Small Cars on Amsterdam’s Narrow Lanes

Amsterdam is crisscrossed with canals, making boat travel super convenient. But along those canals, buildings are packed tight, the roads are narrow, and sometimes there aren’t even fences! It seems like driving a compact car there would require a lot of caution. Despite this, I often spotted microcars, even smaller than regular small cars, like the ones in the photos.

Not just major brands like FIAT and OPEL, but also those made by smaller car manufacturers, like Canta.

The types I often saw around town were from FIAT and OPEL, like in the photos. Their rounded look, colors, and wheel designs made them look adorable from every angle – quite tempting! The Canta, with its somewhat triangular design, was originally made for people with disabilities, and I saw quite a few of those in Amsterdam too.

The roads along the canals are narrow and there are many tourists, so microcars are convenient and provide a sense of security.

Microcars seem like a mode of transport unique to cities like Amsterdam, which are compact and have narrow streets. But since there are quite a few similar cities across Europe, I think it would be great if these could also be used as part of sharing services, making urban travel even more convenient.