Rancho Cucamonga is a car-dependent suburb. The distances between sights — the Service Station on Foothill Boulevard, the John Rains House to the west, Victoria Gardens to the east, the Etiwanda Historic District in the northeast — make walking impractical. A car is by far the easiest way to get around.
Omnitrans buses cover the main east–west corridors along Foothill Boulevard (Route 66) and Base Line Road, with connections to the Metrolink station on Milliken Avenue. Service is adequate for reaching Victoria Gardens from the station but not useful for reaching the historical sites.
Rideshare (Uber, Lyft) is reliable and inexpensive for getting between points within the city. The compact Route 66 heritage strip along Foothill Boulevard between Vineyard and Euclid is a pleasant 30-minute walk if you are specifically exploring the historic service-station area.
Cycling infrastructure is limited — Foothill Boulevard has a designated bike lane in places, but the speed and volume of traffic make it uncomfortable for most riders. The San Bernardino National Forest trails to the north are accessible by car from trailheads on Sapphire Street and off Mount Baldy Road.