Good news if you are planning on riding the North Sea route through Germany, from August 19th you can use the new hourly crossing from Cuxhaven to Brunsbuttel (or vis a vis). Fare is €13 for the 70 minute crossing.
So, if like me you don't want to ride up to Hamburg to visit you don't have to do the 70km plus diversion to Gluckstadt ferry anymore.
North Sea route Germany
North Sea route Germany
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Re: North Sea route Germany
Can you tell me roughly how many miles /km from Hook of Holland to Cuxhaven? I'm planning on doing a trip from Hook to Copenhagen via Puttgarten to Rodby in September. Just wondering how you have been finding your trip along the North Sea Route and if I should consider it ( presumably fewer navigation issues) or perhaps further inland avoiding the castal meanderings?
Hope you are still enjoying / have enjoyed your cycle tour.
Thanks!
Hope you are still enjoying / have enjoyed your cycle tour.
Thanks!
Re: North Sea route Germany
oneten wrote:Can you tell me roughly how many miles /km from Hook of Holland to Cuxhaven? Thanks!
460Km
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dista ... DuqE6RgYyA
Re: North Sea route Germany
Ron wrote:oneten wrote:Can you tell me roughly how many miles /km from Hook of Holland to Cuxhaven? Thanks!
460Km
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dista ... DuqE6RgYyA
I looked at that and thought strange - To the Wischhafen ferry from hoek I did 732km without going out of my way (I had to check gpx track to be sure) - Google makes Wischhafen from Hoek about 500km
Re: North Sea route Germany
Thanks Ron and Smiffy. I'll be having a more thorough look at your touring adventures Smiffy on the link you posted.
This will be my first tour abroad and by far the longest. I reckoned on taking about 8 - 10 days from the Hook to Copenhagen - do you think that's a realistic estimate?
Did you have medical & repatriation insurance? I'm looking at policies but with a couple of pre-existing medical conditions, I'll either have to pay a hefty premium or have those conditions exempted.
I'm going to be doing the trip on a bit of a shoestring budget as I'm currently un-waged . Going to camp along the way. Looking online, average prices seem to be about 20Euros. Are there any schemes (similar to the one in Denmark) where you can camp in someone's garden for a nominal amount? My brother, who lives in Copenhagen,is sending me a copy of the book that lists of people who provide cheap accommodation.
One other question - maps. I don't have GPS- just a tablet and paper-map user. Can you recommend any useful maps / publishers for the journey? If I go along the North Sea Cycle route i presume it'll be easier to follow but then longer as it meanders around the coast.
Thanks in advance for your help !
This will be my first tour abroad and by far the longest. I reckoned on taking about 8 - 10 days from the Hook to Copenhagen - do you think that's a realistic estimate?
Did you have medical & repatriation insurance? I'm looking at policies but with a couple of pre-existing medical conditions, I'll either have to pay a hefty premium or have those conditions exempted.
I'm going to be doing the trip on a bit of a shoestring budget as I'm currently un-waged . Going to camp along the way. Looking online, average prices seem to be about 20Euros. Are there any schemes (similar to the one in Denmark) where you can camp in someone's garden for a nominal amount? My brother, who lives in Copenhagen,is sending me a copy of the book that lists of people who provide cheap accommodation.
One other question - maps. I don't have GPS- just a tablet and paper-map user. Can you recommend any useful maps / publishers for the journey? If I go along the North Sea Cycle route i presume it'll be easier to follow but then longer as it meanders around the coast.
Thanks in advance for your help !
Re: North Sea route Germany
Just got back from my trip - campsites were on average @ €9 a night although Alkmaar was twice that and more! Most Dutch sites charge for showers extra either €0.50 or €1.
If you want to cross the Elbe, the new Cuxhaven/Brunsbuttel ferry is now running and cost under €9 for the hour plus trip with the bonus of a campsite less than 1km from the north side landing!
If you want to cross the Elbe, the new Cuxhaven/Brunsbuttel ferry is now running and cost under €9 for the hour plus trip with the bonus of a campsite less than 1km from the north side landing!
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Re: North Sea route Germany
Sounds good foxyrider - price of campsites seems very reasonable. I've booked a pitch near Harwich for the first night next Tues for £5 ( as opposed to £15 - 30 on the night ferry) then booked the second night at a site near the Hoek for 13Euros. I notice they have a surcharge for access to electricity though - my charger block should give enough output for several days though.
What maps did you use? I must admit, I invested in the German published 'Bikeline Nordsee Radweg' (part 1) which shows some campsites and hostels but will probably find other smaller sites along the way too.
How long were you underway on your expedition? And may I ask roughly how many km did you do each day?
BTW - I've read that free wi-fi can be an issue in Germany (Netherlands no problem) - what was your experience?
Thanks!
What maps did you use? I must admit, I invested in the German published 'Bikeline Nordsee Radweg' (part 1) which shows some campsites and hostels but will probably find other smaller sites along the way too.
How long were you underway on your expedition? And may I ask roughly how many km did you do each day?
BTW - I've read that free wi-fi can be an issue in Germany (Netherlands no problem) - what was your experience?
Thanks!
Re: North Sea route Germany
oneten wrote:Can you tell me roughly how many miles /km from Hook of Holland to Cuxhaven? I'm planning on doing a trip from Hook to Copenhagen via Puttgarten to Rodby in September. Just wondering how you have been finding your trip along the North Sea Route and if I should consider it ( presumably fewer navigation issues) or perhaps further inland avoiding the castal meanderings?
Hope you are still enjoying / have enjoyed your cycle tour.
Thanks!
I did 900km to Cuxhaven, not all coastal and that distance does include some mileage on a couple of the islands. I enjoyed the trip but found I didn't have a lot of time to explore some days as ferry schedules aren't tuned to useful use of the day!
The coastal route actually meanders very little, apart from where the big rivers come out, Ems, Weser and Jadesee, get the timing right and that isn't as much of an issue as there are ferrys. Campsites are fairly numerous and for the most part reasonably priced.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Re: North Sea route Germany
oneten wrote:Sounds good foxyrider - price of campsites seems very reasonable. I've booked a pitch near Harwich for the first night next Tues for £5 ( as opposed to £15 - 30 on the night ferry) then booked the second night at a site near the Hoek for 13Euros. I notice they have a surcharge for access to electricity though - my charger block should give enough output for several days though.
What maps did you use? I must admit, I invested in the German published 'Bikeline Nordsee Radweg' (part 1) which shows some campsites and hostels but will probably find other smaller sites along the way too.
How long were you underway on your expedition? And may I ask roughly how many km did you do each day?
BTW - I've read that free wi-fi can be an issue in Germany (Netherlands no problem) - what was your experience?
Thanks!
My average day was 80km and took 9 days riding, I took 3 days out for looking at stuff (trip to Helgoland fi). I was away for three weeks in total - I went up into Denmark and hit several of the northern islands then got the train back to Holland.
I think the Bikeline guides are great - as long as you don't want to deviate. For Holland I got the ANWB fietskart series. They are a bit flimsy and an awkward size for the map case but they have tons of info on them as well as the Dutch navigation points marked.
The cycle track from Hook north along the coast is great, I used it up to the Alkmaar area. Camping in that area and up to Texel is expensive compared to other areas. I stopped at Alkmaar, Harlingen, Holwerd, Groningen, on Norderney, Harlesiel, Bremerhaven and across the river from Cuxhaven at Brunsbuttel.
Depending on your needs for power you don't need to pay - shaver points are always free and some sites have other free options too. Be aware that many ablutions are unisex too! It varies between sites but you may get charged 50c or more for a shower on some sites.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
Re: North Sea route Germany
Hi Foxyrider. Belated thanks for your reply. I've returned after a great tour and instead of the Cuxhaven crossing, I went across to Gluckstadt.
Yes, the Bikeline maps are great but when you want to go a bit 'off grid' they don't give much detail other than the area immediately around the route in question. However, they do suggest detours in orange text ( eg Texel) and give the extra pages for those options. Not that I went across there, I went across the Ijsselmeer on the causeway and stayed in Harlingen for a couple of days at the campsite just outside town.
Carried on from there to Delfzjil to Leer which was last stop on the Bikeline map. I then got free local maps from the many Information centres. Stopped and camped at Zeven (sort of wild camped there) then Delmenhorst (guest house),Bremen, Buxtehude,Stade then up to the ferry to cross the Elbe. Stayed at hostel in Gluckstadt then up through Itzehoe to Rendsburg, where I'd lived and worked 35 years ago.
From there, Kiel (hostel), then along the Baltic coast ending up in Lubeck from where I had booked a train ticket back to the Hoek.
The campsites were all good;As you say, the ones on the N.Holland coast seem more expensive.Along on the Baltic, they were mostly 10 Euros or under. However the nicest and the most economical ( no extra for showers) was just 7.50 Euros and was on a farm in the area of Altenland (S.Side of Elbe) near Jork where accommodation was at a premium as it was apple harvest time. I did later run out of time finding somewhere in Schleswig Holstein one night and asked a local farmer if he had a pitch which he did and for which he refused to take any money,making his shower available next morning and a coffee.
No problem charging phone as you say. Not many other tents as it was getting a bit cold and foggy at night.
Had to deal with a few minor probs with bike along the way but felt a certain satisfaction in dealing with it myself and being able to keep going.
One of the funniest was when I had three punctures in quick succession ( snake bite variety due to rough section of path through woods. A forestry land rover stopped and we chatted and I bemoaned my 3 punctures. They went past me and I carried on only to get another one just as they were out of sight. I just saw the funny side of the situation and couldn't control my laughter.At this point, the Landrover came back and passed me as I stood grinning with my bike upside down with the wheel off again. They waved and all I could do was just shrug my shoulders, still laughing my head off!
All in all it was a fantastic experience and it's given me a real taste of touring.
Yes, the Bikeline maps are great but when you want to go a bit 'off grid' they don't give much detail other than the area immediately around the route in question. However, they do suggest detours in orange text ( eg Texel) and give the extra pages for those options. Not that I went across there, I went across the Ijsselmeer on the causeway and stayed in Harlingen for a couple of days at the campsite just outside town.
Carried on from there to Delfzjil to Leer which was last stop on the Bikeline map. I then got free local maps from the many Information centres. Stopped and camped at Zeven (sort of wild camped there) then Delmenhorst (guest house),Bremen, Buxtehude,Stade then up to the ferry to cross the Elbe. Stayed at hostel in Gluckstadt then up through Itzehoe to Rendsburg, where I'd lived and worked 35 years ago.
From there, Kiel (hostel), then along the Baltic coast ending up in Lubeck from where I had booked a train ticket back to the Hoek.
The campsites were all good;As you say, the ones on the N.Holland coast seem more expensive.Along on the Baltic, they were mostly 10 Euros or under. However the nicest and the most economical ( no extra for showers) was just 7.50 Euros and was on a farm in the area of Altenland (S.Side of Elbe) near Jork where accommodation was at a premium as it was apple harvest time. I did later run out of time finding somewhere in Schleswig Holstein one night and asked a local farmer if he had a pitch which he did and for which he refused to take any money,making his shower available next morning and a coffee.
No problem charging phone as you say. Not many other tents as it was getting a bit cold and foggy at night.
Had to deal with a few minor probs with bike along the way but felt a certain satisfaction in dealing with it myself and being able to keep going.
One of the funniest was when I had three punctures in quick succession ( snake bite variety due to rough section of path through woods. A forestry land rover stopped and we chatted and I bemoaned my 3 punctures. They went past me and I carried on only to get another one just as they were out of sight. I just saw the funny side of the situation and couldn't control my laughter.At this point, the Landrover came back and passed me as I stood grinning with my bike upside down with the wheel off again. They waved and all I could do was just shrug my shoulders, still laughing my head off!
All in all it was a fantastic experience and it's given me a real taste of touring.