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Self Guided Cycling Holiday for Couples

Our holidays are based in Assen, the capital of the Dutch "cycling province", Drenthe. Assen is a small city but has many places to go in the evening including a wide range of restaurants, cafes and bars, and a new cinema and theatre complex.

Drenthe is the least densely populated province of the Netherlands. It's an area with much natural beauty and many "quiet areas" where there is almost no sound at all. For this reason it is ideal for escaping the stresses of modern life.

Our routes to and through the countryside make use of the thousands of kilometres of cycle-paths separate from the road which run through this area. On these paths you can be out of the city in just a few minutes.

On rest days we suggest visiting the newly expanded Drentsmuseum and the award winning market in Assen. We also provide a route to the city of Groningen, the world's number one cycling city which is host to even more restaurants, cafes and museums.

Example itinerary

For our example we've assumed a couple who are visiting for a long weekend. Because their stay is short we have not planned for a rest day. They have expressed an interest in nature and history. Ride distances are between 40 km and 70 km each day, making these rides slightly longer than most people choose.

If you have a preference for a longer duration holiday or for different ride distances or destinations, please just ask us when you book.

Friday Evening Arrive in Assen and book into your accommodation. Head for the centre of Assen as it's lively on Friday evenings. Shops are open late and you'll also find plenty of places to eat and have a drink. Saturday Today's route is to a living museum which is filled with demonstrations of the way in which people lived and worked before advent of modern technology. See how clogs are made, try cheese made in a factory which dates from 1899, watch glass-blowing and blacksmithing demonstrations and have a pancake for lunch before riding home. The route passes through forest and heath and through several villages on the way to and from the destination. Sunday Five thousand years ago, the Funnelbeaker People built 54 stone graves (Dolmens in English, Hunebedden in Dutch) in the Netherlands. Of these, 52 are in Drenthe, and many of these are close enough to cycle to from Assen. We take a tour past some of the Hunebedden to the hunebed museum which has extensive information about the stone structures and the people who built them. Apart from the hunebedden en-route to the museum, this route is also very scenic, taking in much countryside. Monday As this was just a weekend holiday, after breakfast it is time to leave. We recommend spending half a day in Amsterdam, perhaps visiting one of the museums, before taking your transport back home.

The routes in this description are slightly longer than those chosen by most of our customers, but for a couple travelling without children they are still quite easy distances for one day. It is possible to stop for morning and afternoon coffee as well as for lunch and still have time to be back in Assen for your evening meal.

Naturally we can also plan holidays for couples over a longer duration, such as for a week.

Bicycles

We suggest riding our hire bikes for short stays in part because the cost of transporting your bike can easily exceed the cost of hire bikes. However, you are of course welcome to bring your own bikes.

Anything Else ?

If you have special dietary needs, such as being a vegetarian or vegan, we can help. Just let us know.

Cycling in the Netherlands is very safe. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend that participants have both travel insurance and third party liability insurance.

How to book

For this example holiday we have selected Bed and Breakfast accomodation within walking or cycling distance of the city centre. The cost of a three night stay for two people including breakfast, hire bicycles and ride routes is from .

A seven night stay for two people in a hotel including en-suite, use of indoor and outdoor swimming pools, sauna and fitness centre costs from .

Please contact us directly by email to book.

How to get here

Please consider first the ethics of travelling from where you are to the Netherlands in order to ride bicycles. Cycling is a means of transport which inherently has a low carbon footprint and is light on the planet. We would prefer that people did not travel half way around the world to come on our tours or indeed to take any holiday which has such a cost for the planet.

Please book the tour first and wait for confirmation before booking your transport. We will advise you about what we think is the best means of transport from your location.

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