Amsterdam to Amsterdam in a week

Frank Rafferty

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Hi, first tour abroad in September and looking for a circular route that would take us from Amsterdam ferry terminal with possible stops nearby Cologne, Luxembourg, Charleroi, Ypres, Antwerp and Amsterdam.

Would be great if someone had done his route and had the gpx to share. There is so much information, I feel it might be 2020 before I get through it.

Thanks in anticipation- Frank
 
You know where you're going to start and finish.

You also know the places in between that you want to visit.

A cursory look at a map will show how to do this.
 
Here’s a start:

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You can export the routes from Kurviger to a Garmin GPS device. Job done.
 
Thanks Wapping, I thought it would have been bit more complicated than that and searching for decent roads. I was hoping for key locations / roads along or near this route that would have been an idea to take.

Would you suggest by doing this that the roads selected by the software would be suitable.

Thanks
 
Thank you.

Me? If I wanted a pre-planned route, I’d start with the Kurviger suggestion. Once you get into the Belgian / Luxembourg Ardennes (the bottom triangle of the Kurviger route, roughly Aachen, Luxembourg, Charleroi area) you can’t go far wrong.

Do though take a decent map. I’d recommend Michelin’s offerings. As Tarka says, a decent map holds all the answers.

As to things to see and do, places to visit, hotels to stay in.... it’s 1200 kms, there are too many to list. Nobody knows where you’ll be at any one moment along the route. It’s useless someone saying you MUST go to see the American memorial at Bastogne and visit the museum, if it is then 16:30 and you need to be in Luxembourg city by 17:15. Similarly, it’s useless being told there is a stunning (and biker friendly, with secure parking) hotel in Breda, if you are riding past its door at 11:15 desperate to get to your ferry by 12:10.

You could also have a look at: https://www.tourenfahrer.de/tour-datenbank/ tap on ‘Regionen’ and scroll down to ’Ardennen’. Play around in it. It’s free and you can’t break it.
 
Just wondering why Charleroi, unless it’s had a massive facelift or you have another reason, it was always a dump. It is a former steel making and coal mining area.

There are plenty of nice places to visit.
 
Using the suggestions already made is a great start. Another suggestion is to find a Michelin map or similar which will have the more scenic roads identified (outlined in green?) and you can then amend the route to suit
 
I f was in Amsterdam were you live, i would just hit the motorway past Antwerp and brussels towards the Ardennes . There is some fantastic bike roads around there. we stayed in Rocroi last year ,used this as a base for two days rode out to Charleville Mezieres, and Reims (french side) . theres a few routes around here that you would like, check out the ride guide https://www.ride.co.uk/routes-1/the-ride-guide-to-europe-second-edition.Theres routes around Germany and Luxembourg on here , Its a straight GPX file copy link to your nav. use the main roads to get to where you want to go, then when in that area ride the nice curvy roads.

theres also so nice places like Antwerp city you could visit. ( not for me) its a main motorway in main motorway out ,then theres parking and thousands of cars etc . I personally would not do these big cities on me bike.

So ....when planning ,take into consideration how many miles a day you want to do . Where you want to go . use the main roads to get away from Amsterdam , then glance on a mapping software ,google maps for example , as to whats in the area where you want to go then plan some nice routes around between hotels or camp sites if you are camping.

Dont worry about getting lost,its part of touring. Enjoy
 
The best riding is North of Luxembourg City (In the Luxembourg Countryside) and the Ardennes, worth spending a couple of days (or more) in that area, if you cough up for the full version of My Route App you can use the Michelin Maps overlay to find all the good Green Routes, but almost all the roads in Luxembourg are good.

Vianden and Esch-Sur-Sure are well worth a drive-by, Beaufort Castle is worth a quick look as well, you can get around it in an hour or so, Vianden Castle is much bigger, the one at Esch-Sur-Sure can be walked up to (you can ride up the hill a bit 1st, or take the steps from the town below.

Bouillon and Durbury are both great places to stop for a night, La Roche en Ardenne is another nice little town for an overnight stop, as is Echternach in Luxembourg.

Villa Vanilla in Ypres is a great little B&B with free use of cycles to get into the town centre for the Last Post ceremony.
 
That Charleroi, Lille, Antwerp triangle - that won;t be particularly exciting. Unless there's somewhere there you really want to go, I'd stay well East and enjoy more time in the Ardennes.
 
I conquered my GPS and enjoyed the past 2 weeks passing through these parts from Normandy to Nurburgring and upwards.

Used Kurviger, Wallonia guide and made up some proposed routes that I tweaked as I went along.

Stuck a pin in the map and stopped 2 nights in Poix St Hubert. Nice hotel but the adjacent railway crossing went ding-long-earlier than I liked.

Made a loop around the area and back tracked repeatedly on one particularly nice 10km stretch near Nassogne - as per Wallonia guide brochure.

(and once more the picture gets spun around for some unknown reason)
 

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If you find yourself even remotely close by and like chocolate go to Van Coillie at Roeselare you won’t be disappointed, until you leave.

https://pralineur.be/
 


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