How to Travel in America Without A Driver’s License?

A Walking and Public Transit Rating of Cities in America

When you think about the American Style of traveling, road trip is always the first impression, and that actually is the case. The whole country was designed for the wheels, and most of the time hoping on a car is the most desired way to get around. But what about people who don’t know how to drive? If you haven’t gotten your driver’s license yet, or want to try a different approach to exploring a city, this is a comprehensive guide to some popular, or surprising, places to travel around without driving in America. 

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Los Angeles, Califonia

Walkable: ⭐️⭐️

Public transport ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Travel cost without a vehicle 💰💰💰💰

Experience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Los Angeles is never the first city you think you could travel to without driving, but it is also not entirely approachable. There are subways, rails, and buses covering about sixty percent of the city, connecting all those popular destinations and local neighborhoods.

“I never imagined that an LA travel plan without driving is actually plausible. Usually, people never leave the wheels in LA, but taking public transport and riding a bike is something we should really try, because that’s a way to taste the authentic local vibe,” said RJ Wang, we traveled together to LA last year in January. 

The most non-driving-friendly area is Santa Monica. If you book your stays in Santa Monica, your LA trip will be a vibrant and refreshing experience. With buses connecting the neighborhood to Hollywood and the beach, where lots of tasty sushi restaurants and seashore entertainment are located, accessing fun activities is likely to be 20 minutes away. In Downtown Santa Monica you will not only find the city is walkable but also has interesting ways to explore around. Many locals always take a bike ride on the side of the seashore, a remarkable bikeway starting from the Pier. There are bike rentals for visitors, so take your time to cherish this experience around the city in a very healthy and environmentally friendly way to get around! 

While there are ways to get around across LA, it is honestly time-consuming and could be expensive. There is only one line connecting the airport, so a smarter way to take yourself from or to the airport is to take an Uber. If you try to go to Downtown LA, Little Tokyo, or Disney Park, you can take the subway and the bus but should be prepared for about an hour for transportation. Many interesting places, such as the Huntington Art Museum and Monterey Park, have no public transportation connections and are far away from most hotels and hostels. So I would recommend traveling with friends and renting a car if you try to unlock more areas in the city or plan out the budget to take Uber. Spending a crazy amount of time on a bus or subway will discount your experience in LA. 

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Chicago, Illinois 

Walkable: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Public transport ⭐️⭐️

Travel cost without a vehicle 💰💰💰💰

Experience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

More to a city to live in than to travel, Chicago is a place you want to spend at least longer than five days to immerse in life. Unlike LA, Chicago is more packed in its city center areas, with most of the places walkable. If you are used to the New Yorker lifestyle, you will find Chicago is just a colder New York with deep-plate pizza. 

I was staying at my friend Olive’s apartment in Streeterville. It was close to the Magnificent Mile and the Navy Pier.

“I found this neighborhood is the most ideal place to live in Chicago. I go to Northwestern Law School, and there’s only a five-minute walk from my apartment to the school building. And basically, everything is downstairs – food, grocery, department store, museums and parks, there’s no need to drive at all,” said Olive Qu, a Law Student at Northwestern University Chicago Campus. 

If you stay in the city center, you are about to have all of Chicago. Museums, Millennial Park, and the finest architecture complex in the city are walkable under 20 minutes. You could take an afternoon walk down the Magnificent Mile and across the Chicago River to take a look at The Bean at Millennial Park, along the way you will have a chance to see those extraordinary Continental-European style skyscrapers on the northbound of the river. During summer, there will be restaurants having people sitting outdoors, dining with the hustle and bustle vibe of the city. Like a slice of the Chicago deep-plate pizza, this city is a place for having everything all at once. 

Although there’s no need to drive or even take public transport to get to the place you want in Chicago, the cost of hotels and stays are high in this city, and you should carefully check the neighborhood of your stay. There are certain areas that are dangerous, especially during the night, usually the southbound of the Chicago River. If you are traveling by yourself, make sure to stay alert to your surroundings and local news in case of possible danger and avoid walking on the street by yourself during the night. When I was in Chicago in January 2022, there was a shooting incident on Michigan Ave during the day - the whole street was shut down and police were directing the traffic and people. Safety will be an important aspect of concern when you are depending on walking and public transport in Chicago, and sometimes you will spend more money on that. 

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Milwaukee+Madison, Wisconsin

Walkable: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Public transport ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Travel cost without a vehicle 💰💰

Experience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Milwaukee has never been in the top 10 cities to visit in America, but it has its own “tough guy” characteristics and is a surprisingly approachable city without driving. Known for the Harley-Davidson founding place, Milwaukee always gives people the impression of the road trip lifestyle, but in fact, the city has already built desirable streetcars “the Hop” to help you get around. The most important feature about the Hop is it is free! You don’t need to pay for a ticket and just hop on any station to get to anywhere you want. So look for stays near a Hop station, you will have a most enjoyable trip to Milwaukee. 

Me and my friend Ashley, who went to a boarding school near Milwaukee, took a day in the city. If you want to have the most fresh oysters and lobsters for under 20 dollars, the Public Market, located in Historic Third Ward, is the destination for your seafood journey. Unlike Chicago’s busy vibe, Milwaukee is quieter and more relaxed. There are city bikes on the streets for you to rent, and riding along Lake Michigan is a peaceful soul massage. 

“Because I was going to a boarding school, I didn’t have much time to get around and explore the city, and the neighborhood of my school didn’t have public transportation. I am glad that I took this chance to come to the city center – it is very convenient and chill, food and places are all minutes from each other. And the Hop is amazing! I think Milwaukee is definitely a non-driving-friendly place to travel,” said Ashley Yu, my friend who went to high school in Milwaukee in 2022. 

I also took a one-day trip from Milwaukee to Madison by bus. As a typical college town, Madison is also very walkable and features an enthusiastic University of Wisconsin spirit. My friend Runze is a student at UWM, and he told me that students here never need to drive because to campus is right next to Downtown and the Capitol, so often times going to school from your apartment is a nice walk. I enjoyed this small college town and was obsessed with the local chic boutique stores scattered around the neighborhood. 

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So far from my experience, traveling around cities in America without a car is certainly plausible. When people are used to road trips, they always forget to try different transportation, which always brings interesting experiences. There are things to be mindful of when you are not on your wheels, but when you see there are ways to walk on your food, getting out of the car is always worth trying.