Nebraska can be roughly characterized as having 4 regions:
{| <br />
Nebraska has a reputation of being a flat, monotonous region of farm and ranchland, but this stereotype has come from the many people who drive across Nebraska on the Interstate 80 corridor (the Platte River valley). Those who venture off this heavily travelled road discover that Nebraska does have a subtle, wide-open beauty that is all its own.
The vast majority of Nebraskans speak American English with a neutral "Standard Midwestern" accent. In some rural areas of the state, people speak with a slight accent best described as "country twang"; this accent is also easy to understand. Nebraska is largely devoid of unusual terms for everyday items, with a few exceptions:
Nebraska has a fast-growing, Hispanic population, largely concentrated in its medium-sized cities and Omaha. In these areas, governments, businesses, and community organizations often provide services in Spanish.
'''By car:''' Nebraska's major national highway corridor is Interstate 80, which runs east-west across the state. Other major highways that enter Nebraska include Interstate 76 (from Colorado), US 81 (major north-south route), US 20 (northern east-west route), US 26 (from Wyoming), and US 385/Nebraska 71 (western north-south route).
'''By plane:''' The two major airports in Nebraska are located in Omaha and Lincoln. Omaha is served by all major airlines; Lincoln is served by Northwest and United. There are no direct international flights to any Nebraska airport. Other airports with commercial service are in Alliance, Chadron, Grand Island, Kearney, McCook, North Platte and Scottsbluff. The Sioux City, Iowa airport serves the northeast corner of the state.
'''By train:''' Amtrak makes stops daily in Omaha, Lincoln, Hastings, Holdrege and McCook. The only train serving the state is the California Zephyr. It will bring you in from San Fransisco (Emeryville), Salt Lake City, and Denver from the west and Chicago from the east. Amtrak's stops are generally in the middle of the night no matter what direction you come from.
'''By bus:''' Greyhound serves Omaha and Lincoln. Two other companies, Arrow Stage Lines and Burlington Trailways, make a number of stops in other Nebraska cities. Jefferson Lines also serves Omaha from Kansas City, Fargo, and Winnepeg, Manitoba.
Nebraska is a large, sparsely populated state; the vast majority of Nebraska can only be seen by car.
The availability of Nebraska's mobile phone service varies greatly. Eastern Nebraska (generally along a line east of US 81) and the I-80 corridor are well-served by all major carriers; coverage for GSM networks outside of southeastern Nebraska is spotty. In the rest of the state, digital service is only provided by Alltel's CDMA network. Between towns in central and western Nebraska (particularly in the Sand Hills and the Panhandle), there may be no mobile phone service at all.
Public pay phones are rapidly disappearing; many of the smaller towns now only have one. In rural areas, many businesses will let people make local calls.
Nebraska has, given its population and size, fairly extensive Internet connectivity; however, public Internet access in Nebraska can be hard to find. (Internet cafes are practically nonexistent.) In many places, the best option for public Internet access is a public library; in rural areas, libraries are often only open for a few hours each week.
Wi-Fi Internet access is now provided by many Nebraska businesses, particularly in Omaha and Lincoln. Recently, many hotels and motels statewide have added Internet connectivity as an additional amenity.
Omaha and Lincoln have crime rates that are roughly on par with similarly-sized cities; crime rates do vary considerably among neighborhoods in Omaha.
In Nebraska, especially in Lincoln and Omaha, there has been an increassing number of gangs. That should be something to which you should be alert, but generally they don't bother too much.
Severe thunderstorms, hail, and tornados are not uncommon during the spring and summer months; Nebraska is in "Tornado Alley". Stay informed of current conditions if severe weather threatens, as conditions can change very rapidly. Nebraska TV and radio stations provide excellent severe weather coverage. You might want to check the Tornado safety page if you are visiting Nebraska.
During the winter months, blizzards and ice storms do occur, and dangerous wind chills are a possibility. High winds can take even a limited amount of snowfall and form very large drifts -- beautiful to look at, but dangerous if you are stuck far from help. It is important to find a local weather forecast whenever you plan to travel through the more sparsely populated areas of the state.
Lincoln and Omaha are less than four hours from Kansas City.
Western Nebraska is within a half-day drive of Denver and other destinations in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Wyoming.