Welcome to all cyclists
So you want to find out more about cycling (holidays) in the Netherlands? Great! Because there is a real cycling culture in the Netherlands. People don’t just cycle for leisure here, but also to get about and commute to work. You will see all kinds of cyclists on the road: office workers with briefcases slung over their shoulders, students with their school bags secured on the back of their bikes, mothers on carrier bikes with their children, dog owners with their pooches in dog trailers. And let’s not forget the many recreational cyclists.
The Netherlands is the perfect place to explore by bike. The country has many cycle paths and signposted cycle routes, the landscape is flat, distances are short and there is lots to see and do along the way. So come visit the Netherlands and get on a bike! This is how our tours work:

 

Information from A to Z

Arrival

Day 1 of your holiday is arrival day, the day you travel to the starting point of your tour. We haven’t planned any cycling on this day. A town selected by us as starting point for a tour is easy to reach by public transport unless otherwise specified. For those arriving by car, a parking place is not possible to reservate. Not all the hotels have free parking spots.

Alternative Starting Point

Should you wish to start your tour at a different town on the route from the one we have assigned as the starting point, this can usually be arranged. However, please keep in mind that it will not always be possible to rent our bikes at an alternative point of departure. Nor is free parking at the hotel guaranteed. Please contact us for further details. 

Bank details

The name and address of our bank is:
ING Bank N.V.
Foppingadreef 7
1000 BV Amsterdam 

Account number: 9679616
IBAN: NL45INGB0009679616
BIC (Swift code): INGBNL2AXXX

Bicycle Hire and Insurance

Do you wish to insure your bike against theft? The cost is € 3,- per day per bicycle.
For an electric bicycle: € 6,00 per day per bicycle. Please see the General Terms and Conditions for Bicycle Hire and Insurance.   

Booking

The easiest way to book your bike holiday, is to fill out our online booking form. But feel free to use e-mail or phone if you prefer. The booking will be definitive and irrevocable as soon as the booking confirmation has been sent to you. Please also read our Conditions of Booking. Should you wish to make changes to your booking, this will be possible up to 14 days before the start of the holiday (if the hotels are still able to accept the changes). We charge €25, - per booking for processing the change irrespective of the number of participants.
If you want to change a Boat Bike tour to a normal bike tour, we will see this as a cancellation of your booking.

Breakdown

We advise that you bring your own puncture kit in case you have to fix a flat tire. For minor repairs you can turn to a bicycle repairman. For anything bigger, call our service hotline.

Bike breakdown pass/Emergency service

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 FietsNED in advance, their service is as follows. The costs are €3 per bicycle per day. If your bike breaks down by the roadside a FietsNED 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.

Cancellation

For individual hotel tours our cancellation terms are as follows:

• cancellation until the 21st day (exclusive) before the start of your bike trip: 15% of the full amount (with a minimum of € 100,-)
• cancellation from the 21st day (inclusive) until the 14th day (exclusive) before the start: 50% of the full amount
• cancellation from the 14th day (inclusive) until the 5th day (exclusive) before the start: 75% of the full amount
• cancellation from the 5th day (inclusive) to the start: 90% of the full amount
• cancellation on the starting day or later: the full amount

For group bookings (10 persons or more) different cancellation terms can apply. 

For bike & boat tours the cancellation costs are different:

• cancellation more then 84 days before the start of your bike trip: 20% of the full amount
• cancellation 84 to 42 days before the start: 30% of the full amount
• cancellation 42 to 28 days before the start: 60% of the full amount
• cancellation 28 to 1 day before the start: 90% of the full amount 
• cancellation on the starting day or later: the full amount 

Children

Some of our bike tours are suitable for families with children. We rent out child bikes, child seats, trailers and trailer-bikes.

Cycle Hire

If you don’t bring your own, you can rent a bicycle from us. Our touring bikes are 24-speed gear.

For € 12,- a day you can hire a 24-speed gear bike.
An e-bike is € 25,- a day.

For photographs, see our website. 

You will receive your rental bike at the start of your holiday and return it before you go home. All bikes are provided with chain locks. 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.

Departure Day

The last day of the holiday is departure day: the day you check out of the hotel and travel home. We have not planned any cycling on this day. Rental bikes will not be available to you on this day. 

Discounts

Children

A child aged 0-2 sharing a room with its parents: free

For a child aged 3-11 sharing a room with its parents: 20% discount For an extra bed in a double room, the third person of 12 years or older gets 10% discount

Groups

For groups of Seven or more, who book a holiday together, Dutch Bike Tours offer group discounts:

• Seven or eight people: 7% off per person

• Nine or more people: 10% off per person.

Extra Nights

It is possible to stay extra nights at any of the hotels on your route at the cost of € 70,- per extra night per person (based on a double room). 

Flexibility

The starting date is flexible: set off any day between April 1st and October 1st. Moreover, your point of departure is also flexible. Should you wish to start your tour at a different town on the route from the one designated by us, this can be arranged. However, please keep in mind that

a) free car parking will not be not possible in all the cities;

b) nor will it be possible to rent our bikes at an alternative point of departure; so bring your own or arrange to rent one elsewhere.

Full Payment

The total amount due must be in our possession 6 weeks before the start of your cycling holiday. The deposit is 15% of the total amount (minimum €100,-) and is due no later than ten days after receipt of our booking confirmation.

Hotels

After a wonderful day’s cycling, there’s nothing like a comfortable and pleasant hotel to top off the experience. We make a point of selecting hotels that have a good atmosphere and ample luxury and comfort. You will stay in hotel rooms with en-suite shower/toilet or bath/toilet. In the booking form you can opt for just bed and breakfast or choose to also have your evening meals at the hotels.

Insurance

For a holiday without a care, you need to set off well insured because in the event of unexpected incidents you’ll want help. Moreover, it is in your best interest to limit your financial risk as much as possible in case of cancellation or other unforeseen circumstance. We recommend to take out a travel insurance at home before your trip starts. We do offer the possibility to take out a cancellation insurance with us. 

Knooppunt (=intersection) signs

For the most part, our tours follow the Knooppunten cycling routes. Holland has an elaborate system of numbered crossroads / intersections with signs for cyclists indicating the way to connecting crossroads. On paper it will look something like this: knooppunt 61 - 70 - 71 - 72 - 73 - 47. When you arrive at intersection 61, another sign will point the way to the next intersection (70) where you will find another sign (71) pointing the way to the next intersection etc. It’s a very good system! Occasionally, these Knooppunten cycling routes run parallel to LF routes. Due to road works or temporary closure of a road it may not always be possible to follow the original routes. Where possible, we will provide you with an alternative route. 

LF Routes

LF cycling routes form an extensive national network and can be identified by special signs. They show you around the Netherlands in all its diversity: natural areas and farmland, as well as pretty towns and villages. The routes follow quiet, safe back roads and segregated cycleways.

Luggage

Your luggage – one suitcase per person (max. 20 kilo) – will be transported by us from hotel to hotel. The luggage is picked up after 9 a.m. and usually delivered to your next hotel before 5 p.m. 
If you wish to bring more luggage, please let us know in advance. This is possible for an extra fee of 5 euro per bag per day. 
We will handle your luggage with care. With normal use scratches, dents and other minor damages of your suitcases can occur. For this, we are not responsible. For large damages you can file a claim with your travel and/or luggage insurance. 

Level

We have cycle tours for cyclists of all ability levels, as our tours have varying degrees of difficulty. 

Distances

We have listed explicitly all the daily cycling distances for each tour. Please study them carefully before you decide on a holiday. Moreover, you may want to take into consideration how much time you want to spend sightseeing in relation to the hours spent cycling. Remember, you can always book an extra night if you need more time to see the sights.

Terrain

Many people presume that the Netherlands are flat. In the west of the country this is indeed the case, with the exception of the dunes all down the coast. However, the east of the country may require slightly more pedal power. The Veluwe area is on a low ridge; and South-Limburg province is known and loved for its rolling landscape. As a rule, if you book a holiday in the east of the country, it’s best to expect a gentle incline or two. 

On the whole, it is hard to predict how cyclists will experience the level of difficulty of their tour. It depends on a range of factors, some of them subjective. To name but a few: 

-Wind direction and speed on a certain day. Headwind or tailwind?

-Weather conditions. Thirty kilometres may feel like longer in the rain. 

-The number of gears on the (rental) bicycle.

-The general level of fitness of the cyclist and how (s)he is feeling on the day.

-The number of consecutive cycling days. 

The classification below should be regarded as a global indication of cycling difficulty levels and is intended only to help compare the tours in this brochure.

Level 1 *

This is an easy cycling trip on relatively flat terrain, suitable for people with little or no cycling experience. Daily cycling distances span roughly 30-50 km.   

Level 2 **

The terrain could be slightly hilly or daily distances are higher (roughly 60 km a day with exceptions until 75 km). It is possible that you will encounter a short incline from time to time. With some cycling experience you should easily be able to handle this level. Daily distances span 30-65 km.   

Level 3 ***

You can expect a journey through hilly terrain with regular climbs, some of them strenuous even to the point of perhaps having to get off and push for a bit. Daily cycling distances span 30-50 km.?
This is the highest level for the flat tours. Terrain is flat but daily distances will raise to a span of 60-100 km.   

Level 4 ****

Hilly to mountainous terrain. Inclines are longer and steeper than in level 3. A good level of physical fitness and a bike with alpine gearing is a must. Daily cycling distances can vary from 30 to 80 km.?  

Level 5 *****
Stages on mountainous terrain with long and heavy climbs. This level is only for really well-trained cyclists. 

Payment

As soon as we can confirm your holiday, we will send you the travel agreement (contract) per e-mail. It will stipulate the sum of your down payment, to be paid immediately. The down payment is 15% of the total price of your holiday plus insurance premium if you want to buy travel insurance. For bike & boat tours the deposit is 30%. The remaining sum is due no later than six weeks before the starting date of your holiday.

After the booking is confimed by us, you will receive the log in information for My DBT, your personal holiday page.

On My DBT you can see a lot of payment options to make it easier for you to transfer the money.

The name and address of our bank is:
ING Bank N.V.
Foppingadreef 7
1000 BV Amsterdam

Account Number: 9679616
IBAN: NL45INGB0009679616
BIC (Swift code): INGBNL2AXXX 

Pets

Most hotels don’t accept pets. If you want to take your dog with you on your holiday, please contact us to discuss the options.

Points of departure

We have assigned an official point of departure to every tour. However, should you wish to start the tour at a different stop on the route, this can be arranged. Please note that rental bikes are not available at these alternative points of departure. Moreover, we only transfer luggage from and to hotels on the route.

Rental Bikes

We have a wide range of rental bikes. Click on Rental Bikes to check them out.

Round Tours

Most of our tours are round tours, i.e. the hotel where you start your holiday is also the hotel you return to at the end. Free parking is not standard for all our tours. The hotels in Huizen, Ede, Burgh Haamstede and Muiderberg have free parking. Most of the other locations will charge costs for a parking place.

Route Pack

After full payment has been made, we will send you the hotel list per e-mail. The complete route package incl maps etc. you will find in the first hotel when you arrive.