For three weeks in August I'm going to be flying into London and then biking down to France and along the coast to the Netherlands and back.
Having never been to or biked through any of these areas, I'm looking suggestions on places that are worth visiting, staying or skipping, food and drink to try, uncommon necessities to bring, etc.
My friend and I are planning to bring camping gear mostly to be used in the rural parts of France to save some money. Does anyone have experience wild camping there or Europe in general?
I'm also open to changing or scraping large sections and getting around more by train if areas aren't worth seeing or something better is nearby.
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The Cantillon Brewery in Brussels is not to be missed. Un fucking believable. And 5 euro for a 750ml bottle. The Huyghe (Delirium Tremens) brewpub is touristy but they have the largest bottle list in the world (I think). Learn about gueuzes and lambics before you arrive so you don't waste your money on garbage. There's also a good music scene if you dig a little. Brussels is ugly as sin but has a ton to offer, and the people are unbelievably nice.
This might come as a surprise but I don't remember a lot of the cool spots in Amsterdam.
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J_Dada
Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 2:31 pm
Down 2 FUNKJoined: 14 Oct 2012Posts: 1274
Never been there but my friend just opened a bed and breakfast in Amsterdam. Tell Sonia I sent you.
Camping varies. Ive never seen anything like our national/state park campgrounds of the eight or so countries Ive spent substantial time in. Most of the "campgrounds" are commercial, think KOA. I'd expect to find one every 50-100 miles or so. Prices are reasonable but not cheap, expect 20-50EU per night. The bulk of their custom is RVs/caravans/trailers, though some (most?) will have a grassy area set aside for tents and hike/bike touring. Ive used them as a place for showers & services. Many will have a "club house" or "cafe" where you can get a beer and hot food. Youre going to be there in peak EU holiday season, so vacancies will be hit or miss. Reservations may be a good idea if you know youre going to want a stop with facilities.
The phrase for unorganized individual camping is "free" or "wild" camping. Land access details vary by state/culture but is what youd expect to find. In eastern/northern europe there's free access to forest/uncultivated land. In western EU its technically generally illegal but theres's weird distinctions around public land near right of ways (roads) and/or state/crown land. I'd set practical expectations as similar to anywhere else in the western US. Dont cross a fence/gate, stay out of visible range of roads/paths, use small/no fires, dont camp in a cultivated field/near residences, arrive late, and leave if anyone asks you to. If you raise your risk profile (crossing a gate or lighting a fire) compensate accordingly (lower your visibility nad leave early).
In rural areas stopping and asking permission at a church/farm/club has good odds of success. In my experience the welcome youll receive is inverse to the areas wealth/development. The worst response Ive ever recieved was polite confusion and directions to the next relevant village.
In netherlands I notice you're all inland. It might be worth the small detour to check out the Nordzee route. Lots of rolling coastal sand hills and nature preserve. That said it's trivial to parallel the coast a couple miles inland, going village to village, where there's zero elevation, straighter course, and more shade. Either way its only like 80km or so from amsterdam to rotterdam. Last summer I left den hague after lunch and still made it to my Ijmuiden ferry at 16:00.
Use trains to shortcut the last 10-20 miles in and out of cities. Some of the suburban sprawl/villages can make that last bit of the ride take three times as long. In NL & DE ( at least) basically all trains will have bike carriage. In the UK it's *super* fragmented. Bike access and booking will vary by carrier (theres like 6), line, and time of day. Charges are low to free but some carriers require you to call or go in person to acquire your bike pass. Being flexible and doing some research ahead of time will help very much. Ive crossed the UK by train with a bike twice, so its totally achievable.
Last pro tip, check out the eurovelo/CTC routes but dont be afraid to shortcut or take your own route. IMHO they're routed *incredibly* conservatively. Imagine if Cascade or Seattle Bike Blog did national cycle route planning. If you're comfortable playing in traffic or doing some dirt you can shave serious miles or get a much more interesting path.
Edit: As another cheap accommodation I *totally* recommend using "pensions" on the continent and inns/pubs in england. Accommodations are going to be on the level of "my mates spare room", dorm, or a very minimalist motel. But for a price in the neighborhood of 20-40EU its a great way to get a bed with sheets, a hot shower, and a light meal. IMO these are vastly superior to hostels as you'll be in the native culture and not a glorified summer camp of 20 something foreigners out on a gap year club fest.
langston
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2016 9:02 am
Joined: 25 Jul 2005Posts: 5547Location: Columbia City
My coworker's wife is from St Malo in Brittany, but it looks like your plan was to go the opposite direction from Cherbourg.
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justgarth
Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 8:06 am
Joined: 04 Apr 2011Posts: 802
Adam Scher has the contact info for some Belgians that opened up a bike shop and are cool dudes; we both met them in different countries and different years. I'd get in touch with him--pretty sure it/they are in Brussels and might be game to show you what's up in there.
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