10 Picturesque Washington Cities And Towns You Can Explore Without A Car
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Jessica Wick
Author
Road trips are great and all, but sometimes it’s nice to park the car upon arrival and enjoy your new surroundings on foot or by bus. Luckily, there are plenty of places where you can easily do that in Washington. These 10 are a few fine examples of destinations where you can go carless.
Edmonds is a picturesque waterfront community located about 11 miles north of Seattle. Its downtown area can easily be explored on foot, and they have public transportation available if you decide to wander a little farther.
You don’t need to take your car to our beautiful Bavarian village. Many of the hotels are within walking distance of the charming downtown area. There are also several tours, like winery visits, that have transportation provided. You can even get to the city itself by bus from places like Seattle and Wenatchee, so if you really don’t want to drive there, you don’t have to.
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Since Spokane’s neighbor, Cheney, is a college town, it has good public transportation for its size. Its small but charming downtown is very walkable and includes some good food and great shops.
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La Conner is a little off the beaten path, so you’ll definitely want to drive there. But once you arrive, park your car and enjoy the quaint waterfront businesses and catch a sunset from the boardwalk.
Bellingham is a little larger and more "spread out" than the other places on this list - it’s the largest city in Whatcom County. But it also has a decent bus system and ridesharing options like Uber. Or, you could always pick your favorite neighborhood and stick to it.
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The always pleasant Walla Walla is full of shopping, restaurants, and of course, wine. They’ve got an array of options for chartered wine tours, not to mention their decent city bus system.
Bainbridge Island is accessible by ferry - but you can leave your car behind. The downtown area is just steps from the ferry terminal and has everything you’ll need, including a few hotels.
Mount Vernon is best known for its close proximity to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, but in the "off" season it’s a more relaxed and fun place to visit. The city was established in 1889 and still retains some of its historic charm. The restaurants, shops and other small businesses downtown don’t require a car to reach.
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The home of the WSU Cougars is full of hills, so it might not seem very walkable at first. But if you only want to explore the campus and the downtown area, you can park and stroll around all day. There are also busses available for when you get tired.
Our little Victorian village is a beautiful place to visit however you’d like to see it. If you’d rather not drive around, stay at one of the waterfront hotels, like the Swan Hotel. You’ll be within walking distance of plenty of places.
It’s so nice to be able to get around a town without a car. And it’s even better when you don’t have to use more than one tank of gas to get there.
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