Most places I saw in Europe really make it easy to go car free if you really want too. The most bikes I have ever seen in my life were in Munster and Amsterdam. Thousands of bikes parked at a market place on a Saturday morning. Pretty impressive. I wish I had taken a picture of all those bikes.
yes, Holland and Amsterdam in particular still has WAY more bikes than Munich - i was there in 2000 and amazed. i actually did take a photo of one spot where about 5 thousand bikes were parked.
but yes, European cities are much easier to go car free b/c of many reasons:
1) higher density and smaller distances: munich has about 1.5 million people and the radius of the city is less than 10km (6 miles). 6 miles from the center of Austin TX or Portland OR and you're barely even outside of the cnetral city!
2) great public transit in the city AND great long-distance train service (it is quite often faster, cheaper and easier to take the train than to drive even IF you have a car)
3) support for cycling: bike paths, but most importantly AUTO drivers who are TRAINED to watch for cyclists (in germany eevry right turner first looks for a cyclist to prevent the right-hook! b/c they EXPECT a cyclist! i've never seen an American do that!)
i think less than half of my friends have cars and most of those who do don't drive them in the city or to work, but either bike or take the subway to work b/c its just too impractical to drive to work (traffifc, parking, etc)