Amsterdam to Zurich by Bicycle

We are planning a long trip to Europe. The game plan is to fly into Amsterdam with our tandem bicycle, ride it towards Basel along the Rhine and, when we are sick of riding, take the train to Zurich, re-pack the bike,  and rent a car and drive to the Alps where our neighbor has a small house we can stay in for free. Then, drive back to Zurich and fly home.

Enumerated, the plan is:

1) Fly into Amsterdam with the tandem packed into two cases.

2) Hang out in Amsterdam for 5 days living on this houseboat. and ship the mostly empty bike boxes to Zurich.

3) Ride towards Zurich and get as far as we feel like riding (we may even make it the whole way).

4) Train/boat/car the rest of the way and end up somehow in Zurich

5) Drive to a little village in the Alps and stay for a week or so

6) Fly home out of Zurich

Here is a link to the map that we will be using as a big-picture planning tool.

View Amsterdam to Switzerland in a larger map