The Greatest Automobile-free Locations in United States

The Big Apple is an obvious choice when it comes to voiture-free travel. Bounded traffic, expensive parking garages (plus impossible-to-find on-street parking), and one-way streets suddenly blocked by a huge moving / garbage / grocery delivery truck are just a few reasons you’ll love to leave the Nissan behind. The subway is an easy way to get around and taxis are always plentiful (except when it’s raining), but there are tons of other ways to get around. The city’s bike-sharing network, Citibike, has over 1,000 locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and even parts of New Jersey. It’s quick and easy to check out a bike and ride New York City’s 1,300+ miles of bike paths. New York’s waterways offer an even more scenic way to get around. There’s good old pedestrian traffic too: walking across one of the bridges over the East River at sunset can be a magical experience.

You don’t have to limit your New York trips to the city. You can combine a city vacation with some beach time by exploring the beautiful coastline and upscale towns on Long Island’s south coast. The LIRR-operated train takes you to the Hamptons, where you can relax on the beach (or surf if you’re all the way to Montauk), plus fine dining and summery partying.

One of America’s oldest cities, Boston has a remarkably compact downtown area that is ideal for exploring on foot. In fact, you can walk through the heart of Boston in about an hour. At the epicenter of the city is the leafy Boston Common and historic sites like the Old State House, while the Italian neighborhood of North End is just a short hop north. Sitting behind the wheel is pure folly here, and you’ll understand why frustrated, aggressive drivers call each other “massholes”. You can avoid the stress by getting around on the “T” – a venerable underground system that runs from downtown and takes you to Cambridge, the Seaport District, Back Bay and Fenway. Boston is also a great place for cycling. With a Bluebike (the city’s bike-sharing network with 300 kiosks) you can often get to your destination faster on two wheels than on four.

Boston is a great gateway to further New England adventure. You can take the MBTA Commuter Rail to reach fascinating cities like Concord, Salem and Plymouth. Amtrak’s Downeaster brings you to Portland, Maine’s most dynamic city – and another great place to explore without a car. You can also add some boat trips to your itinerary by taking the ferry to Provincetown on Cape Cod or even going to Nantucket (take the Boston to Hyannis train and book the crossing from there through the Steamship Authority).

Longtime New Orleansers will warn you: This is not a fun driving city. Weird battered streets (some with potholes big enough to have names), confusing one-way streets, and the odd car break-in (and / or theft) make Crescent City the perfect place to drive car-free. Walking distance to the French Quarter and nearby areas such as Marigny and Bywater is great, and if you need to go elsewhere, it’s just a short ride away. Some of New Orleans’ modes of transportation are attractions in themselves: The Army-Green St. Charles Ave Tram is the oldest continuous tram line in the world. The line from 1835 meanders past beautiful mansions along the avenue of the same name, past living oak trees so dense with green that they shade the entire block (a welcome relief during the hot six-month “summer”).

Key West is nicely located at the end of Florida’s Overseas Highway and feels like a world away from the continental United States. In fact, it’s closer to Havana (105 miles) than Miami (264 miles), and its multicultural diversity (Cuba, Bahama), bohemian spirit, and tropical air give Key West a more Caribbean than Florida feel. You don’t need a passport to visit the self-proclaimed Conch Republic, however – despite quirky attempts to achieve micronation status in the 1980s, the island is welcome and open to all. You don’t need a car here either. Key West is only 11 square miles and has a walkable center, although bicycles (available for free at most guest houses) provide convenient transportation if you need to travel more than a few blocks. Parking is expensive and cumbersome, and since Key West acts as a floating bar in many ways, you don’t need much for a vehicle here anyway. Key West has its own small airport, but you can also catch a shuttle bus from Miami (airport or downtown) here. For a little more adventure, hop on a fast catamaran operated by the Key West Express from Fort Myers Beach.

Certainly one of America’s most beautiful cities, San Francisco is the place of Victorian homes, hilltop neighborhoods, misty coastline and countercultural creativity. For locals, it’s also the land of Muni, Bart, CalTrain, and other nebulous acronyms for transportation. The steep hills, one-way streets and the complete lack of parking make City by the Bay a true Death Star for would-be drivers. Although cycling is difficult here, there are plenty of convenient ways to get around the city. The Bart (Bay Area Rapid Transit) runs underground through San Francisco and connects the Mission District with the Embarcadero via the Civic Center and Union Square. Continue under the bay to Oakland, Berkeley, and other sunnier spots on the East Bay. There is also an extensive above-ground network of buses, trams, and cable cars operated by Muni. Wherever you go, there is public transport to get you there and you’re sure to meet some interesting characters along the way (isn’t that the point of traveling?). Our favorite route is the F-Market Line, a photogenic tram that takes you along one of the city’s most eye-catching avenues as it runs six miles from Castro to the ferry building and then follows the waterfront to Fisherman’s Wharf.