# How many countries have you traveled to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 22, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085 "2018-08-22T23:34:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![laurieb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/51bf81/32.png) [@laurieb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laurieb)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/1 "2018-08-22T23:34:25Z")
My dad worked in the oil industry in the 80s, so my travels began with a trip to Hong Kong at 2 years old in 1988. Since then, I’ve been to 140 out of 195 countries (including Palestine and the Holy See). My favorites are mostly in Europe, like my home country of Germany, as well as France. I’ve also been to some countries most people are shocked to hear that I went to, like Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. Haven’t been to North Korea, though. Probably never will. How about you? Feel free to also ask me about the travels I’ve been on, if you want. I’m an open book. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/2 "2018-08-22T23:39:06Z")
Not too many for me. I can even name them all USA (home sweet home) Canada Mexico Germany Great Britain (just London) France (just Paris) Italy (just Venice) Hungary Spain (just Barcelona) Portugal Netherlands (Just Amsterdam) There’s a lot more I plan on seeing over the next five to 10 years. (and I see I need to dive a little deeper on most of my trips) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/3 "2018-08-23T00:00:28Z")
I grew up with a near-minimum wage single mother and retired grandmother, so international trips were out of the question even if there was interest. So as child I wasn’t raised in the habit of travelling and as an adult never developed any particular interest in the extreme hassle and cost of it. So at 45, I’ve not only never been outside of the US, I’ve never been outside the NC/SC/Georgia/Tennessee/Florida area, and almost certainly never will be. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/4 "2018-08-23T00:02:02Z")
> [@laurieb](#): > > Feel free to also ask me about the travels I’ve been on, if you want. I’m an open book. 🙂 140 countries in 30-ish years is a lot, considering you were a minor for half that time. How have you financed it? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/5 "2018-08-23T00:03:22Z")
Not too many: US, Canada, England, Scotland, France, Italy (just a drive through between Switzerland and Nice), Switzerland (lived for very nealy 3 years in toto), Germany, Denmark, Sweden (just a drive from the Frederikshavn-Goteborg ferry to landing to the Volvo factory for shipment back to NY and then back to the ferry), Israel, Japan, Mexico (a half hour in Tijuana on foot, then back to San Diego), and many, many trips to Barbados. I think that makes 15. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/6 "2018-08-23T00:30:10Z")
Canada, Japan, and Korea. I do so want to see Europe before I die. ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/7 "2018-08-23T01:01:00Z")
US, UK, Mexico, Malaysia, Poland, Germany, Netherlands. All on work visas. My boss nixed a plan for me to visit China. ☹ > [@](#): > > Feel free to also ask me about the travels I’ve been on, if you want. I’m an open book. Been to India? Were you a tourist? How did you like it? ---
**Author:** ![laurieb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/51bf81/32.png) [@laurieb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laurieb)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/8 "2018-08-23T01:10:04Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > 140 countries in 30-ish years is a lot, considering you were a minor for half that time. How have you financed it? A lot of it were business trips with my Dad. When he was married to my mom, we often went on these trips with him. After he divorced my mom shortly after we moved to America when I was 11, he would often stop by my mom’s house and bring me along with him on his business trips still. The rest of the trips (18 and up) were taken in cheap hotels (not for everyone, trust me), and money from my career as a consultant. ---
**Author:** ![laurieb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/51bf81/32.png) [@laurieb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laurieb)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/9 "2018-08-23T01:12:48Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > US, UK, Mexico, Malaysia, Poland, Germany, Netherlands. All on work visas. My boss nixed a plan for me to visit China. ☹ > > Been to India? Were you a tourist? How did you like it? India, was, well, interesting… There are many sights to see, like the Taj Mahal and the Ganges. However, as a woman, aside from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, it was the place I felt the most unsafe. Too many staring eyes and catcalls. It’s also the site of the only other place that I was nearly sexually assaulted in (the other was Cairo). ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/10 "2018-08-23T01:15:09Z")
We didn’t travel much when I was a kid. Just some road trips up and down the West Coast. One year we did make it to Canada. Since then I’ve done a little international traveling: England, Italy, Switzerland, Canada ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/11 "2018-08-23T01:20:20Z")
> [@laurieb](#): > > India, was, well, interesting… > > There are many sights to see, like the Taj Mahal and the Ganges. However, as a woman, aside from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, it was the place I felt the most unsafe. Too many staring eyes and catcalls. It’s also the site of the only other place that I was nearly sexually assaulted in (the other was Cairo). Very unfortunate. There’s a lot of this shit going on nowadays. Typically the South and West parts of India are the safest, the North being the most unsafe, including the capital Delhi. Besides the South contains most of the original Indic cultural spots and is pretty safe for everyone. ---
**Author:** ![laurieb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/51bf81/32.png) [@laurieb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laurieb)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/12 "2018-08-23T01:24:42Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > Very unfortunate. There’s a lot of this shit going on nowadays. Typically the South and West parts of India are the safest, the North being the most unsafe, including the capital Delhi. Besides the South contains most of the original Indic cultural spots and is pretty safe for everyone. I know. Delhi was where I was nearly raped. Scary-ass place at night, that’s for sure… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/13 "2018-08-23T01:32:48Z")
Somewhere in the 30-ish area, the majority of them being in Europe, but I’ve also been to Australia, India, Uzbekistan (with technically a brief foray into Turkmenistan), South Africa, Mexico. Haven’t had a chance yet to get to South America. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/14 "2018-08-23T01:35:39Z")
I never traveled outside of the US until I was an adult, and I’ve only taken a few international trips, though those were enough to give me a nice little list: - Bahamas - Jamaica - Cayman Islands - Mexico - Canada - Ireland - Germany - Czech Republic - Switzerland I missed out on adding Japan to the list back in the 1990s – I was supposed to go there for a work trip, which was cancelled at the 11th hour. ---
**Author:** ![Tempe\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tempe_jeff/32/7328_2.png) [@Tempe\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tempe_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/15 "2018-08-23T01:44:44Z")
Canada is the only one. Back when you only had to show I.D. . Drinking age was 19 when they changed it to 21 in Michigan.There was a Court Case over whether you could be arrested for being underage in Michigan with a Blood Alcohol Level after visiting Windsor, Ontario. “(17) In a prosecution for the violation of subsection (1) concerning a minor having any bodily alcohol content, it is an affirmative defense that the minor consumed the alcoholic liquor in a venue or location where that consumption is legal.” [http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(hrktyb2gj5vhcypzoapsnh1e)](http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(hrktyb2gj5vhcypzoapsnh1e)))/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=mcl-436-1703 ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/16 "2018-08-23T02:02:37Z")
33: United States Canada Bahamas South Korea Australia Cambodia Kyrgyzstan Afghanistan Kuwait Iraq Jordan Egypt Greece Bulgaria Romania Hungary Albania Montenegro Bosnia Croatia Slovenia Austria Czech Republic Italy Vatican City Germany Switzerland Monaco France Luxembourg Belgium Netherlands United Kingdom ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/17 "2018-08-23T02:20:20Z")
Not a huge number. Never been to South America, Africa, Middle East, Australia/NZ. Never been to foreign Pacific islands or Caribbean. In order of visits: USA (home base) Japan Mexico Canada South Korea Hong Kong (when it was British) Thailand France Italy So that’s 8 other countries so far, probably no more than 1 or 2 more if any during the rest of my life. I’m not a roving traveler kind of person, and age is taking its toll. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/18 "2018-08-23T02:21:53Z")
Canada Britain Ireland Brussels Netherlands France Spain Portugal Germany Austria Slovakia Czech Republic Italy Switzerland Jamaica ETA: Denmark Now that I listed them I feel like I’m forgetting a couple. First trip was with my Dad to stay with some family friends in Austria for the summer before 9th grade. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/19 "2018-08-23T02:29:38Z")
Born and currently living in **USA** Used to live in **Singapore** Have eaten a meal and been outside the airport in: **Canada Thailand Denmark Italy The Holy See Indonesia Malaysia Japan** My brother has me beat since he took that working trip to India, but I never had to work in India so :p. The only countries I _really_ want to go to are Sweden (specifically Gotland) and Iceland (it seems like a good place to add to the list of animals I’ve eaten) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085/20 "2018-08-23T02:33:27Z")
I’ve made it to all six inhabited continents, but some of them have been airplane stopovers, or can I say I’ve been to Russia because I spent a day touring St. Petersburg on a Cruise? So just listing those I’ve gotten out of the airport and into the country: Canada Jamaica Panama Ecuador Peru Brazil Britain Ireland France Greece Netherlands Russia Sweden Norway Finland Estonia Lithuania Turkey Israel Egypt United Arab Emirates (lived there 1999-2003) Kenya Tanzania South Africa Zambia Zimbabwe (walked across the bridge at Victoria Falls and ate lunch there). Australia New Zealand Malaysia Singapore Thailand China (PRC) And about a dozen others, like Japan and Saudi Arabia that I never left the airport (changing flights). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-have-you-traveled-to/820085.md?page=2)