Let your bike never leave your side

Now that the arrival of the Spring and Summer seasons cannot be too far, I thought it would be a good idea to do a little travelling and sight-seeing in the Netherlands over the next couple of months - maybe I could take my bicycle on the train with me, get off at my destination, jump on the bike and pedal around the city to explore its small alleys and cycle paths. Luckily, there is a system in the Netherlands which makes it possible for us to do just that. You must buy a ticket for your bike, in addition to buying one for yourself. These tickets are available at the ticket-machine as well, and a day pass for the bike would cost you €6. Train compartments assigned for bikes are marked by a blue sticker with a bicyle on it, found above the doors. It is possible to lock the bikes in the train, and there are even clamps that would keep them stable. A folding bike, however, can be taken on the train without any extra costs. Make sure you've got the collapsible one!

A very important to take note of here is that you are not allowed to take your bikes on the train during the morning and evening peak hours of 6.30am to 9.00am and 5.30pm to 6.00pm any time of the year, except for in July and August.

The website for all train services in the Netherlands is http://www.ns.nl/. Happy travelling!

Aman Sharma