6 ms·

This depends on the country you're in. If you're living in a large city such as London, Berlin or Paris -- sure. But try living in Belgium, a bit more rural Ge

This depends on the country you're in. If you're living in a large city such as London, Berlin or Paris -- sure. But try living in Belgium, a bit more rural Germany or the Netherlands (perhaps with the exception of Amsterdam) and things are definitely less accessible if you want to get out of the city for a bit.

phicoh 8y ago
It's a different pattern of living. If you mostly use a car then you know about highways, traffic jams, parking, etc. If you mainly use public transports, then you know what places are easily reached that way, when the last train, bus, etc. goes in the evening. There is stuff that is hard to do with public transport (be in the middle of nowhere early in the morning) and there is stuff that is hard to do with a car (go out drinking in a city center).
ollysb 8y ago
> things are definitely less accessible if you want to get out of the city for a bit. You can always rent a car when you want one. Just checked some prices and in the off season here in Barcelona you can pick up a car for $1/day...
- olalonde 8y ago
  I have a time believing that figure... Where did you get it from?
  - maccard 8y ago
    I can't confirm OPs number but I have in the past hired a car for less than 6 euro a day in Ireland.
    - omnimus 8y ago
      The problem is these prices are trap. I think its a big risk since the car is not covered - if anything happens to it (somebody crashes into you or even malfunction) then you pay for it.
- eMSF 8y ago
  Not without a license.
- IkmoIkmo 8y ago
  That's just nonsense, you can't. Feel free to add a source that is transparent about all non-fuel costs. There's tons of false advertising, e.g. rent a car for 1 euro a day (service charge), but also pay a maintenance charge, an insurance charge, a monthly membership fee etc etc. For example I have a 3 euro a day rental, but I also pay monthly. Typically cars will cost about 30-35 euros or so per day, for the cheapest ones, with possibilities here and there to do 15-20 in certain seasons under limited conditions.
maxerickson 8y ago
My experience in the Netherlands was that the railways connected all the major cities and stopped at lots of towns and villages between them. And then there are segregated bike routes all over the place, in addition to lots of on road accommodations. Do you just not think anywhere there is "out of the city"?
CM30 8y ago
Even in London this is very area specific. Sure, virtually no one will recommend driving in central London, so if you're visiting the city/square mile, you're probably going to take public transport (due to traffic jams, the congestion charge, maze like street layouts, difficulty parking, etc). But outside of it, many parts of London will have people drive all over the place. If you're in Havering or Barking and Dagenham or other areas on the perimeter of London, a car is basically seen as mandatory for anyone over 16 or so. I suspect it's partly cultural too; a lot of the Hacker News/Reddit user/cosmopolitian 'liberal' mindset becomes a lot less common outside of tech hubs and densely populated urban areas.
- Balero 8y ago
  The driving age for cars is 17 in the UK. I also disagree that anywhere in London requires a car. And doubly that anyone from the perimeter requires a car early on. I know many people who lived in these areas and did not learn to drive. Smaller towns and rural areas in the UK do require having a car to live effectively in.
  - Jaruzel 8y ago
    Pull up a map of Greater London, and look at Biggin Hill (very south part of the map). There's no train or tube out here, and the bus routes basically run North and South requiring at least a change to get anywhere useful. We are INSIDE London, and part of a London Borough, having a car here is almostly mandatory if you actually want to get anywhere in a timely manner, or if you work in central London. It 's ridiculous as we're only 20ish miles from Westminster as the crow flies.
    - Balero 8y ago
      What are you talking about! You just walk to the airport and fly straight to London city! But in all seriousness, that does look pretty poorly connected, but it also looks like the only place. Some people I know from Slough, Kew, and Watford all don't know how to drive, and none seems to have suffered from it.

phicoh 8y ago

It's a different pattern of living. If you mostly use a car then you know about highways, traffic jams, parking, etc. If you mainly use public transports, then you know what places are easily reached that way, when the last train, bus, etc. goes in the evening. There is stuff that is hard to do with public transport (be in the middle of nowhere early in the morning) and there is stuff that is hard to do with a car (go out drinking in a city center).

ollysb 8y ago

> things are definitely less accessible if you want to get out of the city for a bit. You can always rent a car when you want one. Just checked some prices and in the off season here in Barcelona you can pick up a car for $1/day...

olalonde 8y ago
I have a time believing that figure... Where did you get it from?
- maccard 8y ago
  I can't confirm OPs number but I have in the past hired a car for less than 6 euro a day in Ireland.
  - omnimus 8y ago
    The problem is these prices are trap. I think its a big risk since the car is not covered - if anything happens to it (somebody crashes into you or even malfunction) then you pay for it.
eMSF 8y ago
Not without a license.
IkmoIkmo 8y ago
That's just nonsense, you can't. Feel free to add a source that is transparent about all non-fuel costs. There's tons of false advertising, e.g. rent a car for 1 euro a day (service charge), but also pay a maintenance charge, an insurance charge, a monthly membership fee etc etc. For example I have a 3 euro a day rental, but I also pay monthly. Typically cars will cost about 30-35 euros or so per day, for the cheapest ones, with possibilities here and there to do 15-20 in certain seasons under limited conditions.

maxerickson 8y ago

My experience in the Netherlands was that the railways connected all the major cities and stopped at lots of towns and villages between them. And then there are segregated bike routes all over the place, in addition to lots of on road accommodations. Do you just not think anywhere there is "out of the city"?

CM30 8y ago

Even in London this is very area specific. Sure, virtually no one will recommend driving in central London, so if you're visiting the city/square mile, you're probably going to take public transport (due to traffic jams, the congestion charge, maze like street layouts, difficulty parking, etc). But outside of it, many parts of London will have people drive all over the place. If you're in Havering or Barking and Dagenham or other areas on the perimeter of London, a car is basically seen as mandatory for anyone over 16 or so. I suspect it's partly cultural too; a lot of the Hacker News/Reddit user/cosmopolitian 'liberal' mindset becomes a lot less common outside of tech hubs and densely populated urban areas.

Balero 8y ago
The driving age for cars is 17 in the UK. I also disagree that anywhere in London requires a car. And doubly that anyone from the perimeter requires a car early on. I know many people who lived in these areas and did not learn to drive. Smaller towns and rural areas in the UK do require having a car to live effectively in.
- Jaruzel 8y ago
  Pull up a map of Greater London, and look at Biggin Hill (very south part of the map). There's no train or tube out here, and the bus routes basically run North and South requiring at least a change to get anywhere useful. We are INSIDE London, and part of a London Borough, having a car here is almostly mandatory if you actually want to get anywhere in a timely manner, or if you work in central London. It 's ridiculous as we're only 20ish miles from Westminster as the crow flies.
  - Balero 8y ago
    What are you talking about! You just walk to the airport and fly straight to London city! But in all seriousness, that does look pretty poorly connected, but it also looks like the only place. Some people I know from Slough, Kew, and Watford all don't know how to drive, and none seems to have suffered from it.