America Holidays

America holidays are the full works: theme parks that send the kiddos absolutely feral, beaches so wide you'll need binoculars to find your towel, and cities that genuinely do not sleep. From Florida sunshine to Las Vegas neon, this is the big one.

☀️ Your Holidays to America 2026

• ☀️ Expect sunshine somewhere year-round – Florida averages 230+ sunny days, while California's coast stays mild and bright most of the year

• 💶 A pint'll set you back around $7-9, and a decent meal out is about $15-25 per person – though portions are massive, so you'll get your money's worth

• 🤝 Amazing hospitality – Americans proper love welcoming visitors and showing off their local spots

Highlights of your America Holiday!

• Theme Parks - Orlando is the undisputed capital of roller coasters and character breakfasts, with Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld all within half an hour of each other

• Beaches - Florida alone has over 1,300 miles of coastline, from the powdery white sands of Fort Myers to the coral reef snorkelling of Key Largo

• City Breaks - New York for the skyline, San Francisco for the Golden Gate, and Boston for the colonial history (and the seafood)

• Vegas, Baby - Las Vegas is genuinely unlike anywhere else on earth: world-class shows, celebrity-chef restaurants on every corner, and pool parties that put Ibiza on notice

• Food - Portions are enormous, barbecue is treated as a religion in Texas, and every region has its own signature, from Cuban sandwiches in Miami to beignets in New Orleans

• Sunshine - Most popular spots deliver sunshine practically year-round, California averages over 280 sunny days a year and Arizona regularly tops 300

America is perfect for you if...

• You've literally ever watched a film and thought I'd like to go there (LA, NY, SF, etc)

• You've always wanted to do Disney World, Universal Studios, or both (let's be honest, both)

• You're the kind of family that wants theme parks Monday, beach Wednesday, and a proper city break by the end of the week (Florida makes it genuinely possible from one base)

• You've been promising yourself "one day I'll go to Vegas" and one day has finally arrived

• You want a long-haul holiday with zero language barrier, zero culture shock, and maximum wow factor

🗺️ Explore America

Thinking about your 2026 getaway? America's massive, so here's a quick guide to the main spots:

• Theme Park Fans - head straight for Orlando, with Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld all within twenty minutes of each other, plus enough water parks, dinner shows, and outlet malls to fill a fortnight without trying

• Beach Lovers - Florida is the obvious pick, from the family-friendly Gulf Coast around Fort Myers and Sanibel to the party-ready sands of Miami and Fort Lauderdale

• City Slickers - New York for the bucket-list big one (Times Square, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty), San Francisco for the Golden Gate and cable cars, or Boston for colonial history and proper seafood

• Vegas Chasers - Las Vegas is a holiday in its own right: world-class shows every night, pool complexes the size of small towns, restaurants by every celebrity chef going, and hotel lobbies that make you feel like you're in a film

• Foodies and Culture Buffs - New Orleans for jazz, gumbo, and arguably the most fun city in America, or Los Angeles for tacos, celebrity spotting, and a wander down Hollywood Boulevard

• Music Lovers - Nashville for country, Americana, and live music on every block of Broadway, or Austin for the self-proclaimed live music capital of the world, plus Chicago for blues, jazz, and a food scene that punches as hard as any city in America

What are the best beaches in America?

America's beach game goes from turquoise Caribbean-style water in the Florida Keys to big Pacific breakers on the California coast. If it's powdery white sand and bath-warm sea you're after, Florida is where most of the action is, particularly along the Gulf Coast.

Key West delivers that laid-back, end-of-the-road energy with coral reefs right offshore and sunsets so good they get a round of applause every evening at Mallory Square. Fort Lauderdale has a long, wide stretch of golden sand with the bars and restaurants of Las Olas Boulevard a short walk behind. And if you want the postcard stuff (pelicans, sea shells, dolphins showing off at breakfast), Sanibel is the one.

Miami's South Beach is the image every time: Art Deco hotels lining Ocean Drive, impossibly clear water, and sunsets that look like someone turned the saturation up. No surprise it's one of the most photographed beaches on the planet.

Over on the Pacific side, San Diego has some of the best beach weather in the country with reliable sunshine practically year-round. Los Angeles gives you Santa Monica, Venice Beach, and Malibu all within an hour of each other. The water's cooler than Florida, but the scenery more than makes up for it.

What are the top hotels in America?

America's hotel game is on another level. Orlando has theme park resorts where the kiddos can meet their favourite characters at breakfast. Las Vegas has hotels so over-the-top they've got their own postcode (the Venetian literally recreated Venice's Grand Canal, indoors). New York has everything from Times Square towers to boutique brownstone conversions. And Nashville's downtown hotels put you within stumbling distance of the best live music on the planet. See all America hotels for the full line-up.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What are the best family hotels in America?

• Disney's All-Star Movies Resort. The entry point to the Disney universe and it does the job properly: themed rooms (Toy Story, 101 Dalmatians, Fantasia), complimentary Disney transport to all four parks, a big pool with a Fantasia sorcerer's hat, and the kind of all-in theming that means the kiddos are in character before they've even left the lobby.

• Loews Sapphire Falls Resort. Universal Orlando's Caribbean-themed resort with a huge lagoon-style pool, a sandy beach area, and early park admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The rum bar does a very decent cocktail for the grown-ups once the kids are in bed.

• Hotel Beacon. On the Upper West Side, a short walk from Central Park and the Natural History Museum, with proper suite-style rooms that give a family space to breathe. The kitchenettes are a genuine lifesaver when someone needs a snack at 10pm and you can't face another restaurant bill.

• Excalibur. A castle on the Las Vegas Strip, which is exactly as ridiculous and brilliant as it sounds. Big pool, medieval-themed restaurants, and the Tournament of Kings dinner show where you eat with your hands while knights joust. The kids love it, and honestly, so do the adults.

💑 What are the best hotels in America for couples?

• 1 Hotel South Beach. Eco-luxury right on Miami Beach with a rooftop pool, ocean-view rooms, and a genuinely beautiful design that manages to feel swanky without being stuffy. The kind of place where you spend the morning on the beach, the afternoon by the pool, and the evening pretending you live there.

• Bellagio. The fountains, the lobby ceiling covered in 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers, the fine dining, the spa. Bellagio is the Las Vegas hotel that even people who've never been to Vegas have heard of, and it lives up to the reputation. Request a fountain-view room and thank us later.

• Wynn Resort Las Vegas. The high end of the Vegas Strip with genuinely beautiful pools (plural), restaurants that would hold their own in any city in the world, and rooms that feel more boutique hotel than mega-resort. The kind of place where everything is just slightly better than you expected.

• The Royal Sonesta. Right on Bourbon Street with a wrought-iron balcony overlooking the action below, but step inside and it's all courtyard calm, a proper pool, and the kind of old-world New Orleans charm that makes you feel like you've walked into a Tennessee Williams set. Jazz at the Jazz Playhouse bar downstairs is a proper date night.

✨ What are the best luxury hotels in America?

• Fontainebleau Miami Beach. The iconic Miami resort that's been the backdrop to everything from Goldfinger to countless music videos. Recently refreshed and looking sharper than ever, with multiple pools, a LIV nightclub on site, and the kind of lobby that makes you stand up a bit straighter when you walk in.

• The Venetian. Every room is a suite (genuinely, every single one), the Grand Canal runs through the building complete with gondola rides, and the restaurant line-up reads like a who's who of celebrity chefs. It's the Vegas hotel that proves more is more, and somehow gets away with it.

• The Plaza. Overlooking Central Park on Fifth Avenue, and yes, it really is as grand as the films make it look. Afternoon tea at the Palm Court, a spa that could double as a small country, and the kind of old-money New York elegance that makes every other hotel feel like it's trying too hard.

• Caesars Palace. The original Vegas icon. The Garden of the Gods pool complex alone is worth the trip (seven pools, three whirlpools, more sun loungers than you can count), and the Forum Shops give you something to do when the sun goes down. It's been here since 1966 and it's still the one everyone wants a photo outside of.

🎉 What are the best hotels in America for groups?

• MGM Grand. Absolutely massive, which is exactly what you want when you're rolling in with a group. Multiple pools, a lazy river, Hakkasan nightclub on site, and enough restaurants to eat somewhere different every night for a week. The rooms are solid, the location is central, and nobody gets lost (well, maybe a little bit).

• Flamingo Las Vegas. Right in the middle of the Strip with the GO Pool for daytime parties and a brilliantly social vibe that suits groups down to the ground. The wildlife habitat has actual flamingos wandering around, which never stops being funny. Great base for a Vegas group trip without the luxury price tag.

• Bobby Hotel. A rooftop pool, a rooftop bar, a vinyl lounge, and you're right in the middle of Nashville's Broadway honky-tonk strip. The kind of hotel that becomes part of the holiday rather than just somewhere you sleep. Book the rooftop for sunset drinks before heading out.

• Chicago Athletic Association. A converted 1890s athletic club on Michigan Avenue overlooking Millennium Park, with a game room, a rooftop bar, and interiors that look like a Wes Anderson film. Brilliant location for a group exploring Chicago's food scene and architecture.

👉 All hotels in America

Local Lingo

You won't have any trouble being understood in America (it's English, after all), but there are enough vocabulary differences to catch you off guard. Order "chips" and you'll get a bag of crisps. Ask for the "toilet" and people will look at you a bit funny. Here's your quick translation guide.

• Check, CHEK, The bill at a restaurant (ask for "the check" when you're ready to pay, not "the bill")

• Restroom, REST-room, Toilet or loo (this is the polite version, "bathroom" also works)

• Pants, PANTS, Trousers (not underwear, so "nice pants" is a compliment, not an invasion of privacy)

• Sidewalk, SIDE-wawk, Pavement (as in "stay on the sidewalk")

• Y'all, YAWL, You all, everyone (originally Southern US but you'll hear it in Florida, Texas, and increasingly everywhere)

• Gas, GAS, Petrol (a "gas station" is a petrol station)

• Trunk, TRUNK, The boot of the car (useful if you're hiring one)

• Gotten, GOT-en, Past participle of "get" (completely standard in American English, sounds odd to us but you'll hear it constantly)

Cheap holidays to America

America doesn't have to cost the earth, and anyone who tells you otherwise hasn't done their homework. Florida's Gulf Coast (Fort Myers, Sanibel, the Kissimmee area near Orlando) tends to be noticeably cheaper than Miami and the Keys, with the same sunshine and some of the best beaches in the state. Las Vegas is also a properly good-value destination: the hotels compete so hard for your booking that room rates are often lower than you'd pay for a mid-range European city break, especially midweek.

Timing makes a big difference. January (after New Year), September, and early December (before the Christmas rush) are the cheapest windows for flights and hotels. The school holiday periods in July, August, and over Easter push prices up across the board, but booking early (six months or more in advance for Florida theme parks, three to four months for Vegas and city breaks) locks in the better rates.

Self-catering and suite-style hotels save a fortune on food, especially for families. Orlando in particular has a strong range of suite hotels with kitchenettes, which means you can do breakfast and lunch in the room and save the restaurant budget for one proper meal out a day. And on the ground, the exchange rate between the pound, the euro, and the dollar has been kind recently, so your spending money goes further than you might expect.

Your travel guide for America holidays 2026

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What are the best things to do on an America family holiday?

• Walt Disney World, Orlando - Four theme parks, two water parks, Disney Springs for shopping and dining, and enough character meets to fill a memory card twice over. Book your Lightning Lane passes early and wear comfortable shoes.

• Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, Orlando - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the headline, but Jurassic World VelociCoaster and the brand new Epic Universe park are giving Disney a proper run for its money.

• Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral - About an hour from Orlando and genuinely awe-inspiring. The kids can meet an astronaut, see real rockets, and watch a launch if the timing works out. One of those days out that adults secretly enjoy more than the children.

• Everglades Airboat Tour, Florida - An hour south of Miami and you're on an airboat looking for alligators. The kids get the wildlife, you get the scenery, and everyone gets a story to tell. Book a smaller boat for a better experience.

• San Diego Zoo, California - One of the best zoos in the world and it's not even close. Over 12,000 animals across 100 acres, with the Safari Park nearby if one day isn't enough. Worth building a day trip around if you're in California.

💑 What are the best things to do for couples on an America holiday?

• Sunset at Mallory Square, Key West - Every evening the whole town gathers at the waterfront to watch the sun go down, with street performers, food stalls, and that end-of-the-road Florida Keys atmosphere. Bring a drink and find a spot.

• The Grand Canyon, Arizona - One of those places that genuinely lives up to the photos. The South Rim is the classic viewpoint, the Skywalk is for anyone who fancies standing on a glass floor 4,000 feet above a canyon (romantic in a terrifying sort of way).

• French Quarter, New Orleans - Jazz pouring out of every doorway, Creole restaurants where the food makes you close your eyes, and Frenchmen Street for live music that feels like a private gig. The most romantic city in America, no contest.

• Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco - Walk across it, cycle across it, or just stare at it from Baker Beach with a coffee. The fog rolling in across the bridge at sunset is the kind of view that makes you forget you left your phone charger at the hotel.

• Broadway, Nashville - Not the New York one. Nashville's Broadway is a strip of honky-tonk bars with live country music pouring out of every door, free to walk in and out of, and the kind of atmosphere that makes even people who don't like country music have a brilliant night. Grab some hot chicken afterwards.

• Helicopter Tour, Las Vegas - See the Strip from above at night when the neon is doing its thing. Some tours combine the Strip flight with a Grand Canyon landing for a full-day wow-factor experience.

🎉 What are the top things to do for groups on an America holiday?

• Las Vegas Shows and Pool Parties - Cirque du Soleil, residencies from the biggest names in music, comedy shows, magic shows, and the pool party scene that runs from March to October. Vegas was basically built for group holidays.

• South Beach, Miami - The beach by day, Ocean Drive by night, and the kind of people-watching that keeps everyone entertained between cocktails. Grab a table at one of the beachfront restaurants and let the evening unfold.

• Bourbon Street, New Orleans - The most famous party street in America and it earns it. Live music from every bar, hurricanes (the cocktail, not the weather) by the bucket, and the kind of energy that keeps groups together until sunrise.

• International Drive, Orlando - The entertainment strip near the parks with go-karts, escape rooms, dinner shows, and enough restaurants to keep a group of ten happy without a single argument about where to eat. See International Drive holidays.

• Chicago Architecture Boat Tour - A cruise down the Chicago River while a guide explains the buildings that made Chicago the birthplace of the skyscraper. One of the best group activities in any American city: everyone learns something, nobody has to walk far, and the photos are class.

• Hiking in Sedona, Arizona - Red-rock trails, stunning desert scenery, and the kind of Instagram content that makes everyone back home properly jealous. Cathedral Rock at sunrise is the one, but there are trails for every fitness level.

🚵 Things to do in America for adventurers

• Ready to ditch the deckchair and go full thrill mode? America's got landscapes made for action. Start in Utah with the 'Mighty 5' national parks – hike, climb, or canyon your way through Mars-like scenery. It's dusty, dramatic, and downright epic.

• Head to Hawaii for surfing, volcano treks, and ziplining through jungle canopies. Not a bad way to spend a Tuesday, right?

• In Alaska, you can kayak next to glaciers, hike through bear country, or just live out your wilderness dreams (flannel shirt optional but encouraged).

• And if you're chasing the ultimate bucket list brag, hike to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite or tackle the Bright Angel Trail switchbacks in the Grand Canyon. You'll feel like a legend – and your thighs will confirm it the next day.

🌴 Nearby Destinations

Fancy combining your trip or looking at other options in the region?

• Caribbean – White sand beaches, turquoise waters and all-inclusive resorts across Jamaica, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Bahamas and more

• Mexico – Ancient ruins, incredible food and stunning beaches in Cancun and the Riviera Maya

• Cuba – Vintage cars, salsa music, colourful Havana streets and beautiful beaches

• Canada – Niagara Falls, the Rockies, and vibrant cities like Toronto and Vancouver