6 country guides
Canada is the second largest country on earth, so trips work regionally: Rockies and Pacific coast in the west, Great Lakes and Niagara in the centre, French-speaking Quebec and the Atlantic provinces in the east. Distances between them are flight distances, not drives. Seasons change the offer completely, from summer hiking to winter aurora and skiing.
Costa Rica concentrates cloud forest, active volcanoes, two coastlines and dense wildlife into a country you can drive across in a day, with a long-established conservation system behind it. It is the most expensive country in Central America and the most straightforward to travel independently. Roads to the best places are often slow and unpaved.
Guatemala packs Maya ruins in lowland jungle, a chain of volcanoes over the highlands and indigenous market towns around Lake Atitlán into a small, cheap country. Shuttle buses link the main stops, and most travel happens on the highland circuit. Volcano hiking, including an active one, is the standout activity.
Mexico covers Maya and Aztec archaeology, colonial highland cities, two very different coastlines and one of the world's strongest food cultures. Domestic flights and comfortable long-distance buses make a multi-region trip realistic in two weeks. Conditions vary sharply by state, so route planning matters more than in most countries.
Panama is narrow enough to reach both oceans in a day, with the canal in the middle, cloud forest in the western highlands and two very different island archipelagos on each coast. Panama City mixes a colonial old quarter with a modern skyline. The country uses the US dollar, which simplifies budgeting.
The United States is best treated as several trips: the desert parks of the Southwest, the Pacific coast and Sierra, the northern Rockies, and the dense historic cities of the Northeast. Road-tripping is the default outside the big cities. National park reservations and timed entry now apply at several of the busiest parks.
