The 10 Best Bike-Friendly Cities In The World

In today’s TravelChat we chat about outstanding bike experiences in the best bike-friendly cities from across the world.

Whether you’re looking for a private, group, or self-guided bike tour, there is a bike-friendly city waiting on you.

We don’t operate tours, but our well-traveled team always finds the best of the best. As usual, their focus is on quality, value, and of course, experience.

"You are one ride away from a good mood."

- Sarah Bentley Tweet

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The first of our bike-friendly cities is the beautiful flower-paradise, Amsterdam. Called the bicycle capital of the world, it is almost a must to include a bike tour in some or other form while in Amsterdam. The Netherlands has more bicycles than people. Like, 20 plus million bicycles compared to a population of around 17 million.

Amsterdamse Bos (“bos”, meaning forest)

The forest sits on the city’s edge and here you can shed all the stress. Surrounded by tall trees, evergreens, and glistening lakes it is an amazing bike and photographic experience.

The best time to go cycling in Amsterdam is around autumn and in the European summer. This is when you will get picture-perfect scenes like above and below.

It can be quite overwhelming in the city’s fast pace bike lanes where cyclists are used to passing rather close to each other. If you’re not used to city cycling, then Amsterdamse Bos is your solution.

Bike tours in Amsterdam

Our team picked a small variety of the best bike tours in the respective cities. In addition, we’ll also link you up with a larger selection to choose from.

Amsterdam has bike tours that vary from under an hour up to 9 hours plus. They have more than 400 different bike tours you can pick from, privately guided or group guided.

Find More Amsterdam Bike Tours!

Berlin, Germany

The Berlin Wall bike path

This cycle route of about 160 km, is simply beautiful. To the north, you have the Hennigsdorf – Hohen Neuendorf – Hermsdorf section. It’ll take you along the Tegeler Fließ stream and Lübars back to Berlin Mitte.

Then to the south, you have the Sonnenallee – Lichtenrade section via Schönefeld. Riding along the Teltow Canal is sheer bliss.

Kreuzberg

One of Berlin’s most colorful neighborhoods is the very beautiful Kreuzberg. Kreuzberg has plenty of cycle routes through parks and by the water. Like the River Spree and the Landwehr canal.

Lake Wannsee Cycle Route

The Lake Wannsee cycle route will take you towards Potsdam, around 30 km (20 miles) from Kreuzberg, thus connecting the former East Berlin with the western part of Berlin. It’s not only one of Berlin’s longest cycle paths but also full of intriguing sightseeing and beautiful landscapes. In a nutshell, this is what you can expect to see…

The route starts out at Schlossplatz.
After you pass Schleusenbrücke (Lock Bridge) you’ll see the stunning 19th-century Friedrichswerder Church with its beautiful Neoclassical architecture.
Then you have the famous Checkpoint Charlie, the former official crossing between the East and the West of Berlin.
A lovely rest spot is Viktoria Park – it has a beautiful waterfall.
Another famous building is the Schöneberg Town Hall. This is where John F. Kennedy said (in 1963) what would become world-famous, namely “Ich bin ein Berliner”.
From Wannseebrücke (Wannsee Bridge), at Nikolassee, you’re in for some beautiful landscape such as Großer and Kleiner Wannsee (Greater and Lesser Wannsee lakes).
To get to the end of the route which is also the legendary and most beautiful spot in Berlin, Glienicker Bridge, you can go via Königsalle, or via Pfaueninselchaussee and Berlin Mauerweg up to Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island). The latter is the longer path, but more scenic.

Find More Berlin Bike Tours!

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before your activity starts.

Budapest, Hungary

Another one of our ten best bike-friendly cities is the magnificent Budapest on the banks of the Danube River. When it comes to Budapest, the very beautiful and lush Margaret Island immediately comes to mind. From conventional bicycles to tandems, and more. You can hire them right there and then.

Whether you’re fit or not, you can easily bike to picturesque Szentendre (photos below) – a lovely spot on the Danube, and back. The cycle route was upgraded in 2020, now making for a great bike experience with rest stops and lighting. You could always cycle to Szentendre and take a sunset cruise on the Danube back to Budapest!

Find More Budapest Bike Tours!

Copenhagen, Denmark

This beautiful and vibrant city is one of the safest places to cycle. What’s more, Copenhagen has an amazing goal. Namely, to become “the world’s best bicycle city by 2025”.

Some scenic cycle routes in Copenhagen are:

Amager Beach Park, 3 km (18 miles), is a relaxed route along the beach, about 5 km (3 miles) from the center of Copenhagen.
Dragør, 8 km (5 miles), is a scenic countryside route from Copenhagen airport to the picturesque village on the southeastern coast of Amager Island.
Jægersborg Dyrehave is a beautiful forest-park experience only 25 minutes from Copenhagen center, near Klampenborg station. The world’s oldest amusement park, Bakken, is also near and about 10 minutes further lies Believue Beach. Lots to see, and plenty of places to stop for a break.

Find More Copenhagen Bike Tours!

Mallorca, Spain

Find More Mallorca Bike Tours!

Mallorca is known to be one of the top bike-friendly cities in the world. The majority of days in the year are filled with sunshine, like around 300 days! The climate is perfect for cycling all year through.

What’s more, in the Serra de Tramuntana area cycling is a pleasure with little traffic and a dedicated route for cyclists.

For the more experienced cyclists, the Deia to Pollenca bike route of about 68 km has stunning scenic views along the coast. You’ll also cycle through the beautiful olive region of Caimari and Campanuet.

Montréal, Canada

Montréal has over 700 kilometers (435 miles) of bike paths and plenty of bike-friendly activities, especially during the summer. And even if there is no activity there is always an opportunity to pack a picnic basket for the road and head on over to a city park. Cycle routes such as Mount Royal Park, Parc La Fontaine in the Plateau, Parc Laurier, and Parc Jarry (both have outdoor swimming pools).

Find More Montréal Bike Tours!

New York City, USA

In 2019 New York City had no less than 2,170 km (1,350 miles) of cycling lanes citywide. That makes for some serious cycling enjoyment.

Central Park has a 30-minute loop that is always a new experience, no matter how many times you’d done it. I just love watching the people. From horse-drawn carriages, runners, sexy bodies doing workouts, cyclists, people going for a good old-fashioned walk, and many more. A nice place to stop for something to bite is the beautiful Boathouse.

Prospect Park in Brooklyn is closed to vehicles over weekends and holidays. The 5.4 km (3.35 miles) loop is quite scenic with rolling hills and a serene setting. From Manhattan, take the 2, 3, 4, or 5 subway lines. Thereafter you ride up Flatbush Avenue straight into the Park.
Other park routes include Pulaski to Williamsburg Bridge, Bronx River Pathway, Hudson River Greenway, and Ocean Parkway Bike Path.
For more serious cycling you should do the Manhattan to Nyack (9W) bike route. It starts out at the famous George Washington Bridge. Then heading up north through Bergen County. Thereafter the Hudson River (on the west side) leading to Rockland County. The almost 71 km (44 miles) roundtrip is very scenic with spectacular views of New York City. Depending on how many stops you have (and there are plenty of opportunities), the ride will take you about 3 to 4 hours.

Find More New York City Bike Tours!

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

And then there is Rio de Janeiro, another one in our choice of bike-friendly cities. Rio de Janeiro is a bucket list experience amongst cyclists across the globe.

One of my favorites is the bike route through Tijuca National park. It will take you around 5 hours, sightseeing stops included like the Christ the Redeemer Statue atop Corcovado.
Another bike route that is sheer pleasure is from Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon to the Leblon and Ipanema beaches. There are plenty of photo opportunities along the way.
The Jardim Botânico / Mesa Imperador / São Conrado / Lagoa / Arpoador bike route is also a scenic route that takes you along a calm forest path and also some busy streets. It’s about 33 km (20,6 miles) and last time I checked it was paved.

Find More Rio de Janeiro Bike Tours!

Straßburg (Strasbourg), France

Beautiful Strasbourg is known for its towering Gothic cathedral and for being the formal seat to the European parliament. Strasbourg has some scenic bike routes, including mountain biking trails. There are bike routes everywhere, and almost everyone is on bikes.

One of the most memorable bike tours was the one from Strasbourg across the River Rhine to the German town of Kehl. The route will take about 3 to 4 hours to complete. Two countries in one day!

Find More Strasbourg Bike Tours!

Tokyo, Japan

Our final choice (in alphabetical order) of the best bike-friendly cities, is vibrant Tokyo. You definitely want to avoid traffic jams, so one of the best options is the river banks. And Tokyo has plenty of them.

Like on the bank of the river Arakawa Housuiro. It is a 22 km long manmade river and you can see Mount Fuji from here if it’s a clear day.
The Edogawa bike route is along the banks of the Edo River. Start in Mizumoto Park in Katsushika City and end in Shibamata. The movie “Otoko wa Tsurai yo” was filmed in Shibatama, an old town near the Edogawa River.
Another great ride is along the Sumidagawa River. Start in Ryogoku and from there you’ll see plenty of colorful bridges. Then you’ll get Tokyo Skytree the original location of the famous Tsukiji fish market and after that the glitzy Ginza. This is a sightseeing route, so no rush!