How many countries?

[Englishman2010]

As of May 1, 2008, the United Nations has 192 official members (including Montenegro and Serbia - the two newest nations). That number does not include the Vatican, and it doesn't (yet) include Kosovo.

How many countries have you visited?

( England, Scotland, NI and Wales are not officially recognised countries, The UK is the official country. You can add refuelling stops in the middle east, even though you don't pass their border controls and get a stamp, so you aren't technically in the country.)

Although I've travelled a lot, I haven't actually been to that many countries, as I have a tendency to keep going back to the same countries and keep exploring in the until I get bored. Consequently I've been to The Netherlands 20+ times, and Greece, Spain, France more than a dozen times each.

I'm guessing that Terpe, Ricky, Tawi, AlanmF1 and Subseastu are are most widely travelled members:xxgrinning--00xx3:

Where have I been?
Europe:
UK
Rep of Ireland
Belgium
France
Spain
Portugal
Italy
Greece
Austria
The Netherlands
Denmark
Germany

North America
USA
The Bahamas

Oceania
Australia

Asia
Bahrain
UAE
Qatar
Oman
India
Turkey
Singapore
Malaysia
Thailand
Brunei
Vietnam
Philippines
Hong Kong
Macau

29 in total, so there's still a lot more of the world to see

[tone]

This is going to be a long thread!

Ive been to the following places:-
Europe:
UK
Rep of Ireland
France
Spain
Portugal
Italy
The Netherlands
Denmark
Germany

North America
USA
Barbados
Antigua
St Kitts
British Virgin Islands
US Virgin Islands
Tobago

Asia
Bahrain
UAE
India
Singapore
Malaysia
Philippines
Hong Kong
Maldives
Mauritius
South Africa

SOooo many more places to go!

[lastlid]

UK
Sweden
Netherlands
Denmark
Norway
France
Spain
Portugal
Switzerland

USA

Libya
Angola
Canaries

Indonesia
Thailand
Philippines

Kuwait

And of course the Isle of Man.....separate country...

Can we count those we have been in transit in?

[Englishman2010]

SOooo many more places to go!

Not a bad list Tone:xxgrinning--00xx3: Agreed though, lots more places I want to visit too. Japan is top of my list

[tone]

Not a bad list Tone:xxgrinning--00xx3: Agreed though, lots more places I want to visit too. Japan is top of my list

I knew Id forget some !!

Indonesia
Sweden!
Bali is Indonesia - so wont count that as 2
Canaries - isnt that Spain? if not theres another

Looking at it yeah I am quite well travelled.

Cheers Mate

[stevie c]

ireland
belgium
france
spain
canaries
malta
portugal
usa
mexico
jamaica
australia
dubai
hong kong
thailand
philippines

[Englishman2010]

Looking at it yeah I am quite well travelled.

Cheers Mate

:xxgrinning--00xx3: Long may it continue

[tone]

I do hope so - I love travelling and with Rina - she is so much fun, but with Baby on the way its going to stop plus I have run out of money! Booo

[Englishman2010]

And of course the Isle of Man.....separate country...

Can we count those we have been in transit in?

IOM:xxgrinning--00xx3: Don't IOM and the CI's official count as UK at the UN;)

You can add transit countries, I have:xxgrinning--00xx3: Although I've passed through Dubai and Abu Dhabi (Both UAE), Bahrain, Qatar and Oman dozens of times I've never actually been to any of them. On my last flight back from HK, the plane stopped in Bangkok, so I've added Thailand too:icon_lol:

[rusty]

UK
Rep of Ireland
France
Spain
Italy
Greece
The Netherlands
Germany
Sweden
Finland
Czech Republic

USA
Canada
Mexico
St. Lucia

UEA

The Philippines
Japan

[grahamw48]

26 for me, and I've lived for stays of more than 3 years in 5 different countries. :)

[Dedworth]

Going back to my first foreign venture as a child (Holland) in no particular order

EUROPE
UK (all + Jersey & Guernsey)
Holland
France
Belgium
Luxembourg
Andorra
Spain
Portugal
Greece
Romania
Czech Republic
Former Yugoslavia
Former East Germany
Former West Germany
Denmark
Norway
Sweden
Irish Republic

ASIA
Singapore
Indonesia
Malaysia
Thailand
Philippines

Americas
Canada
USA
Mexico

I think thats about it I've not counted airport stops/plane changes (Bahrain, Hong Kong, Pakistan) only places I've at least overnighted in

[Englishman2010]

Romania


:icon_lol: That made me chuckle given your love of thieving Roma scum

[Englishman2010]

What a well travelled bunch we are:xxgrinning--00xx3:

Is the fact we love travelling one of the reason's we ended up with Filipina partners:Erm:

[tone]

Aha thats another I should add - went to Poina Brasov for my first skiing holiday when I was 20 - such a good laugh the skiing was good too!

[Dedworth]

:icon_lol: That made me chuckle given your love of thieving Roma scum

Bad memories of that cesspit.

I got frostbite on one of my fingers (Predeal near Brasov where Tone went)was paraded and photographed in front of all the medical students at local hospital here when I got back - probably never seen a frost bite case since then. Also got held by the Police for a few hours.

[grahamw48]

What a well travelled bunch we are:xxgrinning--00xx3:

Is the fact we love travelling one of the reason's we ended up with Filipina partners:Erm:

Partly, but mostly my dislike of fat wrinkly women with bad teeth and even worse attitudes. :NoNo:

[Tawi2]

Also got held by the Police for a few hours.
That would make an interesting list,countries we have been arrested or detained for short periods in,even a few hours would count :icon_lol:

[grahamw48]

Got something you want to share with us Tawi ? :icon_lol:

[Englishman2010]

Bad memories of that cesspit.

I got frostbite on one of my fingers (Predeal near Brasov where Tone went)was paraded and photographed in front of all the medical students at local hospital here when I got back - probably never seen a frost bite case since then. Also got held by the Police for a few hours.

I hope you didn't try the Sir Rannulph Fiennes approach to DIY frostbite surgery:yikes:

[Terpe]

I really did get detained by immigration in Japan.
"Why do you keep visiting every few months"?
They held me for a good 4 or 5 hours until they had checked out both my company and also telephoned Carina (we were not married at that time)
They asked her so many questions, even asked for her medicare policy number.

Eventually let me go, but only after making sure I had completed the residence permit application (because they said I could then stay as long as I wanted without any questions) and the Chief immigration officer at Narita airport signed it for me....

I was really so tired and fed up, just kept thinking I cannot face being sent home on another 10+ hour flight.

[lastlid]

UK
Sweden
Netherlands
Denmark
Norway
France
Spain
Portugal
Switzerland

USA

Libya
Angola
Canaries

Indonesia
Thailand
Philippines

Kuwait

And of course the Isle of Man.....separate country...

Can we count those we have been in transit in?

Need to add:

Rep of Ireland
Andorra
Congo

Visited in transit :

Dubai
Saudi
Singapore
Alaska (on the way to New York)
Greece
Malta
Zaire

Isle of Man is a "Crown Dependency" and is not part of the United Kingdom

Much of my travel has been work related. I have been to the USA about 5 times now but all on business. And spent 3 years in Libya, again work related. I had never been to South East Asia until I spent 5 weeks working in Indonesia (Irian Jaya) about 14 years ago, which opened my eyes to that part of the world.

I turned down a trip or two to Nigeria and I am not sad about that, but I regret not taking the opportunity I had to go to Egypt. I would love to see the pyramids etc.

[Dakila]

I still have a lot on my to-go list :)

Philippines
Malaysia
Taiwan
United Arab Emirates
Qatar
Kuwait
Germany
Switzerland
France
Austria
Greece
Turkey
Spain
Italy
United Kingdom

:airline:

[daff 'O dill]

UK
France
Ireland
Italy
Greece
Canaries
UAE
Spain
Portugal
Austria
Germany
Sweden
Dominican Republic
Cuba
Seychelles
Philippines
China
S Korea
Hongkong
Indonesia
Thailand

Still lot of places to discover, for the meantime relax, sit back and have a tea cup:tea_cup5:

[Bluebirdjones]

Europe
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
East Germany
Eire
Finland
France
Greece
Italy
Luxemburg
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Spain
Sweden
Turkey
West Germany

Africa
Algeria
Egypt
Tunisia

Middle East
Abu Dhabi
Kuwait

Asia
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Japan
Laos
Malaysia
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand

Americas
USA

36

[lastlid]

Interestingly very few here have sampled the delights of Africa.

[grahamw48]

I have been to South Yemen and Egypt...well a day out in each during the 21 day voyage home from Malaya on this ship. :)

.
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/8458/empfowey2.jpg

Also had a pleasant day day out in Sri Lanka...watching the 'Elephant Dance'.
.
3 years earlier my mother and us 3 kids had flown out to Singapore on this (75 seater 'Hermes') :

.
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/4673/hermespic.jpg

- Took 3 days including 2 overnight stops and several for refuelling.

That's why I don't complain much about the 18 hours or so to the Phils. :icon_lol:

[lastlid]

I have been to South Yemen and Egypt...well a day out in each during the 21 day voyage home from Malaya on this ship. :)

.
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/8458/empfowey2.jpg

Also had a pleasant day day out in Sri Lanka...watching the 'Elephant Dance'.
.
3 years earlier my mother and us 3 kids had flown out to Singapore on this (75 seater 'Hermes') :

.
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/4673/hermespic.jpg

- Took 3 days including 2 overnight stops and several for refuelling.

That's why I don't complain much about the 18 hours or so to the Phils. :icon_lol:

OMG you have been on some ropey old transport, reminds me of my trips on a DC3 out in Libya.

[grahamw48]

It was NEW then :D....and very comfy I might add...better than a blinkin Jumbo Jet in fact.

We could of course have been lucky enough to get a flight on the new De Havilland Comet Jet....and ended up in the drink. :omg:

[RickyR]

For countries visited, I'm presently at 83 countries, a mere 43% of the world. I'd like to visit Oceania in the coming years on vacations and increase that a little more. One place I wasn't sure where to add was Antartica, went there in 2006 and 2007.
I have an excel sheet going back more than 10 years with everyday of my life and the town/country i'm in each day, and I still continue to update that.


Africa 11/54

Algeria
Angola
Cameroon
Congo
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Libya
Morocco
South Africa
Sudan
Tunisia

Asia 18/44

China
India
Indonesia
Iran
Israel
Korea, South
Kuwait
Malaysia
Oman
Philippines
Qatar
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Syria
Thailand
Turkey
United Arab Emirates

Europe 32/47

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Italy
Latvia
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom
Vatican City

North America 15/23

Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Canada
Costa Rica
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Greneda
Jamaica
Panama
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
United States

Oceania 0/14

None

South America 7/12

Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Columbia
Ecuador
Peru
Uruguay

[lastlid]

Wooooooooooooooooh :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[raynaputi]

:omg: you guys are so lucky you could travel a lot!:xxgrinning--00xx3: I've just been to Singapore, KL Malaysia, and Bintan Indonesia..Well of course Philippines and now UK..well I've been to Dubai but just at the airport for my transfer to UK..hahaha..:Rasp:

[daff 'O dill]

For countries visited


howeeeeeeee:xxgrinning--00xx3:to RickyR

[tone]

Ricky thats a great list - must have an amazing photostream! What do you do! About 30% of mine are work related - the rest holidays!

Had things worked out slightly better I would have been settled in Kuala Lumpur now - enjoying the heat and great nightlife...alas it wasnt to be..

Of all those places which would be the country you would most like to live?

For me I'd love to live in Singapore (but if working covering S.E Asia) just waiting for a job to come find me... which is never going to happen...:NoNo:

[Englishman2010]

Very impressive list Ricky:xxgrinning--00xx3: One of my few regrets in life is that I never had a career that has enabled me to travel, all of my trips have been leisure which has meant me footing the bill:bigcry:

Great photo's Graham:xxgrinning--00xx3:

I also noticed that very few people have been to Africa. Personally, I don't care if I never step foot on that continent, there is very little there that interests me, except perhaps Egypt or Morocco

[subseastu]

I'll have to have a bit of a think about this one. I've never kept a list, though I really wish I had done with this job. Ricky as always has the right idea keeping a daily log of his whereabouts. Of course my biggest problem is due to having a couple of shandies in most countries my memory ain't what it used to be!!! I'll have a go at banging out a list later.

[RickyR]

Hi Tone,

I work at sea on Passenger Ships and Large Yachts, but travel a little bit less now i'm based in Oman. I also like to travel a lot for leisure.
I'm not sure where I'd want to live, but I do want to take another look at South America, as I had so much fun there. Also we're planning to check out New Zealand and Australia, and may move onto there when we get tired of the Middle East.

[Englishman2010]

I'll have to have a bit of a think about this one. I've never kept a list, though I really wish I had done with this job. Ricky as always has the right idea keeping a daily log of his whereabouts. Of course my biggest problem is due to having a couple of shandies in most countries my memory ain't what it used to be!!! I'll have a go at banging out a list later.

Don't worry about the countries you've been to, just tell us all the foreign bars you've been comatosed in:D that will be a long list:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[subseastu]

Don't worry about the countries you've been to, just tell us all the foreign bars you've been comatosed in:D that will be a long list:xxgrinning--00xx3:

I have no idea of the events your refering to your honour. I only go ashore for a haircut and look at the local architecture!! I've killed way too many brain cells to remember all the bars etc I've been in, I can hardly remember where my local is back home half the time!! I worked for nearly 4 years in Egypt Ian, to be honest you could do the main points of interest in about 6 days there, After that it'd be straight to the airport for me.

Anyway in no particular order:
Isle of Wight
Ireland
Rep of Ireland
I.O.M
Norway
Netherlands
France
Italy
Spain
Canaries
Azores
US of A
Venezuela
Bermuda
Surinam
Guyana
French Guyana
Brazil
Argentina
Uruguay
Falklands
San Marino
Croatia
Greece
Egypt
Saudi
UAE
Bahrain
Gibraltar
Singapore
Hong Kong
St Vincent
Fiji
Taiwan
Mozambique
S. Africa
Curacao
Trinidad
Tobago
Kuwait
Malaysia (Batam)
Malta
Oh yes and the Philippines


There maybe a couple of others but thats 43ish. It doesn’t look all that long considering how long I’ve been working at sea!!

[Englishman2010]

Impressive list Stu:xxgrinning--00xx3:

I've filled half a passport in 3 years, how long does it take you chaps who travel for work to fill a standard 10 year passport?

[tone]

I've got 3 pages left and I really started clocking the air miles in 2009 so for me it's really just 2 years 7 months to fill it up..

I got a feeling now it's gonna take till it expires to fill those last 3..:NoNo:

Sounds like an exciting life Ricky, Stu that's a huge list too!

Have a great weekend guys..

[alanmf1]

I will try to get :xxgrinning--00xx3:a list going over the weekend but my money is on Ricky for the most!!

[subseastu]

Impressive list Stu:xxgrinning--00xx3:

I've filled half a passport in 3 years, how long does it take you chaps who travel for work to fill a standard 10 year passport?

Ian it depends on visas to be honest (sometimes you get a visa every trip so that can be 5 or 6 pages a year) but on average I'll go through a 48 page passport every 3-5 years depending on countries visited, trip lengths and holidays of course.

[Arthur Little]

1st trip furth' of these shores for me, was a 4~day mini~cruise to Oslo ... on honeymoon with my first wife in December 1967. Sadly, :bigcry: we were deprived of the chance to see the fjords - due to extremely t~u~r~b~u~l~e~n~t weather conditions in the North Sea on the outward leg - and spent only a day and a half in the Norwegian Capital.

And that was it basically! :anerikke: ... I didn't manage to go abroad again until 1992 - just after being widowed.

Over the intervening years, however, I've become a fairly seasoned traveller. Or so I thought :rolleyes: ... before reading some of you guys' escapades.

Anyway ... here are some of the places I've visited since ... in as near chronological order as possible:

NORTH AMERICA

USA & *Western Canada (*Vancouver) [1992]

EUROPE

Irish Republic (Dublin & Galway) [1993] & Dublin itself [2007]
Majorca [Spring, 1994]
Greece ... Athens and the Greek Islands of Angistri & Aegina [Autumn, 1994]
Eastern United States [1995]
France (Paris) [1997 & 2010]
Mainland Spain ... including Gibraltar [1997]
Czech Republic - with brief stopovers in Belgium & Germany [2000]
Channel Islands (Jersey) [2000]
Cyprus (although there is some claim it's in Asia Minor or Eurasia) [2001]
Italy (Venice) [2002]
Netherlands/Holland (The Hague, Amsterdam & Leiden) [2006]

ASIA

Eastern China - including Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, &c - concluding with 4~day cruise on the Yangtse River [2005]
Philippines [September 2008 & November 2008 to February 2009]

EUROPE

Italy (Rome) [2011]

And - as they used to show at the end of some of the old black & white cinema productions ...
... THAT'S IT, FOLKS !!! :xxgrinning--00xx3:

:olddude: ... not TOO bad going for an old geezer!

[RickyR]

I have two concurrently running 48 page British Passports (were one of the few countries that allows you to hold two in exceptional circumstances) and they both have a few pages left. The immigration officials are normally very good and know how to fit as many stamps onto a single page as possible.

[Terpe]

For 33 years I travelled, lived and worked all over the world.
That's a long time, and a lot of countries.
I can truthfully say that I never once tired of my job or the travelling.

Here is a list of countries I have either NOT visited or have no memory of ever visiting. (probably there are more):-

North America
Greenland
Belize
Guatemala

South America
Paraguay
Uruguay

Africa
Eritrea
Togo
Chad
Congo

Asia
North Korea
Laos
Bhutan

Middle East
Afghanistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Kyrgystan
Tajikstan

Europe
Georgia
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Moldova
Belarus

I haven't been to hardly any of the islands of Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia (Oceana) except for Fiji and Guam.

On plenty of my long haul trips I would purchase a 'round-the-world' air ticket as it was often cheaper to do that. Anyway, travelling in that way and taking some holidays I was able to visit many places that my business would not normally include.

[lastlid]

I also noticed that very few people have been to Africa. Personally, I don't care if I never step foot on that continent, there is very little there that interests me, except perhaps Egypt or Morocco

I have met a lot of people who have had a lot of good to say about South Africa....

[stevie c]

I have been to Perth Australia many years ago but have always wanted to visit New Zealand has anyone been there & if so what are their views.

[alanmf1]

Here goes folks..

England
Northern Ireland
Rep of Ireland
I.O.M
Scotland
Holland
France
Monaco
Italy
San Marino
Spain
Canary Islands
Gibraltar
Belgium
Portugal
Denmark
Sweden
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
Hungary
Czech Republic
Canada
North America
Mexico
Columbia
Brazil
Argentina
South Africa
Saudi
UAE
Bahrain
India
Singapore
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Japan
Korea
China
Mongolia
Thailand
Vietnam
Indonesia
Malaysia
Australia
New Zealand
Philippines

All the above between 1990 and today!
The majority of these are also multiple times with work.
I do remember 1 year i logged my flights and from Jan to Dec i had 57 flights!

Only one missing from my list that interests me atm is Russia!

[Arthur Little]

I have been to Perth Australia many years ago but have always wanted to visit New Zealand has anyone been there & if so what are their views.

How about Perth, Scotland, Stevie? :D

Seriously, though ... my dad always said New Zealand would be the country he would MOST want to visit, given the chance. Sadly, :bigcry: ... the opportunity never presented itself ... nor did he ever travel farther afield than Ireland. :NoNo:

[subseastu]

Opps forgot Acension island as well. I'm hoping to get a second passport as well Ricky. Its very helpful in our line of work, especially with some of the dodgy places we sometimes have to venture through!

Terpe that is very impressive mate, its cool when its easier to list the places you've not been than it is to list the places you have been!! Like you I'd love to travel the south pacific islands. I always said when I'm coming up to retire I'd like to bounce round those islands on a little tramp general cargo ship, just like the good ol days!

[lastlid]

Interestingly very few here have sampled the delights of Africa.

I guess if we all had as avid an interest in Africa as we have in South East Asia then we would all have married African women and be members of Nigerian Forum UK or the like? :icon_lol:

[Rosie1958]

Compared to others, an insignificant 27 countries for me:-

Europe
UK
Republic of Ireland
France
Belgium
Holland
West Germany
Monaco
Cyprus*
Turkey
Malta
Greece

Middle East
United Arab Emirates
Egypt
Libya*
Oman (Masirah)

Americas
USA
Mexico

Asia
Borneo
Brunei
China
Gan (Indian Ocean)
Hong Kong*
Macau
Malaysia (including Kuala Lumpur & Langkawi)
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand (including Phuket, Krabi, & Bangkok)

I have lived in three other countries besides the UK ........ Cyprus, Libya and Hong Kong. I have a passion for visiting other countries and experiencing different cultures and unlike my ex husband, my current partner does too, so we will be aiming to visit a lot more different places. It's just a pity that many are so far away as I find long haul flights such a drag and increasingly difficult! :doh My favourite place has got to be the Far East and the farthest I have been with work is Scotland!

[Englishman2010]

thanks for sharing your lists everyone:xxgrinning--00xx3: Some interesting places have cropped up via the people who have travelled for work.

Not surprisingly most of us have been to more or less the same countries in Europe, the Far East and North America.

Places I haven't been to yet and still want to visit are:

Cambodia
Laos
China
Tibet
Nepal
Bhutan
Mongolia
Japan
South Korea
Taiwan
Indonesia
New Zealand
Some of the pacific islands
Hawaii
Antarctica
Canada
Mexico
Chile
Peru
Argentina
Brazil
Paraguay
Uruguay
Bolivia
Belize
Dutch Guyana (Suriname)
More of the Carribean
Switzerland
Czech Republic
Norway
Sweden
Finland

Hopefully I'll get to see at least 50 countries before they nail the lid on my box:icon_lol:

[Englishman2010]

I guess if we all had as avid an interest in Africa as we have in South East Asia then we would all have married African women and be members of Nigerian Forum UK or the like? :icon_lol:

Scary :yikes: It's bad enough learning to deal with demands for money from Filipina's and their families and learning to spot the occasional fib about the real reason for what it's going to be used for....Nigerians would take this to a whole new level...not for me thanks:NoNo:

[grahamw48]

At least they could show us how to make a good living off the internet. :Erm: