On foot
If you're in Providence, you may want to forgo a car and walk. There is no on-street overnight parking in the city although this is changing for some neighborhoods under a pilot program. Federal Hill, Downcity, and most of the East Side are quite walkable, and a number of bus routes serve the area. Use common sense when walking alone or at night, as you should in any city.
By car
It should be noted that local custom often overrules traditional driving right-of-way laws at intersections. Drive defensively, and be aware of the locals' casual disregard for turn signals, stop signs and red lights. As of 2009, major highway interchanges are being rerouted in Providence near the junction of 195 and 95 exits 18-23. Understand that your map or navigation system may be out of date, even if it has been recently updated. Drive with caution.
Rental cars are available Downcity in Providence, at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, and other places around the state.
Amtrak
(http://www.amtrak.com/) runs trains through the state, stopping in Providence, West Kingston a village of South Kingstown a few miles from the University of Rhode Island, and Westerly.
By ship
RIPTA also runs a seasonal ferry from Providence to Newport mid-May to mid-October, while a separate company, Block Island Ferry (http://www.blockislandfer...), runs ferries to Block Island.
Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA)
Phone: +1 401-781-9400, (http://www.ripta.com/). Services 38 of RI's 39 cities and towns with a central hub in Providence at Kennedy Plaza. RIPTA operates public transit 7 days a week with a program called RIde specifically for senior citizens and the disabled. They provide 27 sites for Park nâ Ride service throughout the state and special seasonal routes to the southern beaches for $2. On Air Quality Alert Days, they offer free services to everywhere except the beach. On an average day $2.00 will get you from one end of the state to the other, and if you need a transfer, it's $.50.