If you're sticking to big cities, I completely agree. Just use trains/buses to travel between cities and then public transportation in the city. I LOVE the freedom of having a car. I've driven rental cars in Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. You can see so much more of the small towns and countryside in a car. And while Rhino is right about public transit being easier in big cities, we didn't have much trouble parking or getting around.