From Guest Blogger Susannah Taplin: Cycling in the City

“City” and “cycling” are two words that haven’t always been quite so synonymous. Yet life in a number of European cities is an increasingly two-wheeled affair. A great way to get to know a city, stay fit and reduce your emissions, there’s plenty of motivation to hop on your bike. And with dedicated lanes and cycle-friendly laws, these cities are a pedaler’s paradise.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

In a city that has more bikes than it does people, Amsterdam hardly needs introduction as The Cycling Capital of Europe. With its safe and extensive network of cycle routes, designated lanes and traffic signals, and enormous bike storage parks, Amsterdam is the perfect city to explore on two wheels. Young and old alike, parents with their toddlers in large wooden baskets, technicians transporting tools and equipment can all be seen pedaling about town – there is no specific criteria determining what “type” of person cycles, it’s simply a matter of convenience. In Amsterdam, bikes rule the roads and are often granted more direct routes that are often inaccessible to cars. As a result, you can commute to work, nip to the local supermarket, tootle alongside the canals or amble through the city’s open green spaces with complete ease and comfort.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Bicycle bridges over the harbour and a new web of “cycle superhighways” connecting the suburbs to its city centre, Copenhagen is second-to-none when it comes to its well-designed cycling infrastructure. And with more people cycling to work in greater Copenhagen than the entire United States, its innovative programmes designed to boost biking are clearly doing the trick. In Copenhagen, biking is serious stuff and it can be a little overwhelming getting caught in a swarm of cyclists at rush hour. Keep on your toes and don’t forget those key hand signals, and you’ll experience the pleasure of cycling in a city that works like a well-oiled machine.

Berlin, Germany

Berlin may not initially come to mind as a classic cycling city. But despite its cobbled streets and sometimes reckless taxi drivers, Berlin’s situation is the envy of many European cities: wide streets and flat terrain make for perfect cycling conditions. It may not yet be in the same league as the likes of Copenhagen and Amsterdam, but Berlin’s cosmopolitan community has embraced the culture of the wheel, and nowadays you’ll find a bike shop on every other street corner.

Seville, Spain

This unlikely paragon of cycling has made incredible steps in the space of just a few years, abandoning the urban mayhem of many Mediterranean cities in favour of a more sustainable approach. With the construction of its 120km cycle track and the introduction of Sevici – its public bike hire scheme – Seville has rapidly transformed itself to become Spain’s “cycling capital”. Now boasting Dutch-style segregated lanes and a comprehensive network spanning the city, Seville is making a conscious effort to change attitudes and preconceptions to get its citizens on their bikes.

Utrecht, Netherlands

The Dutch seem to be pretty much born on bikes, with cycling just as natural throughout the rest of the Netherlands as in its cycle-friendly capital. A world-leader among smaller cities for its commitment to incorporating cycling into planning decisions, Utrecht is not far behind the , rocking up 3rd place in this year’s Copenhagenize Index. With an extensive network of paths and impressive usage levels, Utrecht is a worthy challenger for the top spot.

Susannah Taplin is part of the team at GoEuro, a new Internet platform that helps travelers compare and combine air, rail, bus and car travel options. You’ll often find her nipping about Berlin on her little blue bike.