Amsterdam is a cyle party – and everyone’s invited

Cycling in Amsterdam: Join 800,000 cyclists in the bike-friendly city
Cycling in Amsterdam: In Amsterdam itself, there are 800,000 cyclists using the city’s 250 miles of cycle paths. Dutch motorists even learn a cyclist-friendly way of opening a car door which forces them to look and see whether a nearby cyclist might be hit by the opening door. If you want to fly to Amsterdam, then there are lots of cycle hire shops in Amsterdam – go online and book your cycle from the UK and it will be ready few to pick up when you arrive. 

Guided tours
One of the great joys of cycling in Amsterdam is the guided bike tours. You get an experienced guide and can book bike tours for all kinds of special interests – such as food. There are four leisure bike routes in the district around Amsterdam harbour which offer a fascinating combination of nature and industry.

Head out to the country
Cycling in Amsterdam: Once you know your way round the city, it’s nice to head out for a day’s riding in the countryside. Yellow Bike is one of the bike tour companies with the most interesting routes. For example, there’s a large area of protected natural landscape north of Amsterdam and one of their tours will take you through this beautiful countryside via a nature reserve and some really picturesque villages. But if you want to see the parts of the city that some tourists don’t, try Sandemans city bike tour which will take you through trendy districts like the De Pijp neighbourhood, past windmills and breweries and furnish you with some interesting titbits about the history of the city. 

Parking the bike
So what you do when you want lunch, or want to pop into a museum for a short visit? Is there anywhere to park the bike? There are bike racks outside some museums such as the Rijksmuseum and the Anne Frank House. A couple of minutes’ walk may take you into a less crowded area, where the racks are more likely to have spaces.

Long-distance paths
If you are a serious long-distance cyclist, there are some unmissable rides from Amsterdam. For example there is a long-distance route, the LF2 path, from the Dutch capital to the Belgian capital – Amsterdam to Brussels. The LF21 takes you down the Zuiderzee coast, famous for its fishing villages and traditional seafaring towns. 

And finally – home to bed
At the end of a bike ride, most of us are looking forward to a comfy bed in a friendly hostel at a reasonable price. Try the small Hotel Sarphati which is well placed for local bars and cafes and situated just opposite a park.