• Walk: This mode of transport needs no explanation. One tip: Live somewhere that is within a mile or so to most of your job and shopping-social life-activity destinations. Now put on a good pair of shoes and start working those leg and glute muscles!

• Bike: This one is also self-explanatory. One addendum: Check out this local merchant who sells motorized bikes, because sometimes you just want to cruise.

• Hop a bus. Take Sacramento Regional buses and/or light rail: Learn the bus system here. One caveat: Services end before 10 p.m. Not good news for night owls or swing shift workers.

• Ride a moped: Craigslist and other sites offer listings of people selling street legal mopeds and scooters. The downside is now you are back to Department of Motor Vehicles registration hassles and expenses, gas and maintenance — although at a fraction of the price of a car.

• Crawl -- to bars: The SacTown Hopper is provided by Amador Stage Lines and takes riders to downtown nightclubs on Friday and Saturday nights for a $10 fee. This is good news for the late night, carousing set.

• Fly away: Yolo County provides bus service from downtown Sacramento to Sacramento International Airport. This rocks. Thank you, Yolo County for providing affordable, easy drop-offs at the terminal.

• Regional bus service: Need to visit Grandma in Marysville or Uncle Bill in Stockton? Here is a list of bus services that link Sacramento to the outlying regions:

• The City of Roseville runs weekday commuter bus services from Roseville destinations to downtown Sacramento and the Rancho Cordova/Highway 50 corridor. $4.50 one way.
• Placer County runs busses all day from Auburn, Rocklin and Roseville to I-80/Watt Light Rail, which is highly convenient for Sacramentans who need to get to our neighboring county midday and not during commute hours. $1.25 one way.
• Yuba-Sutter Transit runs weekday commuter bus services from Yuba City and Marysville stops to downtown Sacramento, in addition to midday and weekend express services. $4 one way.
• Yolo County runs commute busses from Woodland, Davis and West Sacramento to downtown Sacramento.
• El Dorado County runs weekday commuter bus service to downtown Sacramento. $5 one way.
• San Joaquin County runs commuter bus services from Stockton locations to downtown Sacramento. Reservations required. $7 one way.
• Amador County runs weekday commuter bus services from Sutter town (via Rancho Murrieta) to downtown Sacramento. $5.50 one way.
• Solano County runs a bus from Capitol Mall to the Fairfield Transportation Center, which hooks up to other busses headed to the East Bay and BART. $4.50 one way.

• Got gambling fever? Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln offers free bus service from downtown and South Sacramento seven days a week. Red Hawk: Take light rail to the Iron Point Light Rail station and pick up the Iron Point Connector bus for $2.50. The service runs a few times a day in each direction.

• Need a doctor? UC Davis Medical Center picks up at the 39th Street Light Rail. Free. And the Sacramento City Hospital Shuttle goes between downtown and East Sacramento stops and the area hospitals like Sutter and Mercy. Also free. 

• Ride to Reno: For $35 roundtrip (including vouchers from casinos) you can hitch a Coach America bus ride to Reno from Elk Grove and Sacramento. The bus leaves in the a.m. and turns around at about 4:30 in the afternoon. Of course, you could always stay overnight if you're on a lucky streak.

• Or go in the other direction: South Lake Tahoe. Take an Amtrak bus to South Y for $34 each way. South Lake Tahoe City offers Blue Go bus services to get you to Stateline and other popular destinations.

• Bus ‘n’ ski: Pick up a coach in Folsom on Bay Area Ski Bus Services for $69 round trip or $109 for the bus, ski lift and breakfast.

• Ride the rails: Amtrak offers train services in all directions.

• Capitol Corridor: This route runs several times a day from Sacto to Oakland for $28 one way. Stops include Davis, Fairfield, Richmond and Berkeley.
• Zephyr: This train comes through Sacramento once a day westbound with the final destination San Francisco, and once a day eastbound, final destination Chicago. The Zephyr is also the train to take to Truckee and Reno.
• Coast Starlight: This train comes through Sacramento once a day southbound to Los Angeles, and once a day northbound to Seattle.
• San Joaquin: This train leaves for Bakersfield once a day, with stops in Lodi, Modesto and Fresno. The San Joaquin is a connector to Los Angeles as well.

• Take the dog: Greyhound, that is. Not everyone can afford Amtrak, which has become pricey in the past few years. Greyhound is an option with one-way tickets to San Francisco running $9 to $26 (for refundable tickets). The two-and-a-half hour bus ride runs seven times per day. The Sacramento station is located at 420 Richards Blvd. Greyhound also offers an express service to Los Angeles starting at $29 each way, with total travel time just under eight hours.  

• Delivery services: Pizza and Chinese food are the first two things that come to mind. Also, don't forget Safeway. The grocer famously delivers groceries nearly flawlessly and affordably. IKEA offers pulling and delivery services as well. Buy Swedish household goods from the comfort of your home.

• Taxi: Seas of Big Yellow Taxis do not exist in Sacramento. Therefore, it’s best to make reservations. Call Yellow Cab Company of Sacramento to reserve a ride or Americab for airport runs. To avoid sticker shock, check out this taxi fare estimator.

• Share car services: Zipcar allows carless folks to rent cars for as little as $8 an hour or $66 a day. Rental includes insurance and gas in most cases. Yes, you read that right, gas is included!  Pick up cars in downtown, midtown and at Sacramento State.

• Traditional car rentals: Of course, the standard bearers Avis, Enterprise, U-Haul et al. offer car rentals for those times when you need a car (or moving van) for a few days. Given that Zipcar is $66 a day minimum, rental cars may be the way to go. The downside is the daily insurance cost tacked on the rental fee, which usually starts at $12 a day, depending on the driver’s age and record, and the make of the car being rented.