Pacific Northwest - Anyone recommend pedestrian and bike friendly Europe? Reasonable private Acomodations

My Fiancee and I are looking to take off for Paris, Italy, and Amsterdam. Early July as a honeymoon...goal is 1 week each country. I figure if we are going and dont want to be too rushed...we should stay at least a week.

We are open to where in those location, but also want the most bike friendly and pedestrain friendly areas to visit that these or other European countries can offer.

Inexpensive places to stay short of sharing rooms at a Hostel...also of interest. B&B's, hotels near fun stuff, etc.

Anyone have recommendations?

Happy New Yr!

Kenny

I can't comment about cost.

I've only been to Amsterdam, and it rocks. They have parking garages for bicycles. There are bike paths everywhere, so many you can get lost, or at least have to stop and figure out which one to follow.

In Amsterdam, we stayed at Stayokay Hostel Vondelpark. It's clean, quiet, relatively reasonable (for Amsterdam). They have a secure bike parking facility, in case you want to bring your own bikes (but you still need a lock for inside the bike parking facility). I don't know about private rooms, you'll have to inquire. We had a room with two bunks (for 4 people).

You might also post your question in Touring.

Enjoy your trip!

I thought about posting in touring. Good idea.

I would like to buy bikes while in Amsterdam. Likely we would arrive in Amsterdam due to a direct flight from Portland, OR. Stay for a week, buying a bike within the 1st day or two.

Anyone have info on where a good place to buy a last year's model Gazelle Populiar or Impalla, perhaps another modern interpretation Dutch style bike? We would travel from country to country to bike...Amsterdam to Italy and Paris...then look into getting the bikes ready for the flight home at a bike shop.

Anyone have info on where a good place to buy a last year's model Gazelle Populiar or Impalla, perhaps another modern interpretation Dutch style bike?

My favorite bikeshop appears to have a branch in Amsterdam with just the bikes you are looking for:

http://amsterdam.craigslist.org/bik/

Also, for intensely local information on buying a bike in another country, I'd also recommend:

- the Amsterdam forum at Tripadvisor
- the forums Lonely Planet, called Thorn Tree.

There is also a pretty active cycle touring forum based in the UK; they might be helpful too:

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/

Amsterdam is a great city, and very bike friendly, but if you are open to other places you should check out Copenhagen, DK. I was just in Europe for three weeks this summer, and it was by far the most bike friendly place I have ever seen. Most of the roads have seperate bike paths, and the bikes have their own traffic signals. Approximately 1/3 of the people there commute by bike, and it shows.

I was in Amsterdam too, and there are definately a ton of bicycles there, but it didn't seem to have nearly the attention to safety and ease of use that Copenhagen had put into their infrastructure.

Has anyone done a successful house trade? My fiancee and I were offered my mom's rentals in Loreto, Baja Mexico...we were going to see if there was top notch visiting areas in Amsterdam, Italy, Paris, and (??)

Even if we traded just 1 week somewhere...that would be a nice savings.

I wouldnt have issue with having a home base and just visiting other areas for that 3 or so weeks as we want to as well. We have friends to stay with in Florence.

Leyczo..I wonder if we have met? Worst Day Biek Ride? You have a Jorge and Olif...I am guessing it might be the same person. : ) Regardless, I plan to go on the next one maybe I can meet you then?

Copenhagen sounds just wonderful. I actually thought it might not be such a bad idea to stay there 1 week, combining a fairy ride to Sweden. I would very much like to meet some bands I play on the college station from Sweden.

Then again I would love to visit London, England as well. Maybe the next trip because this is not a 2 month deal...after having kids, and getting gramma and grampa to watch them, we will have another big trip. I hope.

I lived in Kobenhavn and visited Amsterdaam -
they are both incredible bike cities... my bias wins out though... Kbh is better, do both!

Leyczo..I wonder if we have met? Worst Day Biek Ride? You have a Jorge and Olif...I am guessing it might be the same person. : ) Regardless, I plan to go on the next one maybe I can meet you then?

Copenhagen sounds just wonderful. I actually thought it might not be such a bad idea to stay there 1 week, combining a fairy ride to Sweden. I would very much like to meet some bands I play on the college station from Sweden.

I doubt we have met. I am just getting back into cycling, and I have never done the worst day of the year ride, although I think I will this year.

When I was in Copenhagen I stayed with a guy who has a large apartment and occasionally rents out rooms. If you are interested in going there, and are looking for a place to stay, I can try to dig up his contact information. He is a wine and food critic and writer, so he knows all the good places to eat in town, too.