US & Canadian cities

Marcus Bell

Writes the US and Canadian city plans, the best US cities ranking and the best overnight trips from New York.

Published work

16 signed pages across 2 collections, biggest section first.

24-hour cities 14

BostonA free bus from the airport, the Freedom Trail before lunch, the Paul Revere House and Old North Church, the MFA on its late Friday, and oysters and cannoli in the North End.Read
ChicagoThe Blue Line from O'Hare on a $5 (£3.70) day pass, Cloud Gate and the Art Institute, a cheezborger under Michigan Avenue, the Riverwalk, 360 Chicago at dusk, deep dish in River North and a late jazz set.Read
Las VegasA $26 (£19.70) flat-zone taxi from the airport, the Bellagio conservatory, a Venetian gondola, Bacchanal, the fountains at dusk, Cirque's "O", Fremont Street's canopy and tacos at midnight.Read
MiamiA $2.25 (£1.70) airport bus to South Beach, Ocean Drive's Art Deco, the beach, stone crabs at Joe's, Wynwood Walls, dominoes and dinner on Calle Ocho, and live salsa at Ball & Chain until 3 a.m.Read
MontrealOne airport bus ticket that doubles as a day pass, Old Montreal before lunch, smoked meat, the Mount Royal lookout, Mile End bagels, poutine and the AURA show at Notre-Dame Basilica.Read
NashvilleA $2 (£1.50) airport bus, the Country Music Hall of Fame before the crowds, a meat-and-three at Arnold's, the Ryman, the pedestrian bridge, hot chicken, Robert's Western World and biscuits in the Gulch.Read
New OrleansA $1.25 (£0.90) airport bus, Jackson Square, a muffuletta at Central Grocery, the WWII Museum, the St. Charles streetcar, Preservation Hall, dinner on Decatur, Frenchmen Street and beignets at 8 a.m.Read
New York CityOne Manhattan day that works: Central Park and the Met in the morning, Chelsea Market and the High Line after lunch, a sunset deck, a discounted Broadway seat and pastrami after midnight.Read
PhiladelphiaIndependence Hall before the ticketed tours start, the Liberty Bell, the Museum of the American Revolution, Reading Terminal Market, the Rocky Steps and a cheesesteak in South Philly.Read
Quebec CityA guided Citadelle tour, the boardwalk under the Château Frontenac, the Lower Town and Place Royale, a museum afternoon, dinner on Rue Saint-Jean and a Christmas market from November 19.Read
San DiegoA 15-minute bus from the airport, the USS Midway on the harbor, lunch in Little Italy, Balboa Park and its art museum, the Coronado ferry at dusk and dinner in the Gaslamp Quarter.Read
San FranciscoBART from SFO, the first boats to Alcatraz, lunch at the Ferry Building, the Powell-Hyde cable car to Lombard Street, City Lights, Chinatown, Tadich Grill, Vesuvio and the Saturday farmers market.Read
VancouverA 27-minute train from the airport, the Stanley Park seawall, lunch at Granville Island Public Market, a Chinese garden, the harbor at Canada Place and dinner in Gastown.Read
Washington, DCA 14-minute Metro ride from the airport, a Capitol tour at 8:30 a.m., the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian's African American history museum, the Washington Monument, and a half-smoke on U Street at 10 p.m.Read

Rankings 2

About Marcus

Marcus covers the cities where a one-night trip is hardest to make compact, because most were built for the car: New York, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Nashville, San Diego, Las Vegas, Miami, Montreal, Quebec City and Vancouver. His pages say when the airport ride needs a change, whether a day pass beats single fares, and what the Friday room cost on January 15 and June 11, 2027.

He writes the best US cities for a 24-hour trip, where New York leads at 7.5 and Miami's split plan puts it last, and the best overnight trips from New York, which counts Amtrak from Penn Station alongside nonstop flights. For British readers, his pages carry the ESTA rule; the transit visa guide has the detail.

Marcus is an editorial persona. The research, the sourcing and the arithmetic behind his pages are real; the privacy page explains how our bylines work.