You Don't Need a Car to Explore These Beautiful Cities

These streets are for a different kind of wheels.

As car honk and taxis sail the traffic - fill up street of Mexico City , a different kind of exploratory seventh heaven exists on quieter , dark-green paths . With a few pushes of my cycle pedal , I sweep along the wide , empty pavement of the Reforma , the urban center ’s biggest boulevard , from the flea market of La Lagunilla to the sprawling honey oil of Chapultepec Park . Along the style , I pass families out for Sunday strolls and hit the brakes when the scent of pit - cooked lamb tempts me to cease for flavorful tacos and hangover - curing consome .

On Sundays in Mexico City — as in Bogotá , Santiago , and cities all over Latin America and the populace — the major street closes to mechanize vehicle . These ciclovías provide a stress - free ( and often cost - barren , as some cities provide innocent bicycle rentals ) entryway into the best way to see a new city : on two wheels .

Biking puts you properly on the ground level — interact with other cyclists , nonplus around quickly but ho-hum enough to take in sights , and seeing the most of a new urban center as you cruise by building and pause to look around at intersections . Unlike traveling by car , biking around a destination like Mexico City let you smell the carnitas sizzling , discover the sing - song chatter of the city , “ Se compran colchones , tambores , refrigeradores , ” and pull over to gaze at the giant painted wall painting instructing you to “ Unlock your bitterness . ”

View of canal in Amsterdam

Amsterdam offers a different kind of ride.|TheClumsyEye/moment/Getty Images

Sure , you could do that while walking , too . But biking covers far more distance in less time — a precious commodity when explore a new place . And though I ’m a big advocate of using public transportation while travel ( for many of the same reasons listed above ) , cycle permit you be part of the metropolis , gets your heart rate going , and ferment up an appetence that twit public transport or taking taxi does not , giving me more opportunities to taste young tamales , tlacoyos , and tostadas . And it ’s just fun .

In the last few years , especially during the pandemic , cities have seen the value of auto - spare streets . Some places have added miles or specific sidereal day of road closed to cars , built dislocated bike lane , or even opened consecrate bike paths , which , as an added fillip , run to of course take the scenic itinerary through parks or greenbelt . The number of bike portion systems mesh around the world double over between 2011 and 2015 , and again by 2019 , making it even faster and easier to get out on two wheels and research a address by bicycle . The increment of e - bikes , as part of rental and share fleets , makes biking more accessible — especially in hillier cities — and mean not arriving to spot quite so sweaty .

In Mexico City , as in many places I stray as a travel writer , I often get my bike from the local bike share . A one - day pass for the Ecobici organization , which can be purchased ahead of sentence online , costs $ 5 , and a week is about $ 20 . Other option exist , include a gratuitous organization , as well as full rentals , which helps if you require a helmet .

Bike the Reforma in Mexico City with… everyone else.|©phytopardo/moment/Getty Images

Sometimes biking is the only elbow room to see or do things off the tourist path . Even on a cold December day in Toronto , I wheel my way to a package of Syrian food made by refugees . The only other way to get there involved more than an minute by bus and wagon train in rush hour . By bike , I arrived fleetly and value the still - warm mujaddara by the time I got it back to my hotel room .

Though many places have splendid , protected bike lanes , not everyone is comfortable riding a bike in a city , let alone in a novel one . tyro riders or neural bikers have a perfect in - between choice : initiate with a bike tour of duty , which hand a draw ( and helmeted ) prevue of the biking climate in a metropolis . A street art and market place tour of Bogotá quick taught me the honest share of the city , while also bring out me to fruit like feijoa , noni , and curuba . Many wheel tour company also offer rental , which helps with logistics for exploring on your own . In cities where Google Maps cultivate well , steering often map out out bike itinerary , and some cycle share apps also have bike - path map . But of course technology is n’t a good substitute for using your eyes , ears , and brain : you ’ll know when a street feel well-situated and good .

Toronto , Bogota , and Mexico City are all wonderful places to search via wheel , but other cities have been unite the fleet for year . To make it easier for those cycling for the first fourth dimension and really anyone who wants an easy drive , here are the metropolis around the macrocosm with the good biking substructure , the safest path , and the easiest way to get around , so you’re able to enjoy your sightseeing with a cinch in your hairsbreadth .

People riding bicycles on Reforma avenue in Mexico City

Bike the Reforma in Mexico City with… everyone else.|©phytopardo/moment/Getty Images

Berlin

Take in the entire length of the artistic production - splattered Berlin bulwark — stretching through the urban center — in half the fourth dimension and with half the sweat . On a cycle , you may breeze past the crew on the sidewalks along the wall , and easily pause at whichever mural captures your attention by simply placing your understructure down when it strikes your illusion . you could zip through Rosa Parks , to museum island , and onward to outdoor flea markets , all much more quickly while still seeing most of the city , more so than any other transportation . The spacious lanes and lack of helmet ( which are n’t require here ) feel comfort and safe . You couldbook a tour , scoop a bike from hostels and hotel , or pour down into one of many , many bike shop found on Google for a cheap rental . And do n’t forget to pause your pedals for a bratwurst along the way .

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires has over80 miles of bike lanesin the mostly - level urban center . Free Ecobici bicycle are offered here , which have in mind you could cruise on a budget from Plaza del Mayo to Recoleta Cemetery ( with its hundreds of stray cats ) , and run through bite of the country ’s splendidly extra - sinewy high mallow pizza in between . If you ’re not quite certain where you want to search , guided bike tourstake you through Palermo , Recoleta , and all the coolheaded - kid vicinity with hidden venues tucked down beautiful sett alleyways .

Seville

Seville ’s bike lane were so successful that local started hop the fences and using the paths before they even officially opened . It seems people in the heart of Flamenco country love a strong heartbeat . While it ’s straight that biking up northwards in Barcelona is also fantastical for two - cycle urban geographic expedition , Spain ’s southerly metropolis is ahead of the game when it comes to lanes that are connected throughout the city and protected by nurture Curb or fences . To those who are more new to cycling , that transform to a peck more prophylactic and comfort , so you’re able to go from honest-to-goodness town to the surround countryside in proceedings and take in the views of rolling hills and the lovely climate without a care . Visitors can use the Sevici wheel part program withdocks all around the metropolis , Bible a guided bicycle tour , or rent from a local bike shop class .

Taipei

Taipei recently ramped up its bike share plan , volunteer so many cycle that so many hoi polloi really habituate , with fleets that equal those of New York and London . The city has even integrate theYouBikesystem with the metro , meaning you’re able to use the same card to unlock a bright orange bicycle on the street as for the subway below — though a deferred payment card works just fine , too . The first 30 minutes are free , and you’re able to find station to dock in and out via Google , which are often near metro Chicago , if you want to combine the two means of tape drive .

Copenhagen

You ca n’t talk about biking without bringing Copenhagen into the conversation . Over60 % of the populationin Denmark ’s capital use wheel for transportation . It ’s easy to see why with so many wheel - only highways and bridge colligate the total metropolis . Though you might need to avoid rush time of day traffic so you ’re not swallowed in a horde of wooing ( or get into it if you wanna see what local life is all about ! ) , you absolutely should bike alongthe Cykelslangen , or Bicycle Snake , an high-flown cycle bridge sheer above the harbor . you may then follow the side of meat of the duct north till you get to the colored row houses of Nyhavn Harbor , and then onward to Tivoli Gardens and fairy tale - like palaces .

Bordeaux

France is another one where you could also argue for the country ’s other major metropolis – in this casing , Paris — as a slap-up biking name and address ( really , Paris has fantastical bike lane , even along Champ Elysees ) . But Bordeaux has even better infrastructure — let in removing cars from many road , like the Pont de Pierre bridge — and better wine-coloured . In fact , it ’s very common tobike the vineyardsin this wine producing area of France . Just keep in mind you’re able to get tipsy on two wheels as much as on four .

Tokyo

Tokyo take a leak the list for sheer number of cyclists out on the street ; just connect one of the packs and you ’ll feel like a cozy part of the group . You ’ll see grocery and even child alight on form , which means scores of bike lanes and parking . With so much action going on in Tokyo , you ’ll really feel like part of the city while taking in the ramen smells and sounds of pinging robot machines in wise breeze . lashings of wheel turn companieswill guide you around , including on due east - bikes , to the Imperial Palace or on food tours , often starting from metro stop .

Amsterdam

When we talk about Amsterdam , we ’re not talk about bike lanes , we ’re listing pretty much any and every street ; instead of wheel infrastructure , we ’re speak about a cycling way of life ; and or else of cyclists , we ’re just talk about Dutch people . You ’ll see citizenry from ages four to 94 on cycle . It ’s not just convenient for tourists to join in , it ’s almost compulsory . soda pop into any bike shop orstart off with a tourto pick up the layout of the city . Once you have your cycle , ping niff to museum after museum and all around the canals , or keep going outside the metropolis for windmills and tulips to put in your front hoop .

Berlin Cathedral at sunrise