There are multiple bike rental shops in Amsterdam. You can often rent a bike in a hotel. Some of these spots can be overpriced. A good price for renting a bike for the whole day is up to 10 euros. Anything above 10 euros I would consider expensive or overpriced. There are places that charge you 10 euros for only 3 hours, so what is the cheapest bike rental in Amsterdam?
The Cheapest Bike Rental in Amsterdam is Discount Bike Rental. It costs 6 euros to rent a bike for 3 hours, 7,50 for a day-time until 18:00 o’clock and you pay 9 euros for 24 hours rental. Every following day is cheaper and for 48 hours you pay only 16 euros.
In this article, I will provide more information on renting a bike in Amsterdam, prices, bicycle lease and buying your own bike. Buying your own bike can be a great solution if you plan to stay in Amsterdam for longer than 10 days. If you plan of renting a bike I assume that you haven’t been cycling in Amsterdam before. That’s why I share with you some most important bike information and rules.
Where To Rent a Bike on a Budget?
There are many places where you can rent a budget old school bicycle in Amsterdam. From my experience, the cheapest one is Discount Bike Rental. There are some bike shops which offer a bike for only 1 or 2 euros more, so if your hotel is far away from Discount Rental Bike company it makes no sense to walk so far just to save 1 euro. Discount Bike Rental is located in the city center of Amsterdam.
Address:
Nieuwe Nieuwstraat 19 D
1012 NG, Amsterdam CENTRE
+31 20 428 40 40
As you can see this bike rental company is located in the strict city center. On the map above in the left bottom corner, there is De Nieuwe Kerk. It’s a church on a Dam square. Discount bike rental is literally in between Dam square and Centraal station, so it is very easy to find. It’s open daily from 10:00 till 18:00. Here you can find Discount Bike Rental website.
You can also call them to make a reservation. But I don’t think it’s necessary.
Pros and Cons of Discount Bike Rental
The biggest pros of DBR is their price, but are there any downsides? I didn’t really see bikes with child seats, and they say nothing about it on their website, so I assume that they have limited choice and they offer only basic bicycles. To be honest, you don’t need anything fancy. Amsterdam terrain is flat and easy to cycle, so you don’t even need any gears.
Important Things To Know Before Renting a Bike in Amsterdam
- Remember that you’ll be asked for a deposit. The amount of deposit is different in every bike rental company and it depends on the quality of the bike you rent. I most places it’s 50 euros per bike. You can pay the deposit in cash or credit card.
- You can buy extra insurance for 2,5 euros. It covers theft, damage, etc.
- Every bicycle has 2 locks, remember to lock both of them. Bike theft is the most common crime in Amsterdam and if you forget to lock your bicycle, it’s highly possible that you’ll never see it again.
- Bring your bike back on time. When you are late they can charge you an extra day.
Are There Free Bikes in Amsterdam?
There are no free bikes in Amsterdam anymore. That’s true, there were some in the past, but for today you have to rent one if you want to get around Amsterdam. I know that last year there have been some free bikes for students but their website doesn’t work anymore.
The is The Cheapest Electric Bike Rental in Amsterdam?
The cheapest electric bike rental I have found is MacBike. They charge only 25 euros per day and insurance is obligatory(7 euros) so all together it costs 32 euros/day. From my experience, MacBike is a good company and I can definitely recommend it. If you want to drive further than just in the city center, an electric bike can be a cool sightseeing solution. In the past, I’ve had one and I must admit it is fun. You can still get tired because you can also pedal, but it helps you a lot. It also feels fast in the beginning 😉
Long Term Budget Bike Lease
Have you heard that you can lease a bike? For me, that was surprising when I heard of it for the first time. It was obvious to me that when you have your own company you can lease for example a car, but I’ve never heard before about leasing a bike. In Amsterdam, it’s actually very popular. Have you seen any bikes with a blue front wheel? These bikes belong to SwapFiets, which provide bicycle lease services.
Swapfiets provide bicycle leasing services. They have a pretty good offer. In Amsterdam for 16,50 per month, they offer you a basic bicycle and a complete service. That’s a deal-breaker. If you have any problem with your bike, for example, if you have a flat tire they repair it within 24 hours. In the case of any damage, they promise to provide a repaired bicycle within 1 working day.
You can read more about Swapfiets here. I see more and more blue wheel bicycles on the streets of Amsterdam, so it seems that their business grows rapidly.
Buy Your Own Bike. It’s Cheap!
For a well maintained second-hand bike, you pay around 70 – 100 euros. That’s a very good price if you plan to stay in Amsterdam for some time. Imagine that the rental cost is 10 euros per day. For 70 euro you can get your own bicycle. Because there are so many bikes in the Netherlands, prices of used two-wheelers are very low. The bike I own at the moment is simple but very sturdy Holandia bike, with back pedal brake and no gears. It’s a great bike and I paid exactly 70 euros.
Of course, there are bikes that cost much much more, but you can get a basic bicycle on a budget and to be honest, you don’t need a high-quality bicycle for Amsterdam streets. First of all, there are no hills in Amsterdam so it’s very easy to cycle. Another thing is that no one steals an old bike. Used, aged bikes are very popular and there is nothing odd when you see a white-collar on an old bicycle.
Where to Get a Cheap Bicycle In Amsterdam?
Don’t buy it on the street. Often some shady guys may try to sell you a bike for cheap. Don’t do it! 95% of these bikes are stolen.
Your best option is to search in the Facebook marketplace. There are plenty of offers. You can also go to marktplaats.nl. I would suggest also joining some Facebook groups such as Amsterdam online market, Amsterdam bicycle market, and ISN Amsterdam Online Market. There you will find a bike in 1 day.
What are The Best Dutch Bike Brands?
Among the best bikes, you can get in the Netherlands are Gazelle, Batavus, Koga, Veloretti, Cortina, Azor, Holandia. I own Holandia bicycle because I found it online at a great price. When it comes to style, my favorite bicycle brand is Veloretti. I like also Cortina bicycles, they are sturdy and stylish. The most famous bike brands in the Netherlands are surely Gazelle and Batavus. They are already some time on the market and they craft high-quality bicycles.
Cycling in Amsterdam – Basics
As you want to rent a bike in Amsterdam I assume that you have no experience in cycling in the Netherlands. That’s why I provide here some basic helpful information
- Follow the bike path on the right side of the street.
- Stop when you see a pedestrian crossing
- A bike tire can get easily stuck in tram rails and then you surely fall
- Don’t use a mobile phone, nor GPS while cycling. In fact, you will get a bicycle fine for doing this.
- Don’t ride a bike drunk or stoned!
- Use your bell if you think that the traffic situation could be dangerous
- Always lock your bicycle properly
Above are some basic information about cycling in Amsterdam. Here is a full guide to cycling rules everyone should know in the Netherlands.
Is It Safe To Ride a Bike in Amsterdam?
Yes, cycling in Amsterdam is safe. It doesn’t mean that you should ride a bike in Amsterdam after you haven’t been cycling for 10 years. The capital of the Netherlands isn’t the best place to start your bike journey. If you are unsure about your bicycle skills you better go with public transport or just walk around. Amsterdam is a small city. Within 45 minutes you can get anywhere, literally anywhere in the city center.
But if you follow the rules I mentioned above you will be fine. Just be careful!
Wrap Up
I hope you like this article and if you search for some more ways to save money while visiting Amsterdam you must read HOW TO VISIT AMSTERDAM ON A BUDGET? In this guide, you find some helpful info on visiting Amsterdam on a budget!
