Cars have become somewhat ubiquitous across the world over the past century and a half or so, evolving from horse-drawn carriages to steam-powered vehicles and eventually, the automobiles we drive today. While there are still many remote and natural places where you’ll never hear the hum of an engine, you’d be hard-pressed to find an inhabited modern town or city these days that isn’t at least sometimes interrupted by honking horns. 

Yet there are a few places in the world that have made the decision to be car-free, either for logistical reasons, to foster a sense of peace and distance from the rest of the world, or a bit of both. Here are six towns, cities, and locales around the world where no cars are allowed.

1. Mackinac Island, Michigan
2. Monhegan Island, Maine
3. Hydra, Greece
4. Daufuskie Island, South Carolina
5. Giethoorn, Netherlands
6. Zermatt, Switzerland

Mackinac Island, Michigan

A visit to Michigan’s Mackinac Island can feel like going back in time, as you might hear the click-clacking of horse-drawn carriages or the quiet hum of bicycles, but you definitely won’t hear the sound of cars. Motor vehicles have been banned on the island since 1898, when a group of carriage-drivers successfully persuaded the village council to ban “dangerous horseless carriages.”

The ban stuck and soon became a selling point for the island’s tourism industry. Today, Mackinac is a popular summer retreat destination that is also home to the only state highway in the United States where cars aren’t allowed, save the odd emergency vehicle.

Monhegan Island, Maine

Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, edged by ragged cliffs, and lined with pine trees and wildflowers, Maine’s Monhegan Island has a mystique all its own. The island has long attracted artists, writers, and people wanting to immerse themselves in the Maine wilderness, and is home to a famous artists’ colony that has existed there for over 150 years.

Part of the island’s charm comes from the fact that cars are not allowed there, except for some emergency vehicles and supply trucks. Fortunately, the island is only about a mile wide, and most of it consists of untouched nature—perfect for roaming about by foot and gathering inspiration, bouquets, or both.

Hydra, Greece

Hydra is a Greek island with a storied history. It prospered as a shipbuilding hub in the 18th and 19th centuries, and in the 20th century, it became a popular destination for celebrities and travelers after the movie Boy on a Dolphin, which starred Sophia Loren, was filmed there. It became a bit of a bohemian enclave in the 1960s, and songwriter Leonard Cohen called it home for a time and even wrote some of his most famous songs, such as “Bird on a Wire,” on its shores.

The island, which is about a two-hour ferry ride from Athens, also has no real roads, and you likely won’t even see a bicycle there. Instead, here, most things are transported on donkeys’ backs. All of this adds to the island’s atmosphere of carefree timelessness. Who needs a car, after all, when you can spend the day sipping coffee in a cafe by the sea?

Daufuskie Island, South Carolina

Daufuskie Island is about a thirty-minute boat ride from Hilton Head, but it feels like a world away. This island was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years but was colonized by the Spanish in the 1500s. Plantations soon developed there, and the island was home to many slaves until the Civil War.

Union forces captured the island in 1861, and by the end of the war, the island’s population consisted mostly of freed slaves. These residents turned the island into an oasis for the Gullah, a group of African Americans living in South Carolina and Georgia known for incorporating elements of African culture and language. 

Today, the island remains an oasis. Many of its residents make their living oystering or fishing, and its blend of history, gorgeous beaches, starry skies, art galleries, and restaurants make it an attractive destination for anyone looking to truly be transported. Plus, the island is almost completely car-free. There’s no bridge to get from the mainland to the island, and most people rely on golf carts or bicycles to get around.

Giethoorn, Netherlands

The town of Giethoorn is sometimes called the “Dutch Venice,” and it’s easy to see why, as this town consists of four miles of canals laid out in mesmerizing patterns around a car-free city center.

Located about an hour-and-a-half-long drive from Amsterdam, Giethoorn feels a bit like a fairytale thanks to its collection of traditional Dutch houses, its smooth canals, and its quiet atmosphere. Some visitors say it has become quite a touristy destination in recent years, so going early in the morning or in the months of April, May, June, or September might be optimal for the most truly relaxing experience.

Zermatt, Switzerland

A glittering village nestled in the snowy Swiss Alps, Zermatt looks like something out of a fantasy. Fans of Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses and subsequent books in the series have even identified Zermatt as the closest thing our world has to the fictional Night Court city of Velaris. 

Zermatt is a quaint alpine village that is filled with things to do, from scenic train rides that take you through mountainous winter wonderlands to hikes that provide stunning views of the Matterhorn, which towers above. One thing you won’t find there for the most part, though, is cars.

Private vehicles are banned in Zermatt, and most people get around using trains, electric buses, and the occasional electric taxi. The main reason for this? To reduce the amount of fumes in the air, which makes for an even more crystal-clear view of the Matterhorn and the surrounding mountain range.

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