Easy ways to get yourself a bike in Vlissingen

Dutch people are known for using bikes for traveling within cities. Are you going to study in the Netherlands? Then you probably need a bike too! In this blog you will know more about cycling around and how to get a bike. 

What it's like to cycle around in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, it is common that cyclists have a lot of privileges. As a matter of fact, people using bikes don’t have to be scared of cars while biking. The government created cycle lanes almost on  every street. Wherever you go by bike, there is always a cycle path nearby where you can cycle safely. For instance, sometimes you find one lane for cars and even two lanes for bikes. Obviously, for two different directions.

Places in Vlissingen to buy a bike
There are two different alternatives where you can buy one: in a shop or online. Please know that bikes in the shop are generally more expensive than if you buy a bike online.

• Shop

There are different shops in the city center and in the neighborhood:

1. Roose Tweewielers: this shop is close to the city center (for those who arranged accommodation via APV; this is also close to the APV Campus). It is next to Domino’s pizza. The prices are high, but the quality and availability of the shop assistants are really good;
2. Rijwielshop Station Vlissingen: this shop is next to the train station. This shop is a bit further away from the APV campus and the city center (about 40 minutes walking), the price is high but the quality of the bike is good.
3. De Fietsenmakker Vlissingen: this is in the north part of the city and it’s about 20 minutes walking from APV campus. They provide a good customer service, but the prices are a bit higher too.
4. Kringloop Vlissingen: this is a thrift shop and they have bikes. The shop is really close to HZ and sometimes they have cheap bikes. It is worthwhile to visit this shop first and look for a second hand bike.

• Online

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on your bike, you can search for a bike online:

1. Get rid of it in Vlissingen: this is a Facebook group where you can have the possibility to buy bikes from other students who are leaving the city. The prices start from 50 euros (if you find a good bargain), but usually the prices are around 70 to 80 euros. This is also a good spot for buying second hand books by the way!
2. Marketplace: this is also a Facebook group but includes a bigger range than the group before. Here, you could find people that are selling bikes for less than 50 euros - but pay attention to the quality!