Driving in a foreign country for the first time always comes with challenges. Not knowing the language is the hardest. Not knowing local traffic laws doesn’t help. Is it legal to turn at a red light? How to navigate roundabouts, and speed limit uncertainties can make for an anxious ride. (As I wrote about in a New Zealand road trip post.) What about visiting cities within the United States? Some can be full of rocky rides and expensive when you tack on rental and parking fees, wear and tear, fuel costs, or the distances between charging stations. When you factor in your carbon footprint consider the impact of car travel and flights. Unless you plan multiple stops in rural areas, I propose that you can travel smarter without a car.

Train barns and museums are reminders of how popular and essential rail travel once was across the US. It can be a way to travel smarter once again.

Train barns and museums are reminders of how popular and essential rail travel once was across the US. It can be a way to travel smarter once again.

Americans are notoriously hesitant about taking public transit. A few years ago, I was so excited that San Diego was adding nine new transit stops around the county but then found that many of my friends avoided them. Why? A trio of their reasons:

  • Uncertainty – They didn’t know how long they’d have to wait between rides. I acknowledge the first time you attempt to figure out schedules might be difficult, but with GPS and Google Maps, deciphering timetables has gotten much easier over the years.
  • Feeling vulnerable. It’s not easy to get out of our comfort zones. Crimes have happened on public transit and unfortunately, stations are often a quick refuge for the homeless. When I first left home for school, I learned how to navigate San Francisco by myself after years of navigating the Southern Californian suburbs. I discovered there’s a pride that comes with knowing how to work a transit system and soon I was scooting all over the Bay Area.  Although I often traveled alone at night, there was also a comradery between riders. We were all in it together and I welcomed that. When my teenage son found his first job downtown, I would drop him at a transit station near home and he learned about other kinds of people. “Mom, I don’t know how some of them live.” It was eye-opening and gave him compassion for the less fortunate plus life skills that have served him since.
  • Cleanliness. Busses and trains might not be to everyone’s standards but outside of poorly managed systems, I’ve found most are clean enough and certainly not dangerously dirty. You have to be flexible and carry hand sanitizer if you’re really concerned.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Museum deck looks out across to the Hollywood Hills.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Museum deck looks out across to the Hollywood Hills.

Top strategies to travel smarter without a car:

1. Choose airports with city rail links and shuttles. I usually spen my first nights in a new location where there’s easy access to airport shuttles or hotels with their own vans. After a long travel day, it’s a relief to arrive without a lot of fuss.

Cities with good rail links include: Portland – Oregon Metro Rail, Los Angeles Union Station to LAX shuttles, San Francisco International Airport BART, and Oakland Airport shuttle links in the west. East of the Rockies, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Boston, and Philadelphia have public rail systems. Most cities have bus services between airports and downtown areas as well.

2. Choose lodging within walking distance of public transit stops. I like knowing that a train station or transit hub is close to my lodging. I can walk to places or take transit. The list of walkable cities in the US is growing every year. The app, Walk Score, can help you with planning itineraries around walking. I love visiting Spokane, Washington for the riverwalks and neighborhoods. Same for Minneapolis which has a Mississippi River island between its two sides – all covered in trails and close to urban highlights.

Parking in downtown neighborhoods can be very expensive. Travel smarter and walk or take public transit.

Parking in downtown neighborhoods can be very expensive. Travel smarter and walk or take public transit.

3. Use your legs to travel smarter! Given the hour and my energy level, I like to drop my bags and take a swift walk around my hotel or rental. It gives me a sense of what services are nearby – like shops, restaurants, breweries, museums, and theaters. It also helps me get a good night’s sleep after sitting on airplanes or long train trips.

4, Check out local smart rail, and electrical transit systems. Many cities have invested in economical natural gas or electrically powered transit. The more people use transit with low carbon emissions the better we’ll all be.

5. Check schedules for trains and buses. Look for local transit options on Google Maps and then search each system. For example, in San Diego, several rail companies service the area: Metro, Amtrak, Coastal Rail, and the Trolley.

6. Know you won’t be stranded as long as Uber and Lyft services, even taxis are available.

Tulsa, Oklahoma is home to dozens of Art Deco gems and you can visit them easily on foot.

Tulsa, Oklahoma is home to dozens of Art Deco gems and you can visit them easily on foot.

My mom arrived in Pasadena during WWII after growing up in northern Minnesota. At the time, the Los Angeles area was lucky to have an extensive electrical streetcar line and she loved to ride out to the beach in Santa Monica. A ticket cost 25 cents each way. By 1967 the country was enamoured with automobiles and freeways replaced the neighborhood rail lines. I can only imagine how fresh and clear Southern California skies would be if those lines still existed and how fun it would be to travel them.
Las Vegas Tram is a great way to travel smarter without a car.

Pin This! Las Vegas Tram is a great way to travel smarter without a car.

I would be remiss to mention that the world’s climate crisis is a big reason to travel smarter by avoiding cars. It’s not hyperbole to say that if our species is to thrive, a multi-pronged approach to lowering carbon emissions is necessary. Road trips are a wonderful way to see the country, any country, but as I’ve tried to point out, there are positive reasons to choose other ways to get around. If you love to travel it might be the best way to ensure the continued freedom to do so.
The European Travel Commission recently released the first global analysis of the risks to the tourism industry from climate change. It is also a roadmap towards a low-carbon tourism economy, “requiring nothing less than a revolution in the sector.” I think more of us can travel smarter by being a bit rebellious and avoiding gas engine cars when we can.