More and more people realize that bicycles can be much more useful than cars. Bikes are cheap, environmentally friendly, keep their owners in good health and as much more fun means of transport for travellers exploring a new destination. HostelBookers, the budget accommodation specialist names the top 5 bicycle-friendly cities and hostels in the world:

Amsterdam, the bike capital of the world, is home to the famous Amsterdam Bike Ramp which holds thousand of bikes. With a safe and extensive bike route network, bountiful governmental support and promotion, it's no wonder 40% of the city's traffic moves on two wheels. In the heart of Amsterdam city centre, Hostel Van Gogh provides cool modern facilities at a great price – including cycle hire for guests. It is just a few steps from the Van Gogh Museum, Rijks Museum and Amsterdam City Art Museum. At Hostel Van Gogh guests can pedal to the many bars, shops, clubs and restaurants on offer. The hostel is also just a 5-minute walk from the famous clubs and open markets of Amsterdam. Dorms start at €25per person per night and private rooms at €28pppn.

Named one of the Top Ten Places to Live in Europe, according to Forbes, Copenhagen is also home to the world’s most successful bicycle community program. In Denmark, most of the population has a bike, and for many years Copenhagen has been known as The City of Bikes. Every year Copenhagen invests on bike infrastructure additions and improvements. Just a few minutes from Copenhagen’s Central Railway Station, guests will find Hotel Ansgar. With its central location guests are only a few minutes walk from Tivoli Gardens, the famous shopping street of Strøget and Town Hall Square. The quiet street is perfect for getting to grips with the hotel bike rental. There are 81 rooms to choose from, ranging from singles to quads and all are equipped with Wi-Fi. Private rooms start at €43.60pppn.

The best thing about cycling in Berlin is the wide streets – Karl Marx Allee is 90m wide – and there are no uphill struggles. The government has decreed that all new roads in Berlin must have cycle lanes, and they are dedicated to ensuring the existing ones are updated. Currently there are over 620km of cycle paths and 190km of off-road routes. The Three Little Pigs Hostel in Berlin is housed in a former 19^th century convent at famous Potsdamer Platz Square. Guests will be just a short cycle ride away from the buzzing districts of Mitte and Kreuzberg, and they can rent bikes directly from the hostel. Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburger Tor and the Reichstag Building are just around the corner as is the best of Berlin's nightlife. Dorms start from €11.46pppn and privates from €18.52pppn.

Cycling in Beijing, with its nine million bicycles, is something of a rite of passage. Bike rentals start from around 10 Yuan (€1) per day plus a cash deposit. In 2010 the Beijing officials launched a campaign to get people off the car-choked roads and on to the nice flat cycle routes. They believe 20 years ago, 4/5 of the city's population cycled to work, but now just 1/5 saddle up every day.

Built on a 400-year-old historic site which once served as the home of famous artist Mr Mei Lan Fang, Beijing Si He Courtyard Hotel is just 10 minutes from the centre of Beijing. They have a free bike rental service so guests can explore Beijing the local way. Wangfujing Avenue, Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are all nearby. There are spacious traditional guestrooms positioned around the courtyard so you have lovely views. The antique furniture and carvings of ancient symbols add to the atmosphere. Private rooms start from €39.95pppn.

Cycling in San Francisco is becoming very popular, thanks mostly to the increase and care given to the cycling infrastructure as well as it's trendy fixed gear culture. As far as the terrain goes, the city is extreme, with famously steep hills but along long straight boulevards and wide avenues. The government has installed over 1,500 bike racks and all new car parks must provide a certain amount of bike storage space. Around 16% of San Francisco's residents class themselves as 'frequent cyclists' biking on two or more days per week. Green Tortoise Backpackers Guesthouse offers free meals, free Wi-Fi and even a free sauna. It's located in the city by the bay and the free bike rental means guests can travel around the city in style the green way. There are private and dorm rooms with comfy beds, a lucky few have TVs and a huge selection of movies. Set out by bike, and the hostel is just a few minutes away from Chinatown, San Francisco Bay, Fisherman's Wharf and Little Italy. Dorms and privates start at €22.96pppn.

Sydney is the most famous city in Australia and is definitely a must-visit. With its stunning harbor, beautiful beaches, world-famous opera house and pulsing nightlife, Sydney is a city that is not to be missed.  Just like every other big city, Sydney can be challenging for a tourist. But Android users are in luck, as there are some useful Sydney travel apps for Android devices.

1. TripView for Android

TripView is a popular iPhone transport app for Australian cities, such as Sydney and Melbourne, which is now available for Android devices. TripView Sydney will help you plan your journey around Sydney by providing up-to-date train, bus and ferry timetables. This app supports all suburban and intercity CityRail trains and lets you figure out the best route from A to B. It also provides live timetable and line updates, as well as shows you the nearest station with the help of GPS. In addition to that, there are useful features like platform number updates and delay info. There is a paid and a free light version of this app.

2. Go! Sydney

Go! Sydney is another Sydney transport app to help you find your way around the city. This app is very similar to TripView and is a good backup app for double-checking Sydney transport information. It has all the timetables for trains, busses, ferry, and even night busses. On top of that, it's free. The only problem with Go! Sydney is that it's not always 100% accurate. But then it's Sydney we are talking about and nothing is 100% accurate in Australia.

3. Sydney City Guide

Sydney City Guide by GuidePal is a free Android app that you can use instead of bulky guide books. The content for this app is written by Sydney locals, which means it has something the books don't offer. On top of that, there are photos of famous Sydney attractions, information about places to eat, shopping, tours, Sydney nightlife, and a map of the city. The best thing about this app is that everything is 100% offline, which means that tourists will avoid atrocious data roaming charges.  The only thing that is not so good about this app is spelling, which is pretty horrible at times.

4. Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport is just a basic free app that provides flight information and flight status for planes landing or leaving Sydney. The results are live and are frequently updated. All in all, a handy app that will keep you updated about your flight back home.

These Sydney travel apps for Android will help you get around Australia's most famous city and get to know it like a local.

Author bio:

Liz Cornwell is the founder of Cornwell Writing Services. Liz loves travelling, technology, BBC crime drama and the sea.