Getting around Amsterdam: bike v. tram
 

Hi all. For our first full day in Amsterdam, here is our itinerary:

Start from our B&B (near the Centraal station)

Visit Rijksmuseum

Visit Tropenmuseum

Visit Anne Frank House (16:40 reservations).

Is renting a bike an efficient way to get from the Rijks to the Tropenmuseum? Or would we be better off on the trams? (Obviously, if it's rainy we'll be on the tram....)

thanks.

If you love to bike, rent bikes. Maybe it would be fun. Just know that Amsterdamers on bikes don't fool around sight seeing - they are serious and ride fast, and there are a lot of them. You really need to watch out for them, even if you are pedestrian!

If you don't love to bike, then walk or take the tram - or both. You can easily walk to the Anne Frank House from the Central Station - I'm pretty sure I did (my hotel was right around the corner from it). I'd guess you can walk to everything, actually.

Trams go right from the RijksmuseumI believe to the Troppenmuseum - biking like Andrew says in Amsterdam can be very hectic - I say this having done a lot of it but now I would never bike around but walk or take the tram.

Know the rules of the road or bike paths if biking and bike theft is still rife I understand. You could probably take the tram cheaper too then renting a bike.

Biking is great if you want to go out of Amsterdam on a little putz - like taking the bicycle/pedestrian ferries across the Ij and then heading for some nice countryside with those nifty Dutch bike paths - but in Amsterdam it is often like LA in rush hour IME and even unsafe for the novices - getting tripped up on tram tracks is very possible if you do not cross them at the proper angles, etc.

We are very experienced cyclists but chose NOT to bike around Amsterdam. Trams were efficient, tram tracks tricky to navigate over by bike, no worries about theft of bikes while we were in museums or shops( that was a big concern). Holding hands and walking was a nice change and slowed the pace for us to just enjoy.

You're going to the Rijksmuseum but not the Van Gogh Museum? It's the biggest collection of Van Goghs in the world, and a stone's throw from the Rijksmuseum!

On biking, it would be efficient, yes, but more efficient would be the trams. If you want to do it for the experience, sure, but as others said, it's a mode of transport vs. a thing to do with the kids on the weekend kind of thing -- meaning a popular way of getting to point B from point A.

I have just returned from a month long trip starting in Amsterdam...and really, be careful if you do the bike thing, they are very serious about biking. If you fall over, or have an accident, it would be the domino effect for miles. And be careful being the pedestrian, you have to watch for cars, trams and bikes at all times when crossing the streets. With all that said, have a great time, Amsterdam is truly a wonderful city, one of my favorites!

also, we found it was better to buy the year long museum pass for 50 euros since each museum charges for entry. And you can use it to go back to museums that you like a lot or wasn't able to finish. At the end of your time there, it's possible to maybe give it or sell it or pay it forward to another tourist in your B&B or hotel? This advice was pass to me by our hosts at the B&B we were staying.

We returned from Amsterdam a few weeks ago and bicycles rule the streets. As noted be careful crossing streets. It is like crossing the streets in London be sure you are looking in all directions, because it is not your natural reaction and I am native New Yorker who lives in Manhattan.

Take the tram and your feet. It is not a city to cycle unless you are super confident, prepared to go with the high speed flow, and to watch out for tramlines. Plus you need good locks, and a place to park it legally, and the ability to navigate from one place to the next without a map.

In my experience, one rarely has to worry about where to park a tram, locate it again among all the others parked all round it, or guard against its being stolen. A bike, especially if rented,
is just one more thing to fret about.

I agree with the tram idea; we'll be in the city for one night just to do the Rijks in a week or so.

The Van Gogh? great place when it isn't mobbed.

Thanks for your insights; I will stick with the tram and take the Paris night bike ride for a biking experience.

My husband might rent a bike while I'm at the Rijks; he's not into art museums like I am. Anything nearby there he occupy himself with for a few hours? (that's not an art museum).

I was coming to ask (*loved* the Tropenmseum btw) how good of a bike rider are each of you?

The bike scene in Amsterdam is intense and unless you are a decent and fairly experienced urban rider, it's not something I'd recommend. I've never seen so many bikes in my life, it's very cool, just not for rookies.

He could ride through the Vondelpark maybe, or take an organised ride.
The latter is probably better as you can then enjoy your time in the museum knowing he is occupied for X amount of hours.

It's not that far from the Heineken Experience (haven't been). He could also check out Vondelpark if the weather is nice.

Amsterdam is a great city just for walking around and enjoying. I walked everywhere, never got on a tram or a bike. I am a committed museum person, but there are plenty of places to hang out, have a beer or a coffee or something to eat, shops, etc.

Incidentally to me it would make more sense to visit the Tropenmuseum another day, and combine the Rijks with either Van Gogh or the Stedelijk.
Just because of the geography of it all, going from the Rijks to the Tropen to Anne Frankhuis.

I second what Andrew and others said about how fast paced bikes are in Amsterdam. We were just there and never rode a tram, we WALKED everywhere! And walked, and walked and walked. Also, it was quite warm when we were there and very few places had any a/c, so cooling off anywhere after those bike rides could be an issue, depending on the weather.
Have a great time. The 18 and 19 year old grandsons loved it, explored all sorts of places with me and on their own. I was so naive, I kept smelling something that smelled like a skunk, did not realize what I was smelling.
Also, one of the grandsons was approached many times about buying drugs. Walking with me and the other grandson, they singled him out for some reason. He kept shaking his head no, and we all kept walking, but a couple were pretty persistent.
Loved the Anne Frank House, my third visit, and it has been updated since I was there in 2008.
Enjoy!

Not sure that the Museum Boat - a public boat on main canals that stops at major museums, including the Anne Frank House - stops near the Troppen Museum - it may but I doubt it as it is out of the main tourist loop - but for other museums a neat way to move around (though more expensive than walking and trams!)

On today's CNN website

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/11/travel...html?hpt=tr_c2

"Trams go right from the RijksmuseumI believe to the Troppenmuseum "

No not really. Tropenmuseum is served by the number 9 tram, Rijksmuseum is 2 and 5. To go from Rijks to Tropenmuseum (one p), you can change at Spui, but you have to walk from one end of Spui where 2 and 5 stop, to Rokin to make the change.

Even if you're an experienced cyclist: don't risk it.

Just in case OP (and anyone else interested) hasn't already seen the public transport map:
http://en.gvb.nl/reisinformatie/plat...nnetkaart.aspx

"Trams go right from the RijksmuseumI believe to the Troppenmuseum "

I think you can just walz thru Museumplein and catch the # 9 tram at the southern end of it - a very short pleasant stroll.

PhillyFan . . . the Paris night bike ride is so much fun! I've done it twice!

Because of what we observed in Amsterdam, I contacted my City Councilman and made some suggestions. There are more accidents between bikes and pedestrians and bikes and cars in our City. The problem is that if a pedestrian is hurt, he/she must pay for his/her medical bills and any lost wages and there is no liability to the biker. There should be some licensing procedure and property/liability insurance requirement for bikers before the problem becomes even worse.

IMD - I f a biker hurts someone or anyone hurts someone thru their negligence they are liable for their actions - whether on a bike or in a store or walking into someone, etc. that's just part of our common law. You are liable for your actions regardless of the situation - of course the injured party has to sue - I have umbrella coverage for any liabilities I have anywhere in the U.S. - don't you?

Requiring licensing/insurance for bikers would:

1`- decrease the number of bikes legally on the streets and probably overall numbers - not good

2- require even childs' bikes to be so insured?

I just can't believe that your state/city does not make anyone who cuases injury not liable for those damages.

Palenq. Now, you must go through the court system to get your money and hope the biker has money. Of course, that costs the injured party money and there is no guarantee of how it will be resolved. That is if the biker stops and he gives his correct name.

With car insurance there is well established case law and adjusters that help avoid the courts.

There is little recourse when someone gets injured. I live in NYC, I would say 45% don;t know the laws, 45% don't care about the laws and 10% actually adhere to the laws.

This would clog up the courts even further who must determine who, what, where, contributory and comparative, etc.

"My husband might rent a bike while I'm at the Rijks; he's not into art museums like I am. Anything nearby there he occupy himself with for a few hours? (that's not an art museum)."

I started laughing at myself because the first thing that came to my mind after reading your question, PhillyFan, was, "Well, the Red Light District is just a spit from the Rijks."

We accidentally walked into the Red Light district during the day which wasn't much of a district at all. I would imagine more is going on at night.

With car insurance there is well established case law and adjusters that help avoid the courts.>

but the significant cost of insurance would no doubt results in a reduction of bike traffic - is that good?

Will 8-year-olds' bikes have to be insured?

Good idea but pie in the sky IMO in reality - we need to encourage bike travel not hinder it.

Yes, the parents of children would need insurance. Just the way parents are responsible for the actions of minors.

BTW, in Amsterdam a child of 12 must pass a bicycle test before he can ride to school.

If bikers are to take over the world they need to be responsible and like many humans, most need responsibility imposed on them. There is a significant number of bikers in our City who think they are elevated life forms that deserve beatification not rules.

Would you also make bike helmets mandatory for all? And bicycle safety inspections - ah big brother looking after us.

We are so used to seeing at least children in bike helmets here. I was amazed to see mothers biking with babies in the front basket or very small children towed behind the bike without helmets....and pedaling at breakneck speed!

No Dutch bikers IME wear helmets or would be caught dead doing so - and in a city like Amsterdam where there are so so many bike accidents I understand.

Nor do the Dutch I believe have to have insurance on their bikes.

Yes the Dutch do not wear helmets and are not obligated to carry insurance.

They also have 55,000 bikes stolen each year and the City is now designed with bikers in mind.

https://www.google.com/search?q=amst...=1600&bih=1075

See how popular biking is in Amsterdam!

It is extremely popular and some have a little tub they attach to the front of bikes for wheeling around little children. Yeah, that will work in NYC, especially in the entitled districts of Park Slope and Tribeca, the home of "It's your fault. What happened?"

Should skateboarders have to have insurance - online skaters? Where does it end? Pedestrians who may accidentally bump someone?

Or pedestrians who walk out into the path of cyclists without looking? (Yes, it's happened to me more than once).

yes pedestrians are often hurt and often their fault - anywhere so I guess IMD would require proof of insurance before anyone sets foot outside.

In Amsterdam tourists notoriously wander into the bike lanes - naively so but with possible devastating results!