Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with carless

Fun things to do in LA via public transport

matthewr — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:40:21 -0800

What are some fun things to do in Marina del Rey at the weekend or in the evenings, that don't require a car? I'm staying here for work for two weeks, and (if all goes well) have the weekend free. I'm open to all suggestions. I'm in my 20s, from the UK, and have only been in the US once before.

So far I have thought of, in no particular order: renting a bike and cycling round the area; walking to Venice beach; and (maybe) getting the bus to the Getty. On a previous trip, I've taken a bus tour up around Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

Bonus points for anything that doesn't require a $100 taxi or four hours on the bus.

Help me live in San Francisco without a car.

HighTechUnderpants — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:26:53 -0800

I want to sell my car, move to San Francisco, and not buy a new car when I arrive. I have some questions. I am in the final stages of my Master's degree, and would like to move to the Bay Area when I am finished. Of the many things I abhor about Southern California, traffic and transportation top the list. One of the things I find most attractive about San Francisco is that I could probably manage to live there without a car. Can any Bay Area Mefites answer some of my questions?

1. This is possible, right? I get the impression SF is one of the easier places to live without a car-am I mistaken?

2. What neighborhoods are friendliest to cyclists and pedestrians? I am thinking in terms of access to mass transit, mixed use neighborhoods, and driver's awareness of cyclists. I want to live in the city, but would be interested in hearing about the East Bay as well.

3. Do Bart or Busses have racks, so that one can bike to the stop, ride mass transit, then get off and bike to one's destination?

4. Know any good bike shops? I want to buy a dedicated commuter, but will also probably want to upgrade my mountain bike in the not too distant future (6months to a year?)

5. Any tips or thoughts from established SF bike commuters?

Thank you much!

rebel without a car.

suedehead — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 09:32:38 -0800

I want to go on vacation in March to a place with beaches. Problem: We can't drive! We're looking for a warm location with nice beaches, and we'd be staying there for two or three days. We'd be flying out of NYC. I don't have a license, and neither does my girlfriend.

We're in our 20s, and am interested in art/culture/music/food. We're also looking to avoid the partying spring-break atmosphere, 'cause we're both awkward and geeky. More than anything, we're just really looking for a nice area with beaches.

I've looked around, but everything I've looked for assumes that the traveler can drive. I've seen this question, but again, since we can't drive, so I can't tell if any of the thread's suggestions would work. We've ruled out an out-of-country vacation, for reasons concerning flight costs.

So: Do you have any suggestions for places that are doable without a car, or by renting bikes? Thanks!

Travelling to NYC for a week. Advise me how to keep my legs from running out of steam!

actionpact — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:24:27 -0800

I'm going to be going to visit my best friend in NYC for a week, in a week. Last time I went for a weekend, I wore Payless shoes and went cross borough and wound up limping and having cankles as a result. I am a lot more sedentary in Arizona than I used to be back east-- and I am looking for suggestions of how to keep this trip as painfree as possible. We'll be doing a lot of walking-- which is totally fine, but I know I need to get some kind of decent shoe this time. But I'm on a budget-- hopefully no more than $50-60 for a pair of shoes. What should I opt for? I am not big on athletic sneakers (Nikes and the like) but maybe they have good walking sneakers now, it's been forever since I bought a pair. Or maybe a decent pair of hiking boots or something would work. I would prefer them to be somewhat unobtrusive as I wear a size 10, but I can't order them online due to the timing. Can I get a decent pair of shoes at someplace like Kohl's? Or perhaps check out one of those shoe places-- DSW or Famous Footwear? Should I get some kind of insoles or is that just overkill?

Also, is there anything I can do now before my trip to gear up for so much walking? I have been exercising daily and playing DDR weekly, trying to build up more stamina and that seems to be helping. Perhaps some evening long dogwalks are in order as well. I often get shin splints when I walk for long distances though or run, so is there any way to minimize this before I go? Even suggestions on stretches I should do every day while I'm there is well appreciated.

Harpers Ferry Weekend Honeymoon for the Carless

brownpau — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 14:49:23 -0800

Newlyweds in DC planning a quick weekend honeymoon up in Harper's Ferry, WV. Difficulty: carless. We're thinking of taking Amtrak or MARC up there on a Friday afternoon, checking into a local B&B near the train station, spending Saturday and Sunday wandering around the Lower Town, checking out Jefferson Rock and the John Brown museum, doing some easy trails, then taking Amtrak back Sunday night or MARC early Monday morning.

Is this doable without an auto? How walkable are the B&Bs and hotels nearest the train station for a pair of scrawny out-of-shape geeks with backpacks? (B&Bs preferred because neither of the hotels in the Lower Town area get very good reviews on the internets; but if anyone's stayed at Hilltop House Hotel, do let me know.) Will there be enough to do in the Lower Town to fill up two days? Does the place get crowded during summer weekends, and should we reserve rooms far in advance? Are the trains back to DC reliable?

Any other tips on Harpers Ferry welcome; I've only been there once and spent hardly any time in the town itself.

zoom-zoom without vroom-vroom

rhoticity — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 11:33:37 -0800

What are good (read: cheap) destinations for carless travel? I'm a college student living in Chicago. I have no car and not a lot of money in general, but in the next few summers/spring breaks would be looking to take an inexpensive solo trip either domestically within the states or possibly abroad (I would need VERY cheap plane tickets to do this, so domestic is preferred). Getting there is not so much a problem--I have Amtrak, Megabus, Greyhound and O'Hare/Midway all at my disposal.
Basically, I'm looking for the best cities or destinations where I could stay for a few days, see a lot of sights, and only walk and use public transit. I know OF the cities that have transit systems, but it's hard to tell without experience how good these systems are and whether they'll actually take me to interesting places.

Here's the part where I clarify a little:
1. I'm not so much into the hiking/"roughing it", so probably not going to go for a camping in such-and-such a park recommendation.
2. Like I said, I'm probably not going to have the means to fly abroad, so, though most places in Europe would be awesome for this, I'd prefer answers within the contiguous 48.
3. If this place is served easily by a Southwest Airlines airport, extra bonus points.
4. No rental cars. I absolutely despise driving.
5. Extra extra bonus points for recommending a hostel or very cheap hotel.

Once I know the destination, I can probably find my own points of interest, but if you have recommendations, I'll definitely take them.