Transportation in the US for Travelers

 

 

Regional Map of the US

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Areas of the US Americans Generally Refer to

  • The South

  • The Northeast

  • East Coast

  • West Coast

  • Midwest

  • Pacific Northwest

  • Rockies

  • Appalachia

  • Southwest (not as common)

  • New England (not as common)

Public Transportation that Traverses the US

Greyhound Bus

Affordable bus travel with nearly 2,300 destinations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico

Amtrak Trains

Trains that travel frequently up and down the East Coast; it goes across the US including to the South and the Pacific Northwest but these routes are more expensive and less frequent. One route does go to Montreal, Canada.

  • Buy Amtrak tickets in advance! The price increases closer to the travel date. For example, train prices from Philadelphia to New York can be $18 in advance or $150-$300 the day of.

  • If you are taking the Amtrak train to New York, please note that there is a stop called Newark right before it (if you’re headed north) and the names sound very alike.

  • See train routes

Local Transit Options

The East Coast has better train systems that are older and more established; they have better routes, more stops and more frequent trains. On the East Coast, it’s normal to wait 20 minutes for a train. Towards the West, trains usually arrive every hour.

Car Services

Outside of some major cities, most of the US will require a car to travel.

The Most Bike and Scooter Friendly Cities

Please note, this does not mean that all cities on this list have bike and scooter rentals.

San Francisco

Minneapolis

Portland

Seattle

Washington, D.C.

Chicago

New York

Fort Collins

Boston

Boulder

Philadelphia

Austin

Tucson

Denver

Madison

Eugene

Sacramento

Cities with the Most Walkability

San Francisco

Washington, D.C.

Seattle

Chicago

Boston

Philadelphia

Miami

Long Beach

 

Link light rail (trains)

RTD light rail (trains)

MTA transit system (trains and subways)

Septa trains and trolleys

Metro rail (trains and subways)