There are more bikes than people in Holland. It’s an easy and cheap way get around town. No waiting for trains, trams, buses and other forms of transport. You just hop on and go. Safety is a concern but because there are many dedicated bike lanes accidents are less likely to happen. Parking your bike can be a bit of a problem though especially in high traffic areas. The good news is that new facilities are being build around hubs all the time. Just take a look at this amazing futuristic underground storage system at Amsterdam Central Station. The first 24 hours are free to park here.

Park your bicycle underground
Other cities like Utrecht and Rotterdam have similar underground capabilities. Here your bike is protected from the weather elements and more secure against thieves stealing bikes which is a real problem in some areas. These big bicycle parking lots are usually hidden under ground near train stations where a lot of people come and go. It doesn’t mean you won’t see bikes anywhere else. Often people travel on bike to where they need to be and park right outside of the building.

Don’t let your bike get stolen
To prevent bikes being stolen people try to find something to attach their bike to, like a light post or a fence. For this reason many will have a long chain lock wrapped around the bike frame. When returning home bikes in smaller cities are usually parked in the garage or shed in the garden. In big cities that is a luxury however and bikes will be parked on the sidewalk. If you are lucky there are sometimes small locked bike sheds around which you can rent together with others. Out on the street old bikes sometimes are abandoned or just left hanging around too long. Eventually (often after labeling them first with a warning sticker) the local government will remove these old bikes out of sight to make things neat again.