North America Travel Guides: Skylines, Canyons and Wild Coasts
Broadway lights, the Grand Canyon at sunrise, sloths dozing in a Costa Rican rainforest. North America is a continent of jaw-dropping range, and honestly you could spend a lifetime here and barely scratch it. Pick a country below and start planning.
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Where the Modern Meets the Ancient
Here is the thing about North America. The scale is genuinely hard to picture until you're there. Skyscrapers touching the clouds, then wilderness stretching further than you can drive in a day. We've chased sunsets from the historic streets of Boston to the beaches of California, felt the pulse of Mexico City, and stood slack-jawed in Canada's Rockies. This hub is your jumping-off point. Real routes, honest costs, and the little lessons that make a big trip run smooth.
- 4 countriesCovered on this hub
- ESTA or eTAQuick online entry
- £70 / $94 / €82Mid-range daily, from
- Apr to Jun, SepShoulder-season sweet spot
- Every landscapeCity, desert, jungle, ice
Best Time to Visit North America
The continent's climates swing wildly, so match the season to the region. Here's the honest breakdown of when to go where.
Spring
Mar to MayPrime national-park season before the summer crowds. Wildflowers in California, mild days for the Grand Canyon, and Costa Rica's dry season still going strong. Genuinely our favourite window for the US parks.
Summer
Jun to AugPeak everything. Long days, road-trip weather, and the only real window for Canada's far north and Alaska. Book ahead and expect crowds at the big hitters. Can get hot and humid down south.
Autumn
Sep to NovFall foliage turns the Northeast and Canada into something out of a postcard. Crisp air, thinner crowds, and shoulder-season prices. September and October are hard to beat for a road trip.
Winter
Dec to FebSki season in Whistler and Colorado, sunshine escapes in Mexico and the Caribbean, and the cheapest US city breaks of the year. Just pack for the cold up north, it does not mess about.
What to Expect, Country by Country
Four very different countries, four very different trips. Here's the quick lay of the land.
United States
Fifty states, endless variety. Broadway and neon Vegas, the California coast road trip, and national parks like Yellowstone and Zion that genuinely stop you in your tracks.
Canada
A hiker's dream. Banff's turquoise lakes, Whistler's slopes, the buzz of Montreal and Vancouver, and if you head far enough north, the northern lights over the Yukon.
Mexico
Way more than beach resorts. Mexico City's food scene is world-class, the Mayan ruins are staggering, and the Yucatan beaches and Baja vineyards round it all off. Superb value, too.
Costa Rica
Pura vida in action. Rainforest ziplines, volcano hikes, sloths and toucans, and some of the most biodiverse patches of jungle on the planet. Small country, massive payoff.
Guides by Country
The North American destinations we cover, from Canada's Rockies to Costa Rica's rainforest. Each card opens that country's full hub of guides, itineraries, and budgets.
Ready to Book the Big Stuff?
Two searches sort most of any North America trip: where you'll sleep and how you'll get there.
Find Your Stay
Motels from £50 / $67 / €58 a night, city hotels, and jungle eco-lodges. Compare thousands of places across North America in one search.
Search Hotels on Booking.comRent a Car
The continent is built for road trips. Rentals from around £30 / $40 / €35 a day, and it's the only real way to see the national parks properly.
Compare Car HireTop 5 Things to See and Do in North America
Famous for a reason. Here's our honest take on five experiences that live up to every bit of the hype.
The Grand Canyon, USA
One of the natural wonders of the world, and photos genuinely can't do it justice. Stand at the rim at sunrise, hike a stretch down into it, or raft the Colorado if you're feeling brave. Pure scale.
Explore our USA guides →Banff, Canada
Turquoise lakes, snow-dusted peaks, and hiking trails that look photoshopped. Banff National Park is the crown jewel of the Canadian Rockies, and Lake Louise in particular is almost too pretty to be real.
Explore our Canada guides →Mayan Ruins, Mexico
Chichen Itza, Tulum, Palenque. Climbing (or these days, standing beneath) these ancient pyramids is a proper spine-tingler. Pair it with Yucatan cenotes and Mexico City tacos for the full trip.
Explore our Mexico guides →Costa Rica's Rainforest
Ziplining over the canopy, spotting a sloth mid-snooze, and soaking in volcano-fed hot springs. Manuel Antonio and Monteverde pack an absurd amount of wildlife into a tiny, easy-to-travel country.
Explore our Costa Rica guides →New York City, USA
The city that genuinely never sleeps. A Broadway show, the view from the Empire State, a quiet moment at the 9/11 Memorial, then a slice of pizza at 2am. Nowhere else feels quite like it.
Explore our USA guides →Latest North America Guides
Our newest articles, itineraries, and city guides from across the continent.
North America Travel Resources
The booking sites and tools we actually use on our own trips. No filler, just what works.
Hostels
Dorm beds and private rooms across North America, with millions of traveller reviews.
Search Hostelworld →Hotels & Lodges
Our go-to for everything from £50 / $67 / €58 motels to jungle eco-lodges.
Search Booking.com →Car Hire
Compare rental prices across the continent. Essential for US and Canada road trips.
Compare with DiscoverCars →Tours & Activities
Grand Canyon trips, Broadway tickets, and rainforest tours in every major destination.
Browse GetYourGuide →eSIM Data
Land connected. One eSIM covers the US, Canada, and Mexico from about £4 / $5.50 / €4.70.
Get an Airalo eSIM →Travel Insurance
Non-negotiable, especially in the US where a hospital visit can bankrupt you. Good cover is cheap.
Compare with VisitorsCoverage →Flight Compensation
Delayed or cancelled flight? You might be owed money. Takes a couple of minutes to check.
Check with CompensAIR →Airport Transfers
Pre-book a driver and skip the taxi queue after a long-haul flight into JFK or LAX.
Book a Transfer →When Travel Goes Sideways
Lost passports, pickpockets, cancelled flights. It happens to the best of us. Here's how to handle it like a pro.
Travel Problems Hub
From missed connections to lost luggage, the fixes for travel's most common headaches.
Visit the Hub
Robbed Abroad?
The exact steps to take in the first 24 hours after a theft, from police reports to emergency cash.
Read the Guide
Health & Wellbeing
Jet lag, altitude, and staying healthy on the road. The stuff that keeps a trip on track.
Stay WellNorth America Travel FAQs
The questions we get asked most, answered honestly.
Do I need a visa to visit North America?
For the USA, most visa-waiver countries (UK, EU, Australia and more) need an ESTA, sorted online before you fly. Canada uses a similar system called an eTA. Mexico and Costa Rica are visa-free for tourism for most Western passports, usually up to 90 or 180 days. Always check your government's official advice before booking, since rules can change.
When is the best time to visit North America?
It depends heavily on where you're headed. Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the sweet spots for the US and Canada, with mild weather and thinner crowds. Costa Rica's dry season runs December to April. Mexico is great most of the year, though its dry winter months are the classic pick. Summer is peak season and best saved for the far north.
How much does North America cost per day?
It varies a lot. The US and Canada are pricier: budget travellers plan around £70 / $94 / €82 a day, and mid-range closer to £130 / $174 / €152. Mexico and Costa Rica stretch a budget much further, often £40 to 60 / $54 to 80 / €47 to 70 a day. Accommodation and car hire are usually your biggest costs up north.
Is North America safe for travellers?
Broadly, yes, especially the tourist areas we cover. Canada and Costa Rica in particular are very safe. In the US and Mexico, use normal big-city common sense: stick to well-lit busy areas at night, use official taxis or rideshares, and keep an eye on your belongings. In Mexico, stick to established tourist regions and check current advice for anywhere off the beaten track.
Do I need a car to travel North America?
Outside the big cities, honestly yes. The continent is built around driving, and the national parks, coastal routes, and small towns are near-impossible to do properly without wheels. Cities like New York, Toronto, and Mexico City have solid public transport, but a rental unlocks the road-trip magic that North America does better than anywhere.
Can I drink the tap water in North America?
In the US and Canada, yes, tap water is safe and delicious. In Mexico and Costa Rica it's more of a mixed bag: many resort and city areas are fine, but plenty of spots aren't reliably safe for visitors, so stick to bottled or filtered when you're unsure. A reusable bottle with a built-in filter is the smart move.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Take the pressure off. Our Start Here page walks you through planning step by step, or browse every destination we cover and see what grabs you.