Bellingham is navigable by bike and on foot within the core districts, though the hills and the spread-out nature of the city make a car useful for reaching the outlying parks and trailheads.
Walking and cycling. Downtown and Fairhaven are both compact enough to explore on foot. The Interurban Trail runs 15 km through the Chuckanut foothills and is popular with cyclists and runners. The Whatcom Creek Trail connects the waterfront to the lake district on a paved path.
Bus. Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) runs local buses connecting the downtown transit center to Western Washington University, Fairhaven, and most residential areas. Service is reasonable on weekdays but thin on weekends.
By car. Most visitors drive. Parking downtown is easy and mostly free outside a small metered core. Trailheads for the Chuckanut Mountains, Larrabee State Park, and the Interurban Trail all require a car or a bike to reach comfortably.
Ferry. The Alaska Marine Highway System departs from the Bellingham Cruise Terminal in Fairhaven — a useful option for those heading to southeast Alaska.