🌟 When deciding whether a traveller needs a car in a particular country, we rate five key non-car transport options. Each one gets a score out of 10 and together they show how easy it is to explore a destination independently, safely, and enjoyably — without ever touching a steering wheel 🚗❌.
Below are the five factors, explained in the order used for scoring.
🚆 1. Trains
Trains are often the backbone of a car-free holiday. This score reflects the quality, coverage and usefulness of the entire rail system:
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🚈 Coverage across cities, towns & countryside
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⏱️ Reliability & frequency
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🚅 High-speed options
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🧭 Integration with buses & metros
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🧳 Ease of use for visitors
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🏔️ Access to scenic regions
Everything counts — from trams to metros to famous long-distance trains.
✨ Japan remains the world gold standard, with Switzerland a very close second 🌟🇯🇵🇨🇭.
🚌 2. Buses
Buses are the unsung heroes of public transport 🦸♂️ — especially in countries without large rail networks.
Scores consider:
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🗺️ Network reach
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🔄 Integration with trains
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💸 Value for money
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🚐 Shared taxis (marshrutkas, dolmuş, jeepneys, colectivos, etc.)
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⏰ Reliability
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🛑 Safety
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🪑 Comfort & crowding
On many islands, in much of Africa, and across large parts of Latin America, buses are crucial for getting anywhere without a car. Countries such as Colombia, Brazil, and Taiwan have invested heavily in world-class bus rapid transit systems, while places like Iceland and the Faroe Islands offer some of the most spectacular rural bus journeys anywhere in the world.
🚶♂️ 3. Walking
Walking covers both urban walkability and countryside hiking 🌿.
We assess:
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🚦 Pedestrian safety
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🧱 Pavement quality
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🏙️ Pleasantness of urban areas
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🌄 National park trails & long-distance routes
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🌡️ Climate & terrain
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🚫 Traffic levels
Great cities, historic districts, and countries with iconic hikes (e.g., long trails or mountain passes) do especially well 🥾✨. Countries with high cycling rates — including slightly less obvious examples such as Belgium and Germany — also tend to provide excellent environments for urban walking. In contrast, mountainous destinations like Andorra and Nepal are far better known for their spectacular hiking. And on a different note altogether, Croatia offers two truly world-class walking experiences: the historic city walls of Dubrovnik and the wooden boardwalks of Plitvice Lakes National Park.
🚴♀️ 4. Cycling
Cycling scores are weighted heavily towards safety 🚴♂️💛.
Key elements:
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🛣️ Quality of bike lanes
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🚧 Segregation from traffic
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🚗 Driver behaviour
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🌅 Scenic value
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🏔️ Terrain
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🚲 Bike rental availability
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🚦 Traffic levels & speed limits
Low-traffic countries can score surprisingly well, while global leaders — Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland — score close to perfect 🇳🇱🇩🇰🇨🇭.
⛴️ 5. Ferries
Ferries include any practical boat service used for getting around:
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⛴️ Inter-island ferries
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🚤 Foot-passenger routes
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🚢 River ferries
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🚡 Lake ferries
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🚍 Waterbuses & harbour services
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🛶 Practical river transport used by locals or tourists
Less weighting goes to:
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🛳️ Multi-day cruise ships
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🛥️ Private charters
Countries like Greece, Norway, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong and the Caribbean microstates rely heavily on ferries — often making cars unnecessary, whereas Switzerland again picks up a perfect score for its network of lake cruisers which are all seamlessly integrated with the bus and rail systems.
🌊✨.
🧭 Putting It Together: The “Do I Need a Car?” Score
All five factors combine to answer one simple question:
Can a visitor travel around the country easily without renting a car? 🌍🚗❌
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High train/bus/walking/cycling/ferry scores → You don’t need a car
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Low scores across the board → A car (or driver) is essential
Examples: