"get around" (from place to place)

Question

How would one say, "It'diificult to get around Los Angeles without a car."

Would the verb "trasladar" be correct? Es difícil trasladarse por Los Angeles sin coche. ?? Are there other ways to say it?

What prompts me to ask is an article I'm reading about efforts to encourage bicycle riding in the city of Montevideo, Uruguay. Here is one sentence in this article:

Quién sabe si en nuestra próxima visita a Montevideo, la ciudad no nos sorprenda con bicicletas públicas de alquiler, bici-sendas comunicando todos los barrios, estacionamientos seguros, ómnibus con portabicicletas y otros elementos que facilitan optar por la bicicleta a la hora de trasladarnos.

It seems to me that the last few words of that sentence could be translated as "...when getting ourselves around." Or, "...when it's time (for us) to get around." Hence my thinking that getting around Los Angeles would be trasladarse por Los Angeles.

Answer 1

"... moverse por la ciudad..."size> seems to me the best expression.

Answer 2

Thank you all for your answers. I have a follow-up question: In the sentence that I set forth in my original question about facilitating bicycle riding in Montevideo, was I wrong to translate "trasladarnos" as "getting (ourselves) around"? If so, how would that be translated instead?

By the way, in the same article I referenced in my original question there is another example of the use of "trasladar." Here it is:

Sin embargo, pancartas, carteles y camisetas con frases como "la calle es tuya", "queremos respeto para las bicicletas", "queremos más gente en bici", recordaban a la gente que el evento buscaba generar conciencia sobre la necesidad de tener una opción saludable, económica y segura de trasladarse.

Here, I would want to translate "segura de trasladarse" as "safe for getting around." Yes? No?

Yes. - annierats, Sep 21, 2015

Answer 3

"seguridad para transitar"size> would be my option.

Answer 4

To "get around" is an idiomatic expression meaning to get from one place to another.

Entonces: En la ciudad es difícil ir de un lugar a otro. ( o "pasear por la ciudad" moverse por la ciudad, etc.") Probablemente hay más expresiones como éstas.

¡Muy difícil!

In this case a bicycle is convenient. :) - crucesignatus, Sep 20, 2015

Answer 5

What about mandarse? I came across this definition of mandarse in Spandict (while working on a totally different question): to get around by oneself. The example given is this: No se manda desde que rompió la pierna. He can't get around by himself since he broke his leg.

While mandarse clearly means getting around by oneself when the person has a medical problem (as the example given illustrates), I wonder if it could apply in other situations. For example if I want to stress that I can get around Los Angeles by myself (I don't need someone to drive me around, I can walk or take the bus without anyone's help), could I say, "Me mando por Los Angeles"?

No, it sounds weird in Spanish. You may want to say "Yo me mando sola" which means "I tell myself what to do" but I think it doesn't have anything to do with going from one place to another. - leumas11, Sep 22, 2015

thanks. somandarse as "getting around by oneself" is limited to contexts where one has a medical problem (like the dictionary example I gave), right? - malbecblend, Sep 22, 2015

Answer 6

From my dictionary. NOTA Para los usos de around en phrasal verbs ver las entradas de los verbos correspondientes, p. ej. get around

She can use this car to get around while she's here.

Mientras esté aquí, puede usar este coche para desplazarse.

Answer 7

I am not a native but I would use Andar.

No es fácil andar en/por la ciudad sin carro.

I would say en but por may be better.