Have you heard that going by bike is absolutely the best way to get around Amsterdam? If you have, then you've gotten the right information! What you might not know is the biking culture in Amsterdam and how it differs from the bike culture in other parts of the world. If you visit Amsterdam from Denmark or Germany, the bike culture may not be all that different for you; however, if you're coming from a non-European location, you might find the biking situation quite novel!

Bikers in Amsterdam mostly travel at a considerable clip. This is also important information for tourists not planning to rent a bike because any time you set foot in a bike path, you might be taking your life into your hands. The bikers move along the bike paths in both directions (although they're usually by design uni-directional) bikers pass each other and they're not afraid to use their bells. The most important piece of advice I can give you is to look for the red roads---the red part of the road or sidewalk is the bike path...look out whether there seems to be a bike coming or not. Another thing to remember is that motorbikes travel on the bike paths and these are even more hazardous than the standard pedal-power bikes.

When on the streets of Amsterdam (whether by foot or by bike), pay careful attention to the bike traffic. Stay on the red part of the road if you're biking and by all means, stay off it if you're on foot. If you do rent a bike, be sure to ring the bell at unsuspecting tourists at least once---that deer in the headlights look can be priceless! As a general rule, I don't ring my bell at tourists, but if you rent a bike for a day, give it a try...it's one way to be a real Amsterdammer, even if only for a fleeting moment.