Car Articles

Read articles on cars and car industry. Get fully updated on all information related to cars. Read exciting happening in the Indian and Global Car industry, tips to help you and more...

Old Articles

Top 10 Most Common Mistakes...

Cities That are Free of Automobiles

Ah, the blessings of modern day living, it is virtually impossible to imagine life without a car. Believe or not, in the early 20th century, almost every city in the world was "car-free." Hundred years down the lane and the situation is such that we cannot escape the flood of vehicles that are clogging every other roads and highways. Right, we do have car free-zones in a city or area, but here is a list of destinations where the entire population carries on with their lives without automobiles. In case you are visiting these places, make sure you carry a good pair of sneakers.

1. Sark Island, United Kingdom, Population: 560

The Sark Island, located in the English Channel, is surrounded 40 miles of exhilarating coastline. Mode of transportation - horse-drawn vehicles and bicycles and tractors. Amazing, isn't it! Restrictions are relented for the elderly who can drive some battery-powered buggies. So much so for environment that the island does not even have an airport. Flyovers are strictly prohibited and goods and passengers arrive only by ferry.

2. Mackinac Island, Michigan, United States, Population: 600

We know, a horse drawn carriage may sound like right out of a romantic movie for a lot of people. For most residents of Lake Huron's Mackinac Island, it is a way of living. When the 3.8-square-mile destination started attracting tourists from all over the world, the authorities had the foresight to ban all kinds of motorized vehicles back in 1898. With a result that all that you hear now is the engine rumbling of some snowmobiles and emergency vehicles. The, otherwise, modes of transportation are foot, bicycle and horse-drawn carriages.

3. The Medina of Fes-al-Bali, Morocco, Population: 156,000

Consider this: a population of more than 156,000 people living without cars! Unbelievable, but true again. The Medina of Fes-al-Bali is home to over 1.5 lakh people and is considered as one of the largest contiguous car-free urban areas in the world. The ancient heritage of having narrower streets has continued in the modern ages too. Some of the sections are only two feet wide. It is not only cars that are unable to traverse through the Medina, but riding a bike is also limited due to space constraints.

4. Hydra, Saronic Islands, Greece | Pop: 3,000

Most of us fancy a trip or two to Greece, and what's more you can avoid the traffic, too. You can travel by hydrofoil or catamaran to the island of Hydra, where no vehicles are allowed, garbage trucks being one exception. Your options vary from horses, donkeys and water taxis, but the city is so compact that practically walking is much more convenient.

5. La Cumbrecita, Argentina | Pop: 345

This town is famous as a "pedestrian town". La Cumbrecita relies on eco-tourism and features small, stone-paved streets in between homes in an Alpine setting. Vehicles are a total no-no in this town and you can access the town only by foot after driving to a parking lot well outside the main entrance. Hotels, lodgings and cabins that heavily hint at Alpine-styling are available, and with permission you may camp anywhere you like in the town.

6. Lamu Island, Kenya | Pop: 2,000-plus

You would find it surprising to know that the current tourist destination once used to be a center for the slave trade. One of the main reasons of Lamu becoming popular as a tourist hotspot can be safely contributed to it being labeled on the World Heritage List as "the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa." Once again, it is one of those places where vehicles are not at all allowed, and the most frequently used mode of transportation is donkey. In fact, there are some 2,000-3,000 working donkeys on the island.

7. Venice, Italy | Pop: 70,000

Venice is one of those places which even the most unromantic soul on the planet would wish to visit. But once you set foot in this enchanting city, your options of getting around places are the most limited at their best. Walking and boating are the only and very popular order for transportation, but then who wants to be in a car in Venice. Venetians have been doing it for centuries now and the Gondolas have always been one of the best things about the city. The city is Europe's largest urban car-free area and boasts some 400 bridges connecting the 118 small islands on which it is built.