Where to travel on holiday in 2012 – Part 2 – The Americas

1. On the road in the US

“Hit the road, Jack" is a tip given to many visitors wanting to get under the skin of the United States. You can expect to hear it even more often next year following the release of the film by Walter Salles of Jack Kerouac's Beat Generation novel On the Road. For an itinerary a little more structured than Kerouac's, try North American Highways (01902 798008; nahighways.co.uk), which sells "great drives to great places".

US travel

Steven Spielberg's biopic Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the president and due for release towards the end of 2012, will continue the interest in battlefield tours generated by the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War (1861-1865).

US travel

 The tourist boards of "the Capital Region" (bit.ly/seittF), Washington DC (washington.org/civil-war/home) and Virginia (virginiacivilwar.org) all have Civil-War themed events and itineraries.

US travel - Boston

US travel - San Fran  Goldengate

 
2. Apocalypse now in Mexico

Scholars disagree over the significance of December 21 2012, a date inscribed by Mayan astronomers at a site in southern Mexico 1,000 years ago. Some say it simply marks the end of a cycle of time in the Mayan calendar, others that it's associated with predictions of apocalypse. Either way, it will encourage exploration of Mayan ruins throughout Central America. Journey Latin America (020 3432 9487; journeylatinamerica.co.uk) has a six-night tour of sites in Mexico for £1,302 per person sharing, not including flights. For other tour operators' offerings, contact the Latin American Travel Association (lata.org).

Mexico travel - Cancun View From Above Beach

Puerto Rico has become easier to visit thanks to a new BA flight from Gatwick. It's a heavily developed, American-flavoured outpost of the Caribbean, but with plenty to explore: the Spanish-colonial city of San Juan, rainforests, and hundreds of miles of beaches.

Mexico travel

 Western and Oriental (020 7555 1214; wandotravel.com) has a seven-night fly-drive there; phone for a quote.

Mexico travel - Acapulco

3. The Falkland Islands

What's changed in 30 years you might ask, having heard the recent sabre-rattling from Argentina and David Cameron's response that "We will never negotiate on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands..." One change is that the islands are now known as a tourist destination as well as a battlefield.

The Falkland Islands

Arrivals in 2011/2012 by inbound overnight tourists, cruise passengers and domestic tourists are expected to total more than 69,000, contributing £7.5 million to the economy.

The Falkland Islands

 
Wildlife – including penguins, southern elephant seals and killer whales – is one draw; Port Stanley, a curious mixture of the frontier and the suburban, is another.

The Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands

(Telegraph)