One thing I wasn't sure about when I was visiting The Netherlands was bicycling from one city to another city. Is there a complete bicycle route in between cities? Are there sections where the bike path just ends and you're forced to mix with speeding traffic? And is it safe to ride between cities? All legitimate questions for someone visiting a foreign country.
However, all those questions or concerns were put to rest. I had an unforgettable bike ride from Utrecht to Amersfoort in The Netherlands. Much like my earlier post on my ride from Amsterdam to the beach, this ride was simply AMAZING! Almost the entire route was on a bike path completely separated from car traffic. There are some shared roads when you reach a small town, but traffic speed is slow, roads are narrow and drivers know how to navigate around those on bikes. Probably because those same drivers also ride a bike.
I'm sure I have said this in previous posts, but the amount of care and attention to detail the Dutch put into building a bike path is unbelievable!
It was such an amazing and stress free ride. The weather was also perfect on the day I rode. I got some good exercise, and most importantly, I felt completely safe from car drivers.
I just read on Bicycle Dutch's website that they are building a new direct route from Utrecht to Amersfoort called the F28 cycle route. I thought the route I took was perfect and direct! I can't imagine them building another route that's as good as the one I took. But, leave it up to the Dutch to build something even better than what I thought was already a perfect route.
Below is the route I took which I posted on my Strava account.
Here is the under construction F28 route posted by Bicycle Dutch
Once you are in Amersfoort, the highlight is its old city center. The area is walkable and charming with lots of shops, restaurants and cafes.
Even if you are not someone that normally rides a bike, I would say, if you are in The Netherlands, try it! Rent an ebike if you are concerned about the distance, and explore. And you don't have to go from Utrecht to Amersfoort. You can pick a much closer city or town. The point is to experience something you normally wouldn't do or see. And, as I have experienced, bicycling is very safe in The Netherlands. Plus, if you do decide to ride somewhere further, you can always do a bike and train combo. After Amersfoort, I took the train to Arnhem. I got off at Arnhem Centraal and explored Arnhem by bike.
I also had Surinamese food for the first time in Arnhem at Mama Krioro. I then biked over to a nearby bar (or what the Dutch would call a cafe) called Cafe Vrijdag for a drink before my train ride back to Utrecht.
Towards the end of my day trip, I hopped back on the train with my bike to Utrecht (Side note: Make sure to read the rules for bringing your bike on the train and the ticket price. You'll need a separate ticket for your bike. You can get more information on the Dutch railway NS site and also ask any customer service rep when you are at any major station for advice.)
Once back in Utrecht, I went to my new favorite bar Cafe DeRat and had a few beers, some great conversation with the locals and called it a day.
Comments