Cycling novice LISA COOK braves a short break with a difference - a trip to Amsterdam by bike

I had been told there would be no hills, that Holland would be as flat as a pancake - so how come the first bit of cycling we had to do was up a near-vertical slope? OK, so it was only to get on to the ferry, but it was still a hill and I didn't make it. Not a good start when we were going to be spending the next five days on our bikes!

I'm not sure what inspired two people who rarely pedal anywhere to embark on a cycling holiday to Amsterdam but on a sunny September evening we found ourselves on board a North Sea ferry bound for Rotterdam.

The overnight crossing from Hull was smooth and enjoyable and after tucking into a three-course meal then enjoying a film we settled into our cabin which was well equipped with two comfy beds and a shower.

After a decent night's sleep, we had arrived in Rotterdam: time to don our rucksacks and start pedalling.

Cycling is an absolute dream in Holland. Bikes have their own lanes, traffic lights at junctions and dedicated road signs. One of them, however, was to be the source of our first - and only - downfall.

Just a few minutes into our trek to Amsterdam we mistakenly followed the way one sign was facing instead of the direction of the arrow on it. The result - a slightly embarrassing detour back to where we had come from.

Undeterred by this, we eventually found ourselves at Holland's capital city, The Hague.

Time for a rest and a spot of lunch - but where could we leave the bikes?

No problem. The Dutch are a nation of cyclists so there are racks and railings everywhere you look. As I was a little saddle sore by now, I must admit that as we walked away from our bikes in search of food, I really didn't care whether or not they were there when we got back.

Three hours later the welcoming site of our hotel and a well-earned night's sleep greeted us in Oegstgeest.

Day two saw us out in the sunshine cycling alongside picturesque tree-lined canals en-route to Amsterdam. Arriving at the Hotel du Filosoof in the late afternoon we locked our bikes up in the hotel's garden (hooray!) and headed out on foot to explore the sights.

The Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank's House, Leidesplein, Dam Square, a canal trip, the Ship Museum and the Red Light district (just don't tell my mother) were all on list of things to do. In an attempt to cram more in to our stay, we decided to take the train back to Leiden at the end of the next day, instead of wasting a day cycling (honest)!

This proved easy and cheap - the only hair-raising part was cycling through Amsterdam and arriving at the station alive.

Whizzing along on the train, there was a sense of achievement recalling how we had cycled all that way only 48 hours earlier.

The final day saw us leaving our hotel in Oegstgeest once again, this time heading back to Rotterdam via Delft - home of the famous blue and white pottery.

On what was the hottest day of our trip we pedalled along quite happily. Our bottoms were sore no longer. Even the ride on to the ferry didn't seem as steep this time.

And the verdict? We vowed to do it all again soon - but with a proper pannier and minus the rucksacks to avoid rough rides for our backsides.

Accommodation: excellent

Food: not bad

Value for money: excellent

Things to do: plenty on and off bike

More information: For details of hotels, contact the Netherlands Board of Tourism on 0171 828 7900. We stayed at Congres Hotel Oud Poelgeest, Oegstgeest, near Leiden, and the Hotel du Filosoof in Amsterdam and travelled to Holland with North Sea Ferries.