Short Gaps via North America

Short Gaps via North America

North America is a popular destination for tourists and travellers alike. The USA is the world’s largest superpower and for that reason it seems more accessible than other countries. The Americans are incredibly accommodating and they make the perfect hosts.

North America is vast and varied; you'll never find anything quite like it. The landscape changes drastically from the husky-driven snow adventures in Canada to cacti and coyote in Arizona.

There’s a lot to see and do in North America and it’s perfect for a stop gap. You can travel around for a few weeks to a few months and visit the shopaholic paradise of New York City, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, the great outdoors of Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks and go trekking through the Rockies in Canada.

One of the world’s best road trips is from New York to San Francisco along Route 64. You’ll finish up in California, arguably the most cosmopolitan and enjoyable state in the USA.

Another fantastic roadtrip is Route 101 up the West Coast of California. You’ll take in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco on this route, as well as a number of national parks, Death Valley and the Grand Canyon.

If you have any time between school, university or a job then a stop gap is for you. You’ll be amazed what you can do in a short amount of time.

Key stops in North America

In Canada, Toronto is the main city to fly into for those travelling to the East Coast and Vancouver is the main city to fly into for those travelling to the West Coast. The East Coast has the bigger cities and is more cosmopolitan whereas the West Coast has some of the best ski slopes in the world in Banff and Whistler, making winter a particularly good time to visit this region.

In the USA, the prominent backpacker destinations along the East Coast are Boston, Florida and New York. On the West Coast, Los Angeles and San Francisco are the backpacker hot spots, the latter delighting people from all over the world.

Popular routes that include North America

London >> New York >> Boston >> London

London >> New York >> San Francisco >> London

London >> Vancouver >> Toronto >> Montreal >> London

What we recommend...

We recommend you fly into New York and make your way over to Los Angeles. You can hire a car and drop it off in LA, and even though it’s 3,743 km, you can do it in a week if you push hard, but we recommend 10 days. It has been described as one of the truly great journeys.

You can spend a week in and around New York, a week getting across to Los Angeles, and a week in and around California.

If you want to do the North West then fly into Toronto and make you way to Montreal. You can travel easily between these cities and also take in Niagara Falls, Ottawa and Quebec. From Quebec you can make your way down to New York and Boston. You could do this little route in a month, making it a perfect stop gap.

For the skiers amongst you the season will be kicking off nicely in Banff and Whistler on the West Coast of Canada in January and February, so if you’re into skiing then this is the place to be.

Why North America?

Even if you've never been to North America, you've been brought up with it. Our culture is infused with American influences, so why not check out the land of cowboys and Indians, rock-stars and movie-stars, and see if it lives up to the hype? North America also has happening cities, iconic landmarks, and nature on a grand scale. You can't fail to be impressed by the Rockies, Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon.

What others say...

Terry O'Brien:
"The Canadian Rockies blew me away; after being in New Zealand and seeing the stunning scenery there I never thought it could be beaten, but the Canadian Rockies were something else..."

Zoe Squire:
"I have to say that I was sucked straight in by Hollywood and did all the typical tourist things, like hands in the handprints of the stars, as well as ooh-ing and aah-ing at the Hollywood sign..."