Amsterdam Cycling Excursions

April 21, 2011 8:15 AM

I'll be in Amsterdam for 7-10 days in early August, and am looking for some self guided bike rides out of the city and into the surrounding countryside.

Are there signed cycle routes similar to what Denmark has that I should be looking for?

Can anyone recommend some online resources with maps, or possible destinations? Will be traveling with a baby, so distance will have to be kept low, maybe 50km max per trip. The ability to catch a train back to the city with our bikes is a plus.

I was able to locate this website, but I can't seem to locate corresponding maps for the routes. Are these signs along these routes to direct bikers?

Some destinations I am already considering are the Amsterdam Bos, and the beach town of Zandvoort.

posted by steinwald to travel & transportation around Amsterdam, The Netherlands (7 answers total)

Found this. Might help.

There are loads of signed cyclepath routes, plus maps at some of the junctions.

I would recommend cycling through Spaarnewoude and instead of Zandvoort, you should try the kennemerduinen: cyclepaths and dunes between Haarlem and the sea.
posted by gonzo_ID at 8:31 AM on April 21, 2011

The Dutch cycle route planner (in Dutch).
This is a map with a bike path search tool and a few extra functions. This should be all you need.
posted by Namlit at 8:39 AM on April 21, 2011

And listen to gonzo_ID re the Kennemerduinen. I used to live in Santpoort for almost three years, that's in the middle between Spaarnwoude and the sea, and I biked there many a Sunday and late afternoon. Zandvoort is plain old crowded on nice days; the dunes are well frequented but not insanely so.
posted by Namlit at 8:46 AM on April 21, 2011

gonzo_ID -- Thanks for the information on the kennemerduinen! That looks perfect!

Namlit -- your link led me information on the Netherlands Cycle Junction network - this is what I was looking for in terms of signed routes. Is it easy to pick up paper maps of this network in Amsterdam?
posted by steinwald at 8:57 AM on April 21, 2011

Looking at some of the pages about the network (in dutch) like this it seems there is no special map of the network, but there is a map from ANWB (the dutch road users organisation): North Holland South which has the network around Amsterdam on the map. I think it would be easy to get this map at the tourist information in Amsterdam. On the other hand, around where I live (not Amsterdam) there is a map of the surroundings at each junction. So it would be easy to decide on a route on the internet and then using the maps you encounter while cycling if you feel like a change of plans.
posted by PaulZ at 9:36 AM on April 21, 2011

MapMyRide, RouteYou, Fietspad, and Bikely all have information about cycling routes.

You can pick up paper maps at a VVV (tourism board) office or one of the bike rental places, like MacBike or Yellow Bike. You may also be able to find them at bookshops like Bruna.
posted by neushoorn at 9:36 AM on April 21, 2011

PaulZ - looks like the ANWB has just what I was looking for! They publish a book of 15 scenic bike rides that start in Amsterdam.
posted by steinwald at 10:57 AM on April 21, 2011