Great video! I did the Ronde van Nederland last year to raise money for volunteer medics working in Ukraine, and had some of the best 12 days of my life - although the wind was hellish in Zeeland unfortunately! One thing your viewers might want to know is that the Dutch have 'Vrienden op de Fiets' (friends of the bikes), an organisation through which people offer their homes for the night to fellow cycle tourers. For €25, you get a room and breakfast, and often an evening meal as well. I used it every night on my tour, and it was the definite highlight of the trip - I met so many interesting people, and sometimes stayed up chatting to them until very late in the evening! I'm still friends with a couple from Arnhem who I bonded really well with. It was a great way to really experience a country fully, eating home made food and talking over a beer or a glass of wine. I highly recommend it as a cheap halfway house between camping and a proper hotel/B&B.
I’m all about doing making it affordable , and 25 euro is a lot of money. It might be ok for ppl who are hesitant of camping or need a home cooked meal but not for me. There is also other options yes for cycle enthusiasts including warm showers , I don’t use it though. When I’m on tour I’m under my own power, looking out for my own places to sleep. Hotels are my lifeline and Ill use them once in a blue moon. Good ideas for more social riders though! I like meeting people at campsites , common ground is ok but I don’t like being someone’s guest 😉
@@peterbedford2610as long as you are able to communicate in English it probably will not be a problem. Almost every Dutch person is able to communicate in English. For a but of understanding about that phenomenon, Dutch language is the almost closest related language to English. First comes Frisian and after that comes Dutch and after that German. It are 4 (West Germanic) sibling languages. You might discover a lot of similar words with the same meaning in these spoken languages. Like the English "island" is in Dutch "eiland" and almost sounds the same. Have fun visiting our country.
I was a UK-based member of Vrienden op de Fiets for a few years, but admittedly never actually availed myself of the services. I've done 3 cycling holiday in the Netherlands; one to Den Bosch (with an overnight in Dordrecht), one to Etten-Leur, and one to Leiden. Always good fun.
4:35 some (probably most) nature reserves/ national parks have one or several ‘official’ entrances with a visitor center and/or at least a largish car park. Those spots often have public toilets. But I agree the public restroom situation is generally very spotty and somewhat deplorable.
Yes that’s true, we were often heading in on cycleways away from the main entrances. It’s more common in the Netherlands that people are directed to make use private businesses such as local shops and cafes, in nz where I’m from public use spaces are very common. Nz has a very socialist outlook. traveling makes me more aware that what I thought was “normal” is actually unusual
@@hobocyclist we generally have more than half decent public services as well. Just take a look at the cycling infrastructure ;) Besides being a deliberate result of recent political choices, something as simple as the huge difference in population density, or a specific historical event or development may play a role as well. It’s an interesting subject, though. Many nearby European countries have way better public restroom density than the Netherlands.
Hello Andy, I saw your vid for the first time, I am dutch. The wildlive in the netherlands we have also wild boars, and wolfs, surtainly in the Veluwe region ( where the most woods are.) be aware of them . We have muscito's but almost no disseases from them. ticks are every where but only 15% of them has the lime diseas. We have two types of routering for bikes: the LF system and the regional system Fietsknoop punten. The LF system is for the long rours routes you can make in the netherlands, they have signs as LF 1 LF 2 LF 3 and you follow an marked route , and have to follow the sings . in an a and b version. You go from north to south or east to west. When you follow the a version keep on following the a version . The regional system is called fiets knoop punten and you can follow the numbers of the rpoute you want to go. you can make your own route. public toilets are not so much in the netherlands but you can go to libraries, big shops ( mac donnalds, ikea, or gasstations, and even to a toilet on a big campsite. there are possibilitys to go to toilets, be creative.
I would like to add that there are some recreationanal areas and parks that do have public toilets. I am also Dutch and love to wander on my bike through my country.😊
This is very timely information. My best friend is going to the Netherlands next week and will be bike riding. I sent a link to this video. Thanks Andy, the king!
Hi Andy, great video and I like your foreign view on my country 🙂 About the ticks: I wear permethrin impregnated clothes when going off trail, so I don't have to worry about ticks. Brands like Craghoppers or Rovince sell those. The usual thing to do when needing to use the toilet is to enter a bar or restaurant, order a drink and use the restroom. You may skip the drink if you're bold enough to do so. Cheers!
A pro tip: if you'd like to ride along the sea side do it rather from the west to the east. You'll most likely have a nice easy ride with the wind. Definitely check the weather forecast. After all these years I can still hear the man laughing out loud in his car when he saw us barely moving against the wind trying to go past a popular kitesurfing spot. 😂
LF routes are long distance bike paths that usually follow particularly interesting or beautiful routes, like the North Sea Route or the Hanzeroute (LF3), which I strongly recommend. They are part of the larger 'fietsnetwerk', the grid of bike paths with numbers and maps. The fietsnetwerk is a recreational facility, so doesn't always take the shortest route from A to B. Nearly all roads have cycle paths next to them, and you might prefer to take one of these if you're in a hurry.
Hi thanks for the great tips. I've cycle toured the Netherlands several times and always really enjoyed it. I'm from the UK. In a couple of weeks I'm heading back over there and following a route called The Liberation route which the allied forces took during operation Market garden in the second war. I will be using campsites along the way up to Arnhem then cycling up to Assen and exploring that region. My favorite region is Drenthe too.
Enjoyable videos. There are public toilets in town centres or railway stations, they charge a Euro or sometimes €0.50 and have an attendant, consequently these facilities are kept very clean.
Cheers! Yes it’s true there are facilities in town centres, and public spaces in general are kept very clean, orderly & efficient. It’s a shame that the wonderful parks and forested areas don’t have facilities it could stop people leaving paper & trash in the bushes. There is usually cafes etc nearby that have toilets, but it’s a user pays system
The Netherlands is famous for not having any public toilets, but people are less concerned about you having a pee behind a tree (if your a guy). How have the folders held up with the touring? Has steering joint wear been a problem?
I think malaria is the one to watch out for from mosquitos, I went to a malaria region in India, swampy and warm, but I doubt Holland has any malaria. As long as you have said you don’t like being bitten, hopefully the mosquitoes will leave you alone. In Holland most people understand English (and speak it better than us English people in my experience), and I am sure that applies to Dutch mosquitoes too. Good tick tip, I didn’t know to check for bites in case of Limey’s Disease in the Nether Regions.
I would consider it yes, but having been there before I know that Singapore is very expensive and has many laws might affect the way I like to travel. Is camping allowed?
A good remedy against ticks is to use some drops of tea tree oil on skin or put it on your feet, ticks don't like that smell, and you can almost buy it in all the apotheeks or the drogist shops in the Netherlands, and it is also helping against different skin infections.
Cycling in the Netherlands not for fun is simply from A to B. from home to work from home to the sports club and do some shopping. and not for fun. Cheap fast plain grab a beer in the pub And bike home Best regards Frits
wild camping could easily be a "pain in the a..." and not easy to find hidden aerias. Most of the fields are privat and surrounded by barbed wire. Last time I send my tent home and slept only with bivvy- gear.
to day saw your vid for the 2nd time. there are 2 systems to find your route and you have combined them to one. the first one is the LF system you follow the signs with the LF marks. are all the way the same LF 1 a or b ( the number behind the LF is the route you follow. and are the long distance routes who are marked. you have to follow the same number ) they go back and forth (you follow the a or b ) the second system is the fietsknoop punten system. that is the one you explained in the vid ,with the different numbers . use of toilets. there are indeed not much public toilets in the nethelands. But you can use toilets ( for free ) in library's, campings, and townhalls, thicks, not all of them have lyme. about 30%. but be carefull you cannot see from the outside if they have it or not.
If you want to do your natural need in nature, take a shovel with you and dig a hole +/- 30CM deep and put everything in it and then sand over it Best regards Frits
Is it correct that you will be coming to the Netherlands? Does your girlfriend come with you? and do you have a planned route or will you plan that day by day?
You also got vrienden op de fiets. Is a netwerk of home onwers. Where you can rent a room for 25 euro pp for a nigth with a breakfast. There is mebership fee of 10 euro.
We have almost no public toilets indeed. Using nature as your toilet is not allowed in towns and cities, only in uninhabited areas in nature. We like to go into pubs, restaurants etc to use the bathrooms, and it gives you a perfect opportunity to try out local cuisine, or just to have a cup of coffee. As for the wildlife. You have to be careful for wild boars, especially during spring, because when they have young ones, they tend to get very agressive. Also, we have more and more wolves... not dangerous, but they can give you a scare. Last but not least... wild cows and bulls. Same story as with the wild boar...keep your distance. Bring a small tarp on your bike adventures.. A tarp lets you setup shelter near any tree or even with use of your bike.
I mostly camp wild. The countryside that often has canals, mostly have some bushes or small Forrest plots that are out of site and part of a dike. I hang my hammock before sundown, cook and chill on the dike and move into hammock at bedtime. Never bothered and dog walkers often think it’s funny.
It's also not allowed to be drunken in public, yet bars allow you to drink your brains out and walk in public after as well😂 Nature is there to be enjoyed by all, not to be controlled by govs
Great video! I did the Ronde van Nederland last year to raise money for volunteer medics working in Ukraine, and had some of the best 12 days of my life - although the wind was hellish in Zeeland unfortunately!
One thing your viewers might want to know is that the Dutch have 'Vrienden op de Fiets' (friends of the bikes), an organisation through which people offer their homes for the night to fellow cycle tourers. For €25, you get a room and breakfast, and often an evening meal as well. I used it every night on my tour, and it was the definite highlight of the trip - I met so many interesting people, and sometimes stayed up chatting to them until very late in the evening! I'm still friends with a couple from Arnhem who I bonded really well with. It was a great way to really experience a country fully, eating home made food and talking over a beer or a glass of wine. I highly recommend it as a cheap halfway house between camping and a proper hotel/B&B.
I’m all about doing making it affordable , and 25 euro is a lot of money. It might be ok for ppl who are hesitant of camping or need a home cooked meal but not for me. There is also other options yes for cycle enthusiasts including warm showers , I don’t use it though. When I’m on tour I’m under my own power, looking out for my own places to sleep. Hotels are my lifeline and Ill use them once in a blue moon. Good ideas for more social riders though! I like meeting people at campsites , common ground is ok but I don’t like being someone’s guest 😉
Hello. I would like to do this. I dont speak Dutch. Would this be a problem? Thanks
@@peterbedford2610 In Holland everyone speaks english
@@peterbedford2610as long as you are able to communicate in English it probably will not be a problem. Almost every Dutch person is able to communicate in English. For a but of understanding about that phenomenon, Dutch language is the almost closest related language to English. First comes Frisian and after that comes Dutch and after that German. It are 4 (West Germanic) sibling languages. You might discover a lot of similar words with the same meaning in these spoken languages. Like the English "island" is in Dutch "eiland" and almost sounds the same. Have fun visiting our country.
I was a UK-based member of Vrienden op de Fiets for a few years, but admittedly never actually availed myself of the services. I've done 3 cycling holiday in the Netherlands; one to Den Bosch (with an overnight in Dordrecht), one to Etten-Leur, and one to Leiden. Always good fun.
4:35 some (probably most) nature reserves/ national parks have one or several ‘official’ entrances with a visitor center and/or at least a largish car park. Those spots often have public toilets. But I agree the public restroom situation is generally very spotty and somewhat deplorable.
Yes that’s true, we were often heading in on cycleways away from the main entrances. It’s more common in the Netherlands that people are directed to make use private businesses such as local shops and cafes, in nz where I’m from public use spaces are very common. Nz has a very socialist outlook. traveling makes me more aware that what I thought was “normal” is actually unusual
@@hobocyclist we generally have more than half decent public services as well. Just take a look at the cycling infrastructure ;)
Besides being a deliberate result of recent political choices, something as simple as the huge difference in population density, or a specific historical event or development may play a role as well.
It’s an interesting subject, though. Many nearby European countries have way better public restroom density than the Netherlands.
Yeah man I love it! @@JulesStoop
Hello Andy, I saw your vid for the first time, I am dutch. The wildlive in the netherlands we have also wild boars, and wolfs, surtainly in the Veluwe region ( where the most woods are.) be aware of them . We have muscito's but almost no disseases from them. ticks are every where but only 15% of them has the lime diseas.
We have two types of routering for bikes: the LF system and the regional system Fietsknoop punten.
The LF system is for the long rours routes you can make in the netherlands, they have signs as LF 1 LF 2 LF 3 and you follow an marked route , and have to follow the sings . in an a and b version. You go from north to south or east to west. When you follow the a version keep on following the a version . The regional system is called fiets knoop punten and you can follow the numbers of the rpoute you want to go. you can make your own route.
public toilets are not so much in the netherlands but you can go to libraries, big shops ( mac donnalds, ikea, or gasstations, and even to a toilet on a big campsite. there are possibilitys to go to toilets, be creative.
Cheers mate! Good information here for anyone wanting to cycle the Netherlands. All the best!
I would like to add that there are some recreationanal areas and parks that do have public toilets. I am also Dutch and love to wander on my bike through my country.😊
This is very timely information. My best friend is going to the Netherlands next week and will be bike riding. I sent a link to this video. Thanks Andy, the king!
That's great! Perfect time of year to visit The Netherlands too. Thanks for sharing the video!
Hi Andy, great video and I like your foreign view on my country 🙂
About the ticks: I wear permethrin impregnated clothes when going off trail, so I don't have to worry about ticks. Brands like Craghoppers or Rovince sell those.
The usual thing to do when needing to use the toilet is to enter a bar or restaurant, order a drink and use the restroom. You may skip the drink if you're bold enough to do so.
Cheers!
Cheers mate! I like visiting the Netherlands for great riding, food & history!! Thanks for your comment 😉👍🚲🌲
There are plenty of trees, dont need to go to a restaurant to use the bathroom.
Thanks for the valuable info
Cheers mate!
A pro tip: if you'd like to ride along the sea side do it rather from the west to the east. You'll most likely have a nice easy ride with the wind. Definitely check the weather forecast.
After all these years I can still hear the man laughing out loud in his car when he saw us barely moving against the wind trying to go past a popular kitesurfing spot. 😂
Ive never rode so fast as i did from Katwijk to Noordwijk! Tail winds pushed us along at 30kmph the whole way
@@hobocyclist You're lucky - my experience has always been that the wind is against you both going and returning LOL
LF routes are long distance bike paths that usually follow particularly interesting or beautiful routes, like the North Sea Route or the Hanzeroute (LF3), which I strongly recommend. They are part of the larger 'fietsnetwerk', the grid of bike paths with numbers and maps. The fietsnetwerk is a recreational facility, so doesn't always take the shortest route from A to B. Nearly all roads have cycle paths next to them, and you might prefer to take one of these if you're in a hurry.
Yes 🙌 well summarised! LF routes are greatest cycling paths I have ever ridden. Well worth a trip to The Netherlands!
Hi thanks for the great tips. I've cycle toured the Netherlands several times and always really enjoyed it. I'm from the UK. In a couple of weeks I'm heading back over there and following a route called The Liberation route which the allied forces took during operation Market garden in the second war. I will be using campsites along the way up to Arnhem then cycling up to Assen and exploring that region. My favorite region is Drenthe too.
Awesome mate! Have a gr8 trip. Check out my other vids I have done a bunch in Europe
Enjoyable videos. There are public toilets in town centres or railway stations, they charge a Euro or sometimes €0.50 and have an attendant, consequently these facilities are kept very clean.
Cheers! Yes it’s true there are facilities in town centres, and public spaces in general are kept very clean, orderly & efficient. It’s a shame that the wonderful parks and forested areas don’t have facilities it could stop people leaving paper & trash in the bushes. There is usually cafes etc nearby that have toilets, but it’s a user pays system
The Netherlands is famous for not having any public toilets, but people are less concerned about you having a pee behind a tree (if your a guy). How have the folders held up with the touring? Has steering joint wear been a problem?
Folding bikes held up great! here is the review th-cam.com/video/r2_UFlhREyE/w-d-xo.html
I think malaria is the one to watch out for from mosquitos, I went to a malaria region in India, swampy and warm, but I doubt Holland has any malaria.
As long as you have said you don’t like being bitten, hopefully the mosquitoes will leave you alone. In Holland most people understand English (and speak it better than us English people in my experience), and I am sure that applies to Dutch mosquitoes too.
Good tick tip, I didn’t know to check for bites in case of Limey’s Disease in the Nether Regions.
I meant to ask, what’s the great music you are using?
Cheers i make the music
Blood sucking insects are the worst! Malaria & dengue are certainly a problem in the tropics glad we don’t get it in these colder places
Would you consider bike packing in Singapore?
I would consider it yes, but having been there before I know that Singapore is very expensive and has many laws might affect the way I like to travel. Is camping allowed?
A good remedy against ticks is to use some drops of tea tree oil on skin or put it on your feet, ticks don't like that smell, and you can almost buy it in all the apotheeks or the drogist shops in the Netherlands, and it is also helping against different skin infections.
"takks" ?
Sorry, i mean ticks, English is not my native language, in dutch we say een take.
Cycling in the Netherlands not for fun
is simply from A to B.
from home to work from home to the sports club
and do some shopping.
and not for fun.
Cheap fast plain grab a beer in the pub And bike home
Best regards
Frits
wild camping could easily be a "pain in the a..." and not easy to find hidden aerias. Most of the fields are privat and surrounded by barbed wire. Last time I send my tent home and slept only with bivvy- gear.
Yes I agree. I have also camped out under a tarp in The Netherlands, it was easy to carry and pack up!
I rode from Berlin to Gibraltar and never had any problems with camping, including in Holland
to day saw your vid for the 2nd time. there are 2 systems to find your route and you have combined them to one. the first one is the LF system you follow the signs with the LF marks. are all the way the same LF 1 a or b ( the number behind the LF is the route you follow. and are the long distance routes who are marked. you have to follow the same number ) they go back and forth (you follow the a or b )
the second system is the fietsknoop punten system. that is the one you explained in the vid ,with the different numbers .
use of toilets. there are indeed not much public toilets in the nethelands. But you can use toilets ( for free ) in library's, campings, and townhalls,
thicks, not all of them have lyme. about 30%. but be carefull you cannot see from the outside if they have it or not.
Cheers mate! Cycling in the Netherlands, its the best!
One more animal te watch out for, the adder which is poisonous snake.
It's nothing compared to a rattlesnake.
If you want to do your natural need in nature, take a shovel with you and dig a hole +/- 30CM deep and put everything in it and then sand over it
Best regards
Frits
Please do not so in the Netherlands, our country is too small and populated for that. There are also many dogs, who love to dig it up. Thank you.
Is it correct that you will be coming to the Netherlands? Does your girlfriend come with you? and do you have a planned route or will you plan that day by day?
It is a "how to & tips" video for those who will cycle RVN this season. I will not be riding in The Netherlands this summer
You also got vrienden op de fiets. Is a netwerk of home onwers. Where you can rent a room for 25 euro pp for a nigth with a breakfast. There is mebership fee of 10 euro.
Good tip!
We have almost no public toilets indeed. Using nature as your toilet is not allowed in towns and cities, only in uninhabited areas in nature. We like to go into pubs, restaurants etc to use the bathrooms, and it gives you a perfect opportunity to try out local cuisine, or just to have a cup of coffee. As for the wildlife. You have to be careful for wild boars, especially during spring, because when they have young ones, they tend to get very agressive. Also, we have more and more wolves... not dangerous, but they can give you a scare. Last but not least... wild cows and bulls. Same story as with the wild boar...keep your distance. Bring a small tarp on your bike adventures.. A tarp lets you setup shelter near any tree or even with use of your bike.
Exactly - when cycling, rather than considering miles per gallon as in a car, I consider miles per coffee stop LOL.
Netherlands ls like the UK cold and wet
If wild camping is not allowed, don't do it. 🙃
Just clean up the mess and it's fine.
I mostly camp wild. The countryside that often has canals, mostly have some bushes or small Forrest plots that are out of site and part of a dike. I hang my hammock before sundown, cook and chill on the dike and move into hammock at bedtime. Never bothered and dog walkers often think it’s funny.
Punishable by fine means legal for a price🤷🏼♀️
It's also not allowed to be drunken in public, yet bars allow you to drink your brains out and walk in public after as well😂
Nature is there to be enjoyed by all, not to be controlled by govs
@@MarkNieuwenhuizenDo you also pick up your shit?
And you're doing this on a bloody folding bike. Dude, get yourself an "oma fiets" with 3 gears, mutch, mutch easier.