Mexico City vs Route 66

One of the largest cities in the Americas, Mexico City sits atop the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, with the Templo Mayor excavation visible steps from the colonial-era Zócalo. World-class museums, a thriving taco and street food scene, and leafy neighbourhoods like Roma and Condesa have made the city one of the most talked-about food and culture destinations in the region.

Route 66 is the great American road trip: roughly 2,400 miles of the Mother Road from downtown Chicago to the Pacific at Santa Monica, crossing eight states and three time zones. This Chicago to Santa Monica itinerary packs it into 10 days, which is fast. Expect about 200 to 330 miles and five to seven hours behind the wheel most days, mixing interstate stretches with the best surviving original alignments; two to three weeks is ideal if you can spare it. Start with a photo at the Begin sign, then roll past Illinois giants, the bent Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi and Ozark frozen custard stands. Cross the short Kansas corner and Oklahoma's diners before painting your own stripe at Cadillac Ranch outside Amarillo. In New Mexico, sleep under the glowing neon of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, then drive through the badlands of Petrified Forest National Park, the only national park that protects a stretch of Route 66. A day off the road from Williams takes you to the Grand Canyon's South Rim. The finale climbs over the Black Mountains to Oatman, crosses the Mojave and ends with a sunset at the Santa Monica Pier. Book classic motels ahead in spring and fall.