How well traveled are you?

[E.T.]

I've been lucky and have traveled to many countries but I haven't made it to any in Asia or Africa yet.

I really want to see Mongolia, South Africa, Morocco, Thailand, Japan, Korea and Iceland eventually. I like traveling to places where I can experience a part of life or nature that is really different from what I'd normally have access to.

Honestly, the thing that makes me feel like I've had the broadest experiences has just been living in many states and working lots of different types of jobs in the U.S. I kind of feel like I've gotten to dabble in different walks of life. Makes me feel more worldly than backpacking through Europe did.

[aspiringnomad]

41) Ireland (the friendliest people on Earth)

This has been true in our experience too. We've been there 4 times now and every trip we left with at least one exceptional story. The B&B owner who opened up 4 weeks early for our trip. We only found out when he apologized that he only had 1 room selection available. We asked if it was renno\damage. "Oh no. I usually open next month but when you emailed I decided to open early for you."

We found a restaurant in Dublin we loved so we made a second reservation for the following day. The maitre d had given us recommendations on places to visit. When he saw our names on the list again for the following day - he came in on his day off to see if we liked his recommendations. We spent quite a bit of time just talking

Heading to the airport from a hotel the shuttle driver was excited to see we were Americans. "Give me the name of any state in the US and I'll tell you the state capitol!" And he did too, although I had to take his word for a few as his knowledge of US State capitols exceeded my own...

When we took a cab to the airport the fare was 23Euro. I gave him 25. He handed the 5 back. Me: But it says 23? "Well I just had such a nice time driving you two I can't accept the full fare." Where else would a cab driver not only refuse a tip but not charge the full rate?

Great stories. We've been to some warm, welcoming places around the world, but never anything like Ireland. My two favorites were the tiny village where the owner's two dogs sat on the bar stools on either side of us while he served us free/cheap drinks and chatted away all night and the fellow who used to babysit Samantha Power and wanted nothing more than to talk American politics with us. Normally I hate talking American politics, but in Ireland, over a fresh Guiness and with good company, it was loads of fun. Not to mention all the live pub music...

[YK-Phil]

I was born in Northern Africa, lived 5 years in France, then Canada, have family all over Europe and South America, visited over 40 countries, some for a few days, others much deeper for several months. I used to enjoy travel for the sake of it, I now have no desire whatsoever to travel in the accepted sense of the term especially by air which I really despise. But I am part of the "overlanding" crowd, preferring to travel by land over vast distances over many months or years. For the past 3 winters, I have logged over 70,000 km throughout Canada, the US, and Mexico in my truck camper in 6-month instalments, and am planning to continue down the Panamerican "Highway" through Panama, and on to Colombia and the rest of South America, as soon as I wrap up my last gig, hopefully, next fall. At first, my wife did not share my love of vagabonding and camping especially when we used a rooftop tent and had no amenities whatsoever, but now that we have upgraded to a truck camper that has such luxuries as cold water and a porta-potty, she is starting to warm up to the lifestyle...

[Zikoris]

Live in Canada.

-US
-Mexico
-Belize
-Honduras
-Cayman Islands
-England
-France
-Italy
-Monaco

Well, we've been to a lot more places since this list!

Guatemala
Hungary
Austria
Switzerland
Hong Kong
Macau
Iceland
Taiwan
Singapore
Malaysia
Ireland
Thailand
China
Portugal
Spain
Czech Republic
Germany
Netherlands
Vietnam

And this summer, Japan! Closing in on 30 countries, sweet. I wonder what my lifetime count will be.

[BussoV6]

Algeria
Angola
Botswana
DRC
Ethiopia
Ghana
Lesotho
Madagascar
Namibia
South Africa (home)
Swaziland
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Australia
China
South Korea
Japan
Kazakhstan
UAE
Andorra
Czech Republic
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Portugal
Russia
Spain
Turkey
UK
Canada
Mexico
USA
Brazil
Chile

Many of these for work, although I always try and stay on a few days to see what I can.

[lollylegs]

I'd always wanted to travel but never did as I was busy working, raising kids, paying bills, looking after ageing parents etc. In my late 40's and I started seeing people my age getting cancer, getting really sick, then a colleague at work, similar age, went home from work one Friday night and just dropped dead. She had just bought a caravan a few weeks prior to she and her hubby could start doing some travel. It was a wake up call - life is short. So every single year since then we go overseas, have been to 20 countries in the last 8 years, yes it has slowed down our savings rate but I look for good deals, I absolutely love travelling and have no regrets that it has slowed our retirement.

Australia
Canada
China
France
Greece
Indonesia
Italy
Japan
Montenegro
Papua New Guinea
Russia
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Korea
Spain
United Arab Emirates
United States of America
Vanuatu
Vatican City

[UKMustache]

My current list, I don't think I'm particularly well travelled.

1.  United Kingdom
2.  France
3.  Ireland
4.  Spain (mainland and Balearic Islands)
5.  Portugal
6.  Iceland
7.  Cyprus
8.  Greece
9.  Turkey
10.  Italy
11.  Czech Republic
12.  Singapore
13.  Australia
14.  Canada
15.  Mexico
16.  Germany
17.  Netherlands

We've also got a trip booked to Denmark later in the year so that will be 18.  Must try harder!

[Bateaux]

I'm ashamed to list how few.

[cap396]

Just entered country #64 a couple of days ago.  We FIRE'd last summer, sold our house and all our possessions, and are now traveling the world.  I hope to get to 100 and join the Traveler's Century Club.

[Michael in ABQ]

4 countries so far, plus airport stops in Germany and Ireland.  Just found out I'll be making a trip to a new continent in a couple of months. Except for Canada my international travel was for military deployment. I have been to about 25-30 states including almost every state west of the Mississippi, Alaska, and several others in the east and south. I'm hoping to go to Hawaii next year. That and the northeast are the only areas of the country I've never been to.

[Sailor Sam]

Fun! I've been to:

Atlantic Ocean
North Pacific Ocean
South Pacific Ocean
Gulf of Alaska
Bearing Sea
Chukchi Sea
Beaufort Sea
Labrador Sea
Gulf of St Laurence
Sargasso Seas
Gulf of Mexico
Caribbean Sea

Missing a couple oceans, plus Baffin Bay, and Hudson Bay.

[chemistk]

I live in the US.  Have been to one other country: Canada.  Not sure if other continents even exist.

I'm in the same boat as you! And, to boot, it's been well over a decade since I went to Canada. The way things are shaping up, it may be another 15 years before I have a good opportunity to actually travel.

This to me is ironic, since my entire family travels frequently. My wife has been to a substantial number of European countries and my dad is going on at least 3 or 4 dozen countries visited.

[Engineer93]

U.S. (Home)
Canada
Bahamas
Haiti
Jamaica
Purto Rico
Costa Rica
Ireland
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales & England)
Netherlands
Belgium
France
Spain
Monaco
Italy
Vatican City
Croatia
Iceland
Hungary
Austria
Czech Republic
Switzlerland
Germany
Poland
Denmark
Norway
Sweden
Finland

[deborah]

Fun! I've been to:

Atlantic Ocean
North Pacific Ocean
South Pacific Ocean
Gulf of Alaska
Bearing Sea
Chukchi Sea
Beaufort Sea
Labrador Sea
Gulf of St Laurence
Sargasso Seas
Gulf of Mexico
Caribbean Sea

Missing a couple oceans, plus Baffin Bay, and Hudson Bay.

When I was in Turkey, we dipped our feet in the Tigris and Euphrates. Since then I’ve dipped my feet in the Black Sea, Bosphorus, Colorado, Straights of Magellan, Yukon, Mediterranean, Southern Ocean and other interesting places.

[Wilson Hall]

Aruba
Austria
The Bahamas
Belize
Bermuda
Canada
Cayman Islands
Colombia
Costa Rica
Curacao
Finland
France
Italy
Japan
Liechtenstein
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
The Netherlands
Panama
Russia
Spain
Switzerland
Tunisia
Turks & Caicos
Vatican City
United Arab Emirates

We haven't gone abroad in a few years because of family health issues and home repair expenses but hope to make another trip in another year or two. I agree with the posters who have advised not to wait until you're too old or sick or have to care for family members who are.

[brandon1827]

Spain
England
Ireland
Northern Ireland
Scotland
France
Italy
Greece
Crete
Romania
Bulgaria
Turkey
Israel
Canada
Cuba
Bahamas
Jamaica
Puerto Rico (part of the U.S....but others have listed it so I am too)

[Bobberth]

My wife and I just got back from a trip to China to visit a friend who has been teaching in Beijing for the last 4 years. We met several of her teaching and other ex-pat friends. It was interesting that, while they had traveled to many different countries, none of them had traveled very much in the US (or Canada for the teacher we met from there). This is anecdotal and not statistically relevant, but I think it speaks to not needing to leave a country, especially geographically large and diverse ones, to have amazing adventures. We were jealous of all the countries they have visited and they were jealous of our hiking the Grand Canyon because they always wanted to see it.

[poniesandFIRE]

Canada
Scotland
Germany
Netherlands
Switzerland

[simonsez]

I wish I would've posted my list back in 2013 when I first answered 5-8 for my own reference.

US (home)
Canada
Ireland
UK
France
Germany
Luxembourg
Belgium
Iceland
Belize
Mexico
Honduras
New Zealand
Fiji

I love a good domestic road trip.  Still 7 states left to explore and many, many national parks and other points of interest.

[Watchmaker]

I'm ashamed to list how few.

Don't be ashamed, everyone's circumstances/interests are different.

Do you like traveling internationally and just haven't been able to, or is it something that hasn't excited you?

[Watchmaker]

Depends a bit on what is meant by 'visited'. There are a few countries where we really didn't do much of anything worthwhile there so we don't count countries like Poland (layover)

I had one layover in Dublin that ended up lasting so long I'm tempted to count it.

[DireWolf]

To date (I'm based in the US) and in the order I first visited:

Canada
Mexico
England
France
Netherlands
Germany
Italy (+Vatican City)
Spain
Iceland
Austria
Switzerland

plus, cruise stops in:
Jamaica
Grand Cayman
Haiti (RCC's "private island" of Labadee, which is really just a private beach)

I don't really count the cruise stops, as they were just a handful of hours each. Of the rest, Netherlands was my shortest stay (maybe 3 nights? in Amsterdam before taking a train to Germany for the 2008 World Cup). The rest were all a week or more. I've visited Mexico many times, spending well over a month there all total.

I had two work trips that got canceled last minute, and I'm really bummed I never got to visit. First was to Australia, second was to be Brazil. :(

My most visit out-of-the-country trip was 5 weeks, pedaling a bike across Austria->Germany->Switzerland->France->Spain. Hoping to FIRE within the next year and do more bike touring.

Now that I've pretty much knocked out Western Europe, I'd like to move on to some fo the Eastern half. I'd love to visit some places in Asia, as well (will confess, I'm a little intimidated by that). Will eventually spend some time in South America and some other Central American countries, I hope. I think some of these would be great on a bike, once I'm a more seasoned bike tourer.

In addition to the out of country places, I've visited iirc 40 or the 50 states (actually, probably a couple more than that which were just quick drive throughs as a child). Oregon and Hawaii pretty high on the list of places I haven't been but would like to visit.

[I'm a red panda]

Depends a bit on what is meant by 'visited'. There are a few countries where we really didn't do much of anything worthwhile there so we don't count countries like Poland (layover)

I had one layover in Dublin that ended up lasting so long I'm tempted to count it.

Our rule is you have to go outside and touch the ground. 
(Same rule for US states- so layovers don't count, and roadtrips through only count if you get out of the car.)

[Hirondelle]

I'm in Europe so that makes the game much easier. Total count is something like 30 countries right now, most in the last couple of years.

North America; USA (10 or so states) and Canada.
Europe: 18 (20 if you include the Vatican and Turkey)
Asia: 10

It was interesting that, while they had traveled to many different countries, none of them had traveled very much in the US (or Canada for the teacher we met from there). This is anecdotal and not statistically relevant, but I think it speaks to not needing to leave a country, especially geographically large and diverse ones, to have amazing adventures.

This is so true. I always joyfully read people's comments on here if they have traveled to Europe. For me it's so 'normal' that I tend to take it for granted, even though there's so many cool places around the corner that I never bothered to visit. When talking to people when traveling I'm often surprised how little they've seen of their own country. A guy from Germany who's never visited Berlin yet has been to Fiji, an Italian girl that's never been to Rome but spent a year traveling all around Asia. It's always more interesting to be at a place that's more 'different' than your own I guess.

[JoJo]

I'm up to 96, will likely only go to 1 new country this year (Paraguay).    My up to date list at https://thehotflashpacker.com/faq/

Retirement likely in 2019 so I'll have lots of new countries next year.  Tentative plan to do carnival in Rio, then take a repositioning cruise to Europe and hit some of the countries I've skipped before (Portugal, spend more time in Spain, Andorra, Greece, Malta, northeastern Europe).

[Jouer]

Fun! I'm envious of those with so many countries visited. I didn't start until my 30s once I had student loans paid off.

- Canada (home)
- USA (NY, Mass, Pennsylvania, Florida, California, Nevada, Delaware, Tennessee, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, DC)
- Mexico (couple of week long resort trips)
- Cuba (week long resort trip)
- Dominican Republic (one week for my wedding)
- Costa Rica (week trip in a small town)
- France (2 weeks: Paris, Normandy, Nice)
- Monte Carlo (2 days)
- Italy (2.5 weeks: Rome, Florence, Amalfi Coast)
- Czech Republic (9 days in Prague)
- Greece (2 weeks: Athens, Santorini, Mykonos...day trips to Delphi and Delos)

Next up in September: Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest

[2Birds1Stone]

Been to 30+ countries........another 100+ to go!

[cap396]

I'm up to 96, will likely only go to 1 new country this year (Paraguay).    My up to date list at https://thehotflashpacker.com/faq/

Retirement likely in 2019 so I'll have lots of new countries next year.  Tentative plan to do carnival in Rio, then take a repositioning cruise to Europe and hit some of the countries I've skipped before (Portugal, spend more time in Spain, Andorra, Greece, Malta, northeastern Europe).

Wow!  Just get to 4 more and you'll have an even 100.  Sounds like you'll get there after your cruise.  Great website by the way.

[JoJo]

Wow!  Just get to 4 more and you'll have an even 100.  Sounds like you'll get there after your cruise.  Great website by the way.

Thanks!  Yeah, I'm excited about 100.  Probably be somewhere in Europe 

[Villanelle]

In December, we visited countries 45 and 46 (Vietnam and Cambodia).  DH and I have each been to a few more countries than 46, but we are counting countries visited together for our 50by50 (50 countries by age 50) project.  We should get at least one more easily this year.  We've never been to Canada together and we've just moved not terribly far away so I'll plan a long weekend. 

We are currently deciding if we want #50 to be intentional and epic, or just whatever country we happen to end up in. 

[Romag]

I'm at 56.
Grew up in the US, lived in France, Germany, Niger, Djibouti and Kenya.
I've traveled extensively in Europe and Africa, a few spots in the Middle East and Asia, and recently started exploring South America.
Planning to see Peru, Iceland and possibly Belize this year.
Never been to Mexico, I consider that a big gap...

[deborah]

Why has everyone seen Iceland and not Greenland? It’s awesome.

[Watchmaker]

Why has everyone seen Iceland and not Greenland? It’s awesome.

The boring answer is probably that it has been really easy/cheap to get a flight to or layover in Iceland from the US or Europe. That's why 3 of my coworkers have gone there in the last two years.

[dougules]

Canada (3 provinces)
Mexico (CDMX + 5 states)(second favorite)
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Panama
Ecuador
Peru
England
France
Switzerland
Italy
India (favorite)

USA - home country (41 states + DC)
layovers in Germany and Netherlands
underneath Monaco in a train

I'm really hoping to expand this list in FIRE, although what I'm really looking forward to is really getting to spend some time for quality travel instead of checking countries off the list. 

[JoJo]

Why has everyone seen Iceland and not Greenland? It’s awesome.

I so want to go to Greenland but it's so expensive.   

[YK-Phil]

Why has everyone seen Iceland and not Greenland? It’s awesome.

Greenland is awesome, so is the rest of the Arctic where I spent my entire working life there. I was privileged to visit every single community in the Arctic, including Greenland and parts of Siberia as part of my work. Greenland was interesting in more ways than one, for someone who spoke Inuktitut and was used to life in Arctic communities in the Canadian Arctic, it felt very familiar and very alien at the same time, especially the capital, Nuuk, a mix of Inuit with a European twist that made it very unique.   

[DadJokes]

Do 9-12 month visits to scenic desert & mountainous regions in southwest Asia count if the locals were trying to kill you?

[aspiringnomad]

Spain
England
Ireland
Northern Ireland
Scotland
France
Italy
Greece
Crete
Romania
Bulgaria
Turkey
Israel
Canada
Cuba
Bahamas
Jamaica
Puerto Rico (part of the U.S....but others have listed it so I am too)

Greece and Crete?! ;)

[expatartist]

Spain
England
Ireland
Northern Ireland
Scotland
France
Italy
Greece
Crete
Romania
Bulgaria
Turkey
Israel
Canada
Cuba
Bahamas
Jamaica
Puerto Rico (part of the U.S....but others have listed it so I am too)

Greece and Crete?! ;)

Greek Cyprus, maybe?

[BussoV6]

Fun! I've been to:

Atlantic Ocean
North Pacific Ocean
South Pacific Ocean
Gulf of Alaska
Bearing Sea
Chukchi Sea
Beaufort Sea
Labrador Sea
Gulf of St Laurence
Sargasso Seas
Gulf of Mexico
Caribbean Sea

Missing a couple oceans, plus Baffin Bay, and Hudson Bay.

That is quite an impressive list. I'm envious...

[soccerluvof4]

Wow i gotta get out more! Though I havent really up till lately really have had the desire. I have been to all Continental 48 States and Hawaii twice. Never been to Alaska. Out of country pretty limited to Canada and Mexico.  I have a lot I want to do around the states yet before i head overseas.

[Sailor Sam]

Fun! I've been to:

Atlantic Ocean
North Pacific Ocean
South Pacific Ocean
Gulf of Alaska
Bearing Sea
Chukchi Sea
Beaufort Sea
Labrador Sea
Gulf of St Laurence
Sargasso Seas
Gulf of Mexico
Caribbean Sea

Missing a couple oceans, plus Baffin Bay, and Hudson Bay.

That is quite an impressive list. I'm envious...

Well, keep in mind that I'm cheating in the same way @DadJokes is cheating. But yes, it is pretty cool. I like the ocean.

[JTColton]

Still want to do a rail trip from Europe through Russia to China.

Samoa
Guam
Canada
Mexico
Australia
Singapore
Indonesia
Malaysia
Thailand
Japan
South Korea
Hong Kong
India
Seychelles
Oman
UAE
Qatar
Bahrain
Kuwait
Djibouti
Jordan
Israel
Albania
Montenegro
Greece
Italy
France
Spain
Portugal
England
Scotland

[Raenia]

I'm not a big fan of travel, but I have still managed to visit a number of countries (live in USA).  In roughly chronological order (by first visit):

- Canada
- Norway
- Denmark
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Italy
- France
- Netherlands
- Sweden
- England

I don't have a big travel bucket list either, but I would love to visit Scotland and Iceland, at minimum.

[Stimpy]

I know I am not a well traveled world traveler.  But inside the USA, the places I've been, the spaces I've seen...  But the world is bigger!  (Duh)

My List that I hope to grow it as time moves on:
Canada
Mexico
China


It really is awesome to see all the places everyone has been. 

[Caroline PF]

Live in the US: visited 11 countries on 3 continents. A lot of the travel is thanks to my dad when I was a teenager. I've only done 4 trips out of the US as an adult on my own dime.

North America
1. Canada x3
2. Mexico x2

Caribbean
3. Bahamas
4. Jamaica

Europe
5. Spain x2
6. Germany
7. Austria x2
8. Italy
9. France

Asia
10. Japan
11. Cambodia


Trips in chronologic order for my own reference
1. 1 week in Mexico
2. 1 week in Mexico
3. 4 day canoe/camping trip on the border lakes between Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada
4. 5 day cruise in the Caribbean
5. 1 week in Spain with a tourist company
6. 1 week in Austria with a tourist company
7. 1 week in Cambodia
8. 2 weeks in Europe with a Eurail pass
9. 1 week in British Columbia, Canada
10. 1 week in Japan, visiting family
11. 10 day RV trip visiting the great lakes and Ontario, Canada

Within the US, I've been to 31 out of 50 states. I'm missing most of the NorthEast, the South, and Alaska.

[undercover]

Never left the country. There's so much in the USA to see/do that I just haven't felt the need. Only place in Canada I want to go is to see some more of the rockies and maybe catch a glimpse of the few remaining glaciers before they're forever gone.

I need a good reason to actually go somewhere. I think Japan is different enough from the rest of the westernized world (not saying it's not highly westernized) to warrant a visit.

I have always wanted to travel for work for at least a while and if I ever get the opportunity I'll take it and start adding to the list :)

[nancyjnelson]

I'll be adding Greece and Egypt in June.  :)

Austria
Belgium
Canada
Czech Republic
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
England
Estonia
Finland
France
Guatemala
Italy
Latvia
Mexico
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
U.S.
Venezuela

[Fomerly known as something]

It's not really fair that work has given me the opportunity to go to more than 50% of the 20+ countries I've visited.  Of course some of those countries I'd never have visited on my own, I mean who wants to visit South Sudan on a holiday.  Rumor has it the US embassy had the only swimming pool in the country at the time of my visit. 

Sudan
Canada*
Costa Rica*
Panama*
Cuba
Argentina
Peru
Norway
UK
Ireland*
Netherlands
Belgium
Spain*
Italy
France*
Croatia*
Lebanon
Syria (pre-civil war)
Israel
South Sudan
Ethiopia
Botswana
South Africa
China
Hong Kong
Burma
New Zealand*
Lithuania
Serbia
Japan
US Virgin Islands
Dubai
Morocco
South Korea

* are countries I choose to go to.  Adding Germany, Austria and Switzerland this year by choice.

[frugalecon]

France
Germany
Netherlands
Belgium
Luxembourg
Spain
Italy
Austria
Denmark
Norway
Sweden
Hungary
Romania
Czech Republic
Egypt
Jordan
Turkey
India
Philippines
Vietnam
Thailand
Malaysia
Indonesia
China
Hong Kong (sort of separate from China)
Argentina
Mexico
Canada
Dominican Republic

Still so many to go...