Daniel Williams

Hi

There are many people who visit/live in the United States who either can't or choose not to drive cars. (I'm one of these...) I'm curious if any of you have any additional suggestions of destinations where one can be an independent traveler with combination of reasonably-priced hailable taxis, foot, bicycle and public transportation.

In most industrialized countries I've visited (Europe, Canada), getting around carlessly is very straightforward. With a few exceptions that I've seen, in the USA, this is quite challenging.

The only places I know of are in the Northeast. New York City, Boston are the best that I've seen and are very easily and often visited without a car. Philadelphia and Washington, DC have better public transportation systems than most and I find are also very good carless destinations. Baltimore where I live now is certainly visitable without a car; a combination of readily-available taxis on the main streets and near the Inner Harbor/Fells Point/Downtown/Mount Vernon areas, combined with public transit make it more than do-able...however public transport is spottier than in the other four cities I mentioned.

Other than that? I've heard maybe Chicago, maybe Pittsburgh, but I've never visited these two, so I can't speak from experience.

Let me know your thoughts. DAN

dougd

Although in Canada, two wonderful pedestrian cities are Montreal(great metro) and Quebec City (small enough to walk).

Meg

Charleston, SC. Great historic district with nice hotels and restaurants and shopping in an easily walkable area.

james wyatt

Dan,

I've travelled all over the states with out a car. The main problem is that the airports are usually some way from the city centres. Once you're over that issue, book a hotel/motel downtown. Places I've visited which suit your circumstances include San Francisco, Nashville, Memphis, New York, Chicago, Key West, New Orleans.

Daniel Williams

It's true that Montreal and Quebec City are great places to visit without a car; I lived in Montreal for 5 years and got around very nicely without an automobile. In fact, MOST Canadian cities I've been to or have heard are quite manageable without a car (Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, etc). It's more in USA cities where I've found you NEED a car (aka Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Albuquerque, Richmond, Orlando, to name a few)...my friends who live in these cities say they could not imagine not having a car there (I've been chauffeured around by friends while in these...fun sometimes but not exactly independent travel).

Dr. Killjoy

Hi.

GET OUT OF THE CITY!!!

Urban areas are great to walk and get decent public transportation. Museums, sites and dining options are abundant. But have you thought of a national park?

(Hey, if you're going to walk, "take a hike!")

Some of the more popular parks out west (Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite etc.) have pick up/drop off points during the busy seasons.

Here's one for you: take Amtrak to Glacier Nat'l Park in northern Montana... drops you off IN the park next to one of the old lodges built by the railroad. Great old-fashioned double-decker buses make routine loops around the park... great for a few hours hikes and then off to a lodge for dining or ... um... lodging.

Best!

Daniel Williams

Thank you Dr. Killjoy; that's a great suggestion for all Fodorites! I'm glad you bring up one of America's great natural wonders...Unfortunately so much scenery in this country is hard to get to easily without a car, but it's good to hear that there ARE ways of doing so.

DAN

Caitlin

San Francisco is pobably easier without a car for tourists, because parking and traffic in the downtown area can be so bad. Public transporatation is fairly easy and comprehensive, though it doesn't rival NYC, and the city is compact and therefore good for walking. It's possible to get out of the city to some of the nearby batural wonders, too; there is bus service to Muir Woods in Marin County for those who wish to walk among the redwoods, and you can take Amtrak or greyhound to Modesto and connect with a bus that goes right into Yosmite Village. Driving is actually discouraged within Yosmite, and much of the park is accessible via shuttles and rented bikes.

KT

Just in case anyone's about to hop right on the train for Yosemite: the Amtrak stop for the Yosemite bus is Merced, not Modesto. Also, you can't take Amtrak directly out of SF itself, but there's a bus from the city to the Emeryville Amtrak station, or you can take BART to the Richmond Amtrak station. I've done this trip twice from the East Bay -- it's kind of a long, roundabout trip, but it's certainly possible.

Paul Rabe

For a person travelling alone, Chicago is best visited without a car. Parking is expensive and/or non-existent in the downtown areas, where all the museums and shopping areas are.

You can visit a lot of the good stuff in San Diego simply by riding the trolley and walking.

Pahk da Car

Add Boston to the list of "walking" cities. It's full of history, and easy to get around.

There's a good site that lists of subway stations of the world, so that should give you a good heads up on nice places to visit in USA without a car.

Have FUN! And besides, walking is good for your health!

John

New Orleans is a great city for walkers and is easy to navigate without a car. You can easily enjoy the historic French Quarter and surrounding areas, Garden District, City Park, and many other parts of the city either via foot or by using streetcar/bus.

Larry

For a summertime or fall car-free trip, try Newport Rhode Island. The downtown shopping/historical/nightlife/harborfront district, mansions, beach, and most hotels/B&Bs are all within walking distance of each other.

Lorna

We are Welsh and often visit the US. We have stayed in San Fransisco, Nashville, New Orleans and most of the Florida resorts and ahve not used our cars for days. We didn't even hire a car in San Fran.