Amsterdam by Bicycle

Want to experience Amsterdam like a true resident? Rent a bike and explore the city on this super practical means of transportation. The maximum distance in the city center is only five kilometers on average, an ideal distance to cover by bicycle. It is therefore no surprise that there are around 600,000 bicycles for the 730,000 residents of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam, city of bicycles

The 17th century city center was originally built for pedestrians. The narrow streets and canals are therefore insufficient for a good flow of car traffic, let alone enough parking. Amsterdam is therefore truly a bicycling city and, as a result, nearly half of all movement from one place to the other takes place by bicycle. There are commuter cyclists, school-commuting cyclists, shopping cyclists, bicycle couriers, bicycle police, delivery cyclists, delivery persons on bikes, pedal boat cyclists, and naturally tourists on bicycles. The bicycle is the most logical means of transportation for the people of Amsterdam, even bank directors and yuppies.

400 kilometers of bicycle paths

There is an extensive network of bicycle paths within the city limits of Amsterdam. In fact, the combined length of this network is 400 kilometers! For information on special bicycling routes and guided tours by bicycle, please contact a local VVV Tourist Information Office.