Travels North America

ca-pub-8661721898834303 North America continent on the Earth's northwestern quadrant Read in another language Download PDF 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. Concrete canyons below New York skyscrapers Havana — the capital of Cuba is famous for its cigars, its strong Hispanic-Caribbean culture, and its legendary nightlife Kingston — the centre of Afro-Caribbean culture, it is cosmopolitan, diverse and the home of Reggae. Los Angeles — Hollywood and movie stars; mountains and beaches; and lots of traffic Mexico City — capital city of Mexico, the third-largest city in the world is chock-full of museums, centuries-old architecture, modern amenities... and people New York City — the Big Apple is the center of North American commerce and culture, immortalized in film and song alike Panama City — the capital of Panama, a friendly city sitting at the nexus between two continents Toronto — Canada's largest city, a cosmopolitan mosaic with ethnic enclaves and cultural attractions galore 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 Washington, D.C. — the capital of the United States, with many cultural and historical attractions Classic car in Old Havana By plane Edit 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 Edit 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. 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 Canada, toll-free: +1 800 661-8747 (Canada). Greyhound Canada connects Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto, with international connections via Buffalo and New York City. International service connecting to Greyhound USA is also available in Vancouver. It is a subsidiary brand of First Group Plc in the UK and partnered with Greyhound Lines in the U.S. (updated Oct 2018) 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 the Bolt Bus (Pacific NW, California and the Northeastern part of the U.S.); Valley Transit Co (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 Elite, 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 Boletotal/Ticketbus.com 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, Trans Galgos 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. 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. Economic developments and - in the case of Mexico - a sharp drop in oil prices have at the very least postponed these plans for now, so don't hold your breath. 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 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.