
Article 7 Theft Insurance Premium
a. The premium for Bicycle Theft Insurance is € 3,00 per day per standard hybrid bicycle. For an electric bicycle € 6,00 per day as well for a Premium bike and racing bike.
The number of insurance days is the same as the number of cycling days as stated in our booking confirmation.
Article 8 Liability in the Event of Theft
a. If you did not purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance from us before the start of the holiday, you will be held fully accountable for the sum determined by us according to standard prices.
b. If you did purchase Bicycle Theft Insurance from us, but you failed to lock the wheel lock and failed to produce the original wheel lock key and failed to produce an official theft report drawn up by the police, you will still be held fully accountable for the sum determined by us according to standard prices.
Article 9 Costs During the Rental Period
Any charges and taxes regarding the rental bicycle(s), such as fines and ferry tickets, are to be paid by you. You will also be required to pay all costs ensuing from the use of the bicycle(s) such as parking fees, maintenance and repairs.
5 Nights included
3/4 Star Hotels
Tourist tax included
Breakfast included
Detailed roadbooks with maps and tourist information
The possibility of renting our bikes
7-days a week service-hotline
Doetinchem
Parking possibilities at the hotel
GPS-tracks availible
Any ferry crossings are not included
Nearest Airports nare Flughafen Düsseldorf (DUS) or Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
The train from Dusseldorf to Doetinchem departs 1 time per hour. Travel time is about 2 hours. A single ticket costs approx €30,- per person excl. bicycle.
The train from Schiphol to Doetinchem departs 2 times per hour. Travel time is about 1.45 hour. A single ticket costs approx €23,- per person excl. bicycles.
For timetables and tickets, go to www.ns.nl/en. For bus details, how to reach the hotel, check: www.9292.nl/en.
This was our first ever cycling holiday. We had a trouble free experience with DBT. The quality of the accommodation, bicycles, route plans and communication with the company through MyDBT were all excellent. We will be returning in the future.
Wonderful four days cycling in Gelderland