There is no better way to experience the Netherlands than from the saddle of a bicycle. This is, after all, the most bike-friendly country on earth, with more bicycles than people, thousands of kilometres of dedicated cycle paths, and a landscape so flat and well-signposted that almost anyone can ride it. From windmills and tulip fields to forests, dunes, and historic towns, a cycling holiday lets you see the real Netherlands at the perfect pace.
This guide covers everything you need to plan a Dutch cycling trip: how the famous junction network works, the best long-distance routes, the route-planning apps and tools to use, what kind of bike to bring, and why choosing one central base can make the whole experience easier and more rewarding.
Why the Netherlands Is the World’s Best Cycling Destination
The Netherlands was built for bikes. Cycling is woven into daily life, and the infrastructure reflects it: dedicated cycle lanes line most roads, cyclists have their own crossings and traffic lights, and bike paths reach quiet corners of the countryside that cars simply cannot.
For visitors, this means a few wonderful things:
- It is genuinely easy. The landscape is famously flat, so you do not need to be an athlete to enjoy a full day in the saddle.
- It is safe. Cyclists are respected and protected, with separated paths keeping you away from traffic.
- It is beautiful. Routes thread past windmills, along dikes and canals, through forests and flower fields, and into historic town centers.
- It suits everyone. From gentle family rides to multi-day long-distance tours, there is a route for every level.
How the Dutch Cycle Junction Network Works
The single best thing to understand before your trip is the cycle junction network (knooppuntensysteem), the ingenious system that makes navigating the Netherlands by bike almost effortless.
Here is how it works:
- The entire country is mapped as a grid of numbered junctions (knooppunten), where cycle routes meet.
- Each junction has a number and an information board with a map of the surrounding area.
- To plan a ride, you simply note down a sequence of numbers, for example 12 to 45 to 78, and follow the green-and-white signs from one junction to the next.
- At every junction, the signs point you toward the neighbouring numbers, so you never need to stop and puzzle over a map.
Completed nationwide in 2014, the system lets you build your own route on the fly, lengthen or shorten a ride on a whim, and explore without any risk of getting lost among hard-to-pronounce village names. Pair it with a free cycling app for extra navigation help, and you have everything you need. (See the tools section below for the best route planners and apps.)
Tip: You do not need to memorise anything. Write your chosen junction numbers on a slip of paper or your phone, clip it where you can see it, and just ride number to number.
The Best Long-Distance Cycle Routes (LF Routes)
For those wanting a multi-day adventure, the Netherlands has a national network of long-distance cycle routes known as LF routes (Landelijke Fietsroutes), totalling around 4,500 kilometres. They are signposted in both directions with rectangular white signs and green lettering, and they connect cities, villages, and nature reserves across the country.
Some of the most popular include:
- The Zuiderzee Route (Zuiderzeeroute): A classic loop right around the IJsselmeer lake, past historic harbor towns, dikes, and big open water. One of the most beloved tours in the country.
- The Coastal Route (Kustroute): Following the North Sea coast through dunes and beach towns, with sea air the whole way.
- The Hanze Route (LF3): Running along the dike of the River IJssel between historic Hanseatic League trading towns.
- The Waterline Route (Waterlinieroute): Tracing the historic Dutch water-defence lines and their forts.
You can ride a full route over several days with luggage transport between stops, or simply sample a scenic stretch as a day trip.
Best Apps and Tools for Planning Your Route
You do not have to plan a Dutch cycling holiday alone. The country has excellent, mostly free route-planning tools, and these are the ones worth bookmarking before you go:
- Nederland Fietsland is the official national cycling platform, with junction routes, themed LF routes, and a route planner. It is the best starting point for trustworthy, up-to-date route ideas across the whole country.
- Fietsersbond Routeplanner is widely regarded as the most advanced cycle planner in the Netherlands, maintained and updated daily by hundreds of volunteers. It has an English-language version and lets you choose route types such as scenic, junction-network, or car-restricted, then export to GPS.
- ANWB cycle junction planner lets you click junction to junction to build a route on a desktop, save it, and open it on your phone via the free ANWB Eropuit app, which also flags bike-friendly cafés and rental shops.
- Toertje is the free app that the old Fietsersbond Routeplanner app became. It shows every cycle junction on a map, offers pre-planned routes, and provides spoken turn-by-turn navigation. Available for iPhone and Android.
- Komoot is popular with international travelers for route inspiration, GPS navigation, and community tips, with thousands of Dutch routes rated by other cyclists.
Tip: For a centre-based holiday, plan each day’s loop the evening before using one of these tools, note your junction numbers, and you are set. Most planners let you export a GPX file to a Garmin, Wahoo, or your phone.
If you want to combine cycling with the train, for example to reach a route further afield, you can check schedules and bring your bike on many services via NS.nl, the Dutch railways site.
Day Trips by Bike: Tulips, Windmills, and Forests
You do not need a multi-day plan to enjoy cycling here. Some of the most rewarding rides are simple day trips:
- Through the tulip fields of the Bollenstreek in spring, with Keukenhof as a natural stop.
- Around Kinderdijk, where a UNESCO World Heritage line of windmills follows the water.
- Into the forests and heath of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, the wooded national park in the heart of the country.
- Along the IJssel and through historic towns, combining scenery with Dutch history.
Pre-planned themed routes exist for all of these, so you can follow a ready-made loop or design your own using the junction network.
What Bike Should You Ride?
The right bike depends on your plans, but the good news is that the flat terrain makes almost anything comfortable:
- City and touring bikes are perfect for the vast majority of routes and are widely available to rent.
- E-bikes (electric bikes) are hugely popular and ideal if you want to cover more ground or ride with mixed-ability companions; the gentle electric assist makes longer days effortless.
- Road bikes suit paved long-distance routes but are less ideal for unpaved forest trails.
Rental is easy across the country, with bikes available near most stations and in tourist towns. Choose a bike sized to your height, and add saddlebags if you are carrying gear for the day.
A Few Practical Tips
- Navigation: Combine the junction signposts with a cycling app or GPS for stress-free routing (see the tools section above).
- Etiquette: In towns, cycle single file; in open countryside, riding two abreast is fine.
- Weather: Dutch weather is changeable. Pack a light waterproof layer whatever the forecast.
- Paying and planning: Tourist information points and most accommodations can supply local cycling maps and route ideas.
Why a Central Base Makes the Perfect Cycling Holiday
There are two ways to do a cycling holiday in the Netherlands. One is a point-to-point tour, sleeping in a different place each night with your luggage moved ahead. The other, and for many travelers the more relaxing option, is centre-based cycling: you stay in one comfortable place and ride a different loop each day, returning to the same bed each night.
For centre-based cycling, location is everything, and few places are better positioned than the green heart of the country. A small, family-run holiday park like Bungalowpark ‘t Eekhoornnest in Soest sits right inside the forests of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, with the national cycle network on its doorstep. From here you can:
- Ride straight out into woodland and heath without loading a car.
- Reach the tulip regions, the IJsselmeer, and the cities on day rides or short train hops.
- Return each evening to a quiet bungalow surrounded by nature rather than a different hotel in a different town.
For families and couples who want the freedom of daily cycling without the hassle of constantly repacking, it is the ideal way to experience the Netherlands by bike.
Plan Your Dutch Cycling Adventure
A cycling holiday in the Netherlands offers something rare: world-class infrastructure, gentle terrain, and endlessly varied scenery, all in a compact country you can explore at your own pace. Choose a central base, learn the junction numbers, and let the bike paths lead you through the real Netherlands.
Ready to plan your ride? Discover comfortable bungalows surrounded by forest and cycle routes at Bungalowpark ‘t Eekhoornnest, your perfect base for a cycling holiday in the heart of the Netherlands.
