Weekend Getaways from California Without Driving a Single Mile

The whole point of a weekend trip is to relax. Driving five hours on a Friday afternoon and five hours back on a Sunday is not relaxing. The best weekend trips from California are the ones where you fly out, walk or take transit at your destination, and never sit in traffic.

Here are the destinations where you genuinely don't need a car.

San Francisco

BART runs from SFO directly to the city ($9, 30 minutes). Once there, SF is one of the most walkable cities in the country. The Mission, Hayes Valley, North Beach, Chinatown, and the waterfront are all connected by walking or a quick Muni ride. You'll cover more ground on foot in a weekend than you would in a car.

Portland

The MAX light rail connects PDX airport to downtown in 40 minutes ($2.50). Downtown, the Pearl District, and the close-in east side neighborhoods (Hawthorne, Division, Alberta) are all walkable or a short transit ride. Portland is flat, which helps. Rent a bike if you want to cover more ground.

Seattle

Link Light Rail runs from Sea-Tac to downtown in 40 minutes ($3). Pike Place, Capitol Hill, the waterfront, and Pioneer Square are all walkable from downtown hotels. The ferry to Bainbridge Island is walking distance from the waterfront. You absolutely do not need a car for a Seattle weekend.

New Orleans

The French Quarter, Garden District, Warehouse District, and Magazine Street are all connected by the streetcar ($1.25) or walking. Rideshares are cheap and everywhere for anything further. New Orleans is a walking city by design. The best way to experience it is on foot, stopping wherever looks interesting.

Las Vegas

The strip is three miles of walking. The monorail connects several casinos. Taxis and rideshares handle everything else. A car in Vegas is a liability. Parking is expensive and driving the strip is slower than walking it.

Chicago

The Blue Line runs from O'Hare to downtown ($5, 45 minutes). Chicago's L train system connects virtually every neighborhood worth visiting. Walking along the lakefront, through the Loop, and up Michigan Avenue covers most of what you want to see in a weekend. Great public transit city.

Mexico City

The Metro is extensive, safe, and costs $0.25 per ride. Uber is everywhere and inexpensive. Condesa, Roma Norte, Centro Historico, and Coyoacan are all connected by Metro or a short rideshare. Do not rent a car in Mexico City. Traffic is legendary and parking is a nightmare.

The pattern

The best no-car weekend destinations have three things: airport-to-downtown transit, walkable neighborhoods, and enough density that everything you want is close together. All seven cities above check every box.

Browse weekend packages to any of these destinations. Sort by Weekend Score, which factors in flight timing so you spend less time traveling and more time walking around a new city.