If you’re coming to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, you’ve probably heard one thing over and over: You’ll need a car.

It’s true, we are hopelessly car-dependent in many places, and I apologize for that. I don’t like this either.

However, for many World Cup host cities, you can get there by train or bus. Yes, even most the suburban NFL ones.

As someone who lives here and hasn’t owned a car for seven years, it won’t be as pleasant or seamless as Europe, but if you’re up for the experience, it’ll get you there.

I break down every U.S. World Cup stadium in alphabetical order, grading each one from A to F based on how realistic it is to attend without renting a car or calling a rideshare. Plus, I consider how easy it will be to enjoy your time in the city on foot and transit.

I’ll also cover how to travel between host cities by train or bus, especially along the Northeast Corridor and in California, where intercity transit is viable.

A Quick Summary of How to Get to Each Station

Atlanta – Mercedes-Benz Stadium (A-)
Downtown stadium with direct MARTA rail access via GWCC/CNN Center Station.

Boston – Gillette Stadium (B-)
Boston is walkable. Gillette isn’t in Boston. It’s in Foxborough, surrounded by parking. Your best bet is MBTA commuter rail event trains, which the MBTA has announced..

Dallas – AT&T Stadium (F)
This stadium is in Arlington, and it has no public transit. Your options are a special World Cup bus shuttle or a game-day special commuter train service that still requires a charter bus transfer. Somebody on this list has to get a failing grade, and the lack of any regular public transit means it’s Dallas.

Houston – NRG Stadium (A-)
A pleasant surprise. Direct access via METRORail Red Line to NRG Park from downtown.

Kansas City – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (D)
Tough but not impossible. There are RideKC buses that can get you near the stadium, but it’s still a walk and service is limited. Expect World Cup shuttles to do the heavy lifting.

Los Angeles – SoFi Stadium (C+)
LA transit is improving fast, but sprawl is real. No direct rail to the stadium. Expect Metro + local bus or a longer walk.

Miami – Hard Rock Stadium (C)
Car-free is possible with transfers. The stadium is in Miami Gardens, not on Metrorail. Expect rail + shuttle/bus on match days.

New York / New Jersey – MetLife Stadium (A-)
NYC transit is world-class. The stadium is not in NYC, though. It’s in New Jersey. Get to Penn Station, then take NJ Transit to Secaucus, transfer to Meadowlands train. There will likely be a direct event train from Penn on game day.

Philadelphia – Lincoln Financial Field (A)
Top of the list. SEPTA’s Broad Street Line goes straight to the sports complex (NRG Station).

San Francisco Bay Area – Levi’s Stadium (B+)
Strong for a suburban stadium. It’s in Santa Clara, but you can piece it together with Caltrain + VTA light rail, or BART + VTA, depending on where you’re coming from.

Seattle – Lumen Field (A)
Another clean win. Downtown-adjacent stadium with easy Link Light Rail access, including from the airport.

PART 1: Stadium-by-Stadium Public Transit Guide

Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium: A-

Mercedes-Benz Stadium sits in downtown Atlanta, directly next to a MARTA rail station. The GWCC/CNN Center Station (on the Blue and Green Lines) drops you just steps from the stadium entrance. If you’re staying downtown, you may not even need transit. Many hotels are walkable. Midtown also works well, with a quick ride south on MARTA.

Where to Stay

• Downtown Atlanta for walkability.
• Along the Blue/Green lines for a no-transfer trip to the game.
• Somewhere else cool in Atlanta, like Midtown. Will require a transfer.

Fly into Atlanta’s airport, and you can take MARTA directly from the terminal to downtown. That alone makes this one of the most seamless host cities for international visitors.

Atlanta is a Pleasant Surprise on This List

Unlike many U.S. stadiums, Atlanta’s is not surrounded by a parking lot in a suburb.

Atlanta gets labeled as the poster child for sprawl. And yes, the metro region is sprawling and very hard to live in without a car. That’s why it gets an A- and not an A. However, Atlanta’s downtown and midtown areas are pretty easy to do car-free.

For World Cup visitors willing to book a centrally located hotel and ride MARTA, Atlanta will be one of the easiest and least stressful stadium experiences in the tournament.

Boston – Gillette Stadium: B-

Boston is one of the most walkable cities in the United States. Its street grid predates the automobile. Neighborhoods are dense. The T, while a bad system by European or Asian standards, is good enough to get around without a car.

But here’s the problem.

Gillette Stadium isn’t in Boston.

It’s not even particularly close to Boston.

It’s in Foxborough, a suburban town about 30 miles southwest of downtown. And like many NFL stadiums built in the early 2000s, it’s surrounded by massive parking lots.

This is not a stadium you casually walk to from your hotel.

There is a Direct Commuter Train Next to The Stadium

The good news is that Foxborough is served by the commuter train system. This station stops right at Gillette Stadium.

So you can stay in Boston, and you’ll be able to get to the game no problem on transit.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) also runs special event trains from Boston’s South Station to Foxborough for major games and concerts.

They will run special gameday service for the World Cup, so this will be your best option. However, local journalists have said the price may be steep.

What I’d Do

Stay in Boston. Not Foxborough. Foxborough is a typical mess of U.S. sprawl.

Enjoy the walkable neighborhoods. Experience the city properly. Then use the event train to get to the match.

Trying to stay near the stadium defeats the purpose. The area around Gillette is built for cars, not people. You’ll likely end up isolated in a sea of parking lots.

Boston proves that a dense, transit-oriented city can thrive without cars, and Boston’s Fenway Park shows that stadiums can be integrated into these neighborhoods.

But the World Cup matches won’t be played in that city environment. They’ll be played in a suburban complex designed around tailgating.

At least there’s a commuter train stop. Although, they should still get rid of this parking lot and build housing on it so the train station is more useful for commuters.

Another option is to stay in Providence. Providence is Boston’s smaller cousin, and Foxborough is closer to Providence than Boston. That could be a less expensive option and Providence has a great food scene and plenty to do.

Dallas – AT&T Stadium: F

AT&T Stadium is in Arlington, Texas.

Arlington is famously the largest city in the United States without any public transportation.

Not limited transit. Not bad transit. None. Not even a single bus. So Dallas gets a failing grade, and they deserve it.

And the stadium sits in a landscape that looks exactly how you’d expect: vast parking lots, wide arterial roads, and development designed entirely around driving.

You’ll Have to Use Special Gameday Commuter Trains and Chartered Buses

If you’re staying in Dallas proper, you can use the DART light rail to move around the city. Dallas itself is not transit-rich, but it at least has a functioning rail system. From Dallas, there will be charter bus service. They will be “dynamic” demand, so they’ll leave once a bus fills up.

If you’re coming from Fort Worth, they’re also running special commuter train service. But this doesn’t stop near the stadium, so they’ll have additional shuttle buses. It looks like they’re also only running every 30 minutes, which is very bad.

If you’re coming from Fort Worth, they’re also running special commuter train service. But this doesn’t stop near the stadium. You’ll get off at Centerport Station and they’ll have a charter bus shuttle. It looks like they’re also only running every 30 minutes, which is very bad. You can see more details on DART’s plan here.

Houston – NRG Stadium: A-

If Dallas is the biggest disappointment on the list, Houston is the brightest surprise. The capital of oil money and notorious for its massive highways, many parts of Houston are totally fine to get around without a car.

Transit Is Surprisingly Good In Some Areas

NRG Stadium is served directly by Houston’s METRORail Red Line.

The Red Line runs from downtown Houston through the Texas Medical Center and stops right at NRG Park. On match day, that’s exactly what you want: a simple, direct rail line from the urban core to the stadium.

Like Atlanta, flying into Houston and using transit the entire time is realistic if you choose your neighborhood wisely.

Kansas City – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium: D

Kansas City might surprise some visitors with its vibrant downtown, free KC Streetcar, and pockets of walkable neighborhoods. But getting to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium without a car will be tough.

The stadium is part of the Truman Sports Complex on the east side of town, not far geographically from downtown, but it sits in a landscape dominated by parking lots and wide roads designed for driving.

Public transit in the Kansas City metro exists, but it’s not robust, and most casual visitors will find themselves reverting to ride-hail or private shuttles for NFL games.

Limited but Some Options

The public transit agency in the region, RideKC (operated by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority), runs local bus routes that can get you within walking distance of the stadium.

• Routes 47 (Broadway) and 29 stop southwest of the stadium, about a 10–15-minute walk from the Truman Sports Complex.
• These are regular bus routes, not dedicated event shuttles, and they run on a standard schedule.
• There is no direct rail line to the stadium, and the KC Streetcar does not reach the Truman Sports Complex.

Unless you don’tmind local buses plus a walk, check for any World Cup-specific shuttle services.

Los Angeles – SoFi Stadium: C+

Los Angeles has changed more in the last 15 years than most people realize.

The city has expanded its rail network aggressively. Compared to the early 2000s, it’s a much better transit landscape. I don’t think it’s that bad to get around car-free.

But LA is still making up for nearly a century of car-first sprawl.

And SoFi Stadium is not located in downtown Los Angeles. It’s in Inglewood, in a massive stadium and entertainment complex built in an area long designed around driving.

Transit Reality: Doable, But Not Direct

There is currently no direct rail station at SoFi Stadium.

That means:

• You can take the LA Metro rail part of the way.
• You will likely transfer to a shuttle bus or local bus.
• Or you’ll walk a significant distance.

You can take the K or C line and transfer to an event shuttle or walk the long final stretch, although Inglewood is not considered a “nice” part of town.

Los Angeles is Trying.

The city has committed billions to expanding transit ahead of global events like the World Cup and the Olympics.

But stadium siting and the massive parking lots around it are hard to undo.

SoFi was built in a location that still prioritizes vehicular access. Retrofitting high-capacity transit after the fact is always more complicated than building it in from the beginning.

LA is not impossible without a car. You can absolutely visit the city car-free if you stay in the right neighborhood.

But getting to the stadium will involve at least one transfer and some patience.

That earns Los Angeles a C+.

Miami – Hard Rock Stadium: C+

The urban core of Miami has real density. Brickell and Downtown feel vertical and transit-oriented. The region even has higher-speed rail in the form of Brightline.

But like several other host cities, the stadium isn’t in the urban core.

Hard Rock Stadium is located in Miami Gardens, well north of Downtown and nowhere near a Metrorail station. And yes, it is surrounded by parking.

Transit Is Possible With Transfers

Miami’s Metrorail does not go directly to the stadium.

That means:

• You can take the Metrorail part of the way.
• You will likely transfer to a bus or shuttle.
• You may need to rely on event-specific transportation.

There are also regional rail options:

• Brightline connects Miami to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando.
• Tri-Rail runs through the region as well.

Those are excellent for intercity travel. If you want to visit Disney or Universal before or after the World Cup, check out my guide on taking the Brightline Train. That’s a slight bonus for Miami that gives it the plus in this C+ grade.

Again, keep your eyes peeled for World Cup shuttle service.

New York/New Jersey – MetLife Stadium: A-

Finally, I’m on home turf with this one.

New York has one of the best public transportation systems in the world. The subway runs 24 hours. Regional rail spans three states. You can land at JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark and reach Manhattan without ever touching a car.

(If you’re landing in Newark, here’s my guide to getting to the city.)

But the World Cup games labeled “New York” are not actually in New York. They’re at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Transit Reality: Very Good, With Caveats

Getting to MetLife without a car is the most sane option.

You can take the subway to Penn Station, then board an NJ Transit train to Secaucus Junction. On non-game days, you have to transfer to the Meadowlands line for direct stadium service.

On major event days, NJ Transit runs dedicated Meadowlands trains from Penn Station. The ride from Manhattan to the stadium can take under an hour door-to-door.

NJ Transit, while good by American standards, is not the Tokyo Metro. It can be crowded. It can be delayed. It does not run with subway-level frequency outside peak periods.

Where to Stay: I Recommend Along Train Lines That Go To the West Side

Anywhere in Manhattan below 96th St will make it easy to get to Penn Station.

If those hotel prices look crazy (and they will), then expand your search to anywhere along the ACE or 123 train lines. These trains go to Penn Station. Look in Harlem, further Uptown, and many parts of Brooklyn, or even in Queens along the 7 train (with a quick transfer at Times Square).

I Wish The Games Were at the Baseball Stadiums

MetLife Stadium is, physically, surrounded by highways and parking lots.

People who ride NJ Transit regularly are not thrilled with NJ Transit. But, like other modern cities in Europe and Asia, at least the New York metro area has reliable commuter rail service.

If these games were at Yankee Stadium or Citi Field, connected to the NYC subway, it’d be an A.

But it’s in NJ, and you have to transfer to NJ Transit. A-

Philadelphia – Lincoln Financial Field: A

Philadelphia is one of the cleanest transit wins on this entire list.

The city itself is dense, historic, and walkable.

Lincoln Financial Field is directly connected to its metro system, SEPTA. Philadelphia remains one of the most underrated cities in the U.S.

Easy Ride on SEPTA

The stadium sits at the southern end of the SEPTA Broad Street Line, with the final stop, NRG Station, located right in the South Philly sports complex.

That means:

• Stay anywhere along the Broad Street Line.
• Ride south.
• Get off at the last stop.
• Walk a few minutes to the gates.

Just a straight subway ride.

On Eagles game days, SEPTA already runs additional service to handle crowds. Expect similar scaling for World Cup matches.

Philadelphia has lots of great places to stay and explore. Do that.

SETPA has serious funding issues, but it’s still one of the best metro systems in the country.

Lincoln Financial Field isn’t downtown. It sits in a stadium complex. But it’s plugged directly into the subway network. It still has a big parking lot, but at least a clean and easy rail option.

Philadelphia earns an A. Straightforward, reliable, and easy to navigate without a car.

Bay Area – Levi’s Stadium: B+

The Bay Area has one of the most extensive regional transit networks in the United States.

You’ve got BART. You’ve got Caltrain. You’ve got light rail in the South Bay.

Levi’s Stadium is in Santa Clara, deep in Silicon Valley. Still not that hard to get to.

Transit Reality: Good, With a Transfer

The stadium is one of the best-connected suburban NFL stadiums in the country.

You can…

• Take Caltrain from San Francisco down the Peninsula.
• Transfer to VTA Light Rail in Mountain View or San Jose.

Alternatively, from the East Bay:

• Take BART to Milpitas.
• Transfer to VTA Light Rail.

That’s more moving pieces than Atlanta or Philly. But it works. And the light rail stop is right at the stadium.

Where to Stay

You have options here, as you can stay anywhere along the BART or Caltrain line and have decent transit options.

You can stay in SF proper, Oakland (although far away, it’s connected by BART), San Jose, or anywhere along the Caltrain corridor.

Levi’s Stadium is suburban. The Bay Area’s BART is no NYC Subway. But the recently electrified Cal Trains, plus the light rail, make it more accessible than many stadiums built in similar environments.

You’ll likely transfer at least once. You’ll want to double-check schedules. Late-night service may be thinner than you’d like.

But compared to most suburban stadiums in the United States, this is strong.

That’s why the Bay Area earns a B+. Not as effortless as a downtown stadium, but one of the better suburban setups in the tournament.

Seattle – Lumen Field: A-

Seattle is another success story. Lumen Field sits just south of downtown, in a dense, transit-connected part of the city.

Unlike many NFL stadiums, it’s not stranded in a sea of parking.

Transit Reality: Easy Light Rail Ride

Seattle’s Link Light Rail connects:

• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
• Downtown Seattle
• Capitol Hill
• The University District

And it stops within walking distance of Lumen Field.

That means you can:

• Land at SEA.
• Take the light rail straight into the city.
• Stay downtown.
• Ride or walk to the stadium.

On match day, expect Link trains to be crowded, but this is exactly the kind of event the system was built to handle. Seattle has invested a lot in expanding their light rail.

Seattle invested heavily in light rail over the past two decades. The system is still expanding. It’s not as large as New York’s. But it connects the right places.

Lumen Field benefits from that investment.

This is what it looks like when stadium placement and transit infrastructure actually align.

Seattle checks every box and maybe it should have an A, but it is a sprawling city, not at the level of Philly or NYC.

PART 2: Traveling Between World Cup Cities Without a Car

If you’re planning to see matches in multiple cities, there are ways to get between cities by rail or bus.

The Northeast Corridor (Best in the Country)

Amtrak is good and normal, actually. No, it’s not as fast as Asian or European high-speed rail, but it’s comfortable and good.

It’ll take you easily between New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Boston. You can extend your trip to D.C. if you want.

It’ll take you from downtown to downtown as well. Skip the airports and security lines.

You’ll travel from:

• Penn Station (NYC)
• 30th Street Station (Philly)
• South Station (Boston)

Book Now as Amtrak Prices Surge

When you book far out, Amtrak is affordable. But Amtrak’s pricing works like airline pricing.

The closer you get to departure, the more expensive it often become. World Cup demand will only make this worse.

If you are reading this months in advance, book your intercity rail tickets immediately. If you are reading this and prices already look high, they are not going down.

The Best Budget Option: Peter Pan Bus Lines

If Amtrak is too expensive, your next best option is Peter Pan.

Peter Pan is a reliable, frequent, normal, and uneventful bus.

It’s well-established in the Northeast. It’s usually cheaper than Amtrak.

They run heavily between NYC and Philly and NYC and Boston.

For everything you need to know about Peter Pan, I have a whole article on it.

About FlixBus and Greyhound Lines

If you’re European and thinking, “Oh, I’ll just use FlixBus like I do at home,” pause.

FlixBus and Greyhound are now essentially the same company in the U.S.

And the experience here is not the same as what you may be used to in Europe.

They are usable but should be your last choice. Check Peter Pan first.

For more info on each, you can read my guides on Flix buses and my tips for Greyhound buses.

My Northeast Corridor Ranking

1. Amtrak (if affordable)
2. Peter Pan Bus
3. FlixBus / Greyhound

California: LA ↔ Bay Area

You can take Amtrak between Los Angeles and the Bay Area, but there aren’t many great options.

Unlike the Northeast Corridor, California does not have fast, frequent rail between its major cities. The high-speed rail was supposed to be done by now, but it has had lots of problems. What exists is long-distance rail supplemented by buses.

It works. It just takes time.

Amtrak Coast Starlight

One departure per day. Long-distance train.

The Coast Starlight runs between Los Angeles and the Bay Area as part of a much longer route that continues to Seattle. Extra points for anybody who takes this from California to Seattle for the World Cup. I want you to personally email me and tell me please.

I haven’t taken this route, but I have taken Amtrak in California, and I’m sure it’ll be a beautiful ride. The downside is that it’s one train a day, over ten hours, and is known for delays.

If you have flexibility and want the journey to be part of the experience, this is memorable. It’s a super beautiful route.

If you book this, check the departures from Oakland. San Francisco proper doesn’t have an Amtrak stop.

Gold Runner Train + Bakersfield Bus Connection

More departures, but requires a transfer

There is also the Amtrak route called the Gold Runner (also known as the San Joaquin route) to Bakersfield, which many people use as a stepping stone between Northern and Southern California.

From Bakersfield, California runs Gold Runner buses, which connect to various destinations in Los Angeles.

This means you can:

• Take Amtrak to Bakersfield
• Transfer to a Gold Runner bus
• Continue into LA

It’s more frequent than the Coast Starlight, but it involves a train-to-bus transfer.

You can learn more about routes directly on the Gold Runner website.

The buses are comfortable and fine with outlets and bathrooms.

If you book either of these trains, check the departures from Oakland. San Francisco proper doesn’t have an Amtrak stop.

FlixBus / Greyhound Lines

Buses run frequently between Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

They may be slightly faster than the train, depending on traffic, and cheaper than flights, but they’re likely the least comfortable ride.

I’ve actually done this route on a Greyhound. It was fine. To compare your bus and train options all in one place, I like using a site called Busbud which I talk about here.

Texas Triangle (Dallas ↔ Houston)

The Texas Triangle (Dallas, Houston, and Austin) is infamous in transportation circles.

This was supposed to be one of the first true high-speed rail corridors in the United States. Dense cities. Huge travel demand. Flat terrain. Close enough together to be ideal for high-speed rail.

Instead, the project collapsed, in large part due to airline lobbying, most notably from Southwest Airlines, which had every incentive to keep Texans flying or driving instead of riding trains.

Last year, the current administration withdrew money approved to Amtrak to study it.

So in 2026, we’re still nowhere near having passenger rail connecting Dallas and Houston.

If you want to travel between Dallas and Houston without a car, your options are buses.

RedCoach: Best Option on Paper

I haven’t personally ridden it yet, but based on reputation, this would be my first choice in the Texas Triangle.

If I were doing this route for the World Cup, this is what I’d try. If that’s what you do, let me know how it goes.

Flix/Greyhound

They exist. I’ve talked enough about them. They’re frequent, functional, and will get you there, but it might not be the best experience.

Final Thoughts: Make the Transit Part of the Experience

The United States is not Europe. It’s not Japan. It does not have seamless, high-speed rail stitching together every major city.

But that doesn’t mean you need to rent a car for the World Cup.

In many host cities, you’ll be better off without one. In others, it will take planning. In a few, it will test your patience.

That’s part of the story.

Most people care about the games. I don’t even know who’s playing where. I’m more interested in which cities placed their stadiums within the city and connected them to rail, and which others surrounded them with parking lots. Those decisions shape how fans move, how neighborhoods function, and how welcoming a city feels.

If you enjoy these types of adventures and want to explore more of the U.S. car-free, then check out my guide on how I live in the U.S. without a car.

Have a great trip, and let me know how your World Cup transit experience goes.