Take your bike to Holland

It’s easy to take your bike onboard our ferries, although for convenience and safety there are a few things cyclists need to know. When you arrive, check-in at the vehicle check-in booths. Depending on the number of cyclists, you will most likely be loaded together in one large group but if there aren’t many then you may board among the cars. If it’s raining, we’ll try to get cyclists onboard first.

You will then have to lash your bicycle using the lashes provided onboard. You can either secure the bicycle to the floor, or you may be instructed to attach it to a wall or railing. When disembarking, onboard stewards will instruct you how to disembark down the ramp when it is safe to do so and when there is no other traffic. When boarding and disembarking, you should dismount and walk for safety reasons.

When you cross the North Sea with your bike, you’re opening up the whole continent to be explored. Holland is a cyclist’s paradise, with long stretches of flat, open road to explore and discover, plus some of the best cycling infrastructure in Europe.

From the port in IJmuiden you can cycle to Amsterdam in around 2 hours. The Dutch capital is a fantastic cycling destination, with thousands of cyclists, as well as parks such as Vondelpark and Amstelpark.

Alternatively, The Hague and Rotterdam are 3 and 4 hours’ cycle away respectively, with routes taking you along the coast, past sand dunes and other beautiful coastal views. Or you can cycle to Haarlem railway station and take your bike on the train to destinations across Europe.

Germany, Belgium and France are also wonderful countries for cyclists. Discover stunning scenery, quiet villages or mighty cities, and everything else that the continent has to offer.

These 2 routes, recommended by Richard Pearce and vvvijmuidenaanzee.nl are perfect for anybody sailing between the UK and Holland.

Ijmuiden – Haarlem – Amsterdam – Alkmaar
A 2-day cycling route which takes you past old fishing ports, sand dunes, through Amsterdam and more, this loop is approximately 75 miles long. Begin by cycling south to Haarlem (route LF1), before heading west to Amsterdam (on route LF20) and then up to Alkmaar via the Markermeer (routes LF21 and LF15). Finally head back down the coast to IJmuiden (routes LF7 and LF1).

Ijmuiden – Driehuis - Santpoort-Noord - Oud-Velsen
This loop will take you from the port right back to it, but on your way you’ll pass large open parks and pathways as well as historic monuments, forts, castles and more. You’ll begin by heading through east through IJmuiden, then south to Driehuis and Santpoort-Noord, then north to Oud-Velsen before heading back to port.

We did it! After being crowned ‘Europe’s Leading Ferry Operator 2024’ at the World Travel Awards earlier this year, we are delighted to announce we have retained our title as the World’s Leading Ferry Operator.

We were also once again recognised as having the best website in our industry – scooping both the European and World awards in 2024.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who voted, and to our passengers, colleagues and partners who contribute to our continued success – we couldn’t do it without you all.