Bicycle day trips - Where to start & Rent a bike

As most people coming to the Netherlands will visit Amsterdam, I'll focus now on two normally not so crowded possibilities in the direct surroundings of this city.
Of course, you can make nice bicycle day trips all over the country, see links-section. In almost every town you can rent a bike, often at or near the train station.

To the north : Waterland, classic Holland.

The well known Dutch landscape with dikes and canals.
Best rent a bike in the centre of Amsterdam, and take the ferry across the IJ behind Central Station. You'll first have to cycle through urban parts before entering rural areas. By the way, the name " Waterland " dates from medieval times, so it's not invented for tourists !
Official tourist information : www.vvv-waterland.nl

To the east : a varied landscape (click for pictures).

Over the millennia the natural landscape here was formed not only by rivers and the sea, like in most parts of Holland, but also by Ice Age glaciers and wind. The result is an exceptionally varied landscape.
Along the rivers those classic Dutch meadows with cows, lakes and wetlands. Merging into higher sandy grounds covered with woods and heather plains.
And all over, an overwhelming amount of historical points of interest. Relics from prehistoric man, through Middle Ages to modern times. See also the Where-section.

To visit this region you can cycle out of Amsterdam, but this adds urban extra mileage, of course.
More practical is to take a train to Weesp, and rent a bike there at the station. That's only a 15 minutes train ride from Amsterdam Central.
Information on the various ways to go to the region on page How to get there.

The bike rental shop in Weesp is under the station, exit side centre of town. Bike rental is EUR 7,50 per day. They ask for an ID, and a caution of 50 EUR in CASH (!) per bike.
You'll see lot's of bikes lined up, but that's for sale. The number of rental bikes is limited, so it's wise to call them for a reservation : www.fietspoint.com. (No, I don't have shares, but so far, I found their service OK)
Rental bikes are classic Dutch 3 speed city bikes, ideal for this flat terrain. Bicycles are suitable for persons with a body length of 155 cm (5 ft) and up.
Bike helmets are NOT supplied at the bike rental. Although it is always saver to wear a helmet of course, it is not current in Holland. Except for racers and small children.

For thematic suggestions for guided bicycle day trips click here.

For an example of an autumn bike ride (photo and video), click here.

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