North America Holidays

Stars and stripes

For variety, you’ll do well to find a continent as mish-mash as North America. Snow-slathered mountain ranges, dusty desertscapes and marshy wetlands all stake a star-spangled sightseeing claim. And that’s before you even consider the manmade appeal – bold characters like New York and Las Vegas bring the bright lights, and the Pacific Coast is tip-top road-tripping territory. From crossing San Fran’s Golden Gate Bridge to snapping pics of the Hollywood sign, the big-name attractions come thick and fast.

Sunshine State

Florida‘s like America’s playground, with enough family activities to overlap one holiday and fill up a second trip. Orlando makes most of the noise, thanks to a line-up of world-famous theme parks and kid-friendly activities. International Drive hums along in the background with big ferris wheels, quirky museums and a whopping troupe of restaurants. Daytrips are top banana here, too – the Kennedy Space Center and Daytona Beach are an hour’s drive east. Double that, and you can wiggle your toes in the west-coast sands of Clearwater and St Pete.

Magic and Mickey

Every kid dreams of a jaunt to Walt Disney World Resort, where fantasy tales spring to life and you step into the scenes of big-screen flicks. But mum and dad don’t always need that much convincing – the six-strong punnet of parks is a fave with grown-ups, too. Colour-splashed character parades, themed hotels and music-stuffed live shows appeal to pint-sized visitors. ‘Haunted’ hotel rides, state-of-the-art simulators and cracking coasters get the adrenaline pumping, too.