Where and how to cycle in Amsterdam

After I moved to the Netherlands 4 years ago, I had to change many aspects of my lifestyle. One of the new habits I picked up since living in the Netherlands was to travel everywhere by bicycle. Whether it is to the university, to work, to the supermarket, or even to a different city, my bicycle has become my best friend and travel companion. Today I want to tell you where and how to safely travel in Amsterdam – the city of bicycles!
 


I have mentioned cycling in Vondelpark on my blog before and I still think this is one of the best places to cycle in Amsterdam. It includes the quiet area of Oud Zuid where some of the most beautiful houses of Amsterdam are located and which is perfect for a bicycle ride.
The Amstel river is a beautiful area to explore by bike, especially at the sunset time when the lights of the bridges start to turn on. I also love the Weesperzijde area where a lot of nice cafes and restaurants are located right on the river side. If you like, you can also cycle until the Amstel station and further and cross the bridge to explore the Korte Ouderkerkerdijk – another great area by the Amstel river.
De Pijp is the area where I probably spend the most of the time. I cycle here to get my groceries, to have a cup of my favorite coffee from Scandinavian embassy and to relax in the Sarphatipark. My favorite concept stores, such as Anna + Nina, Cotton cake, All the luck in the world etc. are also located here.
I love the Westerpark area and especially Westergasfabriek, where one of my favorite breakfast places – De Bakerswinkel is located. Westerpark is a perfect place for a bicycle ride and for a picnic afterwards. Also, make sure to stop by the Espressofabriek for a cup of coffee and a slice of my favorite carrot cake.
Even though I love Amsterdam I think that it is not the best place for relaxed cycling. Recently I have discovered the OV-fiets – the bicycle provided by the NS – railway system of the Netherlands and can be easily found at the stations all over the country at more than 200 locations. The OV-fiets system makes exploring the beautiful country of the Netherlands so much easier. With NS you can travel further than just the train station but also to your final destination. If you are planning to use the OV-fiets on multiple occasions, you can get a yearly subscription for 10 euros, but you can also rent a bike once for 24 hours for only 3,15 euros. The OV-fiets can be only rented if you own a personal OV-card. The subscription that will be connected to your OV-card can be ordered here
 
How to cycle in Amsterdam:

1. Show if you want to turn left or right

Even though there are a lot of tourists in Amsterdam, most of the people cycling are people who are going to work, university, meetings etc so they are always in a rush! To avoid any possible accidents, make sure to show the cyclists behind you if you are planning to turn left or right by indicating with your left or right hand.

2. Remember where you parked your bike

Because of the large amount of bicycles in Amsterdam, there are a lot of special parkings for the bikes as well. Some of such parkings consists of multiple levels and it is very easy to forget where you have parked your bike after you come back to pick it up. Try to find a special sign that will make it easier for you to recall the location of your bike.

3. Lock your bike!

Even if you are planning to only leave your bike out of sight for a few minutes, don’t forget to lock it to something. The best way to lock your bike is to lock the frame together with the wheel (otherwise, your wheel can be stolen, which happened to me once..)

4. Beware of the tram lines

Once I had a little accident with my bicycle by getting trapped into the tram lines with the wheels and now I always pay attention when crossing them!

5. Pay attention to the pedestrians

In many cases, tourists in Amsterdam don’t pay attention to the bicycles and walk on the bike lanes. This is why most accidents happen, so make sure to always be careful when you are approaching a group of tourists.


Follow me on:

Written By
More from polabur

Top 10 things to do in Amsterdam

There are a lot of lists about the things to do in...
Read More