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Next bike trip in preperation. North Wales to Harwich crossing to Hook and then on to Friesland - Bike is almost packed for departure early Tuesday. Usual nerves (Healthy Anxiety) setting in. All documentation in place for me and the bike. Waiting another 24 hours to fuel up (price dropping in local garage) - currently in the range of 165 to 174 locally for E10. Bimbling down A roads to Harwich so will take all day in all probability....meeting my host and friend on the A7 in northern Netherlands late on Weds. No doubt it'll pour on Tuesday ! :-)
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Enjoy and stay safe.
Have you an itinerary?
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>> Harwich crossing to Hook and then on
>> to Friesland -
Good idea bypassing the doormat of Europe. (Belgium that is)
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>> >> Harwich crossing to Hook and then on
>> >> to Friesland -
>>
>> Good idea bypassing the doormat of Europe. (Belgium that is)
>>
Bruges is pleasant.
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>> >> >> Harwich crossing to Hook and then on
>> >> >> to Friesland -
>> >>
>> >> Good idea bypassing the doormat of Europe. (Belgium that is)
>> Bruges is pleasant.
It is, had some nice weekends there.
Belgium is called the doormat of Europe, because its where the German Army wipe their boots when invading.
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...I quite like the Harwich-Hoek crossing.
In reality, the Hull-Rotterdam route should be more attractive for us, but the boats are timed such that both Hull and the Dutch motorways are completely gridlocked at the time you would want to traverse them for both the outward and return crossings, a less than appealing prospect.
Harwich is very little problem at all in its approach to the ferry, and the Hoek is rather better for getting to and away from the crossing than Rotterdam (Europort). Pre-covid, the morning and evening rush-hours have rendered the Dutch motorways round that area into 30mile plus car parks (not just a one-off, every occasion we've used Hoek or Rotterdam). The exit from, and entry to, the Hoek, however has been the less congested of the two (and if you're prepared to venture through The Hague, it's easier to get a good distance before hitting the busiest motorways).
I prefer the Stena boats to the P&O ones as well. In our experience the accommodation has been better, and the lack of concentration on "entertainment" that there is on the Hull-Rotterdam service also suits.
I suspect from the post you're on the overnight crossing. We've tended (with the motorhome) to use this on the outward journey, in order to get a fresh morning start for some miles under our belt, but use the daytime (afternoon) crossing on return, since it is viable to get home the same evening (albeit late evening). We have a very nice and convenient overnight spot at Culemborg that just fits with that. Doing it that way makes it competitive with the tunnel, and rather cheaper than Hull-Rotterdam.
The Netherlands isn't my favourite EU destination, though we've found some interesting areas on our explorations.
Enjoy your break.
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I quite like Van der Valk, well I mostly like his sidekick really, she’s pretty fit.
On tonight in fact.
;-)
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the original is on Talking pictures TV mid week.
Its a bit like murder in provence tho, I cant hang with the perfect english accents being foreign types.
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Vand der Valk is a a chain of hotels in the Netherlands. Daytime crossing for me. I'm staying with a friend in Firesland . He's sent me a route for Google Maps which will avoid the grid-lock - no rain today (so far) today. Starting to look forward !
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Netherlands here I go. - zippy
