I don’t own a car. For long-distance travel, I rely almost entirely on trains or buses. Once I arrive, I get around on foot, by share-cycle, or with a folding bicycle I bring along.
The advantage of public transportation is that it leaves your hands free. Since I live in the countryside, it takes about three hours by express train to reach a major city.
During that time, I work on my laptop or read on my Kindle. With fewer distractions than at home, I can focus better. It’s like having a mobile workspace.
When I’m focused, three hours pass quickly. Whether I’m working seated at home or seated on a train—it makes little difference. In fact, I sometimes get more done on the train. And if I feel sleepy, I simply close my eyes.
That’s not possible when I’m the one behind the wheel. Since I enjoy drinking while traveling, the restrictions of driving become a real burden. It takes away a good part of the pleasure of the trip.
Of course, cars have their advantages. They allow access to places where public transportation doesn’t reach, or where walking or cycling would be difficult. In my case, I sometimes have to rule out such destinations when planning a trip.
Still, there are more than enough places I can reach by public transport alone. I don’t need a car for the kind of travel I do.
A folding bicycle is also a great help. The one I use, a DAHON Dove Plus, weighs only about seven kilograms. Packed in a carry bag, it’s allowed on both trains and planes.
Unlike a car, a bicycle lets me stop whenever I want. Taking photos or shooting videos is part of what I enjoy when traveling, and that kind of flexibility is something I don’t want to give up.
When I arrive at my destination after breaking a sweat, the journey itself naturally becomes part of the memory. Unlike traveling by car, I can take in the outdoor air with my whole body. It gives me the feeling that I’m experiencing the trip physically.
The ease of parking is another advantage of using a bicycle. It’s especially convenient when visiting shops around the city.
These days, share-cycle stations have been installed throughout urban areas. I used to bring my folding bike everywhere I went. Even though it’s lightweight, seven kilograms is still a significant load.
Now, when staying in a city, I leave the bike at home and use a share-cycle on site. With so many stations available, I rarely find it inconvenient.
In the past, Kyoto had few stations, and I often had to walk a long way from remote drop-off points to my destination. That’s why I used to bring my folding bike there. But now, the city has a well-developed share-cycle network, and when exploring shops in the downtown area, it’s become indispensable.
You can travel without a car. In fact, there are views you only notice because you’re not driving. I plan to continue traveling by train and bicycle.
Some people find the journey itself a hassle and rarely travel at all. Others say that sightseeing is nothing more than confirming what they’ve already seen in photos.
But perhaps they say that because they travel by car. The small moments that happen along the way—those are what enrich the memory of a trip.
