There are two ways to really get to know the locals when you go on a trip. One is to visit local restaurants and, especially, pubs or taverns. The other is to use the local mass transit. This lets you really see how locals live and gets you a taste of their everyday lives.
Tim and I both are big boosters of public transit, both here in L.A. and beyond. On vacation, locations with good mass transit offer you (usually) an accessible way to get around quickly; a cheap mode of transportation; local culture immersion; and a safe way to get home after a late night at the pub.
This is the main reason you see our Transit Reports here.
Rental cars are expensive...wheelchair vans are ungodly expensive, so we like to do without as much as we can. Taxis are also expensive and accessible cabs usually are hard to find. There are a few exceptions, London springs to mind as an easy place to get an accessible taxi but they are still expensive.
Some great destinations that have good, accessile transit include New York, San Francisco, Seattle, London, Boston, and Munich. Many more locations have at least adequate transit, like here in Los Angeles.
If it's possible, we recommend that you use the public transit option as much as possible. It has really enhanced our travel experiences when we do it. Below are some examples:
London Step-free Underground Map (PDF)
New York Subway Map (Look for wheelchair icon next to station name)
San Fransisco Transit Map (PDF - Look for wheelchair icons)
Boston T Map (Look for wheelchair icons)
Munich Barrier-Free U-Bahn and S-Bahn Map (PDF)
-Darryl
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