Austin, Texas has become a very popular city over the past few years. People enjoy Austin’s “weird” vibes, great music, and amazing atmosphere. If you’re considering moving to Austin, you may have some questions about transportation. Do you need a car to live in Austin? Is it hard to get around without one?
Whether or not you’ll need a car in Austin depends on where you live. In the downtown area, it is possible to live without a vehicle. But, getting around without a car becomes significantly more difficult if you live in the suburbs.
Below, we’ll discuss what it’s like living without a car in Austin. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know!
Can You Live in Austin Without a Car?
Austin is a stunning city that’s becoming very popular, especially among the younger generations.
There are many things that draw people to Austin, including great live music.
However, some question if they can live in the city without owning a car.
Whether or not you’ll need a car in Austin depends on the area you live in and your lifestyle. If you live in the suburbs or want to go outside Austin and experience the rest of Texas, it’s best to have a car. But if you live downtown, you can take advantage of other modes of transportation.
Is It Hard to Get Around Austin without a Car?
Living in a city typically means more ways to get around.
While having your own vehicle is always nice, there are other transportation options in Austin.
Just a few of these include:
- Walking
- Biking
- Buses
- Ridesharing
- Light rail train
Below, we’ll discuss each of these alternatives.
Walking
For most of the year, Austin is very temperate. This makes it a good city to walk in.
If you live in an area that has a lot of attractions close by, walking is a great way to get around.
That is what makes the downtown area such a nice place to live.
The only problem is, since it is so convenient, it is often very expensive to live in more walkable areas.
Biking
Austin caters to bike enthusiasts with great trails and cyclist shops. They even have laws designed to specifically protect the rights of cyclists.
Again, biking around the city is easier if you live in a more commercialized area, and it might be more challenging in the winter than it is in the summer.
But for the most part, it’s easy to use a bike to get around.
Buses
Buses are a viable transportation option in Austin if you live closer to the city and near a bus line.
However, the bus line is not very convenient.
In other cities, people choose to take the bus because it’s easier than driving.
But in Austin, most people that take the bus do so only because they don’t have a car.
The bus system goes from downtown to the suburbs, but there are fewer bus stops as you get further from downtown, and you might need to walk to find one.
The bus system can be very confusing, and often, you will need to take two, three, or even four buses to get to your destination.
That can lead to a very long commute to work.
Ridesharing
Rideshare apps, like Uber and Lyft, as well as traditional taxis, are great options for a night out or a ride to the airport when you don’t have a car.
But, they can become pricey if you use them on a regular basis.
If you are trying to save money by not buying a car, this is not the way to do it.
Light Rail Train
Another transportation option in Austin is to use the light rail train system to get around.
The light rail spans from downtown to the northwest suburb of Leander.
However, there are a lot of different routes, and navigating the train can become confusing. It’s a good idea to plan your route ahead of time so you don’t get lost.
Also, keep in mind that the light rail system does not work on Sundays.
Can You Live in Austin Without a Car?
There are other options in Austin if you don’t have a car, including walking, biking, or taking a bus.
However, getting around without a car in Austin isn’t as easy as it is in other cities.
Alternative forms of transportation can be expensive and confusing.
