perfect trip!
Family budget: A Right Royal Route!
Overview map
Bike Tour: Family budget: A Right Royal Route! - 8 days
Eight-Day Family Budget Holiday!
Majestic Cycling: A Right Royal Route!
Royal domains, royal palaces and royal estates are one of the themes of this holiday. Thankfully you won’t be needing a royal budget: We will accommodate your family at Stayokay hostels in Soest and Bunnik.
The region you’ll be exploring is called Utrechtse Heuvelrug (Utrecht Hill Ridge). It’s a slightly hilly, wooded area known for its natural beauty and good cycling possibilities. We think cycling in the woods is great. Not only because of the woods’ calming influence and magical atmosphere, but also because trees give shelter from the wind. Surrounding the beautiful forest on Utrechtse Heuvelrug is peaceful countryside with cropfields and meadows.
In your Route Pack you’ll find flyers for local activities such as canoeing (Bunnik), go-carting, mini-golf (Doorn), playgrounds (Austerlitz and Naarden), the zoo (Amersfoort) and more.
We provide you with easy-going bicycle routes for every day of your holiday.
Your first hostel is in a stately manor house (1830) on an enchanting country estate called Rhijnauwen, just west of Bunnik. The manor house is called ‘de Ridderhofstad’ meaning ‘The Knight’s Court'. It stands on the banks of a river in a really idyllic location. When you have finished exploring the grounds, opt to storm Fort Vechten – a great place to go for a romp. Alternatively, rent a canoe and go for a paddle.
Heading south via Odijk, Cothen and ‘t Goy. On your very first cycling day, you’ll be cycling through flat countryside. Peace and quiet prevail amongst the cropfields and meadows.
Heading east via Austerlitz and Doorn.
Today’s tour is a lovely and varied one. After starting off in the countryside you will arrive at the castles and country houses around the town of Doorn where you could opt to visit Huis Doorn to find out what the 18th-century nobility lived like in Holland. In the afternoon the woods await. Go to Driebergen for a well-earned ice cream or continue to the Pyramid of Austerlitz, a strange monument to Napoleon (1804) and a nice place to stop for your packed lunch. It stands at the highest point of the Utrecht Hill Ridge and looks like a mini stepped Egyptian pyramid with a tower on top. Sporting cyclists could continue another couple of kilometers to a lake called Henschotermeer where you can go for a swim. Possible extra activities for children include a visit to Recreatiepark Het Rosarium (midget golf, pedal go-karts, trampolines and more) in Doorn and the playground and funfair at the Pyramid of Austerlitz.
Via Bilthoven , Den Dolder, Lage Vuursche.
Today you will cycle from Bunnik to your second hostel in Soest enjoying safe, good-quality cycle paths. At about two thirds of the way is a good place to pause for a break. Lage Vuursche, a picturesque hamlet in the middle of the forest, has long been a favourite stopping place for hikers and cyclists and it gets especially busy at weekends. There are several restaurants and inns, most of which have specialized in pancakes! We think it’s a great place for cycling families to top up and look around.
Via Soestdijk Palace and Lage Vuursche. Do you know who the King of the Netherlands is? His name is King William Alexander. He and Queen Maxima and three little princesses live in The Hague. But the royal family love the Utrecht Hill Ridge and for generations have owned land and properties in these parts, taking pride in the care for and maintenance of the beautiful forests. The king’s grandparents lived at Soestdijk Royal Palace (open to the public) and he himself spent his childhood at Drakensteyn Castle where his mother Beatrix now lives (near Lage Vuursche).
You are spoilt for choice today. If you like, you could reserve day 6 to go the zoo in Amersfoort. Or visit the wonderful medieval town of Amersfoort. Alternatively, visit the fortified town of Naarden, steeped in history, and the Fortress Museum. (http://www.vestingmuseum.nl/)
Depending on how far your children can cycle and on the direction of the wind, you could start or end your cycling day with a boat trip on the Eemlijn, a cycle boat that chugs up and down the River Eem from Huizen to Soest and Amersfoort. For tired legs, even just the boat trip all the way to Huizen and back could be a day well spent for the whole family.
Finally, a trip through the woods and heather fields surrounding the town of Laren also comes recommended, perhaps even going as far as Gooimeer, formerly Zuiderzee, now a lake.
Via Soesterberg Air Base and past Leusderheide.
It’s mostly woods again today but you’ll also pass heather fields at entrancing Leusderheide. The main stop of the day is at Soesterberg Air Base where American soldiers were stationed during the Cold War. Now the military airport is being transformed into a vast nature park. Military heritage is still visible in the landscape and an art project is in full swing to add some cultural highlights. The National Military Museum is also on the grounds.
Today is departure day. After filling up at the breakfast buffet, it’s time to make your way home.
|
Daily from April 1 till September 23 |
|
|
Starting point: |
|
|
Bunnik |
|
| Price pp | € | |
| 6 person room, breakfast | 340.00 | |
| Twin room, breakfast | 380.00 | |
| Triple room, breakfast | 445.00 | |
| Quadruple room, Breakfast | 365.00 | |
| 5 person room, breakfast | 380.00 | |
| Full board | 185.00 | |
| Half board | 125.00 | |
| Lunch | 60.00 | |
| Child price pp | € | |
| Triple room, breakfast | 415.00 | |
| Quadruple room, Breakfast | 340.00 | |
| 5 person room, breakfast | 355.00 | |
| 6 person room, breakfast | 315.00 | |
| Full board | 93.00 | |
| Half board | 63.00 | |
| Lunch | 30.00 | |
| Rental bike | € | |
| Child bike | 70.00 | |
| Hybrid | 84.00 | |
| Ebike | 175.00 | |
| Extra services | € | |
| Bike Breakdown pass | € 3.00 x 7 | 21.00 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Towelservice | per piece | 7.50 |
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
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.
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. 25 KG.
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 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 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.
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 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 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 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 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.
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 €3,- per day per bike and can only be booked for every participant in a booking.
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.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE STAYOKAY HOSTELS
Upon arrival you will receive bedlinen with which you will have to make the beds yourselves. Towels are not included, but can be rented through Dutch Bike Tours for €7,50 for the entire tour or you can bring your own.
7 Nights included
StayOkay Hostels
Tourist tax included
Breakfast included, lunch package and 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
Bunnik
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 Bunnik departs 2 times per hour. Travel time is about 45 minutes. A single ticket costs approx €11- 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.
Maybe you also like these cycling holidays:
Family budget: A Right Royal Route!
