House Sitting Near Public Transit: How to Find City Sits Without a Car

Why Transit Access Matters — And Why It’s Worth Filtering For

Not having a car doesn’t limit your house sitting options as much as you might think — but it does require a more deliberate approach to filtering. The key difference between a car-free sit that works and one that doesn’t is almost never the platform — it’s how thoroughly you researched the location before applying.

We’ve sat in properties that looked central on a map but turned out to be a 25-minute walk from the nearest train station with no bus route. We’ve also sat in properties that appeared unremarkable on a listing page but turned out to be two minutes from a metro stop in a neighborhood with everything we needed. The difference between those two experiences came down entirely to how much location research we did before applying.

Key things transit access affects for car-free sitters:

• Daily dog walks — knowing your route options and whether they’re walkable matters more than homeowners often realize
• Vet access — if a pet needs emergency care, how you get there without a car needs to be planned in advance
• Grocery shopping — carrying supplies back without a car means proximity to shops matters
• Your own quality of life during the sit — being stranded in a poorly connected location for two weeks is a genuinely unpleasant experience

How to Find Transit-Accessible Sits — Step by Step

Step 1: Use TrustedHouseSitters’ location filters

TrustedHouseSitters has the most granular location filtering of any major platform. When searching listings you can filter by:

• City or region specifically
• Urban vs rural location
• Proximity to public transport — a dedicated filter that surfaces listings where homeowners have indicated transit access
• Neighbourhood or postcode search in major cities

Set up a saved search with these filters and turn on alerts — you’ll be notified the moment a matching listing goes live. In competitive cities like London and Sydney, transit-accessible urban sits move fast. Being first to apply matters.

Step 2: Use Google Maps before you apply

Before applying for any sit in an unfamiliar city, spend five minutes on Google Maps checking the actual transit situation. Drop the listing address into the map and check:

• Which train, metro, or bus lines are within walking distance
• How long it takes to reach the nearest major supermarket and vet without a car
• Whether there is a park or green space within reasonable walking distance for dog sits
• What the neighbourhood looks like at street level using Street View

This takes five minutes and prevents the single most common mistake car-free sitters make — applying for a sit that looked central but isn’t.

Step 3: Ask the homeowner directly

Once you’ve done your own research, ask the homeowner explicitly about transit access in your application or pre-sit conversation. Useful questions:

• “We don’t drive — is everything we’d need accessible on foot or by public transport?”
• “What’s the nearest train or metro station and how far is the walk?”
• “Is there a vet nearby that’s accessible without a car?”
• “Are there parks within walking distance for dog walks?”

Most homeowners in well-connected urban areas will have answers ready — they’re used to sitters asking. Homeowners who seem uncertain about transit access are telling you something useful.

Step 4: Check city-specific transit apps

Every major city has its own transit planning tool. A few worth bookmarking:

• London: Transport for London Journey Planner
• Sydney and Melbourne: Transport NSW and PTV Victoria
• New York: MTA Trip Planner
• Barcelona and Madrid: TMB and Metro de Madrid
• Paris: RATP

Running a transit check through the city-specific app gives you more accurate journey times than Google Maps in most cases — particularly for cities with complex metro systems.

Best Cities for Car-Free House Sitting

Based on our own experience and platform listing data, these cities consistently offer the strongest combination of sit volume and transit infrastructure for car-free sitters:

London, UK — the highest volume of sits of any city on TrustedHouseSitters globally, and one of the world’s most connected transit networks. The Tube, Overground, Elizabeth Line, and extensive bus network mean virtually every inner London neighbourhood is well connected. We sat car-free in London for two years and never felt limited. Most London homeowners expect sitters to use public transit — having a car in central London is unusual. Our house sitting in London guide covers everything you need to know about finding sits in the city.

Melbourne, Australia — our home city and one of the best cities in the world for car-free house sitting. The tram network comprehensively covers inner suburbs, trains reach outer suburbs, and the cycling infrastructure has improved significantly in recent years. Sits in Fitzroy, Collingwood, Richmond, Prahran, and St Kilda are all excellent for car-free sitters. Our Melbourne house sitting guide covers the best neighbourhoods and platforms for the city.

Sydney, Australia — strong train network covering most suburban sits, with ferries adding an extraordinary transit option for waterfront suburbs. Sits in the Inner West, Eastern Suburbs, and Lower North Shore are all well serviced by public transit. Homeowners in these areas rarely expect sitters to have a car.

Barcelona, Spain — one of Europe’s most walkable and transit-connected cities. The metro is comprehensive, the bus network fills the gaps, and the city’s compact layout means most sits are naturally car-free. Strong on both TrustedHouseSitters and Nomador. We sat in the Eixample district for three weeks without needing anything beyond the metro and our feet.

Paris, France — dense, walkable, and served by one of the world’s most comprehensive metro systems. The RER expands access to outer areas. A Paris sit is almost by definition a car-free sit — driving in Paris is something most residents actively avoid. Strong listing density on both TrustedHouseSitters and Nomador.

New York, USA — the subway runs 24 hours and reaches virtually every neighbourhood where house sits are listed. For car-free sitters, New York is one of the most practical cities in the US. Competition is high — a strong profile and fast alerts are essential — but the transit infrastructure makes it one of the most genuinely car-free-friendly markets on TrustedHouseSitters.

Tokyo, Japan — increasingly well represented on TrustedHouseSitters and arguably the world’s best transit city for car-free sitters. The train and subway network is extraordinary in its coverage and reliability. If you’re sitting in Japan, a car is essentially never needed in any major urban area.