Into the Netherlands, the Final Leg of Our Trip

Day 1: Wesel to Arnhem, the Netherlands, 50.8 miles

As we leave Germany we continue to follow the Rhine but the route is no longer signposted as the Eurovelo 15. Instead, most of the signs indicate the Dutch name for the cycleway. A lot of the way is very rural; we see lots of sheep and poppy fields. Just before our second ferry ride of the day, we cross into the Netherlands. Total miles to-date 664.4.

Tourist meeting — Just looking at the other cyclist in this picture, there’s a dead giveaway that he’s American. He’s wearing a helmet, which is not nearly as common in Europe as it is in the U.S. It’s amazing how relaxing it is to speak to someone in your own native language.

We pass lots of sheep on our route today.

Day 2: Arnhem to Nieuwegein, 40 miles

On the route today we get our first sighting of a traditional Dutch windmill. The entire way is on roads explicitly marked for bikes and cars to share, even when in the middle of a forest. Total MTD 704.4.

Speed limit sign — This is a sign that would not be common at home. The speed limit is 40 mph and share the road with tractors, scooters, and bikes.

Forest road — We ride on many roads that are marked to share between cars and bikes. Bikes always have the right of way.

We have a lunch break in sight of the our first Dutch windmill.

Day 3: Nieuwegein to Rotterdam, 40 miles

The bike path we follow takes us along dikes, channels, and ditches. It is just like we always pictured the Netherlands. Total MTD 744.4.

Rural ditches — It seems, that in the part of the Netherlands at least, pastures are separated by ditches full of water rather than fences.

Kinderdijk is a collection of 19 windmills dating from the 18th century. Several are still operational.

Another food tour — We take yet another walking food and drink tour to learn about the local specialties.

Poffertjes — One of the Dutch treats we learn about is poffertjes. These are small, fluffy pancakes served warm with butter and powdered sugar.

Gnome statue — Until 2015 the big gnome statue was moved 6 times in the city because citizens kept protesting it. Now it’s the city’s most famous statue. I won’t say what the gnome is holding. You can Google it.

Day 4: Rotterdam to Scheveningen, 18.3 miles

Until now, this whole trip has been pretty much about the Rhine River. But reaching Scheveningen (near The Hague), we find ourselves at the North Sea. Fortunately, because we have such a short day of riding, we have time to explore the beach. Total MTD 762.7

Miles of beach — With limited space we are very careful with what we pack for our trip. Many times we regret bringing swimsuits. But here at Scheveningen we have miles of beach to explore. We’re still not sure it is worth carrying them for a month, but at least they’re sandy and have to be washed when we get home.

Day 5: Scheveningen to Amsterdam, 38.2 miles

We leave the beaches behind and head to our final destination in Amsterdam. We’ll spend a couple of days there before heading home. Total MTD 800.9

Leaving Scheveningen north through the dunes.

Cheese tasting — Once of our first accomplishments in Amsterdam is to become Dutch cheese experts.

Amsterdam bridge — Amsterdam is a crowded, touristy, but beautiful city.

Although Amsterdam is crowded, all of the various forms of transportation, instead of just cars, make the city much more enjoyable.

Our final ride of the trip is 11.5 miles from the hotel to the airport. We arrive early because the Amsterdam airport requires bikes to be boxed. Fortunately, they sell bike boxes there, but we need quite a bit of time to get them packed properly.

Here are the trip’s final numbers:

Duration: 30 days
Miles by bike: 822.4
# of days riding: 20
Avg. ride length: 41.1
# of flat tires: 0
# of rainy days: 0

Of course, we carry rain gear and spare tubes, and it is amazing that we never need either.

Map of EV 15 route — Map of our cycling route from Besançon, France to Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Here is the full route from Besançon, France to Amsterdam, Netherlands on RideWithGPS with interactive map and elevations.

Krause Travels