The USA in 2-3 days
If you've only got a couple of days in the USA you need to head straight for a city which, if you're on a stopover you're probably doing anyway. Head to New York for the city of cities, LA for a chance to brush with the stars, Vegas for a blackjack blowout and San Francisco for its counterculture.
In 7-9 days
Hop between two of the above cities and spend the remaining days exploring California, gawping at the Grand Canyon or heading out of NYC to Boston or Washington DC.
Two weeks +
Now we're talking. If you're going to do the States justice you've got to stay at least two weeks. Classic routes include:
- Tour the East coast from Boston down through NYC and DC to the natural charms of Shenandoah National Park. Take it easy in the pretty towns of Charleston and Savannah before stepping up a gear in Miami.
- Cruise down the Pacific coast, from grunge birthplace Seattle to San Diego via San Francisco and LA. Take time out from the cities to appreciate the lush Olympic National Park, the awesome redwoods of northern California's 'Avenue of the Giants', and Big Sur with its fabled attractions of sand, sea and surf.
- Head cross-country from New York to Los Angeles. Pick up Route 66 in Chicago and head south through bluesy St Louis to Oklahoma, New Mexico and the desert lands of Arizona. Alternatively, keep further north for a trip through the Rocky Mountains, Canyonlands and Vegas.
- Slice through the States following the Mississippi river from arts hub Minneapolis to the home of jazz, New Orleans. Drop in on Elvis in Memphis and keep it musical with a side trip to the birthplace of country music Nashville. Continue south through the Mississippi Delta and Louisiana.