THE NETHERLANDS - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1304

hours, up to 4 people, on foot or by bike, mobile [phone], [e-mail] ). Ab
also takes travelers to nearby towns, including Haarlem, Leiden, and Delft.
By Bike
YellowBikeGuidedTours offerscitybiketoursofeithertwohours(€19.50,dailyat10:30)
or three hours (€23.50, daily at 13:30), which both include a 20-minute break. They also of-
ferafour-hour,15-miletourofthedikesandgreenpasturesofthecountryside(€29.50,lunch
extra, includes 45-minute break, April-Oct daily at 10:30). All tours leave from Nieuwez-
ijds Kolk 29, three blocks from Central Station (reservations smart, tel. [phone],
www.yellowbike.nl ). If you'd prefer a private guide, see Albert Walet, above.
Joy Ride Bike Tours is a creative little company run by English-speaking Sean and Al-
lison Cody. Their most popular tours start just behind the Rijksmuseum (city by bike—€26,
2.5-3 hours, May-Sept departs Fri-Mon at 16:00, none Tue-Thu, no kids under 13; coun-
tryside by bike—€30, 4-4.5 hours, May-Sept departs Thu-Mon at 10:30, none Tue-Wed, no
kids under 10; no tours off-season). Both tours are limited to 10-15 people, so it's smart to
book ahead (save €3 by booking online, €7 cheaper with your own bike—must email or call
ahead, tours meet 15 minutes before departure time, helmets and rain gear available, mobile
06-4361-1798, www.joyridetours.nl ) . Their four-hour “bespoke” tours, offered year-round,
are tailored to match your interests (Jewish history, Amsterdam for kids, WWII history, or
cannabis; €125/3 people).
Do-It-Yourself Bike Tour of Amsterdam
A day enjoying the bridges, bike lanes, and sleepy, off-the-beaten-path canals on your own
one-speed is an essential Amsterdam experience. The real joys of Europe's best-preserved
17th-century city are the countless intimate glimpses it offers: the laid-back locals sunning
on their porches under elegant gables, rusted bikes that look as if they've been lashed to the
same lamppost since the 1960s, wasted hedonists planted on canalside benches, and happy
sailors permanently moored, but still manning the deck.
For a good day trip, rent a bike at or near Central Station (see “By Bike” on here ) . Head
west down Haarlemmerstraat, working your wide-eyed way down Prinsengracht (drop into
Café 'tPapeneiland at Prinsengracht 2)anddetouring throughthe small, gentrified streets of
the Jordaan neighborhood before popping out at the Westerkerk under the tallest spire in the
city.
PedalsouthtothelushandpeacefulVondelpark,thencutbackthroughthecenteroftown
(Leidseplein to the Mint Tower, along Rokin street to Dam Square). From there, cruise the
Red Light District, following Oudezijds Voorburgwal past the Old Church (Oude Kerk) to
Zeedijk street, and return to the train station.