In Italy, There’s a Village Where Cars Are Banned

When we picture Italy, many of us think of bustling piazzas, winding streets filled with scooters, and crowded city squares. But tucked along the Liguria region of northwestern Italy, perched above the Mediterranean Sea, you’ll find a coastline where cars are completely banned — and life moves at a slower, more charming pace.

This stretch is known as the Cinque Terre, meaning “Five Lands.” It’s a chain of five villages — Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore — clinging to rugged cliffs along the Italian Riviera. Their narrow lanes and steep stairways were never built for cars. Instead, they’re filled with pastel houses, family-run trattorias, and cobblestone alleys where locals and travelers stroll side by side.

Getting there is part of the adventure. Most visitors arrive by train that winds through tunnels carved into the mountains, or by boat that offers jaw-dropping views of the villages spilling down toward the sea. Once you arrive, you walk — everywhere. No taxis, no traffic, just your own two feet (and maybe a gelato in hand).

And here’s the best part: without the roar of engines, you hear the simple sounds of life. Fishermen mending their nets. Children chasing each other through the piazza. Waves crashing against the rocky shore. It’s like stepping back in time, when daily life was slower and simpler.

Venice, of course, is another famous car-free wonder. There, boats replace cars, and gondolas glide through narrow canals instead of taxis honking through traffic. It’s a city designed for wandering, where every turn reveals a bridge, a church, or a hidden courtyard.

For many travelers, these places feel like a reminder of why we travel in the first place — to escape the ordinary. To wander without a schedule. To enjoy a meal where you’re not distracted by passing cars or the pressure of time.

So the next time you dream of Italy, imagine a vacation where you walk instead of drive, where the streets belong to people instead of traffic, and where life slows down just enough for you to truly take it all in.

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