Ground rules for Friends

Although Vrienden op de Fiets is a rather large foundation, our ‘club’ of Friends and guest addresses has a cosy, small-scale feel to it. We cherish this feeling, which is based on some friendly ground rules. The most important are listed below.

Friends...

  • stay with private guest addresses, these should not be confused with a Bed & Breakfast, Airbnb or a hotel.
  • become part of their hosts’ life during their stay and respect their hosts' house rules.
  • can count on a freshly made, good quality bed of standard dimensions.
  • sleep in a fire-safe room (with a window) that is accessible via permanent stairs.
  • may use the shower and toilet, private or shared with members of the family.
  • are given the use of clean towels.
  • do not smoke at our guest addresses, or may occasionally be allowed to smoke outside but only when your hosts agree.
  • can park their bicycles in a lockable shed.
  • can expect a simple and energising breakfast in the morning.
  • stay overnight for the special Friends' price after showing their valid Friend card. They can travel on one card with the person they live together with, children up to the age of 18 that still live at home and (great) grandchildren. In all other cases, each Friend needs to show their own Friend card.

What do guest addresses expect from Friends?

Real Friends...

  • arrive by cycle or on foot (canoers, rowers or skaters are also welcome and any other travellers using their own muscle power).
  • do not arrive by car, unless your hosts agree beforehand that you can start your biking or hiking trip from their address.
  • make a reservation by telephone or email in advance.
  • stay one night.
  • arrive at the end of the afternoon and depart again early next morning.

'Vrienden op de Fiets is for people who know that friendship has to come from two sides. People who enjoy turning their overnight stay into a pleasant encounter'.

Making reservations and arrival

Real Friends...

  • always mention their Friend number, name and address when making a reservation.
  • discuss the desired arrival and departure times beforehand, and any special requests like bringing children or pets. 
  • always show their Vrienden op de Fiets card and proof of identity on arrival, even if their hosts do not require this. It is good practice and creates trust.

Prices, payments and optional extras

  • Friends can stay overnight for €22.50 per person, including breakfast.
  • Overnight stay per child up to 12 years old: €12.50
  • Cancellation less than 24 hours prior to arrival: €11.25
  • Friends pay their guest address for the overnight stay, preferably on arrival, in cash or with an app like Google Pay or the Dutch Tikkie.

All prices are exclusive tourist tax, a local tax that varies per municipality. In the big cities, this tax can amount to as much as €10 per person per night.

Some hosts may offer something extra. The following target prices apply:

Charging e-bike: €0.50 
Packed lunch: €5 
Dinner: €10 

In case of a disappointment

Is your stay a real disappointment? Please try to solve the problem together first. In general, the foundation can do very little to resolve disputes, especially afterwards. Do you feel that your guest address flouts all our rules? Then please call or email our help desk.

Membership

Dutch, Belgian and German memberships are valid from 1 January till 31 December and are automatically extended. Would you like to cancel your membership? Please do so before the 1st of December of the current calendar year. For other countries, memberships are valid for one year only and will end automatically at the end of the calendar year.

Enjoy your trip!

Search

Destination Along a route
Show all nearby addresses

Frequently asked questions

  • Can I take a look, even though I'm not a member?

    We can give you just a global overview of addresses for Friends. If you are not registered as Friend, you do not have access to specific information or locations of guest addresses. The specific address details can only be viewed by Friends with a valid membership. In the Netherland more than 5000 listed guest adresses can be found, often near famous hiking and biking trails. Register as Friend. 

  • How do I find a guest address along my route?

    You can choose a destination or route via the tool 'find guest address' in the menu. The site shows all address results on an overview map. You can zoom in and find guest address details after logging in to our website. Please adjust your search for specific requirements like, for example, guest addresses that welcome dogs.

  • Do I need to make reservations in advance?

    We advise you to contact a guest address well in advance to make sure that there is a place to stay for you. In addition, it is also nice to get to know each other a bit over the phone and discuss mutual expectations. You are of course free to arrive at an address without making prior arrangements. 

Lees in het Nederlands

PLEASE NOTE: SITE NOT AVAILABLE FROM MARCH 24 - 31.

Dear Friends and guest addresses,

Behind the scenes we are working on a new IT system. It will go live at the end of this month. Therefore, the website will be closed from Wednesday March 24 to Tuesday March 31. From April 1st you are more than welcome and almost all services will be available again. In the meantime, we would like to refer you to the booklet and of course the helpdesk is available for questions.

After April 1, there are a few perks that you will probably have to wait for. For example, the notice board (‘Prikbord’) for finding a cycling or walking buddy is not immediately back. The gift membership that you may want to give to a good friend is also temporarily unavailable. We try to fix this as soon as possible.

Warning: please save your favorite guest addresses and the information and contacts of the Prikbord’. We are doing our best, but we may not be able to put this information back on the site. If all goes well, you will not notice the new system and you will soon be able to use the service you are used to again.

Thanks for your patience and a warm greeting,

Team Vrienden op de Fiets