Uber and other ride-sharing companies are also available in Amsterdam, but they are not as affordable compared to public transportation.
Even with all of these options, many Dutch people choose to bike! The Dutch word for bike is fiets. Most of the cities are very bike-friendly and there are bike lanes that run all over the country. Basically, when the Dutch started to build their towns and cities centuries ago, they decided to put bike lanes everywhere so the people could travel using their own two feet. Dutch children start riding a bike on their own at a very young age. They are known for biking one hour or more to school and back at times unless the weather is bad.
I got used to using Amsterdam's public transportation--especially trains and trams--really fast. The system reminds me of Philadelphia's public transportation system, but the system in the Netherlands is much more reliable. Trains and trams are almost always on time.
I bought my bike in September, so now I can say I am becoming Dutch myself! I mostly use it to travel around my hometown of Zaandam or to visit my friends in surrounding towns. To get to work, though, I take a 20-minute train and then a 20-minute tram every day. I am not quite ready to ride my bike an hour to work and back... yet. Plus, during rush hour, Amsterdam’s bicycling lanes are more crowded than the car lanes. Maybe I will give it a try next spring when the weather warms up.
