North America > 🇺🇸 The USA
The city by city Car or no Car advice for The USA can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in The USA; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in The USA?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in The USA?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
🏙️ Main Cities in The USA
| CITY | IATA | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | ABR | 8 |
| Albany | ALB | 6 |
| Anchorage | ANC | 3 |
| Athens (GA) | AHN | 8 |
| Atlanta | ATL | 7 |
| Atlantic City | ACY | 7 |
| Baltimore | BWI | 4 |
| Beckley | BKW | 9 |
| Birmingham (AL) | BHM | 8 |
| Boston | BOS | 3 |
| Bradley | BDL | 6 |
| Buffalo Niagara | BUF | 6 |
| Burbank | BUR | 5 |
| Cape Lisburne | LUR | 10 |
| Charleston | CHS | 6 |
| Chattanooga | CHA | 7 |
| Chicago | ORD | 3 |
| Cincinnati | CVG | 6 |
| Colorado Springs | COS | 7 |
| Concord-Padgett | USA | 6 |
| Crescent City | CEC | 8 |
| Dallas | DFW | 7 |
| Daytona Beach | DAB | 7 |
| Denver | DEN | 6 |
| Dothan | DHN | 8 |
| Durango (CO) | DRO | 7 |
| Elmira | ELM | 8 |
| Fairbanks | FAI | 4 |
| Flagstaff | FLG | 8 |
| Fort Lauderdale | FLL | 4 |
| Fort Myers | RSW | 7 |
| Grand Canyon | GCN | 9 |
| Grand Junction | GJT | 7 |
| Hilo | ITO | 7 |
| Hilton Head | HHH | 8 |
| Honolulu | HNL | 2 |
| Houston | IAH | 6 |
| Indianapolis | IND | 6 |
| Juneau | JNU | 8 |
| Kauai | LIH | 6 |
| Ketchikan | KTN | 7 |
| Key West | EYW | 5 |
| Knoxville | TYS | 7 |
| Kona | KOA | 6 |
| Las Vegas | LAS | 5 |
| Long Beach | LGB | 4 |
| Los Angeles | LAX | 6 |
| Louisville | SDF | 6 |
| Melbourne (FL) | MLB | 7 |
| Memphis | MEM | 6 |
| Miami | MIA | 4 |
| Minneapolis–St. Paul | MSP | 3 |
| Monterey | MRY | 7 |
| Montgomery | MGM | 8 |
| Naples | APF | 8 |
| Nashville | BNA | 6 |
| Neosho | EOS | 9 |
| New Orleans | MSY | 4 |
| New York | JFK | 1 |
| Norfolk | ORF | 5 |
| Ontario | ONT | 6 |
| Orlando | MCO | 6 |
| Panama City | ECP | 8 |
| Pensacola | PNS | 7 |
| Philadelphia | PHL | 3 |
| Phoenix | PHX | 10 |
| Pine Bluff | PIB | 9 |
| Pittsburgh | PIT | 4 |
| Portland | PDX | 3 |
| Prescott | PRC | 8 |
| Richmond | RIC | 6 |
| Sacramento | SMF | 6 |
| Salt Lake City | SLC | 6 |
| San Bernardino | SBD | 9 |
| San Diego | SAN | 4 |
| San Francisco | SFO | 1 |
| San Jose | SJC | 5 |
| Savannah | SAV | 6 |
| Seattle | SEA | 2 |
| St. Louis | STL | 6 |
| Syracuse | SYR | 6 |
| Tampa | TPA | 5 |
| Vail | EGE | 9 |
| Vidin | VDI | 9 |
| Washington D.C. | IAD | 6 |
| Yellowstone | JAC | 10 |
🚗 Travelling With a Car (Self-Drive or Rental)
✅ Advantages
-
True freedom & iconic road trips: Route 66, Pacific Coast Highway, Blue Ridge Parkway.
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Access to national parks & rural areas: Many of America’s best destinations have no meaningful public transport.
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Flexible timing & spontaneous stops: Diners, scenic overlooks, small towns.
⚠️ Challenges
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Major cities have traffic & expensive parking: New York, San Francisco, Chicago.
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Distances are extreme: 10-hour drives are common in the West.
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Insurance & fuel can be costly, especially under age 25.
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Winter driving hazards in northern states and mountain passes.
🚘 Best Regions for Car Travel
| Region | Why Drive? | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Western National Parks | No trains, limited buses | Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Zion |
| California Coast | Iconic scenic road trip | LA → Big Sur → San Francisco |
| Deep South / Blues Trail | Cultural stops in small towns | Memphis, Clarksdale, New Orleans |
| New England Fall | Scenic mountain & forest drives | Vermont, Maine coast |
| Florida Keys | Highway over water | Miami → Key West |
🚆 Travelling Without a Car (Train, Plane, Coach, Metro, Uber)
✅ Advantages
-
Excellent city transport: NYC Subway, Chicago L, Washington DC Metro, Boston MBTA.
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Domestic flights are frequent & affordable, especially long distances.
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Train can be scenic, especially Amtrak routes (California Zephyr, Coast Starlight).
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Coaches (Greyhound, Megabus) link major cities and budget travellers.
✨ Best No-Car Cities
| City | Why It Works | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | Subway 24/7, walkable | Absolutely no need for a car |
| Washington DC | Metro + buses + bike share | Major monuments all reachable |
| Boston | Compact, historic | Train & foot friendly |
| San Francisco | Trams, cable cars, BART | Parking is painful, avoid car |
| Chicago | Elevated trains, buses | Very easy without car |
🚄 Popular No-Car Itineraries
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NYC → Philadelphia → Washington DC (Amtrak corridor)
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LA → San Diego (Pacific Surfliner train)
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Boston → New York → Chicago (long-distance train or flight)
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Las Vegas → Grand Canyon (guided bus tour or helicopter—not public transport)
🛩 Domestic Flights
Because of huge distances, flights are often the best option:
| Route | Flight Time | Driving Time |
|---|---|---|
| NYC → LA | 6 hours | 42 hours |
| Chicago → Miami | 3 hours | 20 hours |
| Seattle → Denver | 2.5 hours | 20 hours |
| Dallas → Las Vegas | 2.5 hours | 18 hours |
🏁 Final Recommendation
| Travel Style | Best Option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-time visitor focusing on cities | No car | NYC, DC, SF, Boston, Chicago all easy without driving |
| Nature, national parks, small towns | Car required | Public transport is extremely limited |
| East Coast cultural trip | Train + bus + Uber | Efficient and scenic |
| West Coast classic holiday | Car recommended | Driving is part of the experience |
| Family road trip | Car ideal | Freedom + scenery |
The USA is a country built around the car.
You can travel without a car if you focus on major cities and use flights between them.
But once you want to see America’s natural wonders or small-town culture, a car becomes essential.
