The city is designed for public transport and biking. To get around you can rent them at Velocation. It is bike rental service managed by the community. Get a bike and get local.

www.velocation.net/

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Strasbourg is lovely toured by bike. The city has a number of bike rental shops and provide bikes with big baskets and locks, which allow yo to get on and off and carry all your shopping as you go.

www.velocation.net/en/index.php

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Inland from the dreadful Costa Blanca, the Alicante countryside turns mountainous and is the most wonderful place for hillwalking.

I'm used to Yorkshire and the Dales - well, this is limestone too but rugged and forested with the advantage of excellent trails and routes for walking or biking.

Sometimes there are even waymarks. But wandering shepherds with herds blessed with goatbells! Of the many little villages I pick out Sella because it's just 12k from the A7 motorway (exit 66) has several bar restaurants (lively! No tourist stuff, little English) and there are even a couple of excellent B&Bs, one of which does self-catering stays too. In winter you´ll bump into rock climbers here but spring and autumn are the best times.

Sella, Alicante www.casaroc.com www.villapico.com www.sella-alicante.com

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Huge park in the city centre (five minutes walk from Leidseplein). Lovely for walking/lazing/picnicking on warm spring/summer days. Bring your own food/drink or stop in one of the bars for snacks etc.

Amsterdam city centre

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

By all means, take the boat trip out into the Golden Gate and under the bridge, but the best way to experience the bridge is on a bike. There are lots of bike hire shops down by Fisherman's Wharf - shop around, because some are cheaper than those nearest the waterfront. Some also offer a “Bike and Alcatraz" package, which may appeal if you can't get your hands on an Alcatraz ticket (they book up around a week in advance during summer). Maps, directions and ferry times provided by the bike shops.

The bike trail is almost entirely off the road and is a great way to see the Marina district and the waterfront. The bike lane on the bridge is separate from the traffic too, and the views of the bridge towers and the city are superb.

Coast down into Sausalito for lunch (a bit pricey - take a snack with you), then take the ferry back across to San Francisco. More superb city views, especially Coit Tower.

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

There are a million and one bicycle rental stores. It costs next to nothing, and is easily the best way to see Amsterdam. A world-class, cycle-friendly system - it's an enjoyable way of seeing this unique city without having to spend your day in coffee shops or gawping at the ladies of the night.

Central train station and just about anywhere...

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Amsterdam is made for bikes, it’s not only flat, but bikers have absolute right of way on the roads and bike paths. Cycle through the Vondel Park and check out the cafes, which often have live music. Bike City offers classic Dutch bikes for around €8.50 a day.

www.bikecity.nl

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Edam is a delightfully unspoilt village a few miles outside Amsterdam. There are a couple of excellent hotels, the best of which is de Fortuna, in an idyllic setting alongside quintessential Dutch canals and bridges. It has a great restaurant too, with wonderful paintings of local fisherman from a bygone age.

Stay here and take the regular bus service to and from Amsterdam, and you'll get the best of both urban and rural Holland. When you don't want to travel to the city, hire a bike and follow the tranquil cycleways to either the grand old port of Hoorn to the north or the quaint fishing village of Marken to the south.

www.fortuna-edam.nl

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

This may sound like a cliché, but nothing can prepare you for the exhilarating feeling of cycling on Dutch country paths made especially for you (the cyclist), through forests, along the coast, and - for the pièce de résistance - through fields of tulips in full bloom. The flowers only bloom for four to six weeks and the best time to see them is May.

Take the train from Amsterdam Central Station to Alkmaar

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

The beaches immediately around La Rochelle are not fantastic. Hop on a bike and ride over the bridge to the nearby island Ile de Ré, where the sand squeaks beneath your toes and the atmosphere is Mediterrenean and peaceful.

The bridge is just north of the town centre

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends