Freewheelin

I was recently in Copenhagen and was amazed not only by all the bikers, but also by how well the city caters to these riders. Every major street has a sidewalk, bike lane and car lane. All three “users” are extremely respectful towards the others and seemingly move about in contented harmony. Copenhagen has an excellent free bike program in which a 20 DKK deposit allows you to tool around the entire city center. It’s not the only European city though offering this economical, eco-friendly and healthy way to see the sights.

Paris’ program was well-publicized when it came into play last summer. Velib offers more than 750 locations and more than 10,000 bikes. Cards cost 1 EUR for 1 day or a week card can be purchased for 5 EUR. After you’ve purchased the card, your ride is free for the first 30 minutes, another Euro for the next half-hour; the next 30 minutes is 2 EUR and then 4 EUR for each half-hour after that. Sounds confusing, but basically you can ride around Paris for 50 minutes and it’ll only cost you 1 EUR. You can pay with a credit card at each bike location. A simpler route may be Roue Libre in which for about 15 USD a day you can rent a bike from any of Roue Libre’s 20 stands.

Vienna has CityBike Wien, a similar program, but a bit easier for non-residents as they have a CityBike Tourist Card. There’s a 2 EUR per day fee for using the card, and prices run free for the first hour, 1 EUR for the second, 2 EUR for the third and 4 EUR for more. There are more than 50 stations across Vienna where you can pick-up and drop-off a bike, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Helsinki runs a program much like Copenhagen’s – pop a 2 EUR coin into the slot, and off you go. Return your bike to another stand and get your 2 EUR back. Again, the bikes must stay within a certain city zone.