Camping

Most of our time on tour so far has been spent in the Netherlands where we got very used to the great bike route and camping options available.  Out of all the campsite options (including Nature Camping in scenic locations) we found the Minicamping style campsites to be the best. Usually on a spare bit of land next to the owners house/farm/vinyard, these small campsites have usually been the best in terms of facilities and price. The showers have mostly been free and powerful (at other campsites we've had to insert money or even buy special shower tokens to put in the machine) and usually have seating areas - a picnic bench is desirable for cooking and eating comfortably. Some of the bigger caravan-orientated sites don't have any benches for ‘proper‘ campers as everyone brings their own tables and chairs, even those few in tents (usually car-camping though)!

Other things to keep an eye out for
- hot water: sometimes you have to pay for hot water for your dishes, so before you do check out all the other sinks (shower room/bathroom) as chances are the hot water tap there will suit your needs.
- Wi-Fi internet access: even if you don't see a sign for it, have a search for a connection. Sometimes the campsite will ask you to pay (€2 for 15 mins?! No thanks..) but other times its an open/free connection. Recently, one campsite was going to charge us (upon opening the browser it told me to go to the reception and pay for a code) but our phones thought otherwise - somehow the apps were able to bypass the system and connect, giving us access to our e-mails and Twitter etc.
Bring your own... 1) toilet roll - some provide it, some don't (we don't want to chance it so always carry some, and when we're running low keep an eye out for spare rolls at campsites or cafes..)
2) Soap - like toilet paper, hand soap is hit and miss. Bring your own, or keep a bottle of alcohol hand gel nearby
3) Washing up liquid - we've only come across it once (at a hostel).. which reminds me, our mini bottle needs topping up.. (maybe later, after we've visited the zoo!)