We lived there from 1973 to 1976. Had loads of American friends and my parents were members of the Iran America Society which used to put on plays and musicals. My sisters and I went to the British School which was next to the Embassy - my mum worked at the international school.
Ah, okay then. We didn’t get there until '77-'78. Spent most of our time in Isfahan instead of Tehran, and lived with more French expats than American. By the time we came back to the states, my French and Farsi was as good (for a 4 year old) as my English!
The Dominican Republic, last week. I’m 29.
Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario–1966.
I had an opportunity to work in Papua New Guinea for six months when I was 18, I jumped at the chance.
OK so Canada and Mexico are technically foreign countries to Americans, then again so are Wales, Scotland and Ireland to the English. We don’t really include those places in a count of foreign countries visited.
My point? You Americans really should hop on a plane or a boat and see something of the world rather than just the North American continent.
I am not being snarky, just sayin’
Are you seriously suggesting that US:Mexico as England:Scotland?
I’m suggesting nothing of the sort.
What I am saying is that it is no big deal to drive across the border from Michigan into Canada just as it is no big deal to drive from England to Scotland
Canada at 5 or 6. Went back pretty much every summer until I was almost 20, then 1 or 2 more times after that. We went to a small town in Ontario for fishing every year. Caught Northern pike and muskie, hiked in the woods, caught catfish to eat and bass and perch for bait. Was a pretty good vacation.
At 17, Italy, Vatican City, and India on one trip with Youth For Christ. Since then, a few other places around the world, with plans for more.
:eek: This is wrong on so many levels, I can’t really begin to explain it adequately.
Try again. I have to drive about 5 hours to get to the Canadian border. This is in a state bordering Canada, from a northern part of the state, closer than most of the people that live here. I would have to drove almost 24 hours to get to Mexico. Very different from the distances involved in driving around the UK.
North America is very different from the British Isles, or even all of Europe. When I was in the UK in 2005, I was driving from Cambridge to Glasgow. I was starting on Sunday and needed to be there Wednesday. I was also taking my time because I wanted to sightsee on the way. When I mentioned my destination to the people at the Cambridge tourist office, they were certain I would never be able to make it in that time, it was too far. :dubious: It is only a bit over 300 miles, I could drive it straight in much less than a day taking my time. I have driven 1000 miles in a long day here, in just 2 states. As someone here once said, the difference between Europe and America is here, we think 200 years is a long time, there they think 200 miles is a long way. 
Not everyone likes to travel, or is able to do so if they do like it. I can’t travel as much as I would like and I do quite a bit. When I drive to St. Louis later this summer, it will be 400 miles one way, if I drive it straight, which I won’t.
It isn’t that we are more provincial, it is just that we are bigger. If I get in my car and drive southeast 400 miles, I have went through 1 or 2 states, depending on my exact route, and we speak pretty much the same language. If you do the same from London, how many countries have you been through that speak how many languages. You folks have to be more flexible about languages from necessity, we don’t. It would be nice if more people all over the world had the ability to travel and get to know each other, but as I said, not everyone has the ability or the inclination.
The trouble here ** Lok** is that you’re basing all of your travels on car journeys and that is the main difference between travel in the UK as opposed to the USA.
Here we get on a plane or boat if we travel to mainland Europe or America/Africa etc.
You can get on a plane to travel from USA to Mexico and while we can do the same to get from Manchester to Glasgow it really isn’t worth the cost.
As you say, you wanted to do some sightseeing on your travels, we are no different, we like to do the same unless a business trip or something urgent is more pressing.
I fully understand that many Americans feel that there is no pioint in travelling abroad when on your continent you have practically everything in the way of climate changes and scenery.
What I fail to really grasp is why some Americans do not want and indeed have no desire to see the rest of the world. Perhaps the economics of overseas travel have something to do with it.
Finally, given the various dialects in the UK sometimes I feel that I’ve been to more foreign countries than I have 
Even though Mexico was my first, everything since then – except for a brief stint in Nicaragua – has been Europe and Asia.
Oh, and I think your later conjecture about the economics of overseas travel may have something to it. I see many, many more Europeans and Aussies over here than I do my fellow Americans. There are still some, but not as many as the others. Many Americans would rather go abroad to somewhere closer.
Yes, I am using driving for comparison. Because it illustrates a major difference in the 2 continents. You don’t need to fly anywhere to get to a different language or culture or a different POV of history. You don’t even need to take a boat anymore, just use the Chunnel.
On this continent, there are only really 2 places to find different languages used in daily life, Quebec and Mexico. And while I am only 2 - 3 hours from Canada (I was thinking Toronto and writing Canada above for some reason.) I am at least 12 from Montreal. It is 720 miles according to Google Maps. I have driven this, and while I could do it in 1 go, I would prefer to split it up.
As for Mexico, it is 1500 miles to the border from here. While I might drive it for fun, I am more likely to fly into someplace into the interior. You really think that equates to a drive of 180 miles from Manchester to Glasgow? You are about the same distance to Beograd, Serbia. According to Google Maps, you enter 6 countries on your trip and I wouldn’t want to guess how many languages. I would just be getting to the border of the first country.
Add the cost of flying overseas to the variety here, and I think it is more surprising that as many Americans travel abroad as they do. Here is some food for thought. I have been to one of the most beautiful and exotic places on earth. It has a varied history and culture, beautiful people, perfect climate. It is called Hawaii.
So everyone in Europe has a desire to travel and see the rest of the world? Really? I wouldn’t bet on it. I work with people that have no desire to travel. They don’t see the appeal. I don’t understand it, but they don’t understand why I like to travel.
One thing to add in to the equation of this discussion, is, that it is often not more expensive, in total, to go to Thailand or Egypt than the Canary Islands or the south of France. The flight may be more expensive but the costs for the stay is relatively cheaper if you travel outside of Europe (or to South-Eastern Europe). So even people who ‘only’ go for beach’n’fun do often travel to more exotic and foreign locales.
You’re quite right that there’s a great number of different natural and cultural ‘habitats’ to see and visit in North America. Also, I understand that it can be quite expensive to travel outside, and that many more people in the US than Europe have a shorter vacation - i.e. less time to travel. I’m not surprised that comparatively less travel to ‘outside countries’. The main thing is encountering new places and meeting other cultures, even if it is your own country, is it not? In Europe, we sometimes can forget the sheer size of North America.
However, having said all that, going by car, it would usually take you one or two days of driving to arrive at your destination - even in Europe. I’d much rather spend a little more money going by plane and spend more time in my destination. Or I might spend the same amount of money and go outside of Europe - so often no more expensive anyway.
Depends on how much time I have. When I went to Chicago in 2000, I could have driven it in 4 hours. It actually too me 5 days. I had planned on taking 2 weeks and drive to LA and back last year (2200 miles one way. Except I was going to come back by way of Seattle, which would have increased the distance a bit. :p) but had to give up a week of vacation due to illness so I flew out and back. Obviously the 400 miles to St. Louis this year will be an easy trip.
You are right about the amount of time off we have here. Next year I will get 4 weeks of vacation time. After working at my present job for 15 years. And I have one of the better benefit packages in this area. When I was in Australia in 1999, I was talking to an Aussie about my trip and mentioned I had used all 3 weeks of my vacation for the trip. He couldn’t believe that was all I got, I couldn’t believe it when he told me that 13 weeks was standard there.:eek: I was actually not sure I believed him until I found out that 13 weeks is actually pretty standard in Europe also. Although I understand that may be changing in the last few years.
Well… 13 week is NOT standard to my knowledge. More like four or five weeks. And then an extra five days of ‘care-days’ - i.e. a week. Six weeks tops. And then about a week’s worth of ‘holidays’ spread out through the year. 13 weeks (and I kept checking your post just to make sure), boggles my mind. Was he/she a teacher by any chance? They do have longer holidays ‘off school’, but are supposed to work in those weeks nonetheless. Anyway, I can assure you, that in Denmark, we ‘only’ have five weeks off plus various holiday days, like Christmas and Easter Day.
May I say it takes a special talent to turn a four hour drive into five days? 
But I’m sure you enjoyed those days. I’m not one for hurrying either. Time may be better spent with experiencing what happens now and here, rather than hurrying to get to your destination.
Not a teacher. That was my first thought also, it was some kind of low management job. Others here on the SDMB have mentioned the 13 week thing also, so it is around in a few countries at least. I will also get 5 weeks off eventually. When I have 25 years in at my current place of employment. 11 years from now.
I have done the same for other trips. To Toronto in 2003, normally about 5 - 7 hours depending on traffic, was also 5 days, as was Baltimore in 1998, about 10 hours straight. And Philidelphia in 2001, also around 10 hours, took 5 days. Boston in 2004 only took 4 though. Not sure how long the 6 hours to St. Louis will take. But it will be at least 4 days, unless something comes up to delay my departure from home. I am considering going by way of New Orleans, which would work out pretty well.
Cost of airfare is what keeps a lot of Americans from flying to Asia. What many don’t realize is that depending on destination and level of comfort – say, 2- or 3-star hotels versus 5-star hotels – the airfare is often the only major expense. I know many back stateside who don’t quite understand how low the costs are here. They automatically think of the high prices in Japan and Singapore and don’t realize there are some real bargains to be had in the region. Even countries like Cambodia are opening up to tourism and have become a lot safer in the past decade.