Bike Rental in Amsterdam

The moment you walk out of Centraal Station you'll understand that bikes run this city. There are bike lanes along nearly every major street, and the square in front of the station now hides an underwater bike garage with room for 7,000 bikes, opened in 2023.

That makes Amsterdam a great city to own a bike in. Renting one as a visitor is still one of the best things you can do here, but our advice hasn't changed in almost 20 years: keep it to a day or two rather than your whole stay. If you're in town for three days, walk and take the tram for two of them, and rent a bike for the day you want to cover ground, see the outer neighborhoods, or ride out into the countryside.

What it costs in 2026

Prices have roughly doubled since this page first ran. As of September 2026:

• MacBike charges €11.25 for an hour, €13.95 for three hours and €17.95 for a day on a 3-gear city bike, with extra days at €14.95. E-bikes are €41.50 a day.
• Rent a Bike near Dam Square charges €15 for 24 hours on a basic Dutch bike with a back-pedal brake, and €17 for a city bike with hand brakes and gears, with 10% off if you book online.
• Theft insurance is usually optional on regular bikes. At MacBike it's €4.95 a day, and it cuts what you owe for a stolen bike from the full €450 value to a €50 deductible, as long as you hand back both keys. It's mandatory on e-bikes.

You'll need a deposit. MacBike takes a credit card (they copy it) or an original passport or ID plus €50 cash per bike.

If you'll be here for a few weeks, you can buy a used bike instead. Past a week or two, it usually beats renting.

Where to rent

Rental shops are everywhere in the center, so you rarely need to go out of your way. Two we checked for this update:

MacBike

The biggest name in town, with five shops, all open daily 9:00 to 18:00 (closed 25 and 26 December, 1 January and King's Day, 27 April):

• Central Station: Oosterdoksstraat 106
• Waterlooplein: Amstel 140
• Leidseplein: Kerkstraat 27
• Vondelpark: Tesselschadestraat 1E
• Dam Square: Nieuwe Nieuwstraat 19D

They rent everything from city bikes and kids' bikes to tandems, cargo bikes and fat e-bikes. Their bikes are branded, so everyone will know you're a tourist. Nobody cares.

Rent a Bike Damstraat

At Damstraat 20-22, a minute from Dam Square, open daily 9:00 to 18:00. It calls itself the city's oldest bike rental, with more than 40 years in business, and it includes free helmets, child seats and bags with the bike.

Guided tours

If you'd rather not navigate, a guided ride takes care of that and includes the bike. MacBike's two-hour city highlights tour started at €27.29 when we checked. Mike's Bike Tours, which we've liked for years, still runs city and countryside rides. See Amsterdam tours for more.

Why a bike day is worth it

• The novelty. Riding in a pack of bikes that outnumber the cars is something most of us can't do at home.
• Vondelpark, near Leidseplein and the Museum District, is the classic ride on a sunny day. In summer the park is jammed with locals doing everything you can imagine. For more space, head west to Westerpark and keep going on the bike paths beyond it.
• The parts of town tourists skip. Follow the Amstel River south, or take the free ferry behind Centraal Station to Amsterdam Noord and ride out toward the villages and farmland of Waterland. Coffeeshops in the outer neighborhoods tend to be quieter and more local, if that's your thing.

The downsides nobody mentions

• Theft. Bike theft is a huge problem here. Rentals come with two sturdy locks, and you should use both: one through the back wheel, and one through the frame and front wheel to a rack.
• Traffic. It's never the kind that doubles your trip time, but locals ride fast and don't love tourists who stop in the middle of the lane. Ride single file, signal with your arm, and keep moving. Imagine tourists renting cars in your town and stopping in your commuter lane, and you'll get it.
• Parking. There are racks everywhere, yet finding a legal spot can still be hard. Bikes left in the wrong place, including in front of Centraal Station or on Dam Square, get removed. In the evening around Leidseplein you may have to park a couple of blocks away. Near the station, the underground garage is free for the first 24 hours, per the city's Bike City site.

Rules that will actually get you fined

MacBike's safe cycling page is worth two minutes of your time. The big ones:

• No phone in your hand. Holding a phone while cycling has been illegal in the Netherlands since July 2019, and that includes checking the map at a red light. Get a phone holder or stop at the side of the path.
• Some areas are bike-free. The square in front of Centraal Station, Leidsestraat, Leidseplein, Rembrandtplein and Waterlooplein are walk-your-bike zones.
• Stop at red lights, even if the locals don't, and give way to trams.
• Lights on after dark, front and back.
• No passengers on the rack.
• Cross tram rails at a steep angle. A wheel caught in a rail is the classic tourist crash.

The bikes themselves

The classic rental is an omafiets, or "granny bike": upright, heavy, and built like a tank. Many have a single gear and a back-pedal brake, which takes a few minutes to get used to if you've only ridden hand brakes. Ask for a hand-brake bike if that makes you nervous. Plenty of shops rent 3- or 7-gear bikes, e-bikes and tandems too, but in a city this flat the granny bike is all you need.

About helmets: almost nobody in Amsterdam wears one, children included. Some rental shops will lend you one if you ask. The Dutch get away without helmets partly because the whole street network is built around bikes, but you'll be on unfamiliar streets on an unfamiliar bike, so wear one if it makes you more comfortable.

FAQ

Do I need to book a bike in advance?

Not usually, outside summer weekends and holidays. Booking online can save you 10% at both shops listed above.

Is an e-bike worth it?

Only for long countryside rides or if you're fighting a headwind. In the center, e-bikes are more bike than you need and cost more than twice as much.

Where else can I ride on a day out?

Plenty of day trips from Amsterdam work well by bike, and Haarlem is close enough to ride to if you have a full day.