Get Moving! 8 Cities With Quirky Transportation
No car? No problem! These U.S. cities have more interesting ways to get around.
One of the country’s last remaining inclines, Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Incline hoists 18 passengers at a time in a restored cable car.
Taking a Lyft or Uber is the go-to for transportation these days when arriving in a new city, but what about transport that doubles as entertainment? Whether you’re traveling for work or leisure, the eight selections below—including San Francisco public transportation, Pittsburgh trams and New Orleans swamp boats—feature cool rides on land and/or water that will get you to your desired destination in no time. Best of all: You’ll get a taste of local culture in motion.
See the Big Apple from a new point of view (New York, New York)
With routes that cover 60 nautical miles of waterways, the NYC Ferry is an affordable alternative to the Big Apple’s bustling subways and taxis.
The NYC Ferry literally gives a breath of fresh air as an on-the-water alternative to a bus or subway train, with routes to the Rockaways and along the East River. Connecting Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, the ferry is now paperless (tickets, available via mobile app, start at $2.75) and offers onboard concessions and cell phone charging stations. Prefer air travel? Take the Roosevelt Island Tramway, one of just a few aerial tramways in the U.S.
Ride to the top of a mountain (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
Voted by USA Today as one of the top 10 ways to view a city skyline, Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Incline has been open to the public since 1877 and is great for anyone looking to explore the city in an unconventional way. Just make sure you’re not in a hurry; the Incline travels 794 feet up Mount Washington at just six miles per hour and offers views of the city’s three rivers and various buildings and bridges. You’ll have an especially good view of the Fort Pitt bridge, which was the first bowstring arch bridge designed with a computer.
Take a different type of taxi (Charleston, South Carolina)
Why would you hail a cab when an open-air tricycle taxi with door-to-door service exists? The Charleston Rickshaw will take you anywhere in downtown Charleston between 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day, whether you’re headed to a cocktail bar, a restaurant or downtown’s best shops and art galleries. Charleston Rickshaw boasts pickup within minutes when you call its dispatch line.
Pedal your way through town (Savannah, Georgia)
Downtown Savannah’s open-container laws mean you can walk around outside with your alcoholic beverage of choice—so long as it’s in a plastic cup. What better way to burn off those future cocktails and get from Point A to Point B than to hop on the pedal-powered, eco-friendly crawler that is the Savannah Slow Ride? Want to hunt for ghosts or take in Savannah’s historic architecture? No problem. The vehicle fits 15, and a two-hour ride can be customized to your preferred route.
Float on the bayou (New Orleans, Louisiana)
In New Orleans, the waterways might as well be highways, so see the sights while cruising through the Crescent City’s canals. Seasoned guides from Louisiana Tour Company will point out local wildlife, fishing villages, Cajun cemeteries and other bayou diversions, and tours start as low as $15 per person. Plus, most swamp boats are big enough so that you can sit comfortably or stand and walk around. They are also equipped with roofs and windows in case of rain, wind or chilly weather. Tours vary and can last up to three hours.
Drift along downtown (San Antonio, Texas)
Get your cameras ready and experience the five downtown miles of the 15-mile San Antonio River Walk by water instead of land. The Rio Taxi can be hailed like a regular taxi, but it operates more like a bus or subway, moving steadily from one stop to the next. Because the boat makes frequent stops in the museum area and downtown to drop off and pick up passengers, it can take up to two hours to complete a 10-mile round trip. Tickets start at $10 for a one-way ticket, and river taxis run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Flash back to a different era (Fort Collins, Colorado)
Double-car streetcars began operating in Fort Collins in the early 20th century and stopped abruptly a decade or so later. An all-volunteer organization decided to restore Car 21, and in the late ’80s the Fort Collins Municipal Railway was back in service. The route runs from City Park to just west of Old Town on Saturdays and Sundays between May and November, and the three-mile round trip takes about 30 minutes. The trolley provides a heritage streetcar experience for locals and visitors alike, and it’s priced affordably at $2 for adults and $1 for children.
Ride the famous cable car (San Francisco, California)
The iconic San Francisco cable car system dates back to the late 1800s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
No trip to the City by the Bay is complete without a ride on the San Francisco Cable Car, which is both convenient and loads of fun. Three color-coded routes run seven days a week; if you find yourself on the Powell-Hyde route, hop off near Lombard Street to see the crookedest block in San Francisco—maybe the world. Pro tip: Board from a mid-line cable car stop for smaller crowds and a shorter wait time.
Ready to travel? Find hotels in New York, Pittsburgh, Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans, San Antonio, Fort Collins, San Francisco.
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