Digital Nomads

Car free is a massive QoL downgrade personally. Wasting time waiting for pub transport, inefficient routes. And all the smokers and crazy people

Yeah. Huge boost to QOL. Also makes dense cities more fun, rather than even worse

I'm not a nomad, but I don't like driving either. Luckily I live in The Netherlands, you absolutely do not need a car here. Lots of bicycle roads and good public transport.

I fucking hate driving. Hate cars. Americans are soooooooo into their cars.
But its been easy to make my life fairly car free in the US.
Issues come with things like hauling the dogs around. You can take your dog in the train in France. No american transport system allows this unless it's a "service dog". I don't find 99,9% of cities in the US totally car free-even the ones that say they are green like Boulder or Denver.

I absolutely love driving and cars. But I refuse to drive these days. I grew up in the suburbs too and my family and friends can't imagine life without a car. Meanwhile, my life in Colombia, Thailand, and Serbia was infinitely better using public transit and walking from place to place.

American cities are planned terribly to the point where well-planned cities are looked down upon by most Americans - because car-centric city planning is our norm. I didn't even consider car ownership when going abroad, but after living without a car for 2.5 years, I don't see a reason to ever own one again.

I live in a major European city. I sold my car a few months ago. I’m now car free and walking everywhere/taking Uber/using the Metro. It’s great. I don’t enjoy driving either.

I totally understand this. Having lived and worked in a place with lots of snow, ice, and distracted drivers makes for a miserable commute half the year.

For me that’s one of the main reasons. I don’t like driving, it’s too stressful and walking is much healthier/calming.

Yes, we like to stay in an area where we can walk mostly. When we need a ride indriver or grab is available and affordable.

Yes. Being car-free has drastically reduced my level of daily stress.

I’m in the exact same boat. Hate the thought of even owning one right now. Moving to Seattle next spring to continue my life without one

Contemplating this currently. My car was a victim of the Kia boyz recently, luckily wasn’t stolen since I got the software update but badly damaged. Thinking just getting rid of it would be the best option atm since I’m don’t even need it for work

Unironically, if I could live closer to home without car dependence, my chances of moving back would skyrocket. Cars are a huge sink of money and time and they just make it unpleasant to live in urban areas. I like going in cars sometimes, and it’s great to have one available for a long trip, but when you can’t walk or take public transport to the grocery store, print shop, repair shop, gym, etc., it nukes your quality of life and makes it impossible just to get things done.

It's a huge plus for me. I love not owning a car so much.

Yes. It’s originally why I moved to NYC, but it’s so expensive that I now travel as much as possible to save money.

I can't say it was a factor in causing me to nomad as I've never lived anywhere that I needed a car. But it's definitely something that I take into account when picking a place for long stays. I like walking, and for longer trips or bad weather, taking transit. I do enjoy driving when it's road trips though scenic empty roads. Used to love driving up the mountains in New Hampshire and Vermont for hiking or Ski Trips, end especially out west. But I've always hated driving in the city the times I would do it.

If living anywhere would urban would require a car I would generally skip it. Though If the rental prices aren't bad, I don't mind if it's a rural place up in the mountains or somewhere where a car makes it easier to get between towns.

Let's teleport everywhere! Why are we still not teleporting in 2023?!?

No, I like earning money anywhere.

Sounds like women made this post.

Yes I absolutely hate driving. Family and friends tell me that my fears are irrational and even my therapist told me we just need to work through my fears. While I agree that I can definitely work with my anxiety to help me for the times where I do need to be in a car, I don't understand why simply reducing the amount of time I spend in a car isn't the first solution. It's not a completely irrational fear because the risks are so much higher than so many "dangerous" sports like scuba diving, but my family doesn't understand why I am more afraid of driving than scuba diving.

It's one of the reasons I can travel more. You can't leave a parked car alone indefinitely. On several occasions, mice made a home in my car requiring repeated expensive repairs. Cars also need to move periodically to stay in good repair. Not having a car gives you one less thing to worry about. If you're interested in a car free life, it's totally doable, but you'll need to move to a place where it's feasible.

I'm currently not nomading, but car dependency is a strong factor pushing me away from the US

Once you spend some time away from the US you'll see that you're definitely not the insane one - even though car-centric infrastructure is a thing in many countries, and lots of young people dream of having cars, nowhere is it mandatory like it is in the suburban US.

It was definitely also one of my bigger reasons for leaving the US as well. I'm not a fan of cars; both the driving and the maintenance/parking/upkeep stress me out a lot, but even more important to me is the catastrophic effect that cars have on their surroundings. US suburbs are isolating, lifeless places - going from place to place involves sealing yourself off from the world in a metal box, and what little walking you do is through parking lots. It's something that seems completely normal if you've lived in suburbs all your life, but once I actually lived in cities abroad I was instantly and completely enraptured by walkable areas with public spaces. It's not really something I can quantify, but being in or even just walking through a visibly lively area gives me such a sense of well-being, and the ability to go anywhere by just walking out your front door with your own to legs is somehow exciting to me.

Nah, was always car free. It just makes sense.

I'm not a nomad but I'm car-free for multiple reasons. I live in Denver with a pretty decent transit system, and I can easily walk to the nearest grocery store. I work remotely so it isn't difficult for me to get by without a car. I also have the option of renting one if there is somewhere I want to go that requires it. It's working out very well for me. However, I think it would be impractical to nomad around the US without a car, especially if you like visiting state and national parks.

Not at all... I enjoy driving and have opted for a nomad lifestyle that involves living in an RV. So I will be driving quite naturally and quite a lot.

I 100% moved to avoid driving, it's in my top two reasons for sure

Do you have a bicycle with racks? That could give you more freedom than a car.

Definitely not a reason, I love driving and miss it.

I often have a car when I DN. I don’t think that it’s a requirement to be car free while nomadding.

Haven't been in an accident, but have seen some and the more I travel the world, the more I realize how absolutely awful car culture is in the US.

Everything you listed is also a factor for me planning on going nomadic next year and prioritizing living in places with good public transit.

I do want to keep my driving skills though. I think it's necessary to explore some of the attractions that are off the beaten path when abroad. I also did the whole campervan experience in Iceland and loved it, so I want to try doing that in other countries too. I imagine driving in other countries (depending on the country) could be much more pleasant. As a pedestrian, I found the drivers in Japan to be incredibly kind and patient. It was so refreshing coming from California where drivers seem to want to kill me.

For me yes.

Even when I’m done, I’ll still never live someplace where I can’t get a coffee or a beer without driving.

It's not a reason I wanted to live abroad but it's a huge factor in choosing where I go and where I stay. I also previously lived in cities in the US that didn't require a car as well.

I really dislike driving, parking, bills and the headaches of car life. Whenever I visit family I'm always struck by how much we need cars to do even the most mundane things.

yeah I like being able to travel to more walkable and bikeable cities to see what it's like. Notice how the most expensive cities in the US are walkable. Walkability is a premium here.

Remote worker here-

All my food and orders are delivered right at my doorstep.

I’ve NEVER owned a car and not found a necessity for it yet!

When we spent our first three months in Aruba we rented cars; it was during the pandemic and they were cheap. Since then we've mostly not rented cars because they were expensive and we didn't need them. We walk, take public transit, or take Uber/cabs. It wasn't a goal but a side benefit.

When I try to explain why I'm considering going car-free, I get immediate push back and they make me feel like I'm pushing so hard against what's considered "normal" and it makes me feel like a complete outcast, that I'm stupid, and blind. My belief is that there are other people out there who have optimized their lives without the need for a car.

Being able to live car-free been a huge stress relief.

I used to drive 2 hours every day to go to work and live my regular life.

Now, I hardly ever drive unless I rent a car or driving a friend/family's car.

Sure, not having a car can be inconvenient sometimes. It would be *nice to have*... But it's really not a big deal.

You're spot-on about the stress of car ownership.

If you can swing a car-free lifestyle by going nomadic, go for it.

Just understand that you'll be trading this convenience for the inconvenience of living in a new place.

Not a digital nomad. I'm from Australia, which is just as car addicted as north America. Then I lived in Europe (Hamburg, Germany) for two years and I was living car free, as we're all my mates there. Walking, cycling and catching public transit was how everyone got around and it was so nice and pleasant.

Now I moved back to Australia and I can't stand it anymore. Gridlocked traffic, fumes on the streets, narrow footpaths, dangerous bicycle 'lanes', and immense urban sprawl making getting around without a car difficult. It's a shitshow. Already making plans to move back to Hamburg again. I can''t stand the car-addicted poorly-designed urban environments of Australia anymore.

Yes, absolutely.

Not driving is one of the things I miss most. I loved driving.

Since being in China, I’ve only taken a couple of road trips in a car, and I realized by the times how less comfortable it is to sit in the car seat for a long time. Now I know if I return to LA I’ll probably have to drive a car again or at least use Uber.

YES. 1000x yes. Selling our car was one of the most satisfying parts when we finally left.

Never thought about it. Having a car means freedom when things are far apart. Driving isn't a chore and can be quite relaxing. A drive through Spain in our rental seeing all the Olive trees and the farmed solar panels. Definitely relaxing and enjoyable. Stopping for lunch or a break when ever something seemed interesting, another bonus for driving.

You will find many people who think the same way in r/notjustbikes and r/walkablecities

One the things I do as an urbanist DN is take pictures of all the trains and train stations in my destinations because I just don't have that where I come from! DN-ing is also a path towards finding a place with a good balance of urbanism, affordability, and community (among other things) so I can settle there for the longer term.

It’s a huge perk. I love driving but don’t like the dangerous drivers accidents or costs. Walking makes me more healthy and connected with my community as does taking public transport. Not a reason I went nomad but a reason I might stay this way for a while!!

Which are the best 'car free' places in the world?

I may not live in Freiburg, but I think I am already in one of the best I would be interested to learn about other contenders.

Not having a home or car means you're not wasting money on insurance and condo fees or property tax.

If you want to stay in North America, having a car is a huge perk; you can put all your stuff in it when you move. Would be impossible to own things like skis and be a digital nomad without owning a car

I am totally in the same boat. I work remotely and live in a rural area, but bc it’s Vermont and they actually did land use planning, I can get but with basic trips like to the grocery store, hardware store, post office with a bike.

Car ownership is an awful burden that never needed to be imposed on the majority of the public. I could go on about this forever you’re not alone. Go for it!