1. Tell us your trip
Start with where you want to go, your dates and your pace. Tell us how you like to move — by rail, bus, ferry, bike or on foot — and whether you're travelling with kids, heavy luggage or accessibility needs.
This is also where a destination's Car-Free Score comes in — a quick first read on whether a place is realistic to explore without renting a car, before you dig into the detail.
2. We test it without a car
Every leg of the trip gets checked against our own transport database: how you arrive, how you get around locally, and the last-mile gap between the nearest stop and the thing you actually came to see.
We also weigh in luggage difficulty (stairs, transfers, long walks) and flag the seasonal or last-service gaps that catch people out — the last bus of the day, a ferry that only runs in summer.
3. Book with confidence
Once a trip checks out, we point you to tickets, passes and stays that are actually well placed for it — close to the right station, not just cheap. Booking links help fund the site, and we say so.
Alerts watch the details that tend to go wrong after you've booked — a schedule change, a last connection moved earlier — so surprises show up before departure, not on the day.
What we actually check
Behind every score and recommendation is the same checklist, run consistently across destinations, neighbourhoods and full itineraries:
- Arrival — realistic rail, bus or ferry connections from major hubs.
- Getting around — how easily you can reach places once you're there.
- Last-mile gaps — the stretch between the nearest stop and the attraction itself.
- Luggage difficulty — stairs, transfers and walks with bags in tow.
- Seasonal & last-service schedules — what only runs part of the year, and what stops running early.
- Accessibility — step-free routes and alternatives where stairs are unavoidable.
Where we are today
We're building this in the open. Verified destinations, routes and itineraries are live today, each checked and dated by hand. A live trip-feasibility engine that tests any custom itinerary in real time is rolling out gradually.
If a route or detail looks off, tell us — corrections are one of the fastest ways this gets better for everyone.
Frequently asked questions
Is CarFreeRoutes available for every destination?
Not yet everywhere. We publish destinations, routes and itineraries as we verify them by hand, so coverage grows steadily rather than all at once — quality over speed.
Can it test a trip I make up myself?
A full self-serve trip-feasibility engine is rolling out gradually. In the meantime, our verified destinations, routes and itineraries already cover many of the most common car-free trips.
Do you check accessibility, not just whether a trip is possible?
Where we can, yes — we note step-free options and flag where stairs are unavoidable. Coverage is still growing, so always confirm details that are safety-critical for you directly with operators.