North America is the third largest continent, with the diversity to show for it. Weather ranges from icy Greenland to tropical beaches of the Caribbean, and an incredible array of national parks and preserves show off huge canyons, breathtaking mountains, ancient forests, and fascinating wildlife. Every part of the continent has a complex and mixed cultural heritage, shaped by indigenous peoples, colonization, and waves of immigration.

Regions

North America consists of three large nations and one large island territory that covers most of its area. They are Canada, the United States of America (U.S.), Mexico and Greenland. There are also seven smaller nations at its southern extreme (collectively known as Central America), around two dozen island nations and territories of various sizes in the Caribbean, and one isolated French territory off the Canadian Atlantic coast. Although the Central American and the Caribbean regions are part of the North American continent, they are commonly listed separately from their larger neighbors to the north and hence the distinctive region names for cultural and geographical reasons.

Canada The Great White North certainly has vast expanses of unspoiled wilderness, but it also features some of the world's most modern, cosmopolitan cities.

Caribbean (Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, United States Virgin Islands, Lesser Antilles, etc.) White sandy beaches, crystal-clear water, and laid-back island culture make the Caribbean one of the world's top vacation spots.

Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama) The seven nations of this isthmus connecting North and South America blend elements of both American continents; you'll find bustling cities, ancient jungle ruins, and a Spanish-tinged culture.

Greenland A self-governing country that's a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the world's largest non-continental island is full of stark landscapes and midnight sun. In summer, the land comes alive when flowers burst out of the tundra.

Mexico Mexico is a big tourist attraction for sun-seekers, naturalists, ecotourists and historians; the former flock to Mexico's tropical beaches, while the latter will find everything from Mayan ruins to Spanish colonial history.

United States of America One of the largest, most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations on Earth includes some of the world's most famous cities, stunning natural parks, and virtually everything in between.

Non-Caribbean territories

• Bermuda — overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon — overseas territory of France.

Cities

Concrete canyons below New York skyscrapers

• 1 Havana — the capital of Cuba is famous for its cigars, its strong Hispanic-Caribbean culture, and its legendary nightlife.
• 2 Kingston — the capital of Jamaica and the center of Afro-Caribbean culture, it is cosmopolitan, diverse and the home of Reggae.
• 3 Los Angeles — Hollywood and movie stars; mountains and beaches; and lots of traffic.
• 4 Mexico City — the capital city of Mexico, the third-largest city in the world is chock-full of museums, centuries-old architecture, modern amenities... and people.
• 5 New York City — the Big Apple is the center of North American commerce and culture, immortalized in film and song alike.
• 6 Panama City — the capital of Panama, a friendly city sitting at the nexus between two continents.
• 7 Toronto — Canada's largest city, a cosmopolitan mosaic with ethnic enclaves and cultural attractions galore.
• 8 Vancouver — a city of steel and glass condominiums and outstanding natural beauty, where you can go skiing and sit on the beach all in the same day.
• 9 Washington, D.C. — the capital of the United States, with many cultural and historical attractions.

Other destinations

Grand Mayan ruins at Tikal, Guatemala

• 1 Banff National Park — Canada's first national park is also one of its largest, located in the Rocky Mountains.
• 2 Chichen Itza — the largest of the archaeological cities of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico.
• 3 Corcovado National Park — very biologically diverse national park in Costa Rica.
• 4 Grand Canyon — a massive canyon in Arizona, carved over several million years.
• 5 Niagara Falls — three grandiose waterfalls on the border between the United States and Canada.
• 6 Teotihuacan — the 'city of the gods', with some of the largest ancient pyramids in the world.
• 7 Tikal — an archaeological site in Guatemala, one of the largest and most important of the ancient Mayan cities.
• 8 Walt Disney World — the flagship of Disney's worldwide theme park network, near Orlando, Florida.
• 9 Yellowstone National Park — the world's first national park is also home to most of its geysers and an amazing concentration of animals.

Understand

Niagara Falls straddles the border between Canada and the United States

North America is the third largest continent, with a surface area of 24,221,490 km² (9,351,969 sq mi), in the northern hemisphere, between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean and to the north of South America. North America's highest point is Alaska's Denali, which rises to 6,194 m (20,322 ft) above sea level.

History

See also: North American history

The indigenous cultures of North America, also called Native Americans, Indians or First Nations arrived in Alaska before 10,000 BC, and have populated virtually all parts of North America. Except a short-lived Viking colony around AD 1000, the Americas were isolated from the rest of the world until the voyages of Columbus from 1492, and the subsequent wave of colonization, where first Spain, and later France, the British Empire and the Russian Empire seized parts of the continent. The Caribbean was divided between several European countries; in addition to the aforementioned, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark had island colonies. The United States became independent in 1776, was the first country outside the United Kingdom to industrialize (see American Industry Tour), expanded westwards during the 19th century to dominate the continent (see Old West), and became the world's undisputed dominant power by the middle of the 20th century. Haiti was the second country in the Americas to achieve its independence in part as a result of the most successful slave revolt in recorded history.

Climate

See also: Winter in North America

Arctic conditions in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland

North America stretches across all climate zones. Much of Greenland, Alaska and northern Canada are in the Arctic, with cold or cool weather all year round, and few inhabitants. Most of Canada's land area is boreal, with short summers and long winter; most Canadians live in the temperate zone, which makes up southern Canada and most of the United States. Here you can find cosmopolitan and interesting world cities and relatively easily accessible national parks for friends of nature and wildlife.

The southern and southwestern United States, as well as northern Mexico, is in the sub-tropical zone. Southern Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean are tropical, with warm weather year round.

Get in

By plane

You can get into major cities in the USA and Canada by direct flights from all the other inhabited continents. Latin American carriers fly directly between Central and South America and from Europe you can fly directly to many of the Caribbean islands. The cheapest flights and most destinations will be to the United States.

If you do not wish to travel through the US to get to your destination, there is service offered to major airports such as Mexico City, Panama City and Punta Cana from major European and South American hubs. Flying is the fastest and cheapest way to get to North America.

By boat

It is possible to travel across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by freight or cruise ship, but these cruises tend to be quite expensive compared to flying (and infrequent). There are ferries from the northern rim of South America to Central America and to the Caribbean. There is still one old style ocean liner connecting New York City to Southampton, UK, though. So if you have both time and money and want to arrive in style as in the old days, it can certainly be done.

Overland

Even if the Americas are physically connected, there are no roads or railroads between Panama and Colombia. It is possible but hopelessly dangerous to hike through the 100 km (62 mi) of jungle at the Darien Gap; if you want to take your vehicle with you, you need to take the ferry.

Get around

Classic car in Old Havana

By plane

Because population centers are often widely spaced, most long-range travel is by air, with an extensive network of major hubs and smaller regional airports, usually supplemented with car rental services to cover local travel when you arrive at your destination (see "By car"). The cheapest fares are between major cities, so you may have to drive a few hours on each end of the trip to get to and from the airports.

By bus

There is prolific long-range bus service across most of the U.S. and Canada, but travel times are excessively long (often substantially longer than a direct trip in a personal vehicle) and stations tend to be poorly maintained and even more poorly secured. Intercity buses generally travel only among significant cities, never to remote locations, and are limited or unavailable outside of business hours.

While there are major national and regional bus operators in the U.S., the withdrawal of the only national bus operator in Canada resulted in numerous regional bus companies providing service instead. Bus routes are typically not timed to enable rapid transfers between the various bus operators in Canada and most operators do not operate routes overnight. Information about available intercity regional bus operators in Canada are listed under the specific region or city.

In Mexico, by contrast, bus service is extensive and a common way to get around. In Central America, buses are the backbone of local transportation, as car ownership remains low and both domestic flights and railways have only a niche role, if any. If you want to meet the locals, hop on a chicken bus and enjoy the bumpy ride.

The following companies operate buses extensively in North America:

• Greyhound Lines, ☏ +1 214 849-8966. Greyhound serves over 3,800 locations throughout the U.S. and cross-border services from the U.S. into Canada and Mexico. It also operates (Southeastern Texas) and Cruceros USA (California & Arizona in the U.S. and Baja California Norte & Sonora in Mexico) brands in different parts of the U.S. Most towns have Greyhound service to them, but only 1 or 2 trips a day. (updated Oct 2015)
• Megabus (Coach USA). Besides having its own distinctive buses, Megabus is absorbing the buses of Coach USA and Coach Canada and rebranding them as "Megabus". Megabus operates in Canada, mainly in southern Ontario. Megabus is a popular brand in Great Britain and North America. It operates under different brands for intercity, commuter, airport shuttles, university shuttle and charter services in different localities in the USA. (updated Oct 2015)

• Grupo Estrella Blanca (White Star), ☏ +52 55 5729-0807, toll-free: 01800-507-5500 (Mexico). It also operates the TNS (Transportes Norte de Sonora), Chihuahuanese, Pacifico, Oriente, TF (Tranporte Frontera), Estrella Blanca, Conexion, Rapidos de Cuauhtemoc and Valle de Guadiana within Mexico and Autobus Americanos as a joint venture with Greyhound Lines for cross border travel between the U.S. and Mexico. As the largest bus company they serve much of the northern & northwestern states of Aguascaliente, Baja California Norte, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Districto Federal (DF), Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayrit, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora and Zacatecas states, up to the US border. It sells tickets for onward travel to the United States from the border on Greyhound (and vice versa). (updated Nov 2017)

• Grupo Senda. Rivals the above serving Aguascaliente, Colima, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Guerrero, Jalisco,Michocoan, Nuevo Leon, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas states in Mexico and into the US. From the border it offers services to the southeastern and central U.S. states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. It also operates the Turimex (in the U.S.) and Del Norte bus lines. 

• ADO (Autobuses Del Oriente), ☏ +52 55 5133-5133, toll-free: 01800-009-9090. It operates the ADO, ADO GL, AU (Autobus Unidos), OCC (Omnibus Cristobal Colon), and Platino bus lines, and the Mi Escape booking site in Mexico. It is a major bus company serving the eastern and southeastern part of the country towards the Guatemalan border in the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, Chiapas, Tamaulipas, Tabasco, and the Yucatan Peninsula (Yucatan, Quintana Roo and Campeche). It offers a once-daily trip to/from Belize City via Chetumal from Cancun and Merida and connecting service with Tica Bus and King Quality in Tapachula for onward travel to/from Central America. 

• Tica Bus. Tica Bus is the major bus line serving all the major cities in all of Central America except Belize from Tapachula down to Panama City, Panama. (updated Oct 2015)

Between these major bus lines it is possible to travel by bus across and between the three biggest countries in North America and seven smaller ones in Central America. In addition to the above, there are numerous other companies and local drivers' unions (more in Mexico & Central America) operating buses locally, regionally or even across longer distances as well. See "By bus" in the article for a particular country, state/province, region and/or locality for more. Most locations from small towns up to large cities have bus service within a town or to neighboring towns. The quality of service varies, but how late and often it runs roughly corresponds with city size.

By car

Most travel in Canada, the United States, and Mexico is by personal vehicle. Almost all highways in Canada and the United States are well maintained, with amenities such as gas, food, and lodging ranging from adequate to very convenient. If you experience an emergency that endangers your life, safety, or property, you will be able to dial 911 from a compatible cell phone on almost any major highway and reach an operator at any time. Vehicle and medical insurance issued in either Canada or the U.S. is usually valid in the other, though the wise traveller will confirm with their insurer. Canada and U.S. insurance coverage in Mexico is sometimes limited or not honored. Again, the wise traveler will confirm with their insurer.

Car rental agencies are available at almost every airport. Normally, a valid driver's license and a major credit card or cash deposit are required. Rentals are sometimes restricted for drivers under age 25. Many agencies offer short term insurance and additional coverage.

In much of western Alaska and almost all of Greenland, no major highways connect towns and cities. If roads do exist, they do not usually have the same standards as roads in the rest of North America.

Throughout most of North America, including the entire continent, traffic drives on the right with most cars being left-hand-drive. In about a dozen Caribbean island nations, traffic drives on the left.

By train

The Trans-Canada Railroad travels through areas that are hard to get to by other means of transportation, like this view of Banff National Park.

Although it once held much of the continent together, and remains useful for local travel in many metro areas, intercity train travel now ranges from relatively convenient in the Northeast Corridor, to manageable in California, around Chicago, and parts of southeastern Canada, to sparse in other parts of the continent. If you prefer to travel by rail, it's still possible (depending on where you go), but is slower and sometimes more expensive than air travel for long distances.

Among the areas with most frequent service is the US Northeast Corridor which links Washington, D.C. to Boston with frequent stops in intermediate cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, New Haven, and Providence. There is at least hourly service in this corridor from 4AM to 1AM. In Canada, the heavily-populated Windsor-Quebec corridor has several trains daily which compare favorably in speed to freeway travel, although the cost to put one passenger on the train often exceeds that of intercity bus or of the fuel to travel by car.

In communities off the beaten track, often the rails have simply been removed and the former rights-of-way used as bicycle, snowmobile or nature trails. There are no railways remaining on Prince Edward Island or the island of Newfoundland.

Most private intercity rail carriers have abandoned passenger service as unprofitable, leaving de facto federally-owned entities such as Amtrak (in the US) and VIA Rail (in Canada) to operate the services that remain. Short commuter train runs are often regionally or municipally operated in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. See Rail travel in Canada and Rail travel in the United States. Compared to Europe and East Asia, speed is low and frequencies are sparse, but the views and the comfort may make up for it. Indeed on the spectacular routes some trains traverse in North America, the journey does indeed become the destination. High speed rail is if anything in its infancy, with only the Boston to Washington, DC Northeast corridor qualifying for even a generous definition, but several projects are either planned or under construction throughout the U.S.

In Mexico and Central America passenger trains are nominal at best (Like the Chihuahua al Pacifico Line through the Copper Canyon) and non-existent at worst (in most places). There are however some tourist trains, and various Central American countries as well as Mexico have actively considered whether to build a new freight or passenger rail line. A modern, high-speed railroad is under construction in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. When completed, the Tren Maya will connect resort areas like Tulum and Cancun with Merida, Mayan sites like Palenque and Chichen Itza, and other destinations throughout the states of Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Campeche, and Tabasco. Completion is expected in 2023.

By ship

On the sea

A mammoth cruise ship stopping by Labadee in Haiti

The cruise industry is a large industry in some parts of North America, and cruises to places such as Bermuda and the West Indies are readily available, as they are to parts of Mexico. Cruises are offered as tours, and, if your travel begins or ends at a port in the United States, you generally must embark or disembark either at the same port or in a different country at the other end of the cruise. (This is due to cabotage laws.) The exception is if the line is owned and staffed by Americans, using American-built ships. (Most cruise lines are multinational operations.) Generally, cruises stop at a given port for only a few hours, so this method of travel may be inconvenient for people who want to stay longer at a port. Some locations, such as Washington, Alaska, San Francisco, New York City and Boston, have ferry service, allowing trips to various locations in or near them.

On lakes and rivers

North America contains a number of large bodies of fresh water, be it the Great Lakes between Canada and the USA or the various rivers traversing the continent and most of them are used extensively to ferry goods and people. Cruising on small craft certainly is an option in the US, as it is the country with the longest inland waterways in the world. Canada similarly offers a huge number of options for owners or renters of small craft. In the less developed corners of Central America, some places are or were reachable by boat only or the waterway remains one of the more comfortable and faster ways to get there. Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua for instance only got an airport in 2014, but given flight schedules and the view from the boat, most will still want to arrive on the water. Places that are deeper in the jungle or otherwise off the beaten path may be best accessed by boat and some ferries (e.g. between El Salvador and Nicaragua or between Honduras and Belize) will spare you a roundabout route overland.

By foot

Busy nightlife at Times Square in New York City

If you find yourself in a large city, like New York, walking might be the best way to get around because of the large amount of traffic that many large cities have. There are many sidewalks and footpaths to take in less populated areas. For the dedicated long-distance hikers the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail are United States National Scenic Trails running thousands of miles between Mexico and Canada through some of the most mountainous and rugged areas of North America.

By public transport

While cities such as Managua are a traffic nightmare and the buses are neither all that fast nor all that comfortable (they're cheap, though), others such as Panama City have built modern metros in the 21st century that are very popular with tourists and locals. Almost all self-respecting cities of a certain size in Canada and the USA have some form of metro or light rail to get you around at least downtown. Mexico City has the second biggest metro by ridership in the Americas (after New York City). Many cities were built with automobiles in mind and outside of the downtown core you may be lucky if a bus even comes your way once an hour on weekdays, even in places as big as Dallas. Touring the United States without a car is a particular challenge though doable with advance planning and careful choice of destinations.

By bike

While there is hardly any traditional "bicycle culture" in most places (outside of recreational cycling, that is), there are new "bike-share" programs in many cities in the USA as well as Mexico City and Canada. While primarily aimed at locals, travelers can usually sign up as well (provided they have a credit card and/or passport). In more rural regions with a tradition of recreational cycling, you may very well get traditional bike rental by the day or week. Some cities have an emerging cyclist culture and joining up in a "critical mass" ride is a good way to meet the locals and get into contact with the local cycling scene. Cycling is certainly on the rise in many cities of the continent, but even the most bike friendly places like Portland, Oregon, are a far cry from the like of Copenhagen or Amsterdam in terms of bike culture.

Talk

The three major languages of North America are English, Spanish and French. The United States and Canada are majority-English-speaking countries. English is also spoken in many Caribbean nations and Belize. A Creole variety of English is spoken by a minority along much of the Caribbean coast of Central America as well as on some Caribbean islands, most notably Jamaican Patois, but it will take some getting used to and may be unintelligible to second language speakers of English. Mexico, the majority of Central America (mostly the Pacific side) and portions of the Caribbean are majority-Spanish-speaking. Spanish is also spoken as a mother tongue by a minority of people and second language by others in many parts of the United States. French plays a substantial role in Canada — especially Quebec, but also parts of Ontario, Manitoba, and New Brunswick — and a role in other places, especially the Caribbean (though in some countries a French creole is more common, such as Haitian Creole in Haiti). Dutch is spoken on islands in the southern Caribbean that used to be part of the Netherlands Antilles. Numerous indigenous languages are spoken by Native Americans and the Inuit peoples of North America including Greenland. There are some isolated communities where only a few people speak anything but their indigenous language, and in Mexico, Nahuatl and Maya languages are having a revival of sorts. Danish is spoken along with Greenlandic in Greenland.

Generally, English proficiency tends to be poor in the Spanish- and French-speaking parts of the continent, though people who work in the tourism industry, as well as business people who regularly deal with foreign clients, often speak at least conversational English.

See

Gorgeous mountain landscapes in British Columbia

The range of things to see in North America is enormous. There is spectacular natural scenery ranging from mountains and tundra to deserts and tropical rain forests. The Rocky Mountains (Rockies) are the continent's largest mountain range, running from northern Canada to the southwestern United States, continuing into Mexico as the Sierra Madre ranges and Mexican Altiplano and on to Central America, making up the northern part of the American Cordillera. The Rockies contain some of the world's most visited national parks including the famous Yellowstone. North American cities like New York City, Mexico City, Chicago, and Washington, DC are home to some of the world's finest museums. Stunning architecture can be found from Panama City to Montreal.

North American wildlife, with iconic species such as the grizzly, the bison, the mustang and the bald eagle, is an attraction in itself. The tropics belong to another biogeographic region; see Central and South American wildlife.

Some of the best scenic areas include:

• The Appalachian Mountains, stretching from Quebec to the Appalachia region of the Southern United States.
• The Pacific Coast Highway along the cost of California.
• The Copper Canyon, with its 1,000 mile long scenic railroad, rugged mountains, and native populations.
• The Rocky Mountains (including Yellowstone and Banff national parks, among others).
• The Everglades, a massive wetland in Florida.
• The Panama Canal, America's shipping "shortcut" between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
• Niagara Falls on the Canada-USA frontier between Lakes Erie and Ontario.
• The Grand Canyon, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and the Colorado River in Northern Arizona.
• The beaches and fishing villages of the East Coast, from Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada to the Carolinas in the United States.
• The "Inside Passage" between Vancouver Island and the coast of mainland British Columbia.
• The Caribbean coast of southeast Mexico, from Cancun south to Belize, the area includes islands, coral reefs, white sand beaches and tropical jungles

Cultural and historical themes

• American Civil War
• Pioneer Villages
• Cold War

Itineraries

See also: North America itineraries.

• The Alaska Highway (and the and various routes that lead to it)
• Dalton Highway
• El Camino Real.
• Route 66
• Underground Railroad
• Trans-Canada Highway
• Panama Canal
• Ruta del Tránsito – the old interoceanic route through Nicaragua that was a main travel thoroughfare prior to the transcontinental railroad.

Buy

Figures for the Day of the Dead in Mexico

Usually, you can buy large ranges of clothing and lots of electronics. North America is known for manufacturing lots of electronics, such as Apple, Hewlett Packard (HP) and Dell, which are all major electronics manufacturers from North America.

Many North American cities have famous shopping districts such as 5th Avenue in New York City, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, and the Magnificent Mile in Chicago. Downtown shopping districts have spawned some of the world's most famous retailers including Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Neiman Marcus.

Many tourists enjoy shopping at the biggest shopping mall in the United States, the Mall of America. It's located in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. As well as having an amazing number of stores, you'll also find a multi-screen movie theater, an amusement park, and many restaurants--including both sit-down and fast-food. Also, the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta is a popular destination having once been the world's largest mall.

Eat

See also: Chain restaurants in the United States and Canada, Fast food in the United States and Canada

Mexico is the North American country with the most distinctive culinary identity, with ancient flavors and ingredients that have spread throughout the world and permeated even the other "great cuisines". After all, if the pre-Columbian Mexicans hadn't cultivated chocolate, how could the French have created mousse, or without tomatoes, how could the Italians have created pizza or spaghetti sauce? Mexican cuisine is justly famous throughout the world, but today's modern Mexican chefs show innovation that goes well beyond the familiar tacos, tamales, and tortillas. Regional specialties range from cochinita de pibil in the Yucatan, birria in Guadalajara, and cabrito in Monterrey. Oaxaca has become a noted destination for culinary schools (or just hungry travelers wanting to taste something unique). Tequila and mezcal are classic distilled spirits.

Since the United States was heavily populated by pioneering peoples and global immigration, the diversity of its cuisine is immense. Many cosmopolitan cities (Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Las Vegas to name a few) have a broad array of dining options to offer tourists. These cities attract both famous chefs from around the world serving world-class fare in Michelin starred restaurants, as well as enclaves of various ethnic groups offering inexpensive regional cuisines from their homelands. Foreign cuisines have been adapted in many ways to suit American palates and use local ingredients; for instance, the United States and Canada have several distinctive variations of pizza.

Canadian food, like that of the U.S., varies from region to region and is heavily influenced by its immigrant culture. Broadly speaking, you should think seafood on the coasts, meat and potatoes in the center of the country, and pretty much anything you can think of in the cosmopolitan major cities. Poutine, french fries covered in cheese curd and gravy, may be the nation's favorite fast food snack.

The Caribbean is known for its seafood and specialties like Jerk chicken.

While Mexican influence extends into the cuisine of Northern Central America, countries like Nicaragua or Costa Rica have their own distinct flavor, based mostly upon rice and beans that together make up gallo pinto (also known as casamiento in other parts of Central America), a staple food that you will eat at least once during any visit, no matter how short.

Drink

Salsa dancers in New York

Europeans used to mock American beers for their lack of diversity and flavor. Anyone still mocking should really look again. While a light beer can still be enjoyed in hot regions on sandy beaches, the U.S. has microbreweries dotting the country. Major concentrations of microbreweries can be found in New England, the Pacific Northwest, Colorado, and Northern California. The diversity of beers is now enormous and most beer-lovers will find at least one or two to their liking. Mexico is known for the lighter beers (Corona, Dos Equis, Pacifico) that go well with their cuisine and warm climate, although darker options are also available. The lighter beers are also more common in southern areas and the Caribbean, though many of these areas also have special non-beer options (regional types of rum are quite diverse, for example).

Canada and the U.S. have various wine regions and variants which have become internationally recognized and respected. Try the ice wine from Ontario and you will never forget the clean, clear beauty that is extracted from the frozen grape. The US has become the fourth largest wine making region in the world, with California producing roughly 90% of that volume. A trip to San Francisco should be accompanied by a drive through the famous Napa Valley, although if the crowds deter you, you can easily enjoy lovely wineries a few hours south along the Central Coast of California (add a stop at Hearst Castle) or beautiful Pinot Noirs in Oregon. Upstate New York (Finger Lakes region) is another major wine producing region.

Again, the immigrant influx to North America brought with it culturally diverse methods of alcohol production. Regional drinks and types of liquors abound. Beverages in the southern regions will often be mixed with tropical fruits; and of course, Mexico is famous for fermentation techniques with the agave plant (Tequila, anyone?). Rums abound in Southern areas of Mexico as well as Central America and the Caribbean, and have much diversity in methods of production. Cocktails made with gin and vodkas have undergone a renaissance in the U.S. and Canada, evoking memories of old movie stars from days gone by. And of course, who has not heard of the Mint Julep from Kentucky, or the Hurricane from New Orleans.

As with all cultures, there will be sports bars with large television screens and avid fans. If this is something you enjoy, be certain to check the season and game times to see when the next hockey, (American) football, soccer (association football), basketball, or baseball game is on and join the noisemaking.

North America is the birthplace of another drinking trend that is spreading throughout the world: the Fake Irish Pub. These establishments will usually be decorated with nicknacks from Ireland and may even have an authentic looking 19th century interior. Sometimes the interior is actually imported from a real Irish pub that has gone out of business. The bar menu almost always consists of Guinness, Harp, and Jameson. Fake Irish pubs may seem tacky to those who have been to the real thing, but they are a genuine part of the landscape in the U.S. and Canada and are often among the most popular bars in town. If you're in a major American city on St. Patrick's Day, a visit to one of these establishments is a must.

Jazz, dancing, marching, and general revelry at New Orleans Mardi Gras

Drinking ages vary by country. In the U.S., a government-issued ID, demonstrating its holder is 21 or above, is required to purchase or consume alcohol. Availability to purchase will vary as well; some states issue liquor licenses more broadly allowing you to find alcohol in many shops and stores (California, Washington); while others may only be purchased in state run shops (Utah), or licensed bars and restaurants. In Mexico, the drinking age is 18, sending many young US border residents into the casinos and nightclubs on weekends. In Canada, the drinking age (18 or 19) will vary by territory and province. The drinking age is 18 throughout Central America, though enforcement certainly varies.

Sleep

Hostels are available in the cities, though often in less desirable locations. If hostels are your usual lodging choice, consider options such as the YMCA or a cheap hotel. Independent hotels and international and regional hotel chains are widespread across both Canada and the USA. Most hotel chains have free smart phone apps to make it easy to schedule and keep up with travel itinerary while on the road. In these countries, as well as major tourist regions of Mexico and the Caribbean, high-speed internet service is typically available, though sometime at an additional fee. Hotel chains also offer reward programs and bonuses for frequent travelers, as do some of the online options. Bed and breakfasts are available in many cities and other popular tourist destinations. Camping spots are widely available, generally along highways or near lakes and rivers, many require a small fee, so read signs and inquire. In more populated U.S. national parks (Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone) camping and accommodations within the parks will often need booking up to 12 months in advance. You may also experience challenges with accommodations at the small hotels just outside the parks during high-seasons.

To really experience life in the United States, a small bed and breakfast is the way to go! Bed and breakfasts, which are usually run by the owners who live on the property, will give you a better feel of what it's like to "be an American". Many of these owners have traveled widely, read widely and have knowledge of their area to guide you to those unique experiences in the United States.

Stay safe

Police and other emergency services are widely available most anywhere throughout the United States and Canada as well as most areas of Mexico and usually have fast response times. In the United States, Canada and Mexico, police and other first responders can be summoned in an emergency by dialing 9-1-1 on a compatible phone. Safety varies widely from place to place, so see the appropriate article on the region of interest. Like anywhere, remember to practice good common sense safety procedures and you should be fine.

Many places in North America are occasionally affected by severe weather. Since mountain ranges run from north to south, storms can bring dramatic temperature changes. Cold weather is a seasonal concern in parts of the continent; see winter in North America.

Stay healthy

Tap water is usually safe to drink in Canada and the United States.

While hardly present in dogs in the USA, rabies is a concern when bitten in Central America or a bat in the US. As rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms show (there is only one case of symptomatic rabies being survived by a human documented in the medical record) have a rabies vaccination before you head out and get to a doctor as soon as possible if you are bitten.

Tropical diseases such as dengue and malaria are endemic to much of Central America, especially rural areas and the Caribbean side. If you want to go to Panama you will need a certificate of yellow fever vaccination.

The Zika virus has spread through much of Central America, but it is advisable to check official government advisories and individual country guides on Wikivoyage before you go, as the situation can vary drastically between or even within countries. Zika is particularly dangerous to the unborn and thus pregnant women might want to postpone travel to affected areas.

Connect

Mobile telephone frequencies in the Americas (ITU region 2) differ from most of the rest of the world, with 850 MHz/1900 MHz being the most common frequencies in North America for 3G UMTS/WCDMA/HSPA (AT&T, Bell/Telus, Rogers). A few new entrants, regional carriers and higher-speed data services use 1700 MHz or 2100 MHz.

You should check if your phone operates on the North American frequencies, and that it can connect using 3G, 4G LTE, or 5G. As of 2023, some mobile networks have already shut down or are in the process of shutting down their 2G and 3G networks, and the build out of 5G networks is in progress. If your phone does not support the North American frequencies and the generation of network that is rolled out, it will not be able to call, receive calls, or send or receive messages while in North America.