Which Cities Have Banned Cars? Places to Explore

Yes, but “car-free” rarely means that every vehicle is prohibited everywhere: some places ban most private cars in their centers, while others restrict motor vehicles across an island or village and allow limited exceptions. When planning your trip, distinguish a citywide ban from a pedestrian zone, since the rules can affect where you arrive, how you reach your accommodations, and whether you need to transfer to a train, boat, or local shuttle.

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Venice, Italy, is a well-known example: its historic center is built around canals and pedestrian routes rather than roads for cars, so visitors generally continue on foot or by boat after reaching the edge of the historic city. Zermatt, Switzerland, restricts combustion-engine cars in the village; visitors commonly arrive by train or park in nearby Täsch and continue by rail, while authorized electric vehicles operate locally.

In Ghent, Belgium, much of the historic center is car-free, although that does not mean cars are banned throughout the entire city. You can explore the center on foot or by bicycle and use public transportation for longer journeys, while recognizing that access rules and exceptions apply within the restricted area.

Mackinac Island, Michigan, is a notable US example: most motor vehicles are prohibited on the island, and residents and visitors primarily travel on foot, by bicycle, or by horse-drawn carriage. The community does allow certain exceptions, including emergency vehicles, so it is more accurate to describe the island as broadly car-free than to say that every vehicle is banned.

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Start by identifying your arrival point and the final connection to your destination, then check ferry or train schedules and consider how far you will need to walk with your luggage. For a broader approach to arranging a public-transport trip, our Anywhere Without a Car guide covers planning travel without relying on a car.