THE NETHERLANDS - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1300

passport, or leave a credit-card imprint; free helmets, daily 9:00-17:45; at east end of sta-
tion—on the left as you're leaving; tel. [phone], www.macbike.nl ). They have two
smaller satellite stations at Leidseplein (Weteringschans 2) and Waterlooplein (Nieuwe Ui-
lenburgerstraat 116). Return your bike to the station where you rented it. MacBike sells sev-
eral pamphlets outlining bike tours with a variety of themes in and around Amsterdam for
€1-2.
Frederic Rent-a-Bike, a 10-minute walk from Central Station, has quality bikes and
a helpful staff (€8/3 hours, €15/24 hours—€10 if returned by 17:30, €25/48 hours, €50/
week, 10 percent discount with this topic, daily 9:00-17:30, no after-hours drop-off,
Brouwersgracht 78, tel. [phone], www.frederic.nl , Frederic and son Marne).
Lock Your Bike: Bike thieves are bold and brazen in Amsterdam. Bikes come with two
locksandsterninstructions touseboth.Thewimpyonesgothroughthespokes,whereasthe
industrial-strength chains are meant to be wrapped around the actual body of the bike and
through the front wheel, and connected to something stronger than any human. (Note the
steel bike-hitching racks sticking up all around town, called “staples.”) Follow your rental
agency's locking directions diligently. Once, I used both locks, but my chain wasn't around
the main bar of my bike's body. In the morning, I found only my front tire (still safely
chained to the metal fence). If you're sloppy, it's an expensive mistake and one that any “in-
cluded” theft insurance won't cover.
More Tips: As the Dutch believe in fashion over safety, no one here wears a helmet.
They do, however, ride cautiously, and so should you: Use arm signals, follow the bike-only
traffic signals, stay in the obvious and omnipresent bike lanes, and yield to traffic on the
right. Fear oncoming trams and tram tracks. Carefully cross tram tracks at a perpendicular
angle to avoid catching your tire in the rut. Warning: Police ticket cyclists just as they do
drivers. Obey all traffic signals, and walk your bike through pedestrian zones. Fines for bik-
ing through pedestrian zones are reportedly €30-50. A handy bicycle route-planner can be
found at www.routecraft.com (select “bikeplanner,” then click British flag for English). For
a “Do-It-Yourself Bike Tour of Amsterdam” and for bike tours, see here .
By Boat
While the city is great on foot, bike, or tram, you can also get around Amsterdam by boat.
Rederij Lovers boats shuttle tourists on a variety of routes covering different combinations
of the city's top sights. Their Museum Line, for example, costs €16 and stops near the Her-
mitage, Rijksmuseum/Van Gogh Museum, and Central Station (at least every 45 minutes, 4
stops,1.5hours).SalesboothsinfrontofCentralStation(andtheboats)offerfreebrochures
listing museum hours and admission prices. Most routes come with recorded narration and
run daily 10:00-17:30 (tel. [phone], www.lovers.nl ).