17 Comments

  1. 6 Things that make a place good for slow travelers - Grounded Traveler
    August 31, 2013 @ 8:19 am

    […] don’t usually have cars and so will only thrive in a place small enough for walking or biking and with public […]

  2. Atlanta Highway Roadtrip » Grounded Traveler - Expat Adventures in Germany
    November 27, 2011 @ 5:07 pm

    […] to the US in June. Germany has such wonderful public transport that I don’t need to drive. I ride my bike, walk and use trains here. So being on the road, even if I wasn’t driving, was a fascinating […]

  3. LBJ
    May 3, 2011 @ 8:57 pm

    Funny that bike parking is so strictly regulated…not a problem for me though since I have a folding bike. I just take my bike with me when I have to go inside.

    • Andrew
      May 4, 2011 @ 9:37 pm

      I have seen those. Not sure I would ever ride one just around town, but I see the people using them on the trains which I could understand.

  4. monika immaneni
    April 19, 2011 @ 12:14 am

    This blog is good in saying daily commut with bicycle.

  5. Jenna
    April 17, 2011 @ 12:36 am

    How great for you. I love this about Europe. It was a breakthrough for me when I lived in the Czech Republic after college. My roommate and I had no way of transportation except a bike we rarely used– we walked everywhere every day, but we lived in a pretty small town, so it was doable (but cold in the winter!). When we wanted to go somewhere else, we took the train or bus, and we used the subway all over Prague. Commuting to work by bike is simply impossible for me here in Sacramento.

    • Andrew
      April 21, 2011 @ 12:05 pm

      Thanks for the comment and story. Prague has such a good system. How far from Prague did you live?
      Does Sacramento have no public transport? Or does it just not go where you want to be?

      • Jeremy B
        April 21, 2011 @ 6:50 pm

        Sacramento does have public transportation. However, it doesn’t cover all areas of the city and it doesn’t go to the airport. It can be a convenient way to get downtown but even with traffic, driving can be faster in some situations. Sacramento is a very spread out place. If you live downtown, public transportation or biking is an option for some people. But it’s nowhere near what it is in Europe.

        • Andrew
          April 24, 2011 @ 4:05 pm

          That whole idea of not having public transit go to the Airport seems completely wrong. It seems like exactly the place that makes the most sense. I choose to go to Frankfurt airport over some others even if there were slightly cheaper flights just because the train stops right in the airport, so it is really easy to get there and away. I don’t understand why any system wouldn’t want to go where people would be happiest using it.

      • Jenna
        April 21, 2011 @ 11:20 pm

        Yes, Prague’s system is great. I lived on the other side of the Czech Rep., in SE Moravia, about 3 1/2 hrs by bus from Prague.
        Sacramento does have lightrail and buses, but the city is so spread out. I try to do everything in my little neighborhood to avoid much driving, but I do have to drive to work. When I lived in Ohio before this, I biked to work, so moving here was an adjustment. People drive way too fast here to make biking a reasonable long-distance commuting option. You are fortunate to be able to bike to work!

        • Andrew
          April 24, 2011 @ 4:10 pm

          Wow cool about living in Moravia.
          I remember the highway system from NC too. It would be suicidal to try to ride a bike on the highways. Not necessarily due to speed, but just because drivers aren’t used to bikes and don’t pay attention. The distance that would have to be covered and the insane hot summer temperatures add to it. It is good that you have a neighborhood that you can get stuff done without driving though.

  6. Lisa @chickybus
    April 16, 2011 @ 12:14 am

    Interesting post! I’ve been to Berlin a few times and really enjoyed riding a bike there. One night, I went out to a club and my friend and I rode bike to get there. That was different for me (as an American). And a couple times in the US, when I was carless, I had to rely on my bike. Not so easy here.

    Funny re: remembering where you parked and wild that people would view the basket as a mini garbage can!

    • Andrew
      April 17, 2011 @ 7:24 pm

      Not done biking in Berlin, but could be fun. I have friends in Munich that definitely do it. Berlin to me though it pretty big and has a good public transit system, so maybe not as necessary as some of the other.

      Yeah, I still get days where I forget completely where my bike is.

  7. Katherina
    April 15, 2011 @ 11:18 pm

    I loved being able to go by bike anywhere in town when I lived in Zurich… and I really miss it now in the french side – it’s all so hilly!!

    • Andrew
      April 17, 2011 @ 7:29 pm

      Even Zurich seems like it would be hilly enough to be annoying in places, though I remember the center of town near the station and around the lake. H

  8. Jeremy B
    April 15, 2011 @ 8:09 pm

    Very efficient way to get around. I like the exercise aspect as well. However, I would be wary of left hand turns too. This is where driving in the UK would be nice but then they just have to deal with right hand turns.

    I do love roundabouts though. Wish we had more of those in the US! As for your basket, do you have streamers and a flower on it as well? 🙂

    • Andrew
      April 16, 2011 @ 11:37 am

      Nope, no streamers. Racing stripes are cool though right?

      Yeah, the exercise aspect is another thing that makes it much different. I think riding to the pub and back for a beer and a cheeseburger somehow negates the benefit. This is a mini-roundabout, not the great big ones they have in England (or apparently New Zealand as my Kiwi friends point out). It is a circle of pavement and a roundabout sign, but still it is nice to have a slightly easier left turn.