Books

Cycling in Amsterdam and The Netherlands - The very best routes in the cyclist's paradise (2015)

Cycling in Amsterdam and The Netherlands is the most recent guide by Cycling Dutchman Eric van der Horst. This pannier-pocket guide features 1064 kms (656 miles) of routes, 125 maps (for both urban and rural areas), 300 listed facilities (like bike repair shops, bike rentals, camp sites, hostels and Bed & Breakfasts), detailed directions with local knowledge all the way and fully continuous enjoyable routes, whether you arrive in The Netherlands by ferry from the United Kingdom, by plane at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport or by train from France or Germany. GPS-tracks, route updates and social media for users are available via the designated website. 


The book caters for both passionate individual cyclists and those who would like to head out by bike with their your loved ones. Parents will find many route sections extremely suitable for their younger children and can take their teenagers on that special family holiday which will spark everyone's imagination, generating fond memories which will last for ever!


The book provides six day rides in and around Amsterdam, all with various distance itineraries, allowing you to stay in one accommodation only. A second week of cycling fun can be had with the Randstad Circle Route, a "highlights of The Netherlands - route". Sections of this route are also accessible from Amsterdam by train, still allowing you to stay in one accommodation in Amsterdam only. Of course, when you cycle the full route, you'd be travelling from one accommodation to the next. If you love cycle touring, you are further catered with long-distance routes heading north, east and south from the central Netherlands "Randstad" area. 


You can read an extensive route summary on the designated website, which also features various YouTube videos. The retail price of the book is £15.99. If you order the book through the official Cycling in Holland website you'll have to pay an additional fee for postage, but you'll also receive GPS-tracks of the routes for free. GPS-tracks are worth £10 and can be ordered separately. Feedback on guidebook and routes are very welcome via the Official Guestbook or Twitter on @DutchmanCycling.   

London - Land's End Cycle Route - Beautiful cycling across southern England (2013)

The London-Land's End Cycle Route Book features the very best traffic-calmed cycling touring routes of southern England. The pannier-pocket guide features 1200 kms (940 miles) of routes, 140 maps (for both urban and rural areas), 500 listed facilities (like bike repair shops, camp sites, hostels and Bed & Breakfasts), detailed directions with local knowledge all the way  and a fully continuous enjoyable route (overcoming gaps in Sustrans' National Cycle Network). GPS-tracks, route updates and social media for users are available via the designated website. 


The book caters for both passionate individual cyclists and those who would like to head out by bike with their your loved ones. Parents will find many route sections extremely suitable for their younger children and can take their teenagers on that special family holiday which will spark everyone's imagination, generating fond memories which will last for ever! The book not only caters for UK-cyclists, it also invites touring cyclists from the continent to go for a cycling holiday in England. Routes from both Dover and Harwich head for London to join the main route there and in Devon you can head for the ferry to France from Plymouth, allowing you to cycle around the English Channel! 


You can read an extensive route summary on the designated website, which also features a picture library with over 200 pictures. The retail price of the book is £15.99. If you order the book through the official London-Land's End Cycle Route Book website you'll have to pay an additional fee for postage, but you'll also receive GPS-tracks of the routes for free. GPS-tracks are worth £10 and can be ordered separately. Feedback on guidebook and routes are very welcome via the Official Guestbook or Twitter on @LondonLandsEnd.


Where are you heading (Cycling across America) (2004 - print on demand)


My 2002 Coast to Coast ride in America was the inspiration for a "Josie Dew"-style cycling experience book. It was named Where are you heading, the question I was asked all the time while being on the road. The book was published in 2004 and is still available via Publisher Kirjaboek via print-on-demand (ISBN: 90-77668-15-2). Note that despite its English title, the book is available in Dutch language only. More information about this book can be found in one of my older blog-posts.


  

 Cycling in The Netherlands - The very best routes in a cyclist's paradise (2011 - out of print) 

 This book made you travel beyond Dutch cliches like clogs, windmills and the Amsterdam red light district, allowing you to truly explore the lowlands. The book featured over 700 kms of routes and had special chapters explaining the unique Dutch cycling-minded traffic rules and its cycle route signage systems.
This book catered not only for novice cyclists, but also for parents who would like to give their children a safe and fun cycling experience. Also those keen on serious mileage were not forgotten. 

The guide featured the finest rides of The Netherlands' incredible 25,000 mile long traffic free cycle network; from the Dutch scenic sand dune reserves and beaches to splendid inland waterway routes and from unspoiled countryside to great medieval towns like Haarlem and Utrecht. Of course, routes in the famous tulip fields and amazing Amsterdam were included as well, as were extensive chapters on Dutch cycling culture and all those special cycling-minded traffic rules!

This book was published by Cycle City Guides (ISBN 978-1900623193) and will not be reprinted. Some copies might still be for sale at various retailers. From 18 September 2015, this book is replaced by the second edition, Cycling in Amsterdam and The Netherlands, see the top of this page and www.cyclinginholland.com.




Heart of England Route Guide (London-Land's End in Dutch) (2011 - out of print)

Since 2011, various Dutch cyclists have embarked on heroic journeys from Harwich in Essex to Land's End, a journey of about 1000 kilometres. They purchased my  book The Heart of England Route Guide ("Hart van Engeland Fietsroute"), published in Dutch by Pirola Publishing. This book made use of Sustrans routes 1, 3, 4, 26, 27, 32, 41 and 51. It took (and still takes) Dutch and Belgian nationals from Harwich through Central London via Windsor, Stonehenge and Avebury to Bath and Bristol and beyond to Exmoor National Park and the golden beaches of Devon and Cornwall. An English version of the book was published spring 2013, see top of this page and www.london-landsendcycleroutebook.com.

The cycling take up caused by the Dutch language publication didn't go unnoticed by locals. A village shop in Essex started to display a sign with the text "Dutch cyclists welcome!" In Devon, a campsite owner reported a "new steady flow of Dutch cyclists" to his camp site over the summer months. These examples show perfectly how eco-tourism can support local communities. 

 As of 7 June 2015, the book is not available any more via dedicated website http://www.fietseninengeland.nl/ . As of this date, we have only the English version for sale. Customers from The Netherlands and Belgium will receive an exclusive Dutch-language brochure with their English-language guidebook to overcome any potential language barriers. The original Dutch-language guidebook as displayed here will not be reprinted. Some copies might still be for sale via some Dutch and Belgian travel book shops while stocks last. 

Popular Cycling Dutchman Blog articles about Dutch bike rides and Dutch cycling culture:

The 12 best bike rides of The Netherlands


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