Cycling Around Amsterdam
Like I promised in my Amsterdam City Guide, I’m bringing you all my tips about cycling around Amsterdam today! Curtis couldn’t resist the opportunity to log some Strava miles in Amsterdam during this trip. While I was a little nervous at first, I’m so glad we decided to ride.
You should definitely rent a bike when you’re in Amsterdam. It’s the most cycling-obsessed city in the world and you should experience the city by bike if you can. Even if you only feel comfortable riding through Vondelpark (my favorite bit of Amsterdam!), it’s well worth it. But more on that to come. Enjoy!
Cycling Around Amsterdam
Amsterdam is incredibly flat, which is why cycling around Amsterdam is so popular with people of all ages. It also means the bikes in Amsterdam are usually pretty cheap and low maintenance. It’s not like in the U.S. where people ride really geared up bikes. You’re likely to rent a big fixie bike, potentially with back-pedal brakes (not handle bar brakes). This just takes some getting used to.
We rented our bikes straight from our hotel, but there are also tons of bike rental businesses all across Amsterdam, too. The most common rental plan is for a full 24 hours, which is what I recommend you do. Usually the rental costs around ten euro. Had we been in Amsterdam for a week or more, we might have considered just buying a bike there.
Once you’ve got your bike, you’re free to explore the whole city! We went out early in the morning and biked around some quiet neighborhood streets so I could get a feel for my bike before we went into city center.
Once you leave the neighborhoods you should stick to the protected bike lanes. Never ride on the sidewalks, and avoid the streets. Stick to the right so motorized bikes and scooters can pass you on the left. The bikes usually have their own traffic lights at big intersections. Just be sure you pay attention to traffic and try to stay off the busiest routes so you don’t annoy the locals — they ride their bikes to get around.
Always lock your bike when you get off to walk around. Pretty much anything is fair game for locking up bikes as long as you can fit your bike in. Our rental provided us locks, so be sure you ask for a lock if they don’t.
Hang Out in Vondelpark
Vondelpark was hands down my favorite thing about Amsterdam. Just like when we spent the day at Englischer Park in Munich, we found Vondelpark unlike anything in the United States.
The people watching is insane: full of musicians, people playing frisbee or soccer, and adorable dogs going for walks with their humans. We rode our bikes around in the day and packed picnics of fruit, cheese, bread, and beer for dinner. We watched the sun set in Vondelpark most nights.
Vondelpark is a great place to take a nap or read a book if you need a break from the hustle and bustle of exploring a new city all day long.
I hope you enjoyed hearing about our slow travel guide and time cycling around Amsterdam! Rotterdam is up next!
Until then, let’s stay in touch! You can find me on Instagram or Twitter, where I’m @brumeanddaisy. If you like music recommendations, you can listen to my monthly playlists and follow me on Spotify! And Goodreads is where you can find what I’m reading lately.
Last but not least, did you know I run a podcast? That’s what’s delayed me getting these travel posts out, but it’s my pride and joy. I’d love if you give it a listen here.
Peace & love, Emily
