How Do You Get Around Nashville Without a Car?
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Without a car, you get around Nashville with a mix of four things: walking inside downtown, WeGo buses (including Route 18 to and from the airport for $2), rideshares for neighborhoods the buses do not reach conveniently, and Nashville BCycle e-bikes for short hops. The plan works best if you stay downtown or in a neighborhood next to it, because the main sights there are close together.
Walking Downtown
The core of a first visit sits within a few blocks. The Ryman Auditorium (116 Rep. John Lewis Way North) and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (222 Rep. John Lewis Way South) sit on the same street on either side of Lower Broadway, and the Johnny Cash Museum is at 119 3rd Avenue South. The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge crosses the Cumberland River from downtown to the East Bank on foot. The Gulch lies just southwest of downtown and Germantown just north, both reachable on foot if you do not mind a longer walk.
WeGo Buses
WeGo Public Transit runs the city’s buses. Its downtown hub is the Elizabeth Duff Transit Center at WeGo Central, 400 Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd., where the airport bus connects with other routes. As of October 2026:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fare | $2, which buys a two-hour pass with no transfer needed when you pay by QuickTicket or contactless card |
| Caps | $4 a day and $65 a calendar month with QuickTicket or the same contactless card |
| Payment | QuickTicket app, contactless credit or debit cards and mobile wallets (American Express not accepted), or exact cash |
| Route 18 Airport | BNA Ground Transportation Center (Level 1, Terminal 2 Garage) to WeGo Central; express trips about 20 minutes, local trips 35 to 45 minutes |
| Route 34 Opry Mills | Runs between downtown and the Opry Mills food court stop |
Route 34 times are on the Route 34 schedule.
Sources: WeGo fare information and WeGo airport service.
For a visitor, how often the bus comes matters as much as where it goes. Since WeGo’s July 5, 2026 service change, Route 18 runs every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week and every 40 minutes in the evening, and Route 34 Opry Mills runs every 30 to 40 minutes instead of hourly (WSMV report on the summer 2026 changes). The posted Route 18 timetable shows daytime departures 30 minutes apart. Check the schedule in the Transit app or Google Maps before you rely on a bus for a timed ticket. How the system works in more detail is in how the WeGo bus system works.
Rideshares
For trips the bus does not serve well, such as across town between neighborhoods, Uber and Lyft fill the gap. Each app sets its price at the moment you request a ride, so compare both before you book. Where to meet a rideshare at the airport is explained in getting from the airport to downtown.
E-Bikes and Scooters
Nashville BCycle is an electric bike-share system with stations from the Parthenon along Broadway, across the Pedestrian Bridge, and out to the Shelby Bottoms Greenway, open 24 hours a day. As of October 2026 its options include pay per minute ($1 to unlock, then 45 cents a minute), a $10 30-minute pass, and a $23 day pass with unlimited two-hour trips for 24 hours, all bought in the BCycle app (BCycle pass options).
The WeGo Star Train
The WeGo Star commuter train runs on weekday mornings and afternoons only, between Lebanon and Riverfront Station at the foot of Broadway. It can help a visitor staying in a town along the line, but it does not serve trips around the city (WeGo Star service).
A Three-Day Plan Without a Car
- Arrival day. Take Route 18 from the airport to WeGo Central for $2, or a rideshare from the Ground Transportation Center. Walk Lower Broadway, the Ryman, and the Hall of Fame.
- Day two. Walk the Pedestrian Bridge to the East Bank, then take a rideshare or a bus to East Nashville or Germantown, and ride back.
- Day three. Spend the morning on a BCycle ride through downtown or to Centennial Park, then take Route 18 back to the airport, leaving room in your schedule for the bus frequency.
Whether you need a rental car at all, given where you are staying and what you plan to see, is covered in do you need a car in Nashville.