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Message
re: Can you live in Knoxville Tennessee without a car?
Posted on 8/12/25 at 2:53 pm to zoozoo100
Posted on 8/12/25 at 2:53 pm to zoozoo100
quote:dude, TN is beautiful. you're crazy not to have a car to go find waterfalls on the weekends, hiking in the smokies, kayaking on the river...
I really don’t want to haul my car from Boston to Tennessee next year. I’m in the process of getting a PhD in communications and was wondering if it were doable to use public transportation? Would it be more wise to rent a car instead?
so no, you dont want to live in knoxville without a car.
0
Posted on 8/12/25 at 2:54 pm to zoozoo100
You could have your car transported to you for under $500.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 2:58 pm to phutureisyic
quote:
You could have your car transported to you for under $500.
Or just drive it 14 hours over two days like any other American would do and make an adventure out of it.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 3:00 pm to zoozoo100
quote:
I really don’t want to haul my car from Boston to Tennessee
I really hope there is some logistical detail that you’re omitting that is complicating this for you.
If so, don’t bring your car initially, and find an affordable one-way plane ticket back to Boston at a later date to drive your car to Tennessee. Then you will only be without a car for a couple of weeks.
However, the worst time to be without a car is those first few weeks until you learn the area. That’s when you are going to need it the most. Do the opposite. Drive it down a few day early, then fly back to move.
All that seems like a much bigger hassle than whatever logistical problems you are having with bringing it on the initial move.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 3:03 pm to zoozoo100
How often do you leave your house?
If you only need transportation to and from school, then you could probably take an uber or (depending on how far you live) walk or ride a bike.
It just depends on what kind of social life you want to have. If you never leave the house, then sure you could probably get by without a POV.
Or get a friend to drive it down for you and buy them a ticket to fly home.
If you only need transportation to and from school, then you could probably take an uber or (depending on how far you live) walk or ride a bike.
It just depends on what kind of social life you want to have. If you never leave the house, then sure you could probably get by without a POV.
quote:
If so, don’t bring your car initially, and find an affordable one-way plane ticket back to Boston at a later date to drive your car to Tennessee. Then you will only be without a car for a couple of weeks
Or get a friend to drive it down for you and buy them a ticket to fly home.
This post was edited on 8/12/25 at 3:05 pm
Posted on 8/12/25 at 3:19 pm to LSUBoo
New England is so different from east Tennessee. There is a huge beautiful uncrowded world down here that you will miss if you confine yourself to public transportation.
How will you communicate with all the different ways of living, with the different styles of music, even the areas that spawned some of the famous literary talents? There's reading Faulkner, and there's seeing his life in context.
If you bring your car, change the plates soonest. Locals may call you a Yankee, but the adjective damned has to be earned.
How will you communicate with all the different ways of living, with the different styles of music, even the areas that spawned some of the famous literary talents? There's reading Faulkner, and there's seeing his life in context.
If you bring your car, change the plates soonest. Locals may call you a Yankee, but the adjective damned has to be earned.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 3:19 pm to zoozoo100
quote:
was wondering if it were doable to use public transportation?
Yes. If you're living on/near campus and don't plan to venture away from that area very often. But public transportation in Knoxville is going to be mostly just city busses. Its not like big cities up north that have subways and/or commuter trains. If you're going to be living on campus and don't really plan to leave the campus area much, then you could get by walking or riding a bus. There's enough places to eat and shop on campus of within a short distance.
Pigeon Forge and the Smoky Mountains National Park are only about an hour away. Downtown Knoxville is pretty small compared to Boston. So unless you're a major homebody, you're going to want to have a car to go do stuff. I looked it up on Google and it should be about 15 hour drive from Boston. Leave first thing in the morning and its a doable drive in one day.
quote:That would be a major pain in the arse. You'd be better off just Ubering everywhere then renting a car every time you want to go somewhere.
Would it be more wise to rent a car instead?
Posted on 8/12/25 at 3:26 pm to Ghost of Colby
quote:
really hope there is some logistical detail that you’re omitting that is complicating this for you.
OP is going to be driving a U-Haul and is afraid of towing their car, I’m guessing.
ETA….ship it as suggested if the OP has no experience hauling.
This post was edited on 8/12/25 at 3:29 pm
Posted on 8/12/25 at 3:37 pm to zoozoo100
reported 
Posted on 8/12/25 at 3:41 pm to LSUintheNW
quote:
OP is going to be driving a U-Haul and is afraid of towing their car, I’m guessing.
A) just tow it.. it's not that hard.
B) recruit a friend to help you move, road trip down, pay for their flight home.
C) fly back for the car, or drive it down ahead and fly back for the uhaul.
D) just tow it.. it's not that hard.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 4:46 pm to LSUBoo
quote:
A) just tow it.. it's not that hard. B) recruit a friend to help you move, road trip down, pay for their flight home. C) fly back for the car, or drive it down ahead and fly back for the uhaul. D) just tow it.. it's not that hard.
I get all of this
But the OP obviously doesn’t.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 4:48 pm to zoozoo100
quote:
getting a PhD in communications
Need to communicate with yourself what a dumb idea that is.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 4:50 pm to zoozoo100
You can always use Uber
Posted on 8/12/25 at 4:53 pm to Chad504boy
quote:
there's book smart
there's street smart
then there's op.
What gave it away?
quote:
PhD in Communications
Oh.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 4:57 pm to LSUintheNW
Yeah, just can't fathom leaving your car behind... in Boston.
I get if you're coming to UT to do a doctorate from Romania or something not shipping a car... but Boston?
I get if you're coming to UT to do a doctorate from Romania or something not shipping a car... but Boston?
Posted on 8/12/25 at 5:26 pm to zoozoo100
First question is where are you going to live in Knoxville, a lot of college kids don't have cars. 2nd, will you need to drive during the week? 3rd, will you have to pay for parking? Maybe 4th, is there a reason to leave the car in Boston, such as family or a friend will use it, or will you just sell it?
Years ago our car was parked when it was hit and totaled. Wife and I were both working from home. We lived in a walkable neighborhood, so daily stuff wasn't a problem, and no kids then. I did the math and figured out a new car note plus insurance would cost us min. $600/month, we could rent a car each Fri-Sun for $100 (with CC status and other discounts), and take 15ish ubers each month for $600. Didn't count airport trips since we could charge those rides to work.
In the end we got a new car. But depending on where you live, where you are in life (infinitely harder in the suburbs and with family), and what you are doing, its easily feasible, but takes planning, and good health because you will be walking at times.
Years ago our car was parked when it was hit and totaled. Wife and I were both working from home. We lived in a walkable neighborhood, so daily stuff wasn't a problem, and no kids then. I did the math and figured out a new car note plus insurance would cost us min. $600/month, we could rent a car each Fri-Sun for $100 (with CC status and other discounts), and take 15ish ubers each month for $600. Didn't count airport trips since we could charge those rides to work.
In the end we got a new car. But depending on where you live, where you are in life (infinitely harder in the suburbs and with family), and what you are doing, its easily feasible, but takes planning, and good health because you will be walking at times.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 5:26 pm to zoozoo100
I didn’t have a car at LSU and it was pre-uber days. I pretty much stuck to campus. Kind of sucked.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 5:27 pm to zoozoo100
Almost every freshman at UT is there without a car. I just heard that last week and was shocked that that's a requirement.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 5:31 pm to zoozoo100
Knoxville has built up enough to where if you’re staying anywhere downtown, you can navigate to untold amounts of restaurants, bars, and stores without a car.
You’ve got pharmacies and grocery stores as well.
Would definitely have at least a bike however, campus is quite large and urban so there’s a bit of sprawl.
You’ve got pharmacies and grocery stores as well.
Would definitely have at least a bike however, campus is quite large and urban so there’s a bit of sprawl.
Posted on 8/12/25 at 5:34 pm to Tiger Prawn
quote:
Downtown Knoxville is pretty small compared to Boston. So unless you're a major homebody, you're going to want to have a car to go do stuff.
While true, there’s quite a lot to do on the strip/ Old City/ market square.
Plenty of venues for concerts, bars, restaurants, clubs etc. Can always just uber or catch a ride if you’re venturing out a bit down kingston pike elsewhere
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