Best cities to visit without a car?
January 8, 2025 12:58 PM Subscribe
My eight-year-old and I want to travel more, but I don’t drive. What are some fun cities for a car-free family to enjoy?
So far, our vacation has been to visit family. Well, that has been fantastic from a visiting family standpoint, some of the cities weren’t terribly pedestrian friendly, and we didn’t have a whole lot to do unless we could persuade someone to drive us. For example, in Phoenix, there weren’t a lot of parks, and people didn’t really hang out in them because it was too hot. So unless we drove to a restaurant or an activity, we were pretty much stuck. Now that we have visited most of the available family, I’d like to branch out into cities where we can go by ourselves. I’m fine with those buses where you can get on and off them, can navigate public transit, reasonably competently, and I’m prepared to pay for Ubers or taxis. I’m just looking to build a list at this point of cities to consider.
So far, our vacation has been to visit family. Well, that has been fantastic from a visiting family standpoint, some of the cities weren’t terribly pedestrian friendly, and we didn’t have a whole lot to do unless we could persuade someone to drive us. For example, in Phoenix, there weren’t a lot of parks, and people didn’t really hang out in them because it was too hot. So unless we drove to a restaurant or an activity, we were pretty much stuck. Now that we have visited most of the available family, I’d like to branch out into cities where we can go by ourselves. I’m fine with those buses where you can get on and off them, can navigate public transit, reasonably competently, and I’m prepared to pay for Ubers or taxis. I’m just looking to build a list at this point of cities to consider.
Response by poster: Sorry to thread it, I should have clarified. I’m OK with cities pretty much anywhere, I’m a teacher and we have time to make longer trips in the summer. I think when I’m trying to avoid are cities where there are some lovely day trips you can make should you have a vehicle to all the most interesting parts, you know? Like, I’m fine with taking an Uber to the museum, but I don’t really have a way to access The countryside or the further flung destinations.
posted by ficbot at 1:03 PM on January 8
posted by ficbot at 1:03 PM on January 8
Boston is very walkable, and the T would get you to all the places you might be interested in going. There are some great guest houses in Brookline near Coolidge Corner that we have stayed at on multiple trips.
posted by bluesky43 at 1:14 PM on January 8 [8 favorites]
posted by bluesky43 at 1:14 PM on January 8 [8 favorites]
Seconding Boston! The most heavily touristed parts are extremely walkable and there are many other less-touristy walkable neighborhoods easily accessible via public transport. Weather tends to be hot and muggy during summer vacation but better IMO than New York or DC.
There are even a lot of day trips/outdoorsy things you can access without driving: Salem (via Commuter Rail), assorted beaches (and beachy towns like Rockport and Newburyport, also via commuter rail), heck, you can get to Cape Cod via ferry to Provincetown or bus/train to the lower cape. Providence, RI, is a 45 minute train ride away; Portland, ME is about 2 1/2 hours by bus or train; both are walkable cities in their own rights.
Washington DC and NYC are very accessible without a car. Philadelphia too. Montreal is great without a car. Quebec City doesn't have a ton to do but it's walkable and very charming for a short trip.
Oh, Chicago, also very accessible without a car, although as with DC weather in summer can be extra gross.
posted by mskyle at 1:20 PM on January 8 [6 favorites]
There are even a lot of day trips/outdoorsy things you can access without driving: Salem (via Commuter Rail), assorted beaches (and beachy towns like Rockport and Newburyport, also via commuter rail), heck, you can get to Cape Cod via ferry to Provincetown or bus/train to the lower cape. Providence, RI, is a 45 minute train ride away; Portland, ME is about 2 1/2 hours by bus or train; both are walkable cities in their own rights.
Washington DC and NYC are very accessible without a car. Philadelphia too. Montreal is great without a car. Quebec City doesn't have a ton to do but it's walkable and very charming for a short trip.
Oh, Chicago, also very accessible without a car, although as with DC weather in summer can be extra gross.
posted by mskyle at 1:20 PM on January 8 [6 favorites]
Came in to suggest Boston. Very walkable, plus the T gets you places that aren't as easily walked to, including north up as far as Gloucester. Haven't done the train that far so i don't know how easy it is.
Boston is the city my entire family returns to time and again happily.
posted by domino at 1:21 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Boston is the city my entire family returns to time and again happily.
posted by domino at 1:21 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
My sister lives in Monterey, California. When my son was about your child's age, we did (among other things):
- Monterey Bay Aquarium (highly recommend!)
- Fisherman's Warf (yummy food)
- Lover's Point (the beach there is fun)
- Rent a surrey bike in the above-mentioned locations
- Kayak rental near the above-mentioned areas
posted by SageTrail at 1:25 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
- Monterey Bay Aquarium (highly recommend!)
- Fisherman's Warf (yummy food)
- Lover's Point (the beach there is fun)
- Rent a surrey bike in the above-mentioned locations
- Kayak rental near the above-mentioned areas
posted by SageTrail at 1:25 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
Despite my best efforts, there's skads of places I've never been, but of those I have, I'd put on the list as places you can greatly enjoy without a car: Boston, DC, Paris, Lyon, Brussels, Dublin, Bangkok, Siem Reap (you can rent bikes to check out Angkor Wat if you don't want to hire a tuk-tuk, you won't get all the temples that way but you can still see a bunch).
posted by solotoro at 1:30 PM on January 8
posted by solotoro at 1:30 PM on January 8
You more or less have two different types of cities that you're opening yourself to. There are big cities with robust public transit, and then small cities with walkable downtowns. In the US, older cities on the coasts are going to be most likely to be doable without a car. More "modern" cities in the rest of the country are more likely to have poor transit and be less walkable. They tend to be built around the car and have a lot of urban/suburban sprawl. Pheonix is pretty much the poster child for this.
NYC is easily the most doable city in America without a car. It has extensive mass transit in the city and a big suburban rail network. Almost anywhere a tourist would want to go is served by mass transit.
Here's a very incomplete list in America:
Big Cities - NYC, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Portland OR, Seattle, Philly, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Montreal
Small cities.- Asheville, Louisville, Savannah, Charleston SC, Santa Fe, Portland ME
posted by soy_renfield at 1:30 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
NYC is easily the most doable city in America without a car. It has extensive mass transit in the city and a big suburban rail network. Almost anywhere a tourist would want to go is served by mass transit.
Here's a very incomplete list in America:
Big Cities - NYC, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Portland OR, Seattle, Philly, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Montreal
Small cities.- Asheville, Louisville, Savannah, Charleston SC, Santa Fe, Portland ME
posted by soy_renfield at 1:30 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
Although it's not a good time right now because of the fires, LA is *surprisingly* easy to do without a car, as long as you don't mind buses and the people who ride them and you take pleasure in planning your trips via transit (which my family does), and you don't mind if some things are not doable because they are not easily accessible by transit. There are a ton of buses, and they are like buses anywhere, good and meh and beholden to other traffic. The best thing about buses in any town is that they are usually the best sight-seeing you can do on a cost-benefit ratio. There are buses and connections that will hit big museums like LACMA and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the La Brea Tarpits, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, Downtown, and, further afield, the light rail in Long Beach (which gets you the great aquarium and other things), plus the limited but still useful metro. Find a run-of-the-mill inexpensive hotel with a pool near the metro (and with free parking — they exist), and you can have a surprisingly easy and enjoyable three-day weekend, *especially* if you're up for some of the best Asian and Mexican food in the US. There is Laotian food in LA that nearly forgives all of the city's traffic sins. My family of three has had multiple transit-centered trips in LA, and my son and his high school friends have gone there by train more than once. You have to think, "What can I do that is near the bus and metro and light rail?" and not "Where will my car take me?"
posted by Mo Nickels at 1:32 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
posted by Mo Nickels at 1:32 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
Oh yeah, I had a great time in Monterey! You can tell from my earlier comment that I live in the Northeast US. I've also happily visited Portland OR, Seattle, and San Francisco without a car. Los Angeles is more doable without a car than its car-centric reputation suggests.
Basically any European city with an airport has plenty to do without a car. Practically anything you would want to see in Switzerland is accessible without a car (even outside of cities).
posted by mskyle at 1:33 PM on January 8
Basically any European city with an airport has plenty to do without a car. Practically anything you would want to see in Switzerland is accessible without a car (even outside of cities).
posted by mskyle at 1:33 PM on January 8
Downtown Denver is extremely walkable/transit able, and you can travel from Denver International Airport to the mountain communities (including Aspen!) without ever setting foot in a car. Colorado Department of Transportation's "Bustang" system is a true gem. Feel free to message me if you want help trip planning!
posted by cyndigo at 1:34 PM on January 8 [4 favorites]
posted by cyndigo at 1:34 PM on January 8 [4 favorites]
Amsterdam - we've been multiple times and rented bikes to get around each time (cargobikes for younger kids, own bikes for older kids - if your 8yo is a confident cyclist they'll be fine). Cycling gets you much further than walking, and with much more flexibility than public transport. The only time we used something other than bikes was train trips out of the city (to see windmills or go to the beach) - and obviously we could easily cycle to the train station.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:37 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:37 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
Basically any European city with an airport has plenty to do without a car.
As well as Amsterdam, we've also been to Barcelona, Brussels, Prague, Cologne - didn't hire bikes at any of these but trams/metros/buses and walking were enough to get us around the city to see plenty of sites/museums/parks.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:40 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
As well as Amsterdam, we've also been to Barcelona, Brussels, Prague, Cologne - didn't hire bikes at any of these but trams/metros/buses and walking were enough to get us around the city to see plenty of sites/museums/parks.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:40 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Tokyo
posted by vunder at 1:40 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
posted by vunder at 1:40 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
Are you open to non-cities? Mackinac Island is famously car-free.
posted by mosst at 1:41 PM on January 8 [4 favorites]
posted by mosst at 1:41 PM on January 8 [4 favorites]
Washington, DC is very navigable with public transit, and full of museums that are free! (It is hot in the summer though, might be nicer on a Spring Break.)
posted by Daily Alice at 1:42 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
posted by Daily Alice at 1:42 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]
Melbourne Australia, at least the central business district is awesome and walkable, plus has decent transit
posted by Higherfasterforwards at 1:46 PM on January 8 [4 favorites]
posted by Higherfasterforwards at 1:46 PM on January 8 [4 favorites]
Toronto is a great city to visit without a car - I've done it myself twice. I didn't venture too far outside the central downtown area, but I was impressed with the underground city that has been built for pedestrians. This is an incredible amenity in the winter and makes winter travel to Toronto much more accessible. If your kiddo is interested in ice hockey there is the enormous NHL museum and hall of fame downtown, reachable from the underground plaza and from street level. I'm a very casual hockey fan, but the museum was fascinating and we happily took most of a day to really take it in. It was extremely interactive and was designed around and for young fans.
An offbeat attraction I absolutely loved was the Museum of Ceramics in Toronto. It wasn't exactly downtown, but was set in a park that should be easily reachable by uber. There may well be public transit, but actually we walked (it was a longer walk than we thought, but fortunately that visit was in the early fall.)
posted by citygirl at 1:53 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
An offbeat attraction I absolutely loved was the Museum of Ceramics in Toronto. It wasn't exactly downtown, but was set in a park that should be easily reachable by uber. There may well be public transit, but actually we walked (it was a longer walk than we thought, but fortunately that visit was in the early fall.)
posted by citygirl at 1:53 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
Though we have occasional heat waves (and the dreaded heat domes), summers in Portland, Oregon are typically spectacular: warm but not hot, and dry. You can stay downtown or in an airbnb and use transit and light rail to get around to all sorts of fun places like the zoo, science museum, and so on. Definitely add Portland to your list.
posted by bluedaisy at 1:56 PM on January 8
posted by bluedaisy at 1:56 PM on January 8
One of the ways I increase my mobility when I'm not comfortable driving or don't want to rent a car is look for interesting tours. The rise of platforms like Viator, the Experiences portal on Airbnb, and similar have expanded my options. And I've found good stuff in cities of all sizes in the US, after originally learning to do this in Europe via travel agents when I was younger.
Examples: Day trip to Mount Hood from Portland.
Half-day in Fort Worth with transportation from Dallas.
Giethoorn, Afsluitdijk, Zaanse Schans Day Tour Incl Hotel Pick Up (from Amsterdam)
And any place with canals, rivers, or a waterfront is going to have all kinds of day cruises. Or longer! I'm looking at booking a European river cruise Christmas 2026 that stops at various Christmas Markets
posted by Lyn Never at 1:57 PM on January 8 [4 favorites]
Examples: Day trip to Mount Hood from Portland.
Half-day in Fort Worth with transportation from Dallas.
Giethoorn, Afsluitdijk, Zaanse Schans Day Tour Incl Hotel Pick Up (from Amsterdam)
And any place with canals, rivers, or a waterfront is going to have all kinds of day cruises. Or longer! I'm looking at booking a European river cruise Christmas 2026 that stops at various Christmas Markets
posted by Lyn Never at 1:57 PM on January 8 [4 favorites]
Oh seconding Toronto for sure! The trains there had us, Chicago no-car natives, absolutely swooning with how clean/fast/quiet/useful they were. And the city was so walkable with so much to do. Would not super recommend July/Aug, same as Chicago -- just gross months tbh. And also would not recommend January.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 1:58 PM on January 8
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 1:58 PM on January 8
Washington DC, Philadelphia, new York City all have very extensive public transportation that you don't need a car for. And are walking friendly, although large.
And you can even take amtrak between all 3 if you wanted to do a mega trip.
posted by TheAdamist at 1:59 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
And you can even take amtrak between all 3 if you wanted to do a mega trip.
posted by TheAdamist at 1:59 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Seconding Lyn's tour suggestion. I never go to a place intending to drive and will just take tours that offer pick up and drop off- or walking tours.
Oaxaca! So walkable. You would need to arrange transportation to and from your hotel, and many hotels have day trips you can add on for an extra fee, where they pick you up and drop you off. You'd probably prefer to use your winter vacation for there, but June isn't terrible.
Same with New Orleans- the French Quarter/Garden District are all accessible with the street car/buses and super walkable once you're there. Again, you'd need to use a week during winter or Thanksgiving break- or early June.
posted by haplesschild at 2:01 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Oaxaca! So walkable. You would need to arrange transportation to and from your hotel, and many hotels have day trips you can add on for an extra fee, where they pick you up and drop you off. You'd probably prefer to use your winter vacation for there, but June isn't terrible.
Same with New Orleans- the French Quarter/Garden District are all accessible with the street car/buses and super walkable once you're there. Again, you'd need to use a week during winter or Thanksgiving break- or early June.
posted by haplesschild at 2:01 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Washington, DC: yes! My city is humid in summer but we have good public transit, free museums, and plenty of air conditioning. I've lived in DC without a car for nearly 15 years. Please feel free to memail me if you plan to come to DC and want help figuring out details and/or an unofficial tour guide. Also +1 to recommendations for Monterey, Chicago, Denver, and Boston.
Cities in other countries I've visited without a car (mostly solo) and had a good time: Mexico City (highly recommend); Dublin; Copenhagen; Singapore (also sweltering, has amazing public transit); Berlin; London; Amsterdam.
Hope you have fun wherever you go.
posted by wicked_sassy at 2:02 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Cities in other countries I've visited without a car (mostly solo) and had a good time: Mexico City (highly recommend); Dublin; Copenhagen; Singapore (also sweltering, has amazing public transit); Berlin; London; Amsterdam.
Hope you have fun wherever you go.
posted by wicked_sassy at 2:02 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Seattle has ferry system ,access to far flung isles of Puget Sound, plus a functioning bus system.
Most walkable downtown waterfront ,public market .
neighborhoods and parks.
posted by hortense at 2:07 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Most walkable downtown waterfront ,public market .
neighborhoods and parks.
posted by hortense at 2:07 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Hong Kong!
posted by inexorably_forward at 2:11 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
posted by inexorably_forward at 2:11 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Nthing Boston (I'm a local, ask me for tips!) and Monterey (I used to live there and run their tourism website, ask me for tips!)
Some others that haven't been mentioned:
Helsinki. It is extremely cool because it has a very different look from most of Europe. It also has plenty of things for kids to do. You would probably want to go in summer. You can do a 2 or even 3-in-one car free experience! You can take a ferry to Tallinn, Estonia, which is also very easy to do car-free. And you can take a ferry to Stockholm (overnight), which is a great place to explore without a car. And from there you can take a train to Copenhagen, and thence to Germany - all car-free!
Hamburg is also great without a car. Miniatur Wunderland is a must.
Very few Americans go to Rennes and Nantes in France. Nantes has Les Machines De L'Ile Nantes, which is a fantastic all day experience, and plenty of other things to see and do for kids and adults. Rennes is great for food - it has the second largest Saturday farmers' market in all of France. Also, REAL kouign-amann (very different from what is sold in the USA) and great crepes and galettes. From Rennes you can travel to lots of places in Brittany on France's well-designed train system, and places like Quimper and San Malo are very walkable.
In the other direction, Singapore is very easy to get around without a car and has plenty of things for kids and adults. Seconding Melbourne, and Sydney also has great public transit. We also did not drive in Malaysia at all, not in Penang, Ipoh or Kuala Lumpur (although we did a lot of Grab - the local Uber equivalent - in Ipoh). Transit was good, trains between cities was great, amazing food, would go again.
posted by rednikki at 2:15 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
Some others that haven't been mentioned:
Helsinki. It is extremely cool because it has a very different look from most of Europe. It also has plenty of things for kids to do. You would probably want to go in summer. You can do a 2 or even 3-in-one car free experience! You can take a ferry to Tallinn, Estonia, which is also very easy to do car-free. And you can take a ferry to Stockholm (overnight), which is a great place to explore without a car. And from there you can take a train to Copenhagen, and thence to Germany - all car-free!
Hamburg is also great without a car. Miniatur Wunderland is a must.
Very few Americans go to Rennes and Nantes in France. Nantes has Les Machines De L'Ile Nantes, which is a fantastic all day experience, and plenty of other things to see and do for kids and adults. Rennes is great for food - it has the second largest Saturday farmers' market in all of France. Also, REAL kouign-amann (very different from what is sold in the USA) and great crepes and galettes. From Rennes you can travel to lots of places in Brittany on France's well-designed train system, and places like Quimper and San Malo are very walkable.
In the other direction, Singapore is very easy to get around without a car and has plenty of things for kids and adults. Seconding Melbourne, and Sydney also has great public transit. We also did not drive in Malaysia at all, not in Penang, Ipoh or Kuala Lumpur (although we did a lot of Grab - the local Uber equivalent - in Ipoh). Transit was good, trains between cities was great, amazing food, would go again.
posted by rednikki at 2:15 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
I’m OK with cities pretty much anywhere
In the US/Canada cities with good walkability and public transportation or super-cheap cabs are the exception, so those make sense as primary filtering criteria. But elsewhere? Urban areas in most countries are much less designed around private car ownership. So for other continents I'd think first in terms of what cities in what countries actually sound interesting to you, and then check what the walkability and transportation options are. I'd expect the vast majority of non-American cities that sound fun and safe for a tourist to go to to be more than doable without a car. (And most of the countries containing those cities to be pretty navigable by rail and bus as well.) In other words you can search with a different mentality, where you're not starved for options.
posted by trig at 2:16 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
In the US/Canada cities with good walkability and public transportation or super-cheap cabs are the exception, so those make sense as primary filtering criteria. But elsewhere? Urban areas in most countries are much less designed around private car ownership. So for other continents I'd think first in terms of what cities in what countries actually sound interesting to you, and then check what the walkability and transportation options are. I'd expect the vast majority of non-American cities that sound fun and safe for a tourist to go to to be more than doable without a car. (And most of the countries containing those cities to be pretty navigable by rail and bus as well.) In other words you can search with a different mentality, where you're not starved for options.
posted by trig at 2:16 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
Oh, and also re: Boston - if someone tells you the transit isn't good, well, our transit system came close to collapsing a couple of years ago. There's a new guy in charge, and now the T is running better than it has since the early '90s. The trains come frequently, go quickly (for a 100+ year old system) and have become very reliable. This is very new, as in the last fixes happened in December. But it's also walkable, as the British who marched from downtown to Lexington and Concord could tell you.
posted by rednikki at 2:18 PM on January 8 [6 favorites]
posted by rednikki at 2:18 PM on January 8 [6 favorites]
As well as the other suggestions I have done Atlanta, Miami and San Antonio without a car. They do take more planning but there is enough that is transit adjacent for a at least a few days and maybe more.
posted by plonkee at 2:20 PM on January 8
posted by plonkee at 2:20 PM on January 8
Oh, I'd also like to add Oslo and Istanbul!
posted by solotoro at 2:25 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
posted by solotoro at 2:25 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Other smaller Canadian cities are also very doable without a car (Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria, Quebec) but perhaps less exciting to visit.
Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Bogota, pretty much any major Latin American city. Any city in China.
posted by ssg at 2:33 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Bogota, pretty much any major Latin American city. Any city in China.
posted by ssg at 2:33 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
I live in NYC and don’t drive. Places I’ve enjoyed visiting without a car include New Orleans, Philadelphia, Chicago, DC in America and London, Amsterdam, and Beijing abroad. And for a very different vibe, Ocracoke Island in the North Carolina Outer Banks is beautiful and super walkable, though you’d have to figure out a way to get to the ferry in the first place.
I should also say, as a fellow non-driver, that it’s really not bad visiting many smaller American cities with bad transit if you stay in a central area and take Uber/Lyft when needed. For example my hometown of Greensboro has some pretty cool stuff worth visiting, and while the bus system is terrible, the lyfts there are staggeringly cheap compared to NYC. I use them all the time when I’m down there.
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:34 PM on January 8
I should also say, as a fellow non-driver, that it’s really not bad visiting many smaller American cities with bad transit if you stay in a central area and take Uber/Lyft when needed. For example my hometown of Greensboro has some pretty cool stuff worth visiting, and while the bus system is terrible, the lyfts there are staggeringly cheap compared to NYC. I use them all the time when I’m down there.
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:34 PM on January 8
I’ll add that Phillys public transit is merely ok, it’s mostly that the blocks are small, it’s a grid, and the city ain’t big.
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 2:35 PM on January 8
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 2:35 PM on January 8
There's an awful lot you can do in Portland, OR, via transit (bus or max, with a little streetcar thrown in). Despite what the national media would have you believe, it's not THAT bad here. OMSI, the Zoo would be at the top of my list, but there are a lot of other things... and tons of parks, really, for when you just need to go play. (Even some water parks / splash pads.) Granddaughter (age 6) and I have been all over the place on transit, including regular time downtown.
It's also possible to connect to transit that will take you down the Gorge to visit the waterfalls or Hood River. Hood River has a nice beach that has a roped-off swimming area, easily accessible from downtown. There's also a (very limited) amount of local transit, but it can get you to most of the main areas (there's an additional tourist-focused option that runs in the summer months that I'm not as familiar with). And, again, tons of kid-friendly parks in Hood River, including one right on the waterfront. I'd say Hood River might be best for relaxed summer days of swimming, paddleboarding, maybe some light biking. Though there are also multiple museums to visit in the Gorge as a whole. It's a great place to be with kids, really - the only reason we're not still there is housing prices. (Can you tell I'm homesick? lol)
If you do decide to come here (either PDX or the Gorge) at some point, feel free to direct message me for specific recommendations.
posted by stormyteal at 2:40 PM on January 8
It's also possible to connect to transit that will take you down the Gorge to visit the waterfalls or Hood River. Hood River has a nice beach that has a roped-off swimming area, easily accessible from downtown. There's also a (very limited) amount of local transit, but it can get you to most of the main areas (there's an additional tourist-focused option that runs in the summer months that I'm not as familiar with). And, again, tons of kid-friendly parks in Hood River, including one right on the waterfront. I'd say Hood River might be best for relaxed summer days of swimming, paddleboarding, maybe some light biking. Though there are also multiple museums to visit in the Gorge as a whole. It's a great place to be with kids, really - the only reason we're not still there is housing prices. (Can you tell I'm homesick? lol)
If you do decide to come here (either PDX or the Gorge) at some point, feel free to direct message me for specific recommendations.
posted by stormyteal at 2:40 PM on January 8
Edinburgh is a great city to visit and has an excellent bus service.
posted by penguin pie at 2:56 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
posted by penguin pie at 2:56 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]
Munich - lots to do in the city itself, the local transit system extends quite a way into the surrounding countryside including the lakes and it is well connected to many other cities by train.
Anywhere in Switzerland has great transit and is well connected to anywhere else in Switzerland but also has direct trains to Milan, Paris, Hamburg, Munich.
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:59 PM on January 8
Anywhere in Switzerland has great transit and is well connected to anywhere else in Switzerland but also has direct trains to Milan, Paris, Hamburg, Munich.
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:59 PM on January 8
If you want to get to some things outside of Philadelphia, a lot of the towns around it are on regional rail, so you could take a train to the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, or rideshare from Wilmington or Chester County train stations to places like the Hagley Museum or Longwood Gardens. You could also get to Lancaster by train though down town Lancaster isn't as Amish as the county (but is a nice little town)
posted by sepviva at 3:17 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
posted by sepviva at 3:17 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Europe is really good for this, which makes the eurorail pass a great idea for a multi city holiday. I'll add Vienna, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Barcelona and Bratislava to the pile (hopefully mostly free of dupes with others) and second Stockholm,
Oslo, Helsinki and Tallinn. More off the beaten track: Basel, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Antwerp, Bruges and Groningen. They all have railway stations, I think.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 4:25 PM on January 8
Oslo, Helsinki and Tallinn. More off the beaten track: Basel, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Antwerp, Bruges and Groningen. They all have railway stations, I think.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 4:25 PM on January 8
Vancouver, BC. You can also take ferries as a passenger to other locations close by.
posted by lookoutbelow at 5:07 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
posted by lookoutbelow at 5:07 PM on January 8 [3 favorites]
Washington, D.C. is great for the reasons others have mentioned. I think Stockholm, Sweden has a lot of cool things to see, and the subway is great. You can also take trains to other places like Gothenburg (or even to the far north) pretty easily.
I'll put in a vote for Taipei, Taiwan. Super easy to get around without a car, nice people, super tasty food. And you can take the High Speed Rail to other cool places.
posted by gemmy at 8:04 PM on January 8
I'll put in a vote for Taipei, Taiwan. Super easy to get around without a car, nice people, super tasty food. And you can take the High Speed Rail to other cool places.
posted by gemmy at 8:04 PM on January 8
Most of my favorites are already mentioned but I'll throw in some smaller cities in the Netherlands: Leiden, Haarlem, Delft. All the charming canals of Amsterdam but less hectic and overtouristed. Intercity trains are phenomenal, local transit is good, walkability is excellent. Depending on your pace you could tap out the smaller towns pretty quickly, but they're all easy day trips from the bigger cities and each other, as well as some surprisingly good beaches.
Similarly in Switzerland I liked Lucerne, Basel, and especially Zug.
A big difference from the US is that there's a variety of places that are really great car-free, whereas in the US it's mostly bigger cities. Which are great, I love NYC and Paris as well. It's just nice to have options, even if just a day trip from a major city nearby.
posted by davidest at 8:43 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Similarly in Switzerland I liked Lucerne, Basel, and especially Zug.
A big difference from the US is that there's a variety of places that are really great car-free, whereas in the US it's mostly bigger cities. Which are great, I love NYC and Paris as well. It's just nice to have options, even if just a day trip from a major city nearby.
posted by davidest at 8:43 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
London is hugely walkable and has good local transit options. Most museums are free and there’s lots of fun history to experience.
posted by stillmoving at 9:46 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
posted by stillmoving at 9:46 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Pretty much any East Asian city: Taipei, Beijing, Tokyo, Osaka, etc.
posted by matkline at 10:32 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
posted by matkline at 10:32 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]
Most cities outside the US (in my experience anyway) are completely doable without cars. I used to live in China- no car needed- Beijing and Shanghai are fairly easy navigate without knowing Chinese. Mexico city, and really so many cities in Mexico. Bangkok- very English friendly. India, too! I have visited Dharamsala. All of these places are great.
I live in Philly, and don't have a car, and get around fine as well.
posted by bearette at 4:46 AM on January 9
I live in Philly, and don't have a car, and get around fine as well.
posted by bearette at 4:46 AM on January 9
San Francisco ain't bad, but a lot of the interesting places are outside of the city. (Apple HQ, Intel Museum, etc.) But there are plenty to do in the city (Skywalker Ranch, Disney Museum...)
posted by kschang at 1:52 PM on January 10
posted by kschang at 1:52 PM on January 10
« Older Please help my stupid sliding door stay on track! | Help me learn more about the artist Amos Gentry Newer »
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by hydra77 at 1:02 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]