Lille to Hook of Holland

[lozfuller]

Wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this (rough) route, which we're looking at doing next July and whether anyone has done anything similar? We'll be on hybrid bikes with panniers so not wishing to do too many miles each day!

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/lil...dc!2m2!1d4.1341847!2d51.9806322!3e1?entry=ttu

Getting the Harwich to Hook of Holland overnight ferry and then getting the train to Lille in the morning and then cycling back to the Hook of Holland over three days to get the daytime ferry back to Harwich. Since heading North East all the way, hoping that wind should be behind us!

Any thoughts welcome, including good overnight stops along the way and how best to get across the various islands - ferries, tunnels, bridges? And any other tips!

Many thanks, Loz

 

[derrick]

Wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this (rough) route, which we're looking at doing next July and whether anyone has done anything similar? We'll be on hybrid bikes with panniers so not wishing to do too many miles each day!

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/lil...dc!2m2!1d4.1341847!2d51.9806322!3e1?entry=ttu

Getting the Harwich to Hook of Holland overnight ferry and then getting the train to Lille in the morning and then cycling back to the Hook of Holland over three days to get the daytime ferry back to Harwich. Since heading North East all the way, hoping that wind should be behind us!

Any thoughts welcome, including good overnight stops along the way and how best to get across the various islands - ferries, tunnels, bridges? And any other tips!

Many thanks, Loz

You should not bypass Ghent.

 

[Cathryn]

This sounds loads of fun.

I always plot my route using cycle.travel so here's their recommendation for that trip.
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/611939

I'd start here and would suggest overnighting every 50km (30 miles?) in Oodenaarde, Ghent, Antworp, somewhere near Oudenbosch, Rotterdam and then the ferry. This gives you decent sized towns for affordable hotels. I don't know these towns myself, I'd just start here with my planning.

 

[The Crofted Crest]

I was in Lille last weekend, spent the two previous days cycling in Belgium. Easy terrain, small villages, good beer. Good stops in Belgium are Ghent, Brugge and Antwerpen, but they might be off your route. In Belgium you can take the tram up the coast with your bike if necessary. Easiest route would be to go straight to the coast, then keep it on your left. The North Sea Coast Route (Kustroute in Holland) is well signposted. Oostende is a dump. Take plenty of cash for Belgium, credit/debit card payments are a rarety. You can pay by card everywhere in Holland. Bridges from island to island in Holland are a doddle. Try to go over the West Schelde barrier. Check that the ferry from Rozenburg to Maassluis is still running, otherwise it's a lengthy, industrial detour to get to Hook.

Enjoy!

 

[lozfuller]

This sounds loads of fun.

I always plot my route using cycle.travel so here's their recommendation for that trip.
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/611939

I'd start here and would suggest overnighting every 50km (30 miles?) in Oodenaarde, Ghent, Antworp, somewhere near Oudenbosch, Rotterdam and then the ferry. This gives you decent sized towns for affordable hotels. I don't know these towns myself, I'd just start here with my planning.

Thanks Cathryn. That route planner looks good, so will certainly use that. Unfortunately, I think we've only got three days in the saddle, so the stops you've noted will probably not work as need to do around 50 miles per day. Ghent might work for the first (half) day if we just take the train to Kortrijk, rather than to Lille. After that we were planning on going towards the coast, so not sure if anyone knows of somewhere nice to stop on the various islands?

 

[lozfuller]

I was in Lille last weekend, spent the two previous days cycling in Belgium. Easy terrain, small villages, good beer. Good stops in Belgium are Ghent, Brugge and Antwerpen, but they might be off your route. In Belgium you can take the tram up the coast with your bike if necessary. Easiest route would be to go straight to the coast, then keep it on your left. The North Sea Coast Route (Kustroute in Holland) is well signposted. Oostende is a dump. Take plenty of cash for Belgium, credit/debit card payments are a rarety. You can pay by card everywhere in Holland. Bridges from island to island in Holland are a doddle. Try to go over the West Schelde barrier. Check that the ferry from Rozenburg to Maassluis is still running, otherwise it's a lengthy, industrial detour to get to Hook.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the info. Just looked at the Rozenburg to Maassluis ferry and it is open, but states that only the car ferry runs up until 19.00 and only at 19.00 does the passenger/cycle ferry commence until 00.00. We'd probably be hitting that ferry crossing during the day, so I've sent a message to them asking if you can take cycles on the car ferry. As for the islands, would you suggest any towns to stop/visit?

 

[mjr]

Thanks Cathryn. That route planner looks good, so will certainly use that. Unfortunately, I think we've only got three days in the saddle, so the stops you've noted will probably not work as need to do around 50 miles per day. Ghent might work for the first (half) day if we just take the train to Kortrijk, rather than to Lille. After that we were planning on going towards the coast, so not sure if anyone knows of somewhere nice to stop on the various islands?

I took the shorter coastal island-hopping route in 2017 and stopped in Vlissingen (Flushing) and Renesse, but I think they don't work for your daily distance either. You'd be needing to stop somewhere around Vrouwenpolder, which looks like it has some accommodation but I don't really remember it. Haamstede two islands / 10km further is a bigger place with more rooms, but that leaves a shorter last day with a longer time to ride it, although I guess that gives you more time to recover and go round the Beneluxtunnel if the last river ferry goes wrong unexpectedly.

As you're trying to get the distance done, I suggest the railside/rail-trail F routes in Belgium. The riverside routes are prettier IMO but the rivers do meander in such low country.

 

[The Crofted Crest]

I have travelled on that ferry by bike during the day. A friend who lives in Rozenburg used to use it to commute to the Hook and back every day. The Dutch on the website is a bit convoluted but I very, very much doubt they would refuse a bike on the car ferry.

Interesting places to stay/visit on the islands: Middelburg is the biggest town (and typically Dutch in its picturesqueness quotient) and will have most accommodation options. Vlissingen is smaller and slightly more urban but also worth seeing. Goes and Veere are pretty little villages that are good stopping points for coffee/lunch. You would recommend them to everyone who asks about your trip -- disproportionately so to the time you actually spend there. Neeltje Jans is a museum/information centre about the flooding in 1953 and the subsequent Delta works to protect the country from inundation. Located on the Western Scheldt storm surge barrier, it's worth a visit if that's your thing and you happen to be passing.

 

[mjr]

I have travelled on that ferry by bike during the day. A friend who lives in Rozenburg used to use it to commute to the Hook and back every day. The Dutch on the website is a bit convoluted but I very, very much doubt they would refuse a bike on the car ferry.

I'd not be worried about refusal. Bikes are allowed on even pretty small Dutch ferries. I'd be worried about arriving to find the ferry service suspended. I'm probably exceptionally unlucky in this, but I'd say about a quarter of Dutch ferries I've ever tried to use have been out of service. In one case, a local earnestly corrected my question about how to detour around a broken ferry by informing me that the ferry was fine and it was actually that the dock had collapsed... that didn't really help me in any practical way! 🤣

 

[Dirk Van Der Dirk]

Thanks for the info. Just looked at the Rozenburg to Maassluis ferry and it is open, but states that only the car ferry runs up until 19.00 and only at 19.00 does the passenger/cycle ferry commence until 00.00. We'd probably be hitting that ferry crossing during the day, so I've sent a message to them asking if you can take cycles on the car ferry. As for the islands, would you suggest any towns to stop/visit?

I went on it with my bike 2 weeks ago at midday. Its fine for bikes at all times. If u go that way there is a lovely cafe in maasluis
Vrolijk aan de Vliet
https://g.co/kgs/kWVUeyP
Instead of going that way to hook of holland you can go via the maasvlatke to hook of holland ferry.

A great website for ferries in belgium and nl is this ... https://veerponten.nl/

 

[Dirk Van Der Dirk]

I have travelled on that ferry by bike during the day. A friend who lives in Rozenburg used to use it to commute to the Hook and back every day. The Dutch on the website is a bit convoluted but I very, very much doubt they would refuse a bike on the car ferry.

Interesting places to stay/visit on the islands: Middelburg is the biggest town (and typically Dutch in its picturesqueness quotient) and will have most accommodation options. Vlissingen is smaller and slightly more urban but also worth seeing. Goes and Veere are pretty little villages that are good stopping points for coffee/lunch. You would recommend them to everyone who asks about your trip -- disproportionately so to the time you actually spend there. Neeltje Jans is a museum/information centre about the flooding in 1953 and the subsequent Delta works to protect the country from inundation. Located on the Western Scheldt storm surge barrier, it's worth a visit if that's your thing and you happen to be passing.

Just returned from a mini tour of the islands with my wife. Middelburg particularly is pretty, domburg has nice beaches (very popular section if u like getting the parts out!). Cycling over the dams is an experience but we found Burgh to be a pretty town with great places to eat (check out https://maps.app.goo.gl/1ref2geDH2M2So7v8 ) and the area around Rockanje to Oostvoorne to be the prettiest. In Oostvoorne https://maps.app.goo.gl/64xbVeTWtmZUTzS88 has some exceptional food.

 

[bitsandbobs]

Just returned from a mini tour of the islands with my wife. Middelburg particularly is pretty, domburg has nice beaches (very popular section if u like getting the parts out!). Cycling over the dams is an experience but we found Burgh to be a pretty town with great places to eat (check out https://maps.app.goo.gl/1ref2geDH2M2So7v8 ) and the area around Rockanje to Oostvoorne to be the prettiest. In Oostvoorne https://maps.app.goo.gl/64xbVeTWtmZUTzS88 has some exceptional food.

Ah! Sonnemans bakery as featured on the Hairy Bikers a few years ago. Burgh-Haamstede is nice, but you need to avoid the main holiday periods - the Germans especially seem to love it. In that region, Goedereede is always a nice coffee/cake stop.

 

[lozfuller]

Many thanks for all the really useful responses. I'll get plotting!

 

[The Crofted Crest]

go via the maasvlatke

Oh yes! If you've got time, and you should make some, go to Future Land on the Maasvlakte. It's the brand new, man-made Port of Rotterdam container terminal. Absolutely, bewilderingly fascinating!

 

[kabman]

I just covered part of that route (between Bruges and Burgh-Haamstede) two weeks ago. Stayed at these campsites -both were small and quiet with excellent, clean facilities. BTW, we didn't book any campsites in advance and never had a problem just showing up.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Himf7vwpTeMMpgn59 Camping de Meidoorn in Sluis (25 Euros for two people with a tent)

https://maps.app.goo.gl/rD4P65zqRsndgyLN9 Minicamping Kraaijestein in Burgh-Haamstede (20 Euros)

The ferry from Breskens was easy - just turned up and got a ticket at the dock. Was about 7.50 but it's a bit cheaper if you buy online. Sluis, Middleburg and especially Veere were all worth a visit.