Family budget: A Right Royal Route! - 8 dagen

DUTCH BIKETOURS - EMAIL: [email protected] - TELEPHONE +31 (0)24 3244712 - WWW.DUTCH-BIKETOURS.COM Family budget: A Right Royal Route! 8 days, € 340

Introduction

Eight-Day Family Budget Holiday! Majestic Cycling: A Right Royal Route! Royal domains, royal palaces and royal estates are one of the themes of this holiday. Thankfully you won’t be needing a royal budget: We will accommodate your family at Stayokay hostels in Soest and . The region you’ll be exploring is called ( Hill Ridge). It’s a slightly hilly, wooded area known for its natural beauty and good cycling possibilities. We think cycling in the woods is great. Not only because of the woods’ calming influence and magical atmosphere, but also because trees give shelter from the wind. Surrounding the beautiful forest on Utrechtse Heuvelrug is peaceful countryside with cropfields and meadows.

Day to Day

Day 1 Arrival in the Town of Bunnik Your first hostel is in a stately manor house (1830) on an enchanting country estate called Rhijnauwen, just west of Bunnik. The manor house is called ‘de Ridderhofstad’ meaning ‘The Knight’s Court'. It stands on the banks of a river in a really idyllic location.

When you have finished exploring the grounds, opt to storm Fort Vechten – a great place to go for a romp. Alternatively, rent a canoe and go for a paddle.

Day 2 Bunnik – Round Trip 25 km Heading south via , Cothen and ‘t Goy. On your very first cycling day, you’ll be cycling through flat countryside. Peace and

quiet prevail amongst the cropfields and meadows.

Day 3 Bunnik - Round Tour 35 km Heading east via Austerlitz and . Today’s tour is a lovely and varied one. After starting off in the countryside you will arrive at the castles and country houses around the town of Doorn where you could opt to visit to find out what the 18th-century nobility lived like in Holland. In the afternoon the woods await. Go to Driebergen for a well-earned ice cream or continue to the Pyramid of Austerlitz, a strange monument to Napoleon (1804) and a nice place to stop for your packed lunch. It stands at the highest point of the Utrecht Hill Ridge and looks like a mini stepped Egyptian pyramid with a tower on top. Sporting cyclists could continue another couple of kilometers to a lake called Henschotermeer where you can go for a swim. Possible extra activities for children include a visit to Recreatiepark Het Rosarium (midget golf, pedal go-karts, trampolines and more) in Doorn and the playground and funfair at the Pyramid of Austerlitz.

Family budget: A Right Royal Route! - 8 dagen

Day 4 Bunnik – Soest 35 km Via , Den Dolder, Lage Vuursche. Today you will cycle from Bunnik to your second hostel in Soest enjoying safe, good-quality cycle paths. At about two thirds of the way is a good place to pause for a break. Lage Vuursche, a picturesque hamlet in the middle of the forest, has long been a favourite stopping place for hikers and cyclists and it gets especially busy at weekends. There are several restaurants and inns, most of which have specialized in pancakes! We think it’s a great place for cycling families to top up and look around.

Day 5 Soest – Round Tour 25 km Via Soestdijk Palace and Lage Vuursche. Do you know who the King of the is? His name is King William Alexander. He and Queen Maxima and three little princesses live in The Hague. But the royal family love the Utrecht Hill Ridge and for generations have owned land and properties in these parts, taking pride in the care for and maintenance of the beautiful forests. The king’s grandparents lived at Soestdijk Royal Palace (open to the public) and he himself spent his childhood at Drakensteyn Castle where his mother Beatrix now lives (near Lage Vuursche).

Day 6 Soest – Round Tour 40 km You are spoilt for choice today. If you like, you could reserve day 6 to go the zoo in . Or visit the wonderful medieval town of Amersfoort. Alternatively, visit the fortified town of Naarden, steeped in history, and the Fortress Museum. (http://www.vestingmuseum.nl/) Depending on how far your children can cycle and on the direction of the wind, you could start or end your cycling day with a boat

trip on the Eemlijn, a cycle boat that chugs up and down the River Eem from Huizen to Soest and Amersfoort. For tired legs, even just the boat trip all the way to Huizen and back could be a day well spent for the whole family. Finally, a trip through the woods and heather fields surrounding the town of Laren also comes recommended, perhaps even going as far as Gooimeer, formerly Zuiderzee, now a lake.

Day 7 Soest – Bunnik 35 km Via Soesterberg Air Base and past Leusderheide. It’s mostly woods again today but you’ll also pass heather fields at entrancing Leusderheide. The main stop of the day is at Soesterberg Air Base where American soldiers were stationed during the Cold War. Now the military airport is being transformed into a vast nature park. Military heritage is still visible in the landscape and an art project is in full swing to add some cultural highlights. The National Military Museum is also on the grounds.

Day 8 Return Home Today is departure day. After filling up at the breakfast buffet, it’s time to make your way home.

Family budget: A Right Royal Route! - 8 dagen

Prices, Data, Booking

Daily from April 1 till September 23 Starting point: Bunnik

Price pp € 6 person room, breakfast 340.00 Twin room, breakfast 380.00 Triple room, breakfast 445.00 Quadruple room, breakfast 365.00 5 person room, breakfast 380.00 Full board 185.00 Half board 125.00 Lunch 60.00 Child price pp € Triple room, breakfast 415.00 Quadruple room, breakfast 340.00 5 person room, breakfast 355.00 6 person room, breakfast 315.00 Full board 93.00 Half board 63.00 Lunch 30.00 Rental bike € Child bike 70.00 Hybrid 84.00 E-bike 175.00 Extra services € Bike Breakdown pass € 3.00 x 7 21.00 Child seat € 5.00 x 7 35.00 Bike theft insurance € 3.00 x 7 21.00 E-bike theft insurance € 6.00 x 7 42.00 Extra luggage € 5.00 x 7 35.00 Tag-along bike € 6.00 x 7 42.00 Child trailer € 17.50 x 7 122.50 Bike helmet per piece 10.00 Towelservice per piece 7.50 SGR per piece 5.00 Family budget: A Right Royal Route! - 8 dagen

Practical Info

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE STAYOKAY HOSTELS Upon arrival you will receive bedlinen with which you will have to make the beds yourselves. Towels are not included, but can be rented through Dutch Bike Tours for €7,50 for the entire tour or you can bring your own.

7 Nights included

StayOkay Hostels

Breakfast included, lunch package and Halfboard optional

Detailed roadbooks with maps and tourist information

The possibility of renting our bikes

7-days a week service-hotline

Luggage transport to your next hotel

Bunnik

Parking possibilities at the hotel

GPS-tracks availible

Any ferry crossings are not included

Arrival info

Nearest Airport is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)

The train from Schiphol to Bunnik departs 2 times per hour. Travel time is about 45 minutes. A single ticket costs approx €11- per person excl. bicycle.

For timetables and tickets, go to www.ns.nl/en. For bus details, how to reach the hotel, check: www.9292.nl/en.