Cycling Holidays - Bike & Barge: Island Hopping

Bike & Barge: Island Hopping

Netherlands

From £799 P/P

During this tour, you will explore the open water of the northern part of Holland’s famous lake IJsselmeer and the adjacent Frisian Sea by sailing ship. The highlights of the tour are visits to the North Sea islands of Texel, Vlieland and Terschelling and their beautiful natural areas, small villages and long sandy beaches that you can explore by bicycle. The Frisian Islands and the coasts of North-Holland and Friesland are a true “El Dorado” for cyclists.

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Itinerary
Itinerary

Day 1: Embarkation: Enkhuizen (Saturday)

You will board and check-in to this sail and bike holiday 4pm, where the crew will welcome you aboard near the beautiful centre of Enkhuizen, located conveniently close to the railway station. After unpacking your luggage in your cabin, the skipper will join you for an aperitif before giving you a rundown of what to expect on the journey, details about the ship and also about safety measures to be taken on board.

In the evening, you can stroll through the historical centre of Enkhuizen, a quaint town that was the home of the Dutch merchant fleet during the Golden Age of The Netherlands as you enjoy your first night aboard the ship in Enkhuizen.

Day 2: Enkhuizen - Den Oever or Enkhuizen - Medemblik - Den Oever (Approx. 40 km/24 mi.) Den Oever - Texel

Today, your ship sails from Enkhuizen to Den Oever. You can choose to try out your sea legs for the first time and stay on board as you sail over the IJsselmeer to your destination. Or, if you prefer, you can bike the first leg of the cycling holiday along the IJsselmeer coast through the beautiful landscape via Medemblik to Den Oever.

Whatever you choose, you will delight in the beauty of the region. Depending on the weather in the evening, the ship will sail across the Wadden Sea to the Island of Texel.

Day 3: Den Oever - Texel | Texel (Approx. 40km/24 mi.)

The island of Texel is a cyclists holiday dream destination with its varied scenery, well-signposted cycle tracks and picturesque villages. Our suggestion is to complete a round trip cycling tour of the largest of the Dutch North Sea islands on the easy-to-follow Thijsse-route (approximately 40 km) that takes you via a number of villages, the seal sanctuary station of EcoMare and a traditional beer brewery in the harbour of Oudeschild.

Day 4: Texel - Terschelling

Today you will enjoy sailing on your ship, when the tide and the weather are right, on the North Sea to the island of Terschelling. As you sail your way through the sandbanks of the Wadden Sea, keep a lookout for seals resting on the sandbars. In the afternoon the ship will arrive on Terschelling Island which features a number of picturesque villages situated between the polder and sand dunes along its 30 km expanse.

Day 5: Terschelling (Approx. 40 km/24 mi.)

While the previous day was all about sailing, today is all about cycling. Terschelling has plenty to offer cycle tourists: nature and culture, 70 km of cycling tracks and 4 beautiful villages.

West Terschelling is the largest village on the island and features a bounty of shops and pubs. The standout landmark on the island is the 400-year-old lighthouse Bračdaris which can be seen from well off in the distance. Also worth visiting is the heath land of Boschplaat which will captivate you with its mud, beaches and dunes. You might even spot ducks, black-winged stilts, large colonies of spoonbills and great black-backed gulls. After a day of cycling, relax in comfort back on board your ship.

Day 6: Terschelling - Vlieland (or alternative Southwest coast of the Province of Friesland)

Today the ship will aim to reach the island of Vlieland, depending on the weather and the tides. The smallest island to be visited on the Frisian Islands bicycle tour has just 1,100 residents, and one village and is even car-free, making it an excellent place to explore by bike.

The beach is just 100 metres from the harbour and from the highest point of the island, the dune Vuurboetsduin, you have a fantastic view over several islands, the North Sea and the mudflats. If it is not possible to sail to Vlieland, there is an alternative: a sailing trip to the south-western part of the Province of Friesland with a round trip cycling tour.

Day 7: Vlieland (or alternative Southwest coat of the Province of Friesland) - sailing back to Enkhuizen

Today you will enjoy another day of sailing as you head back to Enkhuizen.

Day 8: Disembarkation: Enkhuizen

Disembark the boat after breakfast until 10am, as your Frisian Island bike and boat trip have come to an end.
Route Overview

Route Overview

Route Map (For guidance only):

As with most of our boat and bike cycling holiday routes may be subject to change or alteration. All route notes, maps and information will be given to you upon arrival at the first hotel or at the welcome meeting. GPS/GPX files are available for most our the cycling holidays in Holland we offer. Please ask us for details.
Getting There

Getting There

We recommend flying to Amsterdam Schiphol airport, the biggest airport in Holland, to reach the starting point of this Frisian Island cycling holiday.

Flights are available with a number of airlines to your required airport, or you can travel to the start using alternative methods such as rail or road.

We recommend using Skyscanner to find the best flight prices by date or Voyages SNCF for European rail travel. There is customer car parking available at most hotels for a supplement. Please contact us for more details.

Please use local transport to arrive at the starting point or call us on 0800 755 5385 for more specific travel advice.

You do not need to go back to the starting point of the Frisian sailing and island hopping cycling holiday as all hire bikes are left at the final hotel.

Important: Please book your flights only after the Frisian Island cycling holiday has been confirmed by invoice or email. Flights and transfers are not included in the advertised holiday price.
What’s Included?
What’s Included?

The Bike & Barge: Island Hopping cycling holiday includes the daily transfer of luggage to the next hotel and local support if required.

Included Services (Subject to confirmation)
- Tour and accommodation on board 8 days/7 nights (Saturday-Saturday) from/to Enkhuizen
- Full board (7x breakfast, 6x picnic lunch during bike tours, 7x three course dinner)
- Use of bed linen and towels (change of towels on request)
- Welcoming drink and speech on the first evening
- Board tour guide by the crew(multilingual)with daily briefings of the bike tours
- detailed maps/directions for daily individual bike tours
- Daily complimentary coffee and tea till 4 PM
Not Included
- Flights to/from the start and finish
- Evening meals (unless stated)
- Local daily taxes (Payable at the hotel)
- Helmets
- Water Bottles
- Travel Insurance
- Bike Insurance (unless stated)
- Welcome Meetings (unless stated)
- Transfers (unless included)
Bike Hire

Bike Hire

About the Rental Bikes:

This cycling holiday uses quality crossbar and unisex hybrid bikes based on KTM frame technology, Selle Royal saddles, Shimano components and puncture-proof tyres to ensure that you have an enjoyable cycle tour. The bikes feature modern v-brakes, aluminium frames with mudguards, comfortable saddles and a rack for a supplied waterproof pannier. You will also receive a handlebar bag and map holder for easy navigation when riding your daily itinerary.

Prices advertised on the website include standard bike hire (unless stated). Colour and specification may vary from the image shown.

Men's Crossbar Frame Rental Bike:

Unisex Frame Rental Bike:

Gears:

7 speed bikes are equipped with a Shimano Nexus gear hub and 21 speed bikes have a Shimano Alivio derailleur. We request 21 speed bikes for all cycling holidays (when available).

Frame Sizing:

When you make a booking with us, we take your height(s) and the appropriate bike size is matched up accordingly.

Unisex frame 21-gears with freewheel. Sizes: 56 / 51 / 46 / 43 cm.

Unisex 7-gears-bikes with back pedalling brake. Sizes: 56 / 51 / 46 cm.

Men’s speed bikes 21-gears with free wheel and crossbar. Sizes: 64 / 60 / 56 "sloping" cm

Helmets are not provided and you will need to bring your own to use. We always recommend wearing a helmet when on your cycling holiday.

Bike Hire Insurance:

This cycle tour benefits from bike insurance against rental bike theft and damage in the holiday price. Please make sure you lock up the bike, leave it where told by the hotel and treat your hire bicycle as if the bike was your own. Any negligent treatment of the bike will exempt you from cover. We advise you to ensure that you have adequate travel insurance for your cycling holiday prior to arrival.

Electric Bike Hire Bicycle:

Why not upgrade your cycling experience to an E-Bike (Electric Bike)? Using a power assisted bike is a great way to go on a cycling holiday and will help you smooth out inclines or longer days in the saddle. Each E-Bike features an LCD display, removable batteries for easy charging and assistance up to 25 km/h with a range of around 120 km for each full charge depending on usage.

E-Bike upgrade prices vary per tour, but if you require any more information about bike hire and electric bikes, please get in-touch with us on +44 (0) 800 7555385.
Hotels

Hotels

Date & Prices

	05/05/18 05/05/18	26/05/18 26/05/18	02/06/18 15/09/18
7 nights
Single Cabin	£1089	£1089	£1189
Twin Cabin	£849	£849	£949
Triple Cabin	£759	£759	£849

Supplements

E-bike - £99

Pricing Terms And Conditions

Prices are based on 2 adults sharing a twin cabin and include full board and bike hire (not helmets)

* Triple cabins available on request.
* Junior suite cabins available (on Mare Fan Fryslan only)

To make a booking for this cycling holiday, please complete the booking form here.

Departure Dates

Date From	Date To
05 May 2018	02 June 2018

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Cycling Holidays - Bike & Barge: Island Hopping

Bike & Barge: Island Hopping

Netherlands

Latest News

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