Bike Rental


What better way to explore the Netherlands then by bike, after all with its flat picturesque landscapes this compact country is perfect for cyclists! It is very easy to rent a bike when in the Netherlands many tourist locations offer bike rentals or bike tours as it is such a big part of being in Holland. For example Mac Bike is one I see a lot around Amsterdam. Hostels such as the Stay Okay usually have biked for guests and typically it is quite cheap or free.

If you are thinking of renting a bike for a few days then I recommend the OV Fiets (bike) scheme. OV means Openbaar Veroer in Dutch which translates as public transport. This is very handy as the OV bikes are typically in or near the train stations. Either in the bike parking area (fietsenstalling) or at a self-service centre. Many cities have a bike scheme like this but in Holland with so many cycle paths in the city and dedicated cycle routes through the countryside to follow, it is an excellent option for a day trip!

OV Fiets- How does it work?
If you want to use these Orange and Blue Bikes you need to have a OV card and sign up! You can do this via the NS website here: http://www.ov-fiets.nl. This is a free service and once registered the ability to rent a bike will be added to your OV card.  The next step is to find your bike! You can see a video of one of the newest OV points in Utrecht here:



Besides a OV manned point you can also rent a bike from a self service bike point , a bike locker, a bike carousel, a bike box and a OV bike point rack. You can find a list of all bike points here. Rental costs under €4/day and you can rent 2 bikes on one card. You don't need anything other than your OV card it is all automatic! You can keep the bike for 72 hours using the same tariff however after 72 hrs you start to pay a surcharge. The rental fee is charged directly to your bank account.

OV Fiets Fees:
  • Subscribe to the scheme for free
  • Rent per 24 hour €3.85 
  • After 72 hours extra €5/day
  • To drop the bike back at a different location from where you picked it up €10
  • Loss or theft of bike key €20
  • Damage OV-bicycle as a result of careless use - repair costs
  • Theft OV-bike with police report and key € 50
  • Theft of bike without police report and without key € 250

Remember if you take the bike on the train it will cost €6 for a bike ticket – I have a full post about this here

There is now a OV-bike checker APP in both the APP store and Google Play store, this allows you to check if a bike is available at the station or OV spot before you leave the house!