Is a car needed?

For a typical 3 day weekend in Portland, would a car be recommended or could I just rely on walking and public transportation to see most of the sights?

Is a car needed?

May through October you%26#39;d want a car so that you could get out to the coast once or twice. Cape Elizabeth maybe? And to Freeport for LL BEAn , and to the great lobster shacks. Weekend car rates end up lower than a few taxi rides especially if you%26#39;ve got a ';third day free'; coupon.

Is a car needed?

thanks for insight!

is it possible to see the beaches or islands with a ferry ride (and do it in one day?) I%26#39;m very anti- vehicle on vacations...so if it%26#39;s possible i%26#39;ll try! :)

thanks

The islands, for sure. Some of the more popular beaches, however, are located in communites south of Portland, and you%26#39;d need a car. If you%26#39;re adventurous, one of the island has the most beautiful beaches in the state IMO - Long Island. Not a lot for facilities out there (a couple little stores, but the only restaurant isn%26#39;t scheduled to re-open this summer), but you could carry gear and walk the 1.5 miles from ferry landing to beach and spend the day. Without a car, you%26#39;d not be able to hit sites like L.L.Bean or the lighthouses, as mentioned. One of the things I love about visiting your neck of the woods is the Metro. No public transportation here like that, unfortunately.

Portland does not have an extensive public transport like bigger cities do. While you can cover most of the greater metro area by city bus lines but you have to do everything on their schedule. If you absolutely do not want to rent a car then I suggest you stay downtown ner the ferry terminals if you want a ride out to the islands. To come to Maine on vacation and just stay in Portland would be a waste in my opinion. Not to dis the city or anything but you can go to a city about anywhere. No one comes to Maine to stay in the city they come for the coastline or some for the western mountains which is a short 1hr or less inland from Portland. My perfect long weekend would involve a day at the beach (Old Orchard Beach maybe) and a day going inland perhaps to North Conway, NH area. If you prefer to just relax and not travel you can walk around the Old Port area and take the ferry to an island for the day.

A different way of looking at your question is that, without a car, your choice of activities will be limited to those places that you can walk to. There is certainly enough to do in the old port area and the adjacent museum district (Is that the right name for it?), as well as the islands via ferries, to occupy 3 days very happily. Plan on reserving a hotel in the old port area so you are based in the heart of these areas. There is some public buses and taxis, if you need them. You could probably rent bicycles for an hour or two, or even for a day. Maine is an amazing place with tons to do. But 3 days in Portland without a car should not be a problem.

You need a cah.

You definitley need a car. Our public transportation system is lousy.

For a 3 day weekend I would think you could live without a car if you are staying in Portland close to downtown.

During the summer months the Downeaster (Amtrak) stops in Old Orchard Beach which can be a fun day. There is a shuttle that goes to the Portland train station from the old international marine terminal on Commercial Street.

As was already mentioned you can hop on the Casco Bay Lines ferry (at the other end of Commercial Street) to get out to the islands.

Also on Commercial St are the trolley and tour operators that go around town and out to Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth.

As long as the weather is decent and you like to walk you should be fine...