Cycling in South Holland

This tour will lead you through the Dutch province of South Holland, always starting from the shore, as a dense network of canals connects these well worth seeing towns and cities. Amsterdam, Utrecht, Delft, Gouda, Rotterdam, as well as the UNESCO world heritage site of Kinderkijk and the famous open air museum of Zaanse Schans - these are only some of the highlights of this cycling tour in South Holland, which is perfectly suited for both expert cyclists and beginners.
Here you can find more details on the ship, the MS Normandie.

Day 1 Arrival in Rotterdam
Embarkation from 4 pm. Take time for the lively "City of architecture", famous for its modern buildings and the largest seaport in Europe.

Day 2 Rotterdam - Dordrecht, approx. 40 km/25 mi
Kinderdijk with the row of windmills is probably one of the most famous photo motifs in the country. Then you cycle to Dordrecht with picturesque gabled houses and great views from the Grote Kerk.

Day 3 Dordrecht - Gorinchen, approx. 46-53 km/29-33 mi
Today is all about water and nature. Take your time exploring de Biesbosch National Park, which served as a hideout for partisans during WW2, before heading to Gorinchem with its picturesque old town.

Day 4 Gorinchen - Utrecht, 47 km/30 mi
Via Leerdam, famous for its cheese, and the fortified city of Vianen, you cycle to Utrecht, dominated by the Buurkirche and cathedral. Several feuds and wars were settled here, e.g. the War of the Spanish Succession.

Day 5 Utrecht - Schoonhoven, approx. 40-49 km/25-30 mi
The bike tour leads through the vast polder country to the silver town of Schoonhoven. Even today, the art of silversmithing is still alive here.

Day 6 Schoonhoven-Gouda-Rotterdam, approx. 45 km/25 mi
Either you cycle directly to Gouda, e.g. for the windows of St. John's Church, or you while away the time in the Reeuwijkse Plassen lake district.

Day 7 Roundtrips from Rotterdam, 40 or 70 km/25 or 43 mi
Today there are several options: Exploring the city, visiting the Delft Porcelain Manufactory or cycling to the North Sea beach.

Day 8 Disembarkation and departure
After breakfast, your bike holiday "Cycling in South Holland"sadly reaches its conclusion. Why not extend your trip in South Holland. Disembarkation until 9:00 am.

Here are the details on MS Normandie.

Included in your package "Cycling in South Holland":

• 7 nights aboard in your chosen category
• full board (7 x breakfast, 6 packed lunches or a little lunch, 7 x dinner)
• complimentary coffee/tea in the afternoon
• cabins are cleaned daily
• bed linen and towels supplied
• welcome drink and chat where we will provide you with all the relevant information
• on-board tour guide
• daily cycling stage briefings
• detailed travel documents in english
• GPS-tracks
• optional rental bike
• optional concession tickets to local attractions, to be purchased on board

Accomodation:

• outside cabins, approx. 10-11 sqm (108-118 sq ft),
  seperated, level-access beds
• 2 single cabins upper deck, approx. 7 sqm (75 sq ft)
• central air conditioning
• upper-deck cabins have adjustable windows
• upper-deck cabins aft: during sailing and manoeuvres the engine sounds can be more audible here

Rental bicycles:

• We offer comfortable unisex-bikes with 7-speed gearboxes and coaster brakes or freewheel, equipped with a bike bag and a bike lock. We also offer e-bikes if desired.

Travel time 2023:

• arrival on saturdays
  16.09. + 23.09. + 30.09. + 07.10.
  Minimum number of participants: 60. This tour can be cancelled by the provider up to 3 weeks prior to its commencement. If this is the case, we will strive to supply our customers with an equivalent offer.

Prices:

All prices are per person.

• booking code "Cycling in South Holland":
  RS-NSNO-7M
• how you can save some money
• costs of cancellation

The booking process

Arrival to the tour "Cycling in South Holland":

• Arrival by car:
  There are three options of parking your car for the duration of the trip. In any case, please drive to the quay first and bring your luggage and (if applicable) personal bike aboard. Then
  - Make use of our parking service. We will arrange for your car to be picked up from the quay, stored safely and returned to the ship. Your vehicle is insured against all types of damage or theft and will be parked in a protected underground facility. Cost: approx. EUR 170 / week.
  - drive to the parking garage “de Boompjes”, approximately 10 minutes by foot to the mooring site, approx. EUR 28 day
  - use on of the park & ride parking sites in the outskirts of the city - they provide great connections into the city centre. Not all of sites are monitored, but many are free.

• Arrival by train:
  Rotterdam Centraal

• Arrival by plane:
  Rotterdam The Hague Airport

Personal bikes:
In principle, you can bring your own bike along. However, please note that your bike will be loaded on and off the boat twice a day along with several others and therefore slight cosmetic damage to individual bikes cannot be ruled out, which is why we do not take responsibility or liability for such damage. We recommend reserving one the excellent rental bikes we offer.

Perfectly looked after:
During your tour, we are available between 8 am and 8 pm, 7 days a week. We are happy to help with any kind of problems you might be having. You will find this emergency number in your travel documents.

Please note:

• As is the case with all boat trips, changes in travel itineraries due to the weather, the rivers’ water levels or technical issues can be undertaken at any time.