Ardennes Cycling question....
Aug 15th 2004, 4:40 am
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Ardennes Cycling question....
I will be spending 8 days in Maastricht in late October and early
November.I have rented a bike in past in Maastricht and cycled to a
few of the smaller towns outside of Maastricht.However this trip I
want to possibly transport my bike by train and visit some areas in
the Ardennes.I have thought of riding the train to Eupen and making a
50 or 60K ride and then returning to Maastricht on the train.Does
anyone have any suggestions on routes I should consider and do most
towns in the Ardennes have bicycle rentals or should I plan to rent in
Maastricht and transfer by train?
November.I have rented a bike in past in Maastricht and cycled to a
few of the smaller towns outside of Maastricht.However this trip I
want to possibly transport my bike by train and visit some areas in
the Ardennes.I have thought of riding the train to Eupen and making a
50 or 60K ride and then returning to Maastricht on the train.Does
anyone have any suggestions on routes I should consider and do most
towns in the Ardennes have bicycle rentals or should I plan to rent in
Maastricht and transfer by train?
Aug 16th 2004, 2:00 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Ardennes Cycling question....
In the message : news:[email protected] om...
"Stephen" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I will be spending 8 days in Maastricht in late October and early
> November.I have rented a bike in past in Maastricht and cycled to a
> few of the smaller towns outside of Maastricht.However this trip I
> want to possibly transport my bike by train and visit some areas in
> the Ardennes.I have thought of riding the train to Eupen and making a
> 50 or 60K ride and then returning to Maastricht on the train. Does
> anyone have any suggestions on routes I should consider and do most
> towns in the Ardennes have bicycle rentals or should I plan to rent in
> Maastricht and transfer by train?
If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to give you
appropriate advice.
Several points:
- There are *a few* bike-rental operators in the Ardennes, but I've only
used those at stations in combination with a train ride (see "train+vélo' in
www.b-rail.be );
- riding your bike across a border is generally cheaper than taking it with
you on a train;
- once in Belgium, the fee for taking your bike with you, loading and
unloading it yourself (billet de vélo accompagné) is EUR 4.20 for a single
trip or EUR 7.20 for a one-day rover;
- there are various guidebooks and guide-maps for cycling in the Ardennes
(certainly in Dutch and French and probably in other languages, published
and sold on-line by eg: Lannoo (
http://www.lannoo.com/nl/themazoeken...subcat=fietsen )
and Géocarte ( www.geocart.be ) for the Provinces of Liège and Namur.
Regards,
- Alan (in Brussels, mind the spamtrap)
"Stephen" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I will be spending 8 days in Maastricht in late October and early
> November.I have rented a bike in past in Maastricht and cycled to a
> few of the smaller towns outside of Maastricht.However this trip I
> want to possibly transport my bike by train and visit some areas in
> the Ardennes.I have thought of riding the train to Eupen and making a
> 50 or 60K ride and then returning to Maastricht on the train. Does
> anyone have any suggestions on routes I should consider and do most
> towns in the Ardennes have bicycle rentals or should I plan to rent in
> Maastricht and transfer by train?
If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to give you
appropriate advice.
Several points:
- There are *a few* bike-rental operators in the Ardennes, but I've only
used those at stations in combination with a train ride (see "train+vélo' in
www.b-rail.be );
- riding your bike across a border is generally cheaper than taking it with
you on a train;
- once in Belgium, the fee for taking your bike with you, loading and
unloading it yourself (billet de vélo accompagné) is EUR 4.20 for a single
trip or EUR 7.20 for a one-day rover;
- there are various guidebooks and guide-maps for cycling in the Ardennes
(certainly in Dutch and French and probably in other languages, published
and sold on-line by eg: Lannoo (
http://www.lannoo.com/nl/themazoeken...subcat=fietsen )
and Géocarte ( www.geocart.be ) for the Provinces of Liège and Namur.
Regards,
- Alan (in Brussels, mind the spamtrap)
Aug 16th 2004, 2:02 am
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Ardennes Cycling question....
In the message : news:[email protected] om...
"Stephen" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I will be spending 8 days in Maastricht in late October and early
> November.I have rented a bike in past in Maastricht and cycled to a
> few of the smaller towns outside of Maastricht.However this trip I
> want to possibly transport my bike by train and visit some areas in
> the Ardennes.I have thought of riding the train to Eupen and making a
> 50 or 60K ride and then returning to Maastricht on the train. Does
> anyone have any suggestions on routes I should consider and do most
> towns in the Ardennes have bicycle rentals or should I plan to rent in
> Maastricht and transfer by train?
If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to give you
appropriate advice.
Several points:
- There are *a few* bike-rental operators in the Ardennes, but I've only
used those at stations in combination with a train ride (see "train+vélo' in
www.b-rail.be );
- riding your bike across a border is generally cheaper than taking it with
you on a train;
- once in Belgium, the fee for taking your bike with you, loading and
unloading it yourself (billet de vélo accompagné) is EUR 4.20 for a single
trip or EUR 7.20 for a one-day rover;
- there are various guidebooks and guide-maps for cycling in the Ardennes
(certainly in Dutch and French and probably in other languages, published
and sold on-line by eg: Lannoo (
http://www.lannoo.com/nl/themazoeken...subcat=fietsen )
and Géocarte ( www.geocart.be ) for the Provinces of Liège and Namur;
- have a look at http://ravel.wallonie.be for low-stress touristic ride
ideas.
Regards,
- Alan (in Brussels, mind the spamtrap)
"Stephen" <[email protected]> wrote:
> I will be spending 8 days in Maastricht in late October and early
> November.I have rented a bike in past in Maastricht and cycled to a
> few of the smaller towns outside of Maastricht.However this trip I
> want to possibly transport my bike by train and visit some areas in
> the Ardennes.I have thought of riding the train to Eupen and making a
> 50 or 60K ride and then returning to Maastricht on the train. Does
> anyone have any suggestions on routes I should consider and do most
> towns in the Ardennes have bicycle rentals or should I plan to rent in
> Maastricht and transfer by train?
If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to give you
appropriate advice.
Several points:
- There are *a few* bike-rental operators in the Ardennes, but I've only
used those at stations in combination with a train ride (see "train+vélo' in
www.b-rail.be );
- riding your bike across a border is generally cheaper than taking it with
you on a train;
- once in Belgium, the fee for taking your bike with you, loading and
unloading it yourself (billet de vélo accompagné) is EUR 4.20 for a single
trip or EUR 7.20 for a one-day rover;
- there are various guidebooks and guide-maps for cycling in the Ardennes
(certainly in Dutch and French and probably in other languages, published
and sold on-line by eg: Lannoo (
http://www.lannoo.com/nl/themazoeken...subcat=fietsen )
and Géocarte ( www.geocart.be ) for the Provinces of Liège and Namur;
- have a look at http://ravel.wallonie.be for low-stress touristic ride
ideas.
Regards,
- Alan (in Brussels, mind the spamtrap)
Aug 16th 2004, 11:01 pm
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Ardennes Cycling question....
>
> If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to give you
> appropriate advice.
Well right now my bike is in Austin,Texas but as I mentioned I will be
staying in Maastricht so that is most likely where I will rent a
bike....
> If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to give you
> appropriate advice.
Well right now my bike is in Austin,Texas but as I mentioned I will be
staying in Maastricht so that is most likely where I will rent a
bike....
Aug 17th 2004, 12:21 am
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Ardennes Cycling question....
"Stephen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] om...
> >
> > If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to
give you
> > appropriate advice.
> Well right now my bike is in Austin,Texas but as I mentioned I will be
> staying in Maastricht so that is most likely where I will rent a
> bike....
============
You can rent bikes at most rail stations in the Netherlands, but they
are usually pretty clunky Dutch "city bikes" with 3 speeds and an
enclosed chain guard. Solid as a rock and just as heavy. You might
check Google for "fiets", "te huur" and "Maastricht." The first two
terms will also get you answers in the northern part of Belgium -- just
substitute another city name for "Maastricht." Those searches may help
you find better bikes from private shops.
You might also want to ride toward Aachen, through Gulpen and Vaals, and
see the American WWII cemetery at Margraten on the way. BTW, it was an
old Roman road in part, now a modern road with bike lanes off to the
side IIRC. You get to see "three corner land" where you can walk around
a pole and travel from Germany to Belgium to the Netherlands in about
six paces! Hell of a climb up the hill to get to it, tho.
Hook 'em Horns,
Tom
news:[email protected] om...
> >
> > If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to
give you
> > appropriate advice.
> Well right now my bike is in Austin,Texas but as I mentioned I will be
> staying in Maastricht so that is most likely where I will rent a
> bike....
============
You can rent bikes at most rail stations in the Netherlands, but they
are usually pretty clunky Dutch "city bikes" with 3 speeds and an
enclosed chain guard. Solid as a rock and just as heavy. You might
check Google for "fiets", "te huur" and "Maastricht." The first two
terms will also get you answers in the northern part of Belgium -- just
substitute another city name for "Maastricht." Those searches may help
you find better bikes from private shops.
You might also want to ride toward Aachen, through Gulpen and Vaals, and
see the American WWII cemetery at Margraten on the way. BTW, it was an
old Roman road in part, now a modern road with bike lanes off to the
side IIRC. You get to see "three corner land" where you can walk around
a pole and travel from Germany to Belgium to the Netherlands in about
six paces! Hell of a climb up the hill to get to it, tho.
Hook 'em Horns,
Tom
Aug 17th 2004, 1:57 am
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Ardennes Cycling question....
On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 08:21:02 -0400, "Tom Bellhouse"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"Stephen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]. com...
>> >
>> > If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to
>give you
>> > appropriate advice.
>> Well right now my bike is in Austin,Texas but as I mentioned I will be
>> staying in Maastricht so that is most likely where I will rent a
>> bike....
>============
>You can rent bikes at most rail stations in the Netherlands, but they
>are usually pretty clunky Dutch "city bikes" with 3 speeds and an
>enclosed chain guard.
Sometimes fixed wheel and often with a back pedal brake.
<[email protected]> wrote:
>"Stephen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]. com...
>> >
>> > If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to
>give you
>> > appropriate advice.
>> Well right now my bike is in Austin,Texas but as I mentioned I will be
>> staying in Maastricht so that is most likely where I will rent a
>> bike....
>============
>You can rent bikes at most rail stations in the Netherlands, but they
>are usually pretty clunky Dutch "city bikes" with 3 speeds and an
>enclosed chain guard.
Sometimes fixed wheel and often with a back pedal brake.
Aug 17th 2004, 6:18 am
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Ardennes Cycling question....
In the message news:[email protected] om...
"Stephen" <[email protected]> a écrit > >
> > If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to give
you
> > appropriate advice.
> Well right now my bike is in Austin,Texas but as I mentioned I will be
> staying in Maastricht so that is most likely where I will rent a
> bike....
OK. Thanks for clearing that up. As others have pointed out, the kind of
bike available for hire in a place like Maastricht tends to be more suitable
for getting around flat Dutch towns than hilly Belgian countryside. So it
might be smarter to bring your own with you (assuming that the cost isn't
prohibitive).
Regards,
- Alan (in Brussels - mind the spamtrap)
"Stephen" <[email protected]> a écrit > >
> > If you let us know where your bike is now, it'll be a lot easier to give
you
> > appropriate advice.
> Well right now my bike is in Austin,Texas but as I mentioned I will be
> staying in Maastricht so that is most likely where I will rent a
> bike....
OK. Thanks for clearing that up. As others have pointed out, the kind of
bike available for hire in a place like Maastricht tends to be more suitable
for getting around flat Dutch towns than hilly Belgian countryside. So it
might be smarter to bring your own with you (assuming that the cost isn't
prohibitive).
Regards,
- Alan (in Brussels - mind the spamtrap)
