The Road to Hamburg
This six day leisurely cycling tour takes us from the Hook of Holland to Hamburg using mostly the excellent cycle paths of The Netherlands and northern Germany. Starting on the North Sea Cycle route we head inland towards Amsterdam and then on through the, mostly flat, landscape of Holland and into Lower Saxony. This very rural route passes through small villages and towns crossing the border and making our way to the cities of Bremen and on to Hamburg.
With a cycling infrastructure second to none, this part of northern Europe is an absolute pleasure to ride and is suitable for any cyclist happy to ride for 5-6 hours a day over 7 days.
Highlights
- Markermeer waterscape
- Moor Belt Nature Reserve
- Picturesque villages
- German beer!
Accommodation
Your accommodation, on a twin share bed and breakfast basis, will be in hotels, typically Premier Inns or Holiday Inns, along with carefully selected family run hotels and good quality bed and breakfasts.
Single accommodation is available for a supplement price of £300
Meals
A packed lunch will be provided.
You will need to purchase your own evening meals, which are usually eaten communally, although you are free to opt out if you wish.
In the Tour Plan, (B, L, D) refers to meals included in the trip cost i.e. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Bike Transfers
We offer a bike delivery and collection service. Please get in touch with us for details.
Tour Plan
The route of this tour is flexible and should be seen as a guide only. Local conditions, weather or fitness could lead to changes in our daily plans. All times and distances are approximate.
- Destination
- Depart fromHarwich International Port, Essex, UK
- Return fromHamburg, Germany
- Road surfacesMostly flat. Mostly on cycle paths (expect some gravel), roads near cities.
- Bike TypeHybrid / Tourer / Road bike with touring tyres
- IncludedThe Road to HamburgAccommodationLunchCycling guideGPX filesVehicle supportBaggage transfer
- Not IncludedEvening meals (unless specified)Bike hireTravel to start & from finishInternational flightsAirport transfersTravel insuranceVisas
FROM OUR GALLERY
Arrival Day - Meet at Harwich International Port
Cycle from the Hook of Holland to Amsterdam
50-55 miles (80km)
After a comfortable night on board the ship, first thing in the morning we will be cycling from the Hook of Holland to the northeast for a steady 50mile journey to Amsterdam. The first part of the day entails some lovely cycling on the North Sea Cycle Route cycling through Scheveningen and Wassenaar and as the day unfolds we turn inland at Katwijk aan Zee eventually passing Amsterdam Schiphol Airport before making for our accommodation in the capital city of the Netherlands. (B,L)Cycle from Amsterdam to Harderwijk
50-55 miles (80-85km)
Today's the journey from Amsterdam to Harderwijk promises to be a tremendous ride and one that is dominated by the beautiful waterscape of the Markermeer and pristine Netherlands farmland. The cycling infrastructure of the Netherlands is second to none, on a sunny day and with a fair wind you will be hard pushed to find better cycling anywhere in Europe. (B,L)Cycle from Harderwijk to Coevorden
60-65 miles (95km)
A longish day is in store with an easterly ride passing through Kampena and then the city of Zwolle and traversing some picturesque countryside and villages such as Nieuwleusen, Balkbrug and Slgharen before arriving at the small city of Coevorden. (B,L)Cycle from Coevorden to Werlte
50-53 miles (85km)
Once again as we make our way towards Hamburg, the cycling is easy, the terrain flat and the scenery bucolic. The mileage is a littler higher than yesterday and as we say goodbye to the Netherlands we will be cycling on some excellent, traffic free cycle paths that are part of the brilliant network of German cycle routes. Our tour takes us to places in Germany that are rarely seen by visitors from the United Kingdom. We will be passing through Klein and Gross Berssen before stopping for the night in Werlte in Lower Saxony. (B,L)Cycle from Werlte to Bremen
62-65 miles (95km)
With a slight increase in the mileage from yesterday, we head east and then taking a northerly route out of Cloppenburg and cycling through some gorgeous countryside at the Ahlhorner Fischteiche and the Saager Meere, Kleiner Sand und Heumoor, before continuing north and having a well deserved break in Oldenburg. From Oldenburg we head east cycling through Delmenhorst and then enjoying a relaxing ride into Bremen, which lies some 37miles from the North Sea on the River Wesser. (B,L)Cycle from Bremen to Rotenburg
40-44 miles (65km)
There will be time this morning to look around the sights of this historical city. Later we head out of Bremen cross the River Wesser at Bremen and cycle through the German countryside to reach the town of Haselunne, from here we pedal through some nice wilderness to reach the headquarters of the region at Rotenburg, there are few historical sites here including a World War 1 war memorial . (B,L)Cycle from Rotenburg to Hamburg
40-44 miles (65km)
The final cycling day of our Netherlands and northern German tour sees us pass through the beautiful Braken, Harselah, Kahles and Wildes Moor to the town of Buxtehude and then onwards through the Naturschutzgebeit Moorgurtel (Nature Reserve – Moor Belt) to reach the River Elbe. We catch a ferry over the river, just to the north of Finkenwerder and then enter the city on the northern bank of the River Elbe cycling through the Altona Altstadt and St. Pauli to arrive at our accommodation in the city centre. After check-in to the hotel, there will be time to explore the city.In the early evening we will be heading into the city for a celebratory dinner. (B,L)Departure Day
TOUR DATES
| Friday 16th to Friday 23rd July 2021 |
| £1190 per person |
| Spaces Available |
| Guided by Ken Woodhouse |
| Saturday 30th July to Sunday 7th August 2022 |
| £1190 per person |
| Spaces Available |
| Guided by Ken Woodhouse |