The Netherlands is paradise for cyclists, if you can read the signs. Dutch cycling has its own verkeersborden, and misreading them means a wrong turn, a dead end, or a fine. Here are the ones expats get wrong most, and what they actually mean.
1 & 2. The two cycle-path signs
As guides to bicycle road signs explain:
- The round blue sign with a white bike (G11) is a verplicht fietspad, a compulsory cycle path you must use.
- The rectangular blue “fiets/bromfietspad” (G12a) is for bikes and sometimes mopeds.
A sub-sign may exclude snorfietsen (low-speed mopeds).
3 & 4. No-entry signs (C13 and C14)
As overviews of the closure signs note:
| Sign | Means |
|---|---|
| C14 | no bicycles |
| C13 | no mopeds (bromfiets/snorfiets) |
Know which applies to you, a C13 doesn’t stop a regular bike.
5. The magic word: “uitgezonderd”
The single most useful word on a Dutch sign. Uitgezonderd means “except”. When an onderbord (sub-sign) reads “uitgezonderd fietsers”, the rule does not apply to cyclists, so a one-way street or no-entry sign with it means you can cycle through.
Missing this word is the classic newcomer error: it often grants cyclists access drivers don’t have. A close relative is the fietsstraat: a road marked “auto te gast” (cars are guests) where bikes set the pace and cars must follow behind, not overtake aggressively. And on shared paths watch for the brommer/snorfiets sub-signs deciding whether mopeds share your lane or must use the road.
Two more cyclist-specific signs worth knowing: the blue rectangular G7 (voetpad, footpath, no cycling) and opgebroken rijbaan/wegwerkzaamheden (roadworks), where a omleiding (detour) sign with a bike symbol points you the right way around. Reading these saves you both a fine and a frustrating dead end.
Bonus: doodlopende weg
A doodlopende weg (dead-end) sign is for cars. As explainers of the dead-end sign note, it very often has an onderbord showing a cut-through for bikes and pedestrians, so you can get through where cars can’t. Always read the sub-sign.
The vocabulary
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| het fietspad | cycle path |
| uitgezonderd | except |
| het onderbord | sub-sign |
| de doodlopende weg | dead-end street |
| verboden / gesloten | forbidden / closed |
| de bromfiets / snorfiets | moped / low-speed moped |
Where it connects
Reading bike signs is core Dutch cycling, alongside keeping legal (no phone-on-the-bike fine), buying a good bike on Marktplaats, and the wider road rules behind the CBR driving test and a flitspaal fine. It’s one of the small practical skills newcomers underestimate, like typing Dutch accents on an English keyboard.
The bottom line
Dutch cycling signs to master: the round (G11) compulsory fietspad vs the rectangular fiets/bromfiets path; C14 (no bikes) vs C13 (no mopeds); the doodlopende weg that’s often a bike shortcut; and above all “uitgezonderd”, the onderbord word that means “except” and frequently lets you through. Learn fietspad, uitgezonderd, onderbord and doodlopende weg, read the sub-signs, and you’ll glide through the Netherlands instead of hitting dead ends.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the road-sign Dutch cyclists need, fietspad, uitgezonderd, doodlopende weg, verboden by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you can read the signs correctly instead of taking a wrong turn or risking a fine.
Frequently asked questions
What does ‘uitgezonderd’ on a Dutch road sign mean?
Uitgezonderd means ‘except’, and it’s the key word on many onderborden (sub-signs). When a sign has ‘uitgezonderd’ plus a symbol, the rule does NOT apply to those users. So a one-way street or ‘no entry’ sign with ‘uitgezonderd fietsers’ means cyclists are allowed through. Missing this word is the classic newcomer mistake, it often grants cyclists access that drivers don’t have.
What’s the difference between the round and rectangular cycle-path signs?
The round blue sign with a white bike (G11) marks a verplicht fietspad, a compulsory cycle path you must use as a cyclist. The rectangular blue sign reading ‘fiets/bromfietspad’ (G12a) marks a path for bikes and sometimes mopeds. A sub-sign may exclude snorfietsen (low-speed mopeds). Knowing which is which tells you whether you must use the path and who else shares it.
Does a ‘doodlopende weg’ sign mean I can’t get through on a bike?
Not necessarily. Doodlopende weg means ‘dead-end street’ for cars, but it very often has an onderbord (sub-sign) showing a cut-through for bikes and pedestrians at the end, so cyclists CAN get through where cars can’t. Always check the sub-sign: a dead end for a car is frequently a handy shortcut for a bike, one of the perks of Dutch cycling infrastructure.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for road signs and cycling?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the road-sign Dutch cyclists need, fietspad, uitgezonderd, doodlopende weg, verboden, in five-minute lessons built around real situations, so you read the signs correctly instead of taking a wrong turn or risking a fine.
