If you live in the Netherlands and are looking for an affordable way to drive, you could consider a car sharing scheme. This ‘pay-as-you-go’ plan works out cheaper than owning your own vehicle if you are a light user and drive only 2 or 3 days a month.
Note, if you are looking for a standard car rental you can book with Discover Cars here
Let’s take a look at the main car sharing companies present in Amsterdam.
Greenwheels
Greenwheels is the major Dutch car sharing company which has been in business since 1995 and is partnered with NS Dutch Railways and Volkswagen.
Greenwheels has around 2,800 cars located at permanent parking spots in 185 towns and cities – this includes locations at 170 Dutch stations. If you walk around Amsterdam you may notice red Greenwheels cars parked at various places all over the city.
Greenwheels has a range of cars for use: small city cars (red Volkswagen Up!), a mid-range estate/station wagon (red Volkswagen Golf 7 variant) and a small van (white Volkswagen Caddy). There are also electric options (such as the white Seat Mii cars).
There are 3 Greenwheels subscription levels:
| Occasional | Regular | Frequent |
| €0 per month | €10 per month | €25 per month |
| occasional trips | best for 1 trip per month | best for 2 or more trips per month |
| €3.90 per hour | €3.20 per hour | €2.30 per hour |
| €0.41 per km | €0.37 per km | €0.29 per km |
On top of the subscription you pay an hourly rental charge and also a distance charge. You can change subscription plan at any time.
Greenwheels also offers 1 day, 2 day and week tariffs (excluding km rate) for longer rentals. Day rates start from €29.
As long as you are aged 18 or over you can join Greenwheels. You need to upload a copy of a valid (international) driving license and add payment details (credit card or iDEAL via a Dutch bank account). Greenwheels requires an initial (refundable) deposit payment of €100.
Greenwheels rentals can be managed online or by using the Greenwheels app – you can reserve any car in the country as long as the vehicle is available for the time you want it.
To open the door of a Greenwheels car that you have reserved, simply swipe up in the app. If you don’t want to use a smartphone you can opt for using a Greenwheels pass or an OV-chip card to hold against the card reader behind the windscreen.
Once in the car, you enter your special pin code in the on-board computer box in the glove compartment. Take the car key out of the box and start the car as normal. Before driving off you should briefly inspect the car for any damage – report anything new in the app.
After you’re done driving return the car to the same parking spot by the specified time, put the key back into the computer and lock the car using your card or app.
The scheme is quite flexible – for Regular and Frequent users, reservations can be cancelled at any time up to the start of the booking. It’s possible to extend the rental period whilst you have the car – subject to availability. If you wish to rent during the popular weekend period then do book in advance.
If you need to fill the tank (which should at least a quarter full at the end of your rental) then fuel is paid for by Greenwheels using a special fuel pass found inside the car. The pin code for the fuel pass will be shown by the computer or app.
Electric vehicles need to have charging cable re-connected to the charging station.
Greenwheels is a reasonable scheme for those who need occasional use of a car when public transport can’t do the job. And you won’t have to worry about running costs, insurance and residential parking fees.
Greenwheels
T: +31(0)88 210 0100
MyWheels
MyWheels is the largest car-sharing scheme in the Netherlands. It has 2,900 cars in the Netherlands and this includes around 900 vehicles in and around Amsterdam.
MyWheels is part of The Sharing Group and in 2022 it acquired ConnectCar which had a good presence in Amsterdam.
Cars in the fleet are categorised as Compact (Skoda CITIGOe/Citroen C1/Fiat 500), Comfort (Renault ZOE/Citroen C3/Opel Corsa) or Extra (Hyundai Kona/Ford Focus Wagon) or Premium (Tesla Model 3).
It also has 3 subscription levels and usage prices depend on car type.
| Start | Plus | Pro |
| €0 per month | €10 per month | €25 per month |
| from €3.50 per hour | from €3.15 per hour | from €2.63 per hour |
| €0.37 per km | €0.33 per km | €0.28 per km |
| Unlock fee €1.50 | No Unlock fee | No Unlock fee |
Like Greenwheels, car rentals with MyWheels are handled either via an app or by website and OV-chip card. There’s really not a lot of difference between the two, just check what vehicles are available in your local area.
SHARE NOW – Free2Move
SHARE NOW is an international car share scheme which initially formed from the merger of Car2Go (Daimler AG) and DriveNow (BMW Group). In 2022 it was acquired by Free2Move, a platform owned by Stellantis.
SHARE NOW-Free2Move has a fleet of 400 electric cars in Amsterdam.
From the 2 person Smart EQ, the small Fiat 500e and Peugeot e-208 (4 people) to the medium sized Opel Corsa-e (5 seats).
SHARE NOW-Free2Move users need its app to find, reserve and unlock a vehicle. You need to upload your driving license to validate the app and you use a PIN number to unlock cars.
Rental costs for the Smart EQ start at €0.19 per minute up to 200km, with excess km charged at €0.39 per km. Longer-term rates start at €9.99 per hour and €15.98 per day – plus a distance charge of €0.25 per km.
If you are a frequent user there are monthly subscriptions which are cheaper than the standard rates.
SHARE NOW-Free2Move offers €4 driving credit if you connect the car to a charging point if the battery level is under 30%.
Note there is a surcharge to pick-up/drop off a car at Schiphol Airport (€9.99). There is also a smaller surcharge (€2.99) for designated “zone A” drop offs – this includes Amstelveen, Amsterdam Noord, Overhoeks and Zuidoost.
SHARE NOW-Free2Move cars can be parked for free around public parking spots in Amsterdam. You can end your trip anywhere inside the Amsterdam ‘Home Area’ which covers most of the city.
SHARE NOW-Free2Move is open to individuals aged over 18 who have held a valid driver’s license for at least 1 year.
Also see Driving in Amsterdam/Netherlands
This article was originally published in 2008 and has regularly been updated. Last update 25 April 2024.
Links on AmsterdamTips.com may pay us an affiliate commission.
