How safe is Netherlands for travelers?

Safety and the most common scams

The Netherlands has a low rate of serious crime, and the real hazards for a new arrival are mundane.

• Cycle paths (fietspaden) are roads. The reddish-brown asphalt strip between the pavement and the road carries cyclists who have priority in practice and in law, travel quickly, are often on electric bikes, and will not slow down for someone standing in the lane taking a photograph. Look both ways before crossing one and never stop on one - this is the single likeliest cause of injury to visitors in Amsterdam.
• Pickpockets - Amsterdam Centraal station, the Damrak, Dam square and the Red Light District, plus crowded trams to the museums.
• Unlicensed taxi touts - active inside the Schiphol arrivals hall and around Centraal. Use the official ranks.
• Bike rental deposits - less established shops have been known to withhold deposits for pre-existing damage. Use a known operator such as MacBike or Yellow Bike, and photograph the bike before you ride off.
• Bike theft - if you rent, use both locks provided and secure the frame to something fixed. Amsterdam loses tens of thousands of bikes a year, and you are liable for the one you hired.