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Many of the places you will want to visit are within short walking distance of Central Station.
Pedestrians Should note that local cyclists and moped/scooter riders ignore all types of pedestrian crossings, ride the wrong way up one-way streets and routinely use pavements/sidewalks (if these are not already occupied by illegally parked cars !!) Many of the places you want to visit, whether a tourist attraction or a Coffeeshop, are within 10-15 mins walking distance of Central Station or the Dam monument - this is at the bottom of the road that stretches directly in front of you as you exit the railway station, Damrak. (Which, 500 years ago, was the path of the River Amstel !!) Crossing wide busy roads can get particularly confusing ) for UK pedestrians, (particularly when stoned ! (and those from other countries who are used to driving on the left) - always look BOTH ways before crossing roads and tram-tracks. Wheels Rent a Bicycle: Amsterdam has lots of bicycle hire places. Here are a few central ones: Bulldog :Oudejizds Voorburgwal 126 (part of the Coffeeshop chain) Holland Rent-a-Bike: Damrak 247 Koenders Take-a-Bike: Stationsplein 12. (Central Station`s forecourt) MacBike : Stationsplein 33. "MacBike" (Sept 2002) charges €4 for 2 hours, €6,50 per day, Prices get cheaper for extra days. Bicycles with gears- 50% extra Deposit required: Passport/Credit Card + €50. Insurance is optional, (but recommended !) I have never rented a bike - but am aware that there is a big bike theft problem - Junkies mainly - always lock it to something solid like a lamppost when you leave it and make sure you buy theft insurance from the hirer, if available. As stated on "Arrival" page, my personal opinion is that driving in Amsterdam is not a good idea due to traffic conditions, pollution, lack of legal street parking and car-related crime. Petrol in Netherlands is expensive, as is recovering your car after getting caught parking illegally. Continued
 
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