USA/Canada Travel Guide

North America's scale rewards slow travel. The USA and Canada span six time zones, dozens of ecosystems, and wildly different attitudes to space and speed. You can bike mountain passes in the Rockies one week and paddle the Great Lakes the next.

Both countries are straightforward for independent travellers—good infrastructure, English spoken widely, and tourist infrastructure that won't surprise you. The real draw is distance: you'll spend as much time on the road as at destinations, and that's the point.

Neither country is cheap, but both reward planning. Camping and road food keep costs down. Winter is brutal; summer is brief and precious. Shoulder seasons (spring and autumn) offer the best light and fewer crowds, though you'll need layers.

Highlights

1. Rocky Mountain riding — Multi-day mountain bike routes through the Canadian Rockies, with altitude and scenery that justifies the effort.
2. Great Lakes — Five freshwater inland seas. Paddle, drive their coasts, or island-hop. Lake Superior alone is vast enough to feel remote.
3. Great Plains — Flat, open, and underrated. Wide sky, small towns, cheap motel rooms, and a sense of genuine emptiness.
4. Appalachian road routes — Winding mountain roads through the eastern USA, tight communities, and clear cultural layers visible region by region.
5. Historical cycling routes — Multi-state bike trails following historical significance—slavery routes, trade paths, indigenous territories—with real narrative weight.
6. Pacific coastal drives — Dramatic cliffs, redwood forests, and the open Pacific. Summer is essential; the road is as much destination as where you land.