Do I have to get a road bike?

I’ve told myself that I must learn to ride before i’m 27 in a few months. Eventually I’d be using it to commute round london and maybe further. My friends really want to do a bikepacking trip next summer.

I fancy one of those amsterdam style bikes as they look much comfier. But everyone I know is recommending a road bike for longevity purposes but seeing as I can’t ride it seems like overkill.

Any thoughts and insights would be appreciated as well as secondhand bike shop recommendations in east/south.