North America

General Info: North America is one of two continents named after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, with a surface area of 24,221,490km² (9,351,969 square miles). It's 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 Mount McKinley, which rises to 6,194m (20,320 ft) above sea level.

Countries and continental sections:

United States of America

Mexico

Canada

Caribbean

Greenland

Get in:

Virtually all travel into North America is by air. Every major city has an international airport with service to other continents, and they are generally safe and feature reasonable amenities. However, travelling through security is almost universally considered annoying, particularly in the United States, with many restrictions that seem almost arbitrary to the average traveller - removing your shoes, intrusive full-body scanners, limitations on fluid containers, and the like are nearly universal in the US, and some are common elsewhere.

It is also technically possible to enter North America by ship, though very few transoceanic liners still exist in this century, or overland through Panama, though this route is extremely rough and dangerous.

Get Around:

European visitors should note that crossing international borders is not as easy in North America as they may be used to in the Schengen area. Borders are not generally difficult to cross, although queues of an hour or two to clear customs at peak hours are not unheard of. Expect a guard to ask you several questions(citizenship, where you're going, how long you'll be there, etc.) - answer clearly and calmly, and you will more often than not be let through without incident. However, guards can ask more questions or do a more thorough search at will, and will do so for travellers who seem suspicious, particularly when crossing from Mexico into the United States.

As well, some foreign tourists from geographically smaller countries are surprised by the sheer scale of North America. A trans-continental journey by car or train can easily take a full week, and is impossible to do in less than 2-3 days. If you are planning to visit multiple different areas, keep this in mind, and if in doubt check Google Maps to confirm that your itinerary is possible.

By air
Because population centre 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 (see "By car"). Expect to pay at least $150-200 per flight, even when booked well in advance.

By bus
There is prolific long range bus service across most of the US, Canada and Mexico, but travel times are excessively long (as much as three to five times as long as a direct trip in a personal vehicle for shorter routes) especially while travelling on the Greyhound Network. However Megabus has been making inroads in North America and now offer a few non-stop options between major cities, with modern double decker buses equipped with Wi-Fi.

In Mexico, most Primera, Plus or Executive buses, are modern, clean and will run non-stop to your final destination. The Executive ones, have airplane business like seats with an almost full flat recline, Wi-Fi, Individual TV and with a small meal and drink provided and recently man and women restrooms.

By car
Most travel in Canada, the United States, and Mexico is by personal vehicle. Almost all highways in Canada, the United States and toll roads in Mexico are well maintained, with amenities such as gas, food, and lodging ranging from adequate to very convenient to excessive. 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 US is usually valid in the other, though the wise traveller will confirm with their insurer. Canada and US insurance coverage in Mexico is sometimes limited or not honoured. Again, the wise traveller will confirm with their insurer.

Car rental agencies are available at almost every airport. Usually a major credit card and proof of liability insurance is required. Some agencies offer short term insurance and additional coverage.

By train
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 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 it offers neither speed nor convenience. As noted above, the exception is the Northeast Corridor area, which links Washington, D.C. to Boston with frequent stops in intermediate cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, New Haven, and Providence. It is explained in detail on the Rail travel in North America article. In Mexico the only passenger trains left are for sight seeing, the Chepe (This is the best way to see the Copper Canyon) and the Tequila Express (From Guadalajara to the heart of the Tequila region)

Safety:

Canada and the United States are generally safe, as long as you stay away from bad neighbourhoods (most of which will have little appeal to travelers, and will be obvious at a glance). Likewise, many(though not all) Caribbean islands are quite well-run and safe. Conversely, much of Central America has a significant problem with street crime, and you should investigate the local country articles for more details if you are travelling there. Tourist resorts are almost always quite safe, even in dangerous countries, but setting foot outside the resort tends to put you into much more typical parts of the country, so safety can decline quickly if you leave the tourist areas. Common-sense precautions are always wise even in nice areas, of course - don't show of wads of cash, keep an eye on your belongings, and the like.

If you do encounter an emergency, calling 911 on any telephone, generally even a cell phone without a service provider, will connect you with an emergency dispatcher that can send police, fire, or ambulance crews.

Most of the continent has high public health standards and relatively few issues with diseases. Medical care is commonly available and of a high standard. However, apart from Cuba, it can be extremely expensive for those who don't have travel insurance - the United States, in particular, has massively expensive medical services, and even a short hospital stay can cost tens of thousands of dollars. In a pinch, most countries require their medical facilities to treat emergencies first and worry about billing later. Some parts of Central America and the Caribbean are less well-provisioned in this regard, however - again, check the local country articles.

Certain areas have issues with natural disasters that travellers should be aware of. Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast happen in roughly June-November, and serious ones are frequently fatal for those caught on the coast, or on small Caribbean islands. The south-central United States is known as "tornado alley", and gets roughly half the tornadoes in the world. California and the Caribbean basin also get serious earthquakes on occasion. Northern areas, particularly the Northeast, get severe blizzards in roughly December-March, which do not generally cause fatalities, but can easily snarl travel for days. None of these disasters is particularly common or predictable, and as such they shouldn't impact travel plans too badly, but be aware of the possibility and the appropriate responses.