Preparation
Preparing in the best way for your cycling holiday
Hilly or flat? From city to city? Or nicely by the water? There is enough choice for a cycling holiday in Flanders.
Have you picked a beautiful iconic cycling route and are you all set to discover Flanders by bike? With these practical tips, you can make it a carefree cycling holiday.
Plan your route in advance
No area is as accessible for a cycling trip as Flanders. Especially since our handy route planner lets you personally choose which stages you are going to ride. Just a matter of marking out your route, choosing the accommodation and exporting.
Getting lost is not an option. Because all routes are full signposted with our recognisable signs in both directions. Handy and clear!
Travelling with your bike on the train
By taking your bike on the train, you can travel easily to the starting point of your cycling holiday or return home (or back to the starting point) in complete comfort.
In 4 easy steps, you will get your cycling holiday on track:
- Find the train stations that connect with your cycling holiday route. Check the NMBS network map for an overview of all train connections and train stations. Along every iconic cycle route, you will find a great many train stations.
- Then use the BikeOnTrain planner to choose the easiest train connection. These are trains with a low boarding step and enough space for bikes. On the BikeOnTrain planner, you can also see in advance how many places for bikes on the train are available in total.
Tip: try to avoid rush hour trains as much as possible. - Then buy your train ticket (online) at NMBS and choose the Bike Supplement. You pay 4 euros per bike per single journey, regardless of the destination in Flanders or Belgium.
- Arrive at the station on time and speak to the train conductor before boarding. That way, the train conductor knows immediately that you’re bringing a bike on board and can tell you where the train carriage(s) for bikes is/are (and if necessary help you get your bike on and off the train).
Tip: the BikeOnTrain planner lets you view the train composition in advance, so you will already know in which carriage(s) you can put your bike.
Start your bicycle holiday from Brussels Airport
At the Brussels Airport terminal, a handy Bike Service Station is at your disposal with all the tools and space you need to get your bike ready for your cycle holiday in Flanders.
You can cycle directly from the airport to the iconic cycle routes along the comfortable cycle highway (signposted as F3). Ride in the direction of Leuven to join the Green Belt Route after 4 km. For the starting point of the Art Cities Route, cycle towards the centre of Brussels (15 km). A clear overview map on the information totem shows you the way.
Looking for a holiday bike and luggage bags?
Accommodations for holiday cyclists
On our route planner, you will find all accommodations for holiday cyclists. Here, holiday cyclists are welcomed with open arms. The hosts know what it means to be the perfect stopping place for holiday cyclists and offer the following services:
- Holiday cyclists are welcome for 1 night
- A safe and dry bicycle shed*
- The possibility to dry and air clothes
- A basic bicycle repair kit and bicycle pump
- A first aid kit
*: at the campsites you can safely place your bike next to your tent or rental unit
Make sure that you don’t lack anything on the road
What should you take with you on such a cycling holiday? We have put together a handy packing list for you with the absolutely unmissable items. From bicycle bags to spare equipment and clothing, depending of course on the type of holiday you choose and your mood.
Have you marked out your route via the route planner? You can also use the planner to add accommodation to your route. The contact details are immediately displayed and you can check availability. So you can be sure of a good night’s sleep after a day of great cycling.
Across national borders
Go for those extra kilometres
Would you like to add a few more kilometres to your iconic cycling route? Then there is good news: the iconic cycle routes can be combined seamlessly with other routes. You can easily combine each route with the existing nodes and international routes that start where the Flemish ones end. In short, you make it your own thing!
