Introduction to the United States
From the neon skyline of Manhattan to the layered red rock of the Grand Canyon, the United States packs an entire continent's worth of landscapes, cultures, and road-trip mythology into one country. Fifty states span coast-to-coast time zones, alpine peaks, desert canyons, and subtropical coastline.
Travelers come for the icons — the Statue of Liberty, Route 66, the national parks — and stay for the sheer variety: a single trip can move from a Broadway matinee to a Rocky Mountain trailhead in under a day's flight.
Getting Around
Distances are large, so most itineraries lean on a mix of domestic flights for the long hops and rental cars for scenic stretches like the Pacific Coast Highway or the Blue Ridge Parkway. Major cities also run extensive public transit, making car-free city breaks easy in New York, Washington D.C., and San Francisco.