In reply to vberg:
Having only learnt to drive 5 years aogo i agree it can be a PITA getting abiut in rural areas without one.
But my last 3 holiday experiences without a car (I drive lots for a living so rather wouldn't on holidays) have been as follows
Week walking the Pembs coast path in March, so out of season, not everything open etc. Had to bail one day as my knee was giving me grief, landlord of the pub we were in drive us to the next B&B as I quote 'taxi costs will take the poss out here boys'. As it was off season we carried food as evening meals wernt available on as lot of the places we stayed. Saying that, one b&B owner drove us to a pub for dinner, and picked us up 3 hours later.
A week goibg hut to hut in the Carpathian Alps in Romania, with Explore. While we were looked after met a few groups doing similar, utilising public transport, taxis and scrounge lifts, so doable.
A week walking in the Alpujarras/Sierra Nevada foothills. Buses 3 or 4 times a day around the valleys and into Granada with locals using them and happy to held you out on arrangements.
I work in business support and lots of my tourism clients in rural Wales will go out of their way to assist guests arriving on foot or by bike
Maybe it depends where you go?