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The Secrets of Our Alltournative Bike Tour

It’s not a secret that the best city for cycling is Amsterdam and the best way to explore Amsterdam is by bike. That’s exactly one of the reasons why our team keeps recommending you our free Alltournative bike tours around the city. But if you want to get an idea of why it’s called an alternative tour or to have a sneak peek at what’s waiting for  you, let us tell you more and explore the details together .

How it all starts

Same way as with trying all cool places around Amsterdam before recommending them to you, we have done Teleport Alternative Bike Tour, loved it and wanted to share it with you. The first best fact about the tour is that it’s free for all– all you need to do is just rent a bike with us! We have a tour waiting for you every day, so just let us know that you would like to join and have fun on a bike. And then the journey begins! Lovely enthusiastic guides  from AllTourNative, full of life and excitement about Amsterdam, will meet you 11 am in front of the hotel and take proper care of your tour. You get your special free map of the city, cool sticker, some not-boring-at-all cycling and road safety instructions and off you go!

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Why so unique

What makes our alltournative tours different from any others in Amsterdam? It’s off-the-beaten-track, not touristy (but quite authentic and local), with the most relaxed young guides ready to crack a good joke and most importantly- customized to your needs and preferences. In the beginning of each tour nice peeps from AllTourNative ask you about what you would be interested in seeing and adjust their route depending on the crowd. In any case, expect some impressive street art, alternative galleries and contemporary exhibitions that you won’t find on your own.  Every tour is unique, so in case you love it, feel free to join the second time, as something new will be waiting for you! Forget about everlasting historical tours, when your guide is cycling in front of the group and telling you easy-to-forget facts in a monotone voice. Instead prepare for a very entertaining, amusing and interactive mix of history, art, unusual facts about Amsterdam and fun cycling in between.

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What is street art?

Amsterdam is full of street art. There is so much more to see than meets the eye at first sight. Our guides will help you to find all those beautiful and interesting art pieces hidden on walls, inside alleys, under bridges  or even on a lantern pole. Street art is so much more than just graffiti; has it’s own unique culture and set of unwritten rules. The beauty of street art not only lies in its variety, creativity and in the messages that street artists are bringing to us but also in the fact that street art usually is very brief and can be gone forever before you know it.

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What’s more

There is much more to see close to Teleport Hotel than you think, and brilliant guides (like cheerful Marnix)will make sure you experience it all. How about the stunning sight of a typical Dutch windmill on the way, or hip Westerpark with its exceptional Westergasfabriek always full of events, amazing coffee and good selection of beer? These small discoveries during the tour will make your stay in Amsterdam more exciting, as you will get to know what to do, where to eat, have a drink, enjoy some live music or party hard in the city. An advice given by a local who is passionate about his hometown is the best advice, so pay attention, learn Amsterdam secrets and create some new memories! And last but not least, taking your opportunity of a free tour at Teleport Hotel you highly increase your chances to make new friends to spend some time with in this amazing city.

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Please ask for more details about our tours at the reception, sign up with our friendly Teleport Hotel team and enjoy the city and art exploration! Our bike rental prices are moderate: 24 hours with a great bike will cost you only 15€, but if you need it just for the tour, then 10€ would do. Ride your bike, discover Amsterdam and have fun with us!

For a short video impression click here!

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Your Bicycle-Friendly Amsterdam

One of the best features of Amsterdam is its well known bicycle-friendliness, which makes it the world capital of bikes. It’s so easy to get around on two wheels that hardly any other transportation is needed here. Cycling is so important in the Dutch culture that more than half of Amsterdam city center traffic movement is by bicycle. Traffic education, cycle traffic lights, special routes, numerous bike lanes and free bike parking (versus extremely expensive car parking) encourage Amsterdammers and guests of the city to use bikes more. Let’s have a closer look at this interesting typical Amsterdam thing to do!

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Friendly numbers

It’s a fact that there is more bikes in Amsterdam than people with the proof of a full four story bicycle parking next to Central Station, lots of underground parking and always packed bike racks everywhere around the city. There are about 881,000 bikes for 800,000 people in Amsterdam, therefore almost everybody cycles. To be precise, 83% of people living here use their bikes at least once per week. Then how is it possible with countless cyclists that there is enough space for everybody? The answer lies within the highly developed infrastructure with around 500 kilometers of cycle paths in Amsterdam alone. But we all know that the life of a bike is not eternal, so guess where many of the old ones end up? In the canals of Amsterdam! Every year the municipality fishes from 12,000 to 15,000 bicycles, which is actually quite a view to observe. Next time you might think twice when having a thought of swimming in the canal.

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Outstanding bike types

The most common bike type in Amsterdam is a simple omafiets  (grandma style one) with pedal-back brakes, no gears, often with a wicker basket in front or panniers for groceries in the back. That’s a convenient, nothing fancy model that decreases the chances of your bike being stolen by a junkie (who will sell it to new coming students later on). However, when you look around the city, it is far from the only type out there. Some of the cooler bike representatives in Amsterdam are bakfiets, tandem bikes, fixies and of course legendary beer bikes.

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Bakfiets

Modish and posh, bakfiets is the privilege of the richer Amsterdammers, who can afford spending couple of thousands Euros on a bicycle. It makes the life of modern mothers way easier though, as a typical bakfiets can fit in a few children. It’s a common scene to see one full of toddlers and a happy mum cycling hard.

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Tandem bikes

Amsterdam tandem bikes come in all shapes and variations: it can be for 2 adults or 1 adult and 1 kid, or 1 adult and 2 kids, or 3 adults… the list is endless, as you can find a bike fitting any needs in this city. Actually a tandem bike can be a brilliant solution for a couple, when one doesn’t feel too comfortable with cycling in the city. Only one person has to steer, and another can peacefully pedal and have his hands free for picture taking on the way.

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Fixies

Fixies or fixed-gear bikes have become very popular in Amsterdam, as it’s full of hipsters who tend to love this type. Fixies are known for their smooth minimalistic designs, extremely low weight, less human energy needed for riding it withz great speed. Although some people prefer to have brakeless fixed-gear bikes, it’s required to have a proper brake system in the Netherlands.

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Beer bikes

Have you ever dreamed about having a beer and cycling at the same time without putting your life in danger? It’s absolutely possible in Amsterdam with crazy beer bikes when pedaling and drinking come together. What a great idea for a bachelor party! But no worries, you will always have a sober driver provided by the rental company, who will guarantee fun and safe journey.

As you can see cycling is a must-have experience in Amsterdam, so don’t hesitate to hop on one of our bikes and explore the numerous parks, fairytale-like downtown area or peaceful Jordaan. And even better, join us for one of our free alternative bike tours around the city and enjoy a true adventure. Welcome to Amsterdam on two wheels!

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