Netherlands Family Biking
Explore the Netherlands like the locals do - on a bike! With abundant fietspaden (bicycle paths) and flat terrain, touring Holland is a cyclist's dream. Ride with Backroads through Dutch landscapes immortalized by the Old Masters, with languid canals, cobblestone streets and windmills. With such special activities as a cheese farm tour and a visit to an 18th-century windmill, it's a perfect trip for kids. And for adults, there are plenty of diversions too: fantastic art, fabulous dining and luxurious hotels reminiscent of the 17th-century golden age.
Days 1-2 Arnhem
Rendezvous in Arnhem 
Shuttle to De Hoge Veluwe National Park and explore the 13,000-acre nature preserve by bike Surround yourself with masterpieces at the Kröller Müller Art Museum, renowned for its outdoor sculpture garden and extensive van Gogh collection 
Kids enjoy a scavenger hunt in the sculpture garden Follow bike paths through the lush countryside, passing 14th-century castles and stopping at the Airborne Museum and the World War II cemetery in Oosterbeek An afternoon kids adventure takes them to the Open Air Museum and dinner at a local pancake house.
Days 3-4 Bosch En Duin
Against a backdrop straight out of a Ruisdael painting, cycle along a dike wall that parallels the Neder Rijn River Indulge your sweet tooth with an appelgebak (apple tart) in the lively town of Rhenen Admire elegant Castle Amerongen, encircled by two moats On a tour of a family-run cheese farm, sample delectable boerenkaas (commonly known as gouda) Board a luxurious boat for a private cruise up the scenic Vecht River.
Days 5-6 Voorborg
Pedal to the World Heritage site of Kinderdijk, a cluster of nineteen windmills once used to drain the surrounding flood plain One of these 18th-century windmills is open to visitors and is a fun place to stop and learn about the inner workings of the mills Savor local treats as you wander amid food stalls and Gothic structures in Gouda's market square While adults tour Gouda with a local guide, kids enjoy painting wooden clogs at the market Enjoy a final bike ride along the coast.
HEAVENLY RETREATS: Premiere Inns
Groot Warnsborn (2 nights): A stylish country manor house in a tranquil wooded setting, featuring luxuriously appointed guest rooms with classic touches.
De Hoefslag (2 nights): This elegant member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World combines English country style with a Mediterranean flavor and features a Michelin-starred restaurant and beautiful gardens.
Hotel Savelberg (1 night): This beautiful Relais & Châteaux-property offers tastefully adorned guest rooms and a fantastic restaurant.
Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain
Day 1
- Level 1 2 Route Options Available
- 6, 16 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 2
- Levels 1 to 2 5 Route Options Available
- Morning routes: 15, 30 miles
- Afternoon routes: 9, 16, 22 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 3
- Levels 1 to 4 3 Route Options Available
- 30, 19, 47 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 4
- Levels 2 to 4 3 Route Options Available
- 23, 40, 52 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 5
- Levels 1 to 3 4 Route Options Available
- 7, 17, 21, 38 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 6
- Level 1 1 Route Option Available
- 13 miles
- 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
On this Family Trip, our routes follow gentle terrain with no significant gain or loss in elevation. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and mileage is kept moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own. Our routes are mostly on quiet bike paths throughout the trip.
Trips For All Abilities
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
| Activity Level | Average Time | Average Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biking | Walking & Hiking | ||
| Level 1 | 2-3 hours | 10-20 mile | 2-5 miles |
| Level 2 | 2-4 hours | 21-30 miles | 5-7 miles |
| Level 3 | 3-5 hours | 31-40 miles | 7-9 miles |
| Level 4 | 4-6 hours | 41-55 miles | 9-11 miles |
| Level 5 | 5-7+ hours | 56-75+ miles | 11-13+ miles |
2009 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
- 7/12-17Price: $4498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $860 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/2-7Price: $4498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $860 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/9-14Price: $4498 pp dbl. occ., (+ $860 for sgl. occ.)
Reserve early for the best available price. Prices may change during the course of the year--if they do change, the best prices are available earlier. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.
Recommended Kids Ages
Minimum Ages:
Recommended minimum age for the trip: 3 years
Minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 6 years
General Info on Minimum Ages:
We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:
- 12+ cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities and route
- 9+ difficulty of activities and route
- 6+ several long adult dinners; parent may not be able to pull a Burley and/or there may be multiple activity restrictions
- 3+ riding is on bike paths, making it great for young kids; Burley and Piccolos are available; there are few or no activity restrictions; and no long dinners (or we offer alternatives)
Please note that a trip may feature an activity with an older age requirement than the minimum age recommendation for the trip. Younger kids are still welcome on the trip and while they will not be able to participate in the activity, the leaders will suggest an alternate activity. For safety reasons, children under 7 may not ride their own bikes and are required to ride on a Piccolo or in a Burley. For certain destinations, children must be 9 or older to ride their own bikes.
Guest Trip Reviews
The trip was fantastic!!! Our leaders were truly exceptional! They provided an itinerary that was full yet not overwhelming and very fun and interesting for both kids and adults. They went out of their way in many ways to provide a memorable trip. We loved the country, the biking, the activities, our leaders and our travel companions. Overall the trip was great and very appropriate for my kids. We can't wait to go on our next Backroads family trip!- Fort Lauderdale, FL