The future of the booklet

Not abolished, but less obvious

Vrienden op de Fiets grew up with the famous address guide; in January, Het Boekje - with the map - drops on the mat. For years this was the most normal thing in our world.

Unfortunately, for many Friends, the guide soon ends up in the trash.... Too bad!

Almost a third of our Friends have indicated that they no longer wish to receive the booklet; they prefer to do everything online. And to be honest: they are right, because the booklet has quite a few disadvantages:

  • Paper and transport are not really sustainable.
  • The content ages quickly, as Guest Addresses come and go.
  • More and more Logeeradressen are not listed not in the booklet; they only want to be found online.
  • Guest Addresses can't include all the important and fun info about themselves, such as the dates they are not available.
  • Who can use the booklet to find a Guest Addresses exactly on the route?

And - not unimportant: the printing and postage costs add up quickly. The annual contribution of 10 euros is now really far too little. Anyone who occasionally buys something online will understand that.

So it was time for a change
With all these insights, we started brainstorming extensively about a different set-up. Example: an increase of the Friends contribution to 12 or 15 euros, would that be a solution? Conclusion: few Friends will fall over it, but it does not solve the other disadvantages. So we decided on a different approach. An approach that we believe is more future-proof.

The change: book and/or card on request

If you live in the Netherlands
From 2025, booklet and card are no longer a fixed part of your Friendship (= membership). Friends who want a booklet and/or card can order and pay for them separately.

What does it mean for the price of your Friendship?
The conclusion we draw so far is pretty clear: the price of a basic Friendship can come down a little, we think. For this amount - which we will announce definitively later - you will get your new Friendship card in the mail in January, as well as 24/7 online access to all - the most up-to-date - information on Guest Addresses.

Price Booklet and/or card
We keep the costs of printing and sending the booklet and/or card as low as possible, e.g. by sending a lot at once in January. The cheapest option will be ordering early. But fair is fair: the annual contribution for your Friendship with booklet and/or card will be much higher than you are used to.

More news in fall 2024

We are working hard over the next few months to get everything done on time. We will report back in the fall and then we will lay out exactly what the new Friendship (membership) looks like. Among other things, what it costs and how to get a booklet and/or card. For now: no worries, in the fall you will have more than enough time to decide how you want to continue your Friendship.

Especially for Friends from Belgium and Germany

Another big change: from January 1, 2025, the continuous Friendship (= membership) will disappear for Friends living in Belgium and Germany.
From that date, they will be able to take out a one-year membership, with or without a booklet and/or card.

The added value of online

There really is much more to find and experience online. The section of the site behind the login is increasingly becoming your own digital information room. This is where you find your lodging addresses. This is where you view a possible route. On the bulletin board you look for hiking or biking buddies. Here you will be inspired by examples of nice routes and places in your own country. In short: online you immediately get a vacation feeling.

Good to know
www.vriendenopdefiets.nl works as an app. If you have an iPhone or Android smartphone, you can have the site on your phone as an app in 1 minute. Want to know how? Then click here.