A language learners’ forum

I have always loved traveling, but my tastes have changed. I prefer slow travel now, and I used to prefer hopping around

I don't know how much longer I will be in Europe, and I am trying to make the most of the time here. This summer, we are going to Poland and not-sure-yet (Slovakia? Czech Republic? Croatia?).

Americas

United States: lived in 5, visited 23
Canada

Europe

Denmark (living there now)
Netherlands (numerous trips)
UK (several trips)
France (several trips)
Germany (several trips)
Belgium (2x)
Luxembourg (2x)
Austria (2x)
Italy (2x)
Spain (1x)
Monaco (1x)
Czech Republic (1x)
Sweden (1x)
Norway (1x)

Middle East
United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)

I have walked around in these, but not spent 24 hours: Mexico, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, and The Vatican.

Last time I've counted the number was 50+.. Cities? No idea...excluding the ones in my home country, it could be something like 150+ "major" ones and 400/500 considering villages and small towns.

EUROPE
Andorra
Austria (more than 10x)
Andorra
Belgium (5x)
Belarus
Vatican City
Croatia (2x)
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Gibilterra
Germany (8x)
UK (all 4 regions, more than 10x)
Grecia (8 differents island)
Ireland (4x)
Italy (home)
Liechtenstein
Lussemburgo
Malta
Monaco (more than 10x)
Norway
Holland (4x)
Poland (2x)
Portugal
Czech Republic
Romania (3x)
San Marino (2x)
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain (5x)
Sweden (2x)
Switzerland (more than 30x)
Hungary
AFRICA
Egypt (2x)
Tunisia
Kenya
Tanzania
Madagascar
Comore
Seychelles
ASIA
Turkey (2x)
Hong Kong
Singapore
Thailand
Malesia
Indonesia
AMERICAS
U.S. (3x 15 states)
Canada
Aruba
Venezuela
Brazil

Iversen wrote:Example: I have never spent 24 hours in a row within the border of the Vatican so the Vatican is not on my list. And Fiji and Pakistan aren't there either since I only sat a couple of hours in the transfer hall of an airport in those two countries.

Not sure if that's a "fair" rule. Some countries are so small you definetely don't need to spend there more than few hours let alone an overnight stay (San Marino, Monaco, Gibilterra, Andorra ecc). Nonetheless I feel I can honestly say I've visited those country because I basically saw everything they had to offer. Very different is that airport situation..Of course no one should list those countries just because he landed within their borders without doing nothing but waiting. Oh by the way, I think no one will ever be in Vatican 24h in a row.

My husband and I like to travel abroad at least once a year. The countries with a * are places I've lived in.

AMERICAS
USA*
Canada
Mexico
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
British Virgin islands
Cayman Islands
Jamaica
Puerto Rico
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Turks and Caicos Islands
US Virgin Islands
Costa Rica
Peru

ASIA
Philippines*
Japan*
Cambodia
Hong Kong
South Korea
Laos
Macao
Malaysia
Thailand

EUROPE
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Gibraltar
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Portugal
Spain
United Kingdom
Vatican City

OCEANIA
Australia

Well I've lived in 4 countries
Been to 14, but pretty sure I've forgotten one. Plus should be going to another next month, though doubt I'll get to see much of it as it is for training.

Iversen wrote:Example: I have never spent 24 hours in a row within the border of the Vatican so the Vatican is not on my list. And Fiji and Pakistan aren't there either since I only sat a couple of hours in the transfer hall of an airport in those two countries.

Jon wrote:Not sure if that's a "fair" rule. Some countries are so small you definetely don't need to spend there more than few hours let alone an overnight stay (San Marino, Monaco, Gibilterra, Andorra ecc). Nonetheless I feel I can honestly say I've visited those country because I basically saw everything they had to offer. Very different is that airport situation..Of course no one should list those countries just because he landed within their borders without doing nothing but waiting. Oh by the way, I think no one will ever be in Vatican 24h in a row.

I have actually spent the night (and more than 24 hours) in San Marino, Monaco and Andorra, but not 'Gibilterra' (Gibraltar?) and not the Vatican. It is true that I could have seen the main sights in the first three in a day, but the rule was introduced in my travel club specifically to exclude daytrippers. For instance I once visited Senegal on a daytrip from The Gambia - that's the kind of registrations we wanted to exclude. Since then I have spent several days in Dakar, so now Senegal is on my list.

Fair or not fair. You could also say that two consecutive days in a large country wasn't enough, or that a visit to the capital and only the capital of a country shouldn't count. In the beginning the rule was that you should have overnighted properly in the country, and that was interpreted as sleeping in a bed. But I was among those that protested, since I had travelled around on interrail cards without sleeping anywhere but in ordinary seats in the trains. So a stay of more than a week in Finland wouldn't count according to this rule. And then we got the 24 hour rule instead. We wanted a simple rule that was easy to administrate. And we almost got it, but there is still one loophole: cruise ships! If you stay within the territorial waters of a country for more than 24 hours you can't stay on the boat the whole time to get the coveted registration - but we have accepted that your trips to dry land last less than 24 hours.

As for the Vatican I have definitely spent more than 24 hours in the Vatican museums and in San Pietro plus the piazza with the colonnade outside it - but it doesn't count, because I didn't stay there 24 hours in a row. Is it possible? Yes, I know one case where a person with good connections got a room for the night, and I know several persons who remained within touch of the colonnade the whole night (you will be chased by the Italian police if you walk around on the piazza in the middle of the night !), but I have no intention of following in their footsteps.

Australia, the US, Vanuatu, Germany, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Vatican + Singapore airport.

My upcoming trip is just to Italy, but I'll be transiting through Dubai.

My trip to Germany was only flying in and out a few times during the same trip, but we had a few meals outside airports at cafes and drove through the countryside, so it's not like I was just in the airport.

If I were using the 24 hour rule as above, we'd have to discount Germany, Luxembourg and the Vatican, and Singapore, but that doesn't really count. I feel like Luxembourg SHOULD count, though, as my family lives on the border and we spent quite a bit time there, but it wasn't 24 hour consecutive.

I haven't travelled as much as i would like, since I've been studying for such a long time but that'll change in the next few years.

Australasia
• Australia (home)
• New Zealand
• Thailand
• Hong Kong
• Indonesia (Bali)
• Singapore

Americas
...

I just wanted to clarify that Hong Kong is not in Australasia. Neither is any part of Thailand and Singapore, I believe.

Most US states
Canada
Mexico
Jamaica
Cayman Islands
England
Ireland
France
Spain
Portugal
Germany
Austria
Hungary
Italy
Croatia
Bosnia
Greece
Egypt
Cyprus
Malta

All together I've lived in and/or visited eight countries: Canada, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, and the US (42 states). Travelling is a little tricky for me, so learning languages is my way of touring the world.