North America Holidays

If you want to cover the USA from coast to coast, you can hire a car or a motorhome and drive Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. But a USA holiday doesn’t have to be super ambitious – you can see as much or as little as you like.

Our experts will help you pick a coast, choose between summer sun or winter adventures, and decide between natural sights or city lights. Plenty of travellers decide to go for a laid-back break and hit Hawaii, where you’ll find big beaches, even bigger volcanoes and some of the world’s best surfing. And sun-soaked California is just as popular, with its famous landmarks, hip cities and blonde sands.

Hotspots like Las Vegas, New York and Washington DC offer fantastic holidays all year round, from festive lights to summery parks. New England is the place to be in autumn, when the famous red, orange and purple fall colours sweep across the forests and national parks. And if you want beautiful beaches, theme parks and glossy cities, nowhere does it better than Florida.

The second-largest country on Earth, Canada is home to the greatest of the great outdoors. With more natural wonders than seems fair, this place boasts mountains, glacial lakes and dense forests, as well as beautiful cities and charming towns. Visit Quebec for its romantic old town and winter skiing on Mont Tremblant. Head to Alberta, drop in on Calgary, and then explore magnificent Banff National Park. Or discover the edgy streets of Toronto, just a stone’s throw away from thundering Niagara Falls.

In the east, Nova Scotia is home to the stunning Cabot Trail. While, on the other side of the country, Vancouver Island entices with beaches, wildlife and scenic hikes. For effortless wildlife-watching, ride a train through the Rockies, make for British Columbia – home to over half of Canada’s grizzly bears – or go whale-watching in Hudson Bay. And if you want colourful local life, Montreal has all kinds of festivals in winter, while Ottawa’s the place for traditions like skating on the Rideau Canal and tapping maple syrup.

North America’s beaches rival Earth’s most paradisiacal shores, with several regularly topping lists of the world’s best beaches. They also feature a few different seas and a range of styles.

California has its fair share of surfing greats. North Carolina’s beaches offer wild ponies and pirate legends. Waikiki Beach in Honolulu is the legend of legends. Florida’s beaches are perfect for both fashionistas and families. And New England’s shores are piled high with heritage.

But when you want beaches with exquisite resorts and ancient archaeology on the doorstep, make for Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. As well as quaint towns and untamed jungle landscapes, this heavenly area is home to glossy Cancun and Playa del Carmen. You can look forward to mile upon mile of white sands, all sorts of watersports, and some of the calmest waters in the Caribbean.

There are so many good reasons to choose a North American holiday – but if the sheer variety of food served up across this diverse continent was your number one, few could fault your thinking. The USA didn’t invent street food but, from NYC hot dog carts to Los Angeles food trucks, it’s gone a long way to reinvent the genre. Seafood shacks are southern Florida staples. Nowhere does farmers' markets as well as San Francisco. The Deep South is famous for its incredible barbecue. And, if you want award-winning restaurants and the world’s best vegan spots, San Antonio, Seattle or Portland have you covered.

Canada’s best culinary treats are fantastic, too. Don’t miss Vancouver’s freshly-caught seafood, Beaver Tail Pastries on the hoof in Ottawa, and comforting poutine in Quebec. And, of course, Mexico cooks up a storm with its tacos, quesadillas and enchiladas, served up with salty margaritas. But be warned – once you’ve tried authentic Mexican food, any imitations back home will pale into comparison.