Netherlands vs Belgium

[Psychler]

We're touring next year in the low countries, but we're debating whether to do Holland or Belgium. Originally it was Holland now we're leaning to Belgium. We're going for a week in May/june 2008 - can anyone give us the pros and cons of each country. Many thanks

 

[xilios]

We're touring next year in the low countries, but we're debating whether to do Holland or Belgium. Originally it was Holland now we're leaning to Belgium. We're going for a week in May/june 2008 - can anyone give us the pros and cons of each country. Many thanks

Hi, why not check out both countries? It's very easy from the city of Maastricht, Lanaken, Belgium is about 10kms away.
You can even throw in a day ride to Germany if you like, Aachen, Germany is only 30kms away, with a streight road and a bicycle path next to it.
The hills also begin just south of Maastricht so it you like flat fine, but if you like a little more its only a few kms away.
As for how to get here, well there is (new) regular train service from Brussels international airport to Maastricht, only one hour. You can yahoo or google it, also about the bikes.
Photos of all places could be found at flickr.com
Hope this helps some
cheers

 

[daveornee]

Hi, why not check out both countries? It's very easy from the city of Maastricht, Lanaken, Belgium is about 10kms away.
You can even throw in a day ride to Germany if you like, Aachen, Germany is only 30kms away, with a streight road and a bicycle path next to it.
The hills also begin just south of Maastricht so it you like flat fine, but if you like a little more its only a few kms away.
As for how to get here, well there is (new) regular train service from Brussels international airport to Maastricht, only one hour. You can yahoo or google it, also about the bikes.
Photos of all places could be found at flickr.com
Hope this helps some
cheers

I like your suggestions.
I have Dutch gandparents, so I felt biased toward the Netherlands.
Netherlands is clean, flat, and compact; but still worth riding to all the different areas. Riding in Belgium and Germany are good too.
Maastricht is known around the world, and for more than the wonderful outdoor concerts. Those bicycle paths (some more like bicycle highways with the signs and intersections) are wonderful and practical.

 

[Ken Roberts]

Just got back from 3-4 days in each country, visiting a variety of areas. Key difference is that Belgium has a large region which has hills, and the Netherlands does not. So you have more of a choice of hills versus flat in Belgium, and you're generally closer to an area with real hills -- but you could also spend the whole time in Belgium just riding flat.

Also I think the Netherlands generally has more money, for better or worse. Seemed like the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam had a larger percentage of their neighborhoods "spiffier" than Brussels. So you might prefer Belgium if "spiffier" is something you're trying to get away from on a cycling holiday.

Ken

 

[youhaditcoming]

Hi

Holland is really nice for touring. Every single city has bicycle paths, from one city to the next there isn't a long way to travel, countryside is great, architecture too, etc !

Belgium is a little bit more obscure, however if you are into cycling racing you will feel excited about riding in or near legendary roads used in the Northern Classics.

Good luck !

 

[ator539]

Hey,

I just got back from a few weeks in Belgium and The Netherlands. As most of the commentors seem to agree, both are great countries to ride in. But I will add my two cents.
Southern Belgium is very, very hilly, and the roads are much less likely to have bike lanes. However, pretty much everyone seems very bike-friendly, even in the south--at least compared to the American drivers I deal with. Southern Belgians speak French, and not nearly as much English as do the Northerners, but that might not be a problem for you.
One place to consider is the Northwestern part of Belgium (Kortrijk, Ieper). You can see a lot of the course of the Tour of Flanders in this part of the country and the hills/flat mix is quite nice. Northeastern Belgium and The Netherlands are almost too flat and Southern Belgium is almost too hilly. I suppose that some will say that riding, especially loaded touring, can never be too flat, but I just though I would share my views.
If you decide to do the Belgium/Netherlands mix that others have suggested, consider visiting Hasselt and Tongeren. Both of those towns are in Northeastern Belgium and they are pretty cool despite the fact that a lot of tourist guides leave them out. They are not the "Tourist Traps" that you see all over the place, but they are cool.

Hope this helps.

 

[Fietslogies]

The Netherlands and most of Flanders (northern half of Belgium) are flat. It's only a small strip in the south of Flanders where you will meet small hills.

The western part of Flanders has some great historic cities like Ghent (Gent), Bruges (Brugge) and Ypres (Ieper). They are connected with marked cycling routes. For an introduction map :
http://www.vlaanderen-vakantieland.be/nl/themas/themadetail/&ThemaID=47

Maps and books are rarely available in English. Dutch is common and the most recent one is from 2007 : www.esterbauer.com : Cycline multi language Cycling guides : Vlaanderen Fietsroute 1:75.000, ISBN 978-3-85000-232-5

But there's more, it's the less crowded part of Flanders and there's even a link with Australia. A sad one. 43.000 Australian soldiers died in the area around Ypres during World War I. You will meet lots of impressive or rather intimate war memorials and cemeteries, while cycling along rivers, canals, old railway tracks.

Another point where Belgium scores is about the food. Belgium has a real cooking tradition with excellent food and large portions. If that isn't cycling friendly ...

 

[caracol40]

Having seen a little bit of each, and purely from a cycling viewpoint, I would recommend either Netherland if you are looking for a relaxed ride, or south-east Belgium (Ardennes) if you want it more sporty.

Netherland, as everybody knows, is dead flat and has very good bike paths almost everywhere. Riding is totally no-worry, but may be a bit frustrating if you really want to ride fast and sweat a lot.

From a cycling perspective, Belgium is very different whether you are talking about Flanders or Wallonnie.
In Flanders (I have crossed the Brugge - Gent - Kortrijk area last month), it is as flat as in NL, and they have bike lanes or bike paths almost all over the place, BUT these paths/lanes, although mandatory, are often too narrow and in a very poor condition. Riding there made me think of Forester and his warnings against bike lane apartheid...
Wallonnie (at least the area near Tournai I visited briefly) seemed to be more like France, with basically no bike facilities even along busy roads, which sometimes made me regret the bumpy Flemish bike lanes. And the Ardennes are real hills - but I can't comment on cycling there, as I didn't leave the motorway on the way back home...