Guide to Surviving without a Car in the UK

As you may know from experience, driving and maintaining a vehicle is a huge investment. For many people, the expenses associated with having a car come only second to the cost of a house. If you don't want to deal with the hassle and cost of running a car, here is a guide to surviving without a car in the UK.

Get a Bicycle

Chances are a substantial number of your car journeys are under two miles, which is a distance that one can easily and quickly travel with a bicycle. While a bicycle won't be able to take you everywhere you need to go, you will likely have no problem using it to do most of your errands. Not only is cycling a cheap method of transportation, but it is also a great way to fit exercise into your packed schedule.

Car Share

If you have to commute more than a few miles to get to work, a bicycle likely won't cut it for your needs. Commuting to work is the main reason many people have a car in the UK. Look into car sharing with a colleague to get to work. Some employers even have elaborate car share systems in place. Therefore, it wouldn't hurt to ask your employer about car sharing.

Public Transportation

In the UK, public transportation will cost you significantly less than the cost of running a car simply for short errands and commuting to work. Many public transportation systems offer deals and discounts to regular passengers. For example, you may be able to buy monthly passes to board the bus. The monthly pass will likely cost you less than if you had purchased an individual bus ticket each and every day.

Take the time to learn the routes of buses and trains in your area if you decide to use public transportation to get where you need to go on a daily basis. One reason many people refuse to switch from running a car to public transportation is because they view learning the schedules and routes as too daunting. While the learning curve is a bit long, you will find that you will know the routes and schedule by heart after a month or so.

As you can see, surviving without a car in the UK isn't as difficult as it may sound. You will surely be successful as long as you are willing to make a few changes in your life for the better.

This post was written by Melody Gee, Content Director of http://www.onlinefaxes.com/.