INTO THE NETHERLANDS

Note that

1.  The Netherlands is an EU member and the currency is the Euro.

2.  The Netherlands is in the Central European Time zone (so 1 hr ahead of the UK).

3.  Diesel costs around €1.39 a litre.

4.  There are currently NO TOLLS on Dutch motorways. 

5.  UK insurance covers EU countries.

6.  Daytime running lights are recommended but not obligatory.

Entering the Netherlands without any formalities, we continue on A12 to Arnhem, then take A50 north to exit 22, 20 miles from the Dutch border. We are immediately aware of the cyclists who share the country lanes for the next 6 miles until we reach Camping De Pampel, half a mile before Hoenderlo village.

It's a very large and well equipped site, with indoor and outdoor pools, snack bar, shop and restaurant. We find a quiet pitch tucked away on the edge of the woods and settle in, ready for a couple of days of cycling before we must take the ferry to Harwich.

At Camping De Pampel, Hoenderloo

Over the next 4 days we enjoy afternoon cycle rides, as well as making good use of the site WiFi on our shady pitch. The swimming pools are not so inviting as it appears to be school holidays! We're near the northern boundary of the Hoge Veluwe National Park (which has an entrance fee) but the Veluwe region, a nature reserve of heath, woodland and dunes, can be freely explored, as we have previously when based at Camping Beek en Hei in Otterlo, 10 km east of Hoenderlo. It's excellent cycling territory with an extensive network of Fietspads (bike paths) and plenty of cafes to provide the essential coffee and Appelkoeken met Slagroom (apple cake with whipped cream).  

Ride 1 (40 km) – To the monumental Radio Kootwijk, on to Harskamp village for excellent Appelkoeken met Slagroom, then return via Otterlo. A lovely varied ride, with a light wind to keep us cool. Plenty of cyclists of all shapes and sizes on the Fietspads on this Sunday afternoon mid-June.

Ride 2 (54 km) – To Otterlo, where Barry replaces a broken cycle mirror at the well-stocked Tweeweeler shop. An interesting guy in the adjacent Café De Waldhorn generously shares his Dutch cheese platter and his life story with us: born locally but resident in the USA for many years, he is here visiting family and doing business. Thoroughly American, he turns out to be strongly Christian and pro-Trump but we manage to part amicably! On through the woods to Ede (at 19 km) and our favourite café by the market place for coffee and dessert. So far, so familiar. Then a longer route back, past the German WW2 airstrip and museum at Deelen. The long straight north from there to Hoog-Baarlo (a narrow road with a stripe painted down each side for cycles) is busy due to a traffic diversion, slightly uphill and into a head wind. Not a pleasant return.

Ride 3 (44 km) – To Ugchelen on the outskirts of Apeldoorn, on to Assel (coffee and applecake at the railway halt café, popular with cyclist) and thence to Radio Kootwijk, which is eerily deserted in the late afternoon drizzle. Turning for home, we talk to a man cutting the hedge at his beautiful house (contemporary with Radio Kootwijk and built by the same architect) on the edge of the heath at Hoog-Buurlo. We learn that a century ago there were very few trees on the Hoge Veluwe, just sandy heathland pushed up in the Ice Age to its present height of about 150 m/500 ft (in a country with 25% below sea level!) The forest was planted to provide a hunting ground, stocked with the deer and wild boar that still roam here.

Ride 4 (54 km) – A very different ride, north out of the forest via Beekbergen, a stretch alongside the Apeldoornach Canal, returning past Klarenbeek and re-entering the woods after Loenen. In this less touristed area we found the obligatory coffee and apple cake in a small Chinese restaurant – and very good too!

Hoenderlo is an excellent base for cycling, our only regret being the need to leave for the ferry! M's ACSI review of Camping De Pampel:

“We loved this large site, set in the lovely woods of the Hoge Veluwe National Park near Hoenderloo village. Although it looked busy, we found a quiet pitch tucked away among the trees. The ACSI Card price was a bargain.

It has excellent modern clean facilities. There is a heated indoor pool, as well as an outdoor pool, and cycle paths in all directions. The snack bar has chips, ices, etc and there is a more formal restaurant.

WiFi, costing an extra 2 Euros per day, worked well.

My only criticism is that check-in took a very long time, handled by a friendly receptionist who had only just started the job. She had no idea about ACSI discount or how to pay by bank card and needed more training or supervision. I hope she has now settled in!

Highly recommended, we'll be back.”

Camping De Pampel, Hoenderloo to Hook of Holland, Rotterdam – 96 miles

Stena Line Ferry Terminal.  N 51.9806  E 4.1342

Away at 9.30 am for the 2.15 pm ferry from the Hook of Holland to Harwich. We drive 6 miles north to Ugchelen to join the A1 to Amersfoort, then take exit 14 onto the A28/E30 to Utrecht. Clockwise on Utrecht Ring to the A12, which heads west to Rotterdam. 

At 50 miles we exit onto N223, a narrow 2-lane road, inadequate for the heavy port traffic. It has turned wet and windy, after weeks of settled weather. On through a typically Dutch watery landscape of canals, dykes and glass greenhouses, following signs for the ferry to England.

At the Stena Line terminal, on the north side of the New Waterway shipping canal into the North Sea, we drive straight to the short queue at check-in. Thanks to the efficient number plate recognition we are soon on board, settling into a daytime cabin (all booked through the Camping & Caravanning Club with member's discount). In addition to the usual TV and en-suite, this 'Comfort Class' cabin has a kettle and fridge, with complimentary tea, coffee, nuts, crisps, wine, beer and soft drinks! The 6.5 hour crossing is remarkably smooth, given the high winds, and we enjoy today's special of Chicken Satay in the self-service restaurant before arriving in Harwich at about 8 pm British time (clocks back one hour).