perfect trip!
Amsterdam – Maastricht
Overview map
Bike Tour: Amsterdam – Maastricht - 8 days
A one-way route from Amsterdam to Maastricht. Get a feel for how the light and the scenery change as you journey down past big cities Utrecht and Den Bosch and a spread of different landscapes. Rivers will guide you on your steady south-easterly course: firstly, the River Vecht flanked by posh country houses; then you’ll cross the mighty Rhine and Waal into traditionally catholic territory; and finally the River Meuse will lead you to the southernmost point of the country through varied and scenic surroundings. To top off this holiday on an artistic note, visit the village of Nuenen where Vincent van Gogh spent two years; and Maaseik, birthplace of famous Flemish painters Jan and Hubert van Eyck!
Your holiday kicks off in Amsterdam, a favourite European capital city. With so many attractions and fun things to do at your fingertips, you couldn’t wish for a livelier start to your holiday. Try to plan an early arrival so you have time to go for a walk through the city centre. You could easily spend a whole day taking in the characteristic canal houses and beautiful seventeenth-century canals (UNESCO status). Then check out your favourite view of the River Amstel. Do you have time and energy left? Venture into the oldest part of the city, around St. Nicolas’ Church, an area better known as the red-light district. Or enjoy the many street performers on Rembrandtplein.
Follow the River Amstel out of town and then cycle along the lovely River Vecht to Utrecht. Typical of this area are the many country estates and fancy country houses with garden tea rooms commissioned by wealthy Amsterdam merchants in the 17th and 18th centuries in order to flee the stench of the city in summertime.
What a beautiful day! In the morning, pedal through the woods at Driebergen. Then cross a riverine landscape cut by the Rhine, Meuse, Linge and Waal. Along the way, you will pass fortified towns such as Wijk bij Duurstede, Buren and Zaltbommel. At the end of the day wind down in the capital city of Brabant province, Den Bosch. A highlight of this lovely city is Noord-Brabant Museum with works by Van Gogh and Hieronymus Bosch.
Set off on a voyage of discovery through Brabant province. This rural landscape inspired the famous painter Van Gogh in his “dark period”. He was fascinated by farmers and the rhythm of their seasons. Find out all about Van Gogh’s life and person when you visit Vincentre in Nuenen at the end of the day.
Van Gogh painted a quarter of his oeuvre during the brief time he lived in Nuenen. Follow in his footsteps past places Van Gogh painted such as the church where his father preached, the house where the family lived and an ancient watermill. Then continue through the Brabant countryside to Strabrecht Heath which turns a hazy purple in late July and into August. Near De Peel National Park enter North Limburg province and make your way to Weert.
Enjoy the countryside of Northern Limburg, small-scale agriculture, interspersed with woodlets, ponds and lakes. Stop for coffee and apple pie in the village of Thorn where all the houses are painted white. Follow the Meuse upriver past Itteren and Borgharen. At the end of the day, cross the Meuse into Belgium and stay in Maaseik on the old market square, a prime spot for open-air winers and diners. If you feel up to it, choose the long route via Designer Outlet Roermond (66 km).
This wonderful last leg of the cycling tour follows the LF Maas Route on a southerly course atop the river dike. Pass gravel pits that have naturally filled with water to form lakes. Watch the architecture change as you approach the southern-most border of our country. The final destination of this holiday is the beautiful city of Maastricht where the living is good; and food and wine are celebrated by elegant locals with an innate sense of style. Historical buildings, trendy designer boutiques, grand squares and a busy nightlife: Maastricht is all this and more.
From Maastricht, you can take a direct train back to Amsterdam in 2.5 hours (not included).
| Starting dates: |
|
Start on Monday from the 27th of April until the 7th of september |
| Dinner is 6 nights (not possible in Maastricht) |
| Price pp | € | |
| Double room, breakfast | 650.00 | |
| Single room, breakfast | 860.00 | |
| Dinner | 180.00 | |
| Extra night (breakfast only) | 70.00 | |
| Season surcharges | € | |
| 2020-07-20 - 2020-08-31 | 10.00 | |
| Surcharges per person | € | |
| Stay in Amsterdam on saturday | 20.00 | |
| Stay in Amsterdam from:
2021-04-02 - 2021-04-05 2021-04-16 - 2021-04-17 2021-05-13 - 2021-05-15 2021-05-22 - 2021-05-24 2021-10-15 - 2021-10-17 |
60.00 | |
| Rental bike | € | |
| Child bike | 70.00 | |
| Hybrid | 84.00 | |
| Premium bike | 140.00 | |
| Ebike | 175.00 | |
| Extra services | € | |
| Bike Breakdown pass | € 2.75 x 7 | 19.25 |
| Child seat | € 5.00 x 7 | 35.00 |
| Bike theft insurance | € 3.00 x 7 | 21.00 |
| E-bike theft insurance | € 6.00 x 7 | 42.00 |
| Theft insurance premium bike | € 6.00 x 7 | 42.00 |
| Extra luggage | € 5.00 x 7 | 35.00 |
| Add on bike | € 6.00 x 7 | 42.00 |
| Child trailer | € 17.50 x 7 | 122.50 |
| Bike helmet | per piece | 10.00 |
| GPS | per piece | 20.00 |
Starting point:
Amsterdam
Below are the accommodations that we book as standard for this trip. They are carefully selected by us for cyclists. All rooms have a shower or bath and toilet. If one of the hotels is fully booked, we will reserve a comparable alternative.
If you don’t bring your own, you can rent a bicycle 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 bikes 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!
Instruction video hybrid bike and e-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.
It is possible to rent a GPS device when you start your tour in Amsterdam, Bruges, Utrecht, Huizen or Bunnik for €20,-.
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.
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.
A premium bike is €20,00 a day.
Our premium bikes are lightweight and make excellent touring bikes with 27-gears and disc brakes.
The bikes are less heavy than our hybrid bikes: they weigh +/- 15 KG.
Our premium bikes have normal pedals.
Most of our premium bikes are Koga Grand Tourer bikes or similar.
A Racing bike is € 20,00 a day.
Two of our mostly used race bikes are Montreal 74 Eddy Merckx and Blockhaus 67 Eddy Merckx, both unisex.
The bikes are made from aluminium.
A Tag-along bike is €6,00 a day.
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.
A Tandem bike is € 20,00 a day.
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.
A child’s bike is € 10,00 a day.
For children who are at least 125 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:
A child trailer is €17,50 a day.
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.
An electric bike is €25,00 a day.
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. 27 KG.
A family tandem is €20,00 a day.
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 standard hybrid bike is €12,00 a day.
Our hybrid bikes have 21-gears with hand brakes.
The hybrid bikes are circa 16,5 KG.
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.
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. 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 don’t wish to continue cycling, the repairman can drop you off somewhere in his van. One companion plus bikes may join you in the van.
The Bike Breakdown Pass is €2,75 per day per bike and can only be booked for every participant in a booking.
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.
7 Nights included
3/4 Star Hotels
Tourist tax included
Breakfast included, Halfboard optional
Detailed roadbooks with maps and tourist information
The possibility of renting our bikes
7-days a week service-hotline
Luggage transport to your next hotel
Amsterdam Sloterdijk / Amsterdam CS
Parking possibilities at the hotel
GPS-tracks availible
Any ferry crossings are not included
Nearest Airport is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
The train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Sloterdijk departs 6 times per hour. Travel time is about 10 minutes. A single ticket costs approx €4,- per person excl. bicycle.
For timetables and tickets, go to www.ns.nl/en. For bus details, how to reach the hotel, check: www.9292.nl/en.
Maastricht is the final destination of this tour. From there you can take the train back to trainstation Schiphol Airport.
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