Tulips Route - Liza Marleen

The Netherlands by bike and boat on the Liza Marleen

This bike and boat trip crosses the green heart of Holland and the Kagerplassen lakes on short routes between the cities of Delft, Leiden, Haarlem and Amsterdam. Sail aboard the Liza Marleen, a comfortable cruise ship for an extraordinary stay. 
Follow in the footsteps of the great Dutch painters Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh and enjoy the tulips in bloom in spring.
 
Highlights of the trip: 

• The historical cities of Haarlem, Delft, Leiden
• Keukenhof, the most beautiful flower park in Holland
• The windmills of Kinderdijk
• Gouda, the city of cheese
• Amsterdam 
• the tulip fields

 
Day 1 - Amsterdam - Oude Wetering - 10 km

 
Boarding at 1pm on board the Liza Marleen.
Drop off your belongings in your cabin before sailing to Oude Wetering. You will be able to test your bikes during a ride. 
During dinner on board the boat, you will get to know the program of the week with the guide.

 
Day 2 - Oude Wetering - Gouda, 45 km

 
Depart from Oude Wetering and follow the country roads along the canals through the Green Heart and polders of Holland to the town of Gouda, known for its cheese.
You will also be able to taste some specialties such as "stroopwafels" (Dutch wafers) and discover pottery and earthenware.
After dinner, you can take a stroll through the town of Gouda.

 
 
Day 3 - Gouda - Delft - 40 km 

 
This stage takes you across the Alblasserwaard to Kinderdijk which is known for its old windmills classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These windmills were still used until 1950 to regulate the water level. 
You will then take the ferry to reach the city of Rotterdam. 
In Rotterdam you will board the Liza Marleen for Delft, the city known for its pottery, "Delft blue".
You can visit the Prinsenhof museum which is located in the former Monastery of Saint Agatha. 
 

Day 4 - Delft-Katwijk-Leiden, 40 km

 
Start your cycling tour in the direction of The Hague through the Haagse Bosch forest and along the royal palace, Huis ten Bosch. You ride on a bike path through the dunes to Wassenaarse Slag, a secluded beach access to the dune belt north of The Hague. The 8 kilometers of beach are known for their beautiful natural areas, as is Meijendel, the largest continuous dune line in South Holland.
You can see remnants of the Atlantikwall (Atlantic Wall), the 2,685-kilometer long defense line built by the Germans during World War II. The underground corridors and bunkers form a nature reserve for bats and are protected. 
 
At the Wassenaarse Slag, you can relax in a brewery with a view of the North Sea.
Further on, in the dunes, discover an old fishing village: Katwijk aan Zee. Passing the Oude Rijn ('old Rhine') you reach Leiden, another historical city with many 'hofjes', old facades and buildings from the 15th to the 18th century.

 
Day 5 - Leiden

 
Day trip to the Keukenhof gardens, an impressive and colorful collection of millions of flowering bulbs. The pavilions feature unique flower displays. You will also be able to admire some amazing art objects.
 
Keukenhof is the showcase of the Dutch horticulture sector, especially bulbiculture. The flower park is a showcase for 7 million spring flowering bulbs. 
To reach Keukenhof, you take the bus. Tickets and entrance fees are included in the price of your trip.

 
Day 6 - Leiden - via the flower fields - Haarlem, 40 km

 
You leave Leiden and drive through beautiful fields of bulbous flowers towards Haarlem. Between the months of March and May, the bulbous flower fields are in full bloom, starting with daffodils, followed by hyacinths, tulips and lilies.
In Haarlem you can admire the 'hofjes' (houses built around a small courtyard) and the typical canals of the city. You will visit the large central square (Grote Markt), the town hall and the St. Bavo church. Haarlem, which gave its name to Harlem, New York, is a lively city perfect for shopping. 
Museums to visit:

Teylers Museum (one of the oldest museums in the Netherlands) 
Frans Hals Museum (one of the old Dutch masters, those painters who worked during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century).

Day 7 - Haarlem - Amsterdam 40 km

 
You sail to Spaarndam, a picturesque village near Haarlem. The name Spaarndam comes from the dam built in the river Spaarne to avoid the risk of flooding by the sea. On the IJdijk dam stands the statue of Hansje Brinker, a character from an American novel who saved the country from a flood by plugging a hole in the dam with his finger.
You cross the North Sea Canal by the Buitenhuizen ferry, the only connection between the ports of Amsterdam and the North Sea. You then cycle to Zaanse Schans.
 
The village of Zaanse Schans, with its traditional wooden houses, warehouses and windmills, will take you back a few centuries. In the village, there is a cheese factory, a clog factory and a traditional bakery.
Your journey ends in Amsterdam.  You can walk around the city or take a trip on the canals by boat after leaving your bike. 

 
Day 8 - Amsterdam

 
End of the bike and boat trip in Holland after breakfast before 10am.
 
 
Due to the navigation plan, the route may be reversed or changed.

General Information:

• 8 days and 7 nights
• Level of comfort of the boat : Comfort 
• Children rates : contact us
• Languages spoken on board: English and Dutch

Dates:

Departure dates 2024 Thursdays : FULL

• 04/04 and 02/05/2024

Included:

• Full board stay (picnic lunch).
• Travel book : we will provide you with the information about your stay as well as the itinerary at the validation of your reservation, subject to change.
• coffee and tea on board
• free wifi (limited to the lounge and the deck)
• accompanying guide
• at least 3 guided city walks
• roadmap (in English) 
• gps tracks on request
• entrance to Keukenhof

Not included:

• Transportation to the place of departure
• Personal expenses
• Visits

Options :

• Renting of VTC or VAE (helmet included)
• Bike theft insurance (for rented bikes)
• Cancellation insurance
• Additional night(s) at the beginning or end of the tour in a hotel in Amsterdam

Level :

1 2 3 4 5 6

Terrain :

Flat, very rolling roads and paths. 90% of the program is on bicycle paths.

Climate:

Contrary to popular belief, the temperature in the Netherlands is similar to the temperature in France. Near the coast, the climate is sometimes windy.

Technicality :

- 0 to 40 km of riding per day, or 3 to 4 hours of cycling.
- Itinerary easy to follow. No difficulties, accessible to all.

Bibliography :

Guide and maps on the Netherlands on cartovelo.fr

Participants:

You will meet on board an international community of all ages, men, women, singles and couples with children. We offer you on this boat 20 to 26 places in cabins of 2 and 3 people.

Accompaniment:

Here are the people in charge of your vacation on a bicycle boat:
On board, the captain and his crew. They are in charge of the good progress of the vacations on the boat, and bring the boat from stage to stage. The cook prepares the meals.
The participants are accompanied by a guide. He or she will help you in case of a breakdown, advise you on the route to follow and give you the necessary tourist information. He or she is multilingual.

Meals :

Breakfasts: on the boat, you will find a hearty, Dutch breakfast, worthy of a cyclist.
Lunches: after breakfast, you will prepare a lunch (sandwiches, fruit, snacks, drinks).
Snacks: after the day's ride, you will find various drinks such as tea and coffee prepared for your return, along with a cake.
Dinners: at least three dishes of very good quality. After dinner, you will have the choice between coffee and tea.
Other drinks, such as wine, beer, lemonade and mineral water, are not included but can be purchased on board at a reasonable price.

Cycling:

Upon departure on Saturday afternoon, you will be assigned a bike that matches your size. After a test ride, you will sign a receipt. The bike (VTC: 21 speed bike) will be at your disposal all week long until Friday afternoon, the day of delivery.
The bikes will be equipped with panniers as well as an anti-theft device, a water bottle and a tire repair kit. If you prefer a 7-speed bike, please let us know (this must be specified at the time of booking). It will not be possible to order a bike once on the boat.

If you take your own bike, it cannot be insured against theft by our company, you will have to make the necessary arrangements with your usual insurance company. Do not forget your anti-theft device. The return of your bike will be at your expense.

Personal electric bikes not allowed on board.

Transportation : 

By train: The departure cities of the bike and boat tours are served by rail.
Amsterdam station is very well served: several trains run to and from France daily.
The Thalys is the fastest.

By plane : AMSTERDAM International Airport.

Your vehicle:

We strongly advise against parking cars in the streets of Amsterdam. Information on guarded parking in the city can be found on the following website: parkingcentrumoosterdok.nl/.

Cancellation insurance: 

In order to guarantee a refund in case of cancellation of your stay, you can take out cancellation insurance. For more information, click here.

To access the description of the boat : click here.