Car-free islands in Europe: snorkeling, puffins and bike rides

Car-free islands in Europe: snorkeling, puffins and bike rides is written by Rikke Bank Egeberg.

Car-free Sunday every day

Car-free islands sound like something you only find in Asia, Caribbean or in silencehavet, But you're wrong. In this article, we have collected five islands here Europe without car traffic. One of them you will actually find within the borders of the country.

On these five European islands, you can definitely feel that you have come completely away from home. Common to them all is that they can only be experienced on foot or by bicycle, and that they can only be visited by boat or smaller ferries.

Herm - the car-free island in the English Channel

Herm is the smallest of the islands in the English Channel. This small car-free island is privately owned and has only one hotel, the White House Hotel. This hotel does not have televisions, telephones or watches available for guests. Although the island is small, the possibilities are many - at least for those interested in nature.

Here you can spend time looking at seals, puffins and wild flowers. The island also has a small prison that is said to be the smallest in the world. A visit here can be combined with a lot of cool experiences in Wales.

Donkey cows are the only danger on Hydra in Greece

Hydra is one of the Saronic Islands in Greece and is close to Athens. The island is protected, and here you are not harassed by traffic noise, as means of transport such as cars, scooters - yes, even bicycles - are forbidden to use. If something needs to be transported, it is done either with donkeys or with the port taxis. So unless the donkeys cause a traffic jam, you will find absolutely no cows here.

Most beaches on the island are pebble beaches. However, there is the beach Mandraki if you really want sand between your toes.

Although the car-free island sounds a bit peaceful, make no mistake; there are many small cozy tavernas, cafes and nightclubs. Historically, Hydra is also exciting with ancient monasteries and stone windmills, which can be dated back to the 1700th century.

Here is a good flight offer to Greece - click on "see offer" on the page for the final price

Charming Porquerolles in France

South of Saint-Tropez you come to this hidden gem, Île de Porquerolles in France. The island is car-free - however, there are a few service cars driving around. Besides a small, charming town, the island is filled with dense forest and deserted beaches. Bon voyage!

Pure idyll at Marettimo in Italy

Off the west coast of Sicily lies the island of Marettimo. Here you can quickly spend the whole day being on one of the island's many small beaches, where you will find plenty of snorkeling and diving opportunities. Marettimo i Italy also has a small fishing village with small fine streets. You will not find much more and that is exactly why you should visit the island.

Click here to view great hotel deals for Marettimo

Tunø - one of Denmark's car-free islands

To experience one of Denmark only car-free islands, you can park your car in Hou in The coastal country south of Aarhus and take the ferry over to this small island community. Of course you can also sail to the island in your own boat. Tunø offers a treasure hunt for children and childish souls, a rich wildlife in the hilly nature. The strange thing here is that the city church also serves as a lighthouse. Tunø is definitely worth a visit.

Nice trip!

Read much more about island holidays in Denmark here