Whether you fly, ferry, ride the rails, pedal, paddle or drive to Cape Cod, going car-free once you're over the bridge is actually not a complete pain if you book a summer rental in the right spot. Hands down, the Cape's best neighborhood for a car-free summer rental with both transit options and walkability is the one and only Provincetown.
Provincetown is Cape Cod's most popular vacation spot, "America's pre-eminent destination for gay and lesbian visitors and residents," home to the country's oldest art colony, where the Pilgrims first landed, and other awesomeness (kid-friendly, open year-round, the perfect wedding destination) touted by the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce. Naturally, all of that makes the parking situation abysmal.
Thankfully, getting to the edge of the continent is no big deal by ferry, plane or bus and PTown's walkability is unmatched on the Cape. The outermost town is packed with shops, restaurants, entertainment, beaches, Cape Cod's best dog park, and then some, all within walking and/or biking distance. While there are a host of hotel, motel, inn, and guesthouse options, weekly summer rentals are plentiful and, whether you stay in the thick of things or off the beaten path, they run the gamut from affordable to luxe. And yes, there's even public transportation. The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority runs a comprehensive seasonal shuttle service, daily bus service on The Flex and Dial-A-Ride transportation. The latter, known as DART, is "a door-to-door, ride by appointment transportation service...available to all Cape Cod residents and visitors for any purpose." If you're not a planner, Uber is kind of/sort of/supposedly on the Cape and, of course, there are traditional taxi services as well.
· Pilgrim Bark Park photo [Facebook]