Comments on: When can you say you’ve been to a country?

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 18:24:25 +0000

I use my father’s Uzi Rule. “If you pull out an Uzi and start shooting, what country will arrest you?”

My brother insists that you must run around a fountain in the capital city while naked. He has been to only seven countries.

By: James Clark

James Clark — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 00:20:11 +0000

In reply to Michael John Crisp. Agreed, this is a complicated definition. I lived in London for a while so I got the chance to visit the countries within a country. While I would technically say I have been to the UK if I only went to London, I would feel weird in not having been to the others.

By: Michael John Crisp

Michael John Crisp — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 15:13:28 +0000

How about this one. First of all, I’m English. Now, who counts the United Kingdom as a country, because if I asked what country I was born in, my reply would be England. No doubt the same logic would apply to those born in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. I might say that I’m British, more likely English. These are countries, they are not States. Thoughts on the matter?

By: Erica Valentin

Erica Valentin — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 10:43:22 +0000

right! I agree to an extent….I went over the border to canada once but it was only a few hours and i didnt do much …..so in my mind ive never really been to canada!

By: Robin

Robin — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 18:11:32 +0000

In reply to Lasse. Lasse, airports are international territory. So, if you have had a stopover in France, you have never been on territory of France, so you have never been to France. That is international law.

By: Gabriele

Gabriele — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:44:34 +0000

Reading your thoughts about when one may claim to know a country I must totally agree with you and Lynda.

It’s a shame I hardly have any photos of Portugal, France and Southern Africa, countries I thoroughly know. When I see people who have been to almost every major city of the world where they spent hardly a week I can only smile.
They think they know while not having a clue.

I live on Tenerife Island now where I know much. However, I am still learning more about it which makes it interesting for myself.

By: Lasse

Lasse — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:34:01 +0000

Of course airport stopovers count. Box-ticking or not, you were there, weren’t you? I’m not saying it’s a good way to experience anything, but if you have been somewhere, no matter what you did or how long you spend time there, you have been there. Period.

By: Lynda

Lynda — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:42:16 +0000

I have asked myself the same question. I have travelled a lot, but have also spent many ‘stopovers’ in airport hotels… do they count? I don’t really think so. I would consider a weekend in Paris ‘been there’… but a week in Boston hardly qualifies as having ‘been’ to the US. Interesting point.

By: Enigma of Bellevue

Enigma of Bellevue — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:43:11 +0000

Interesting point to ponder. Including stopovers seems quite inelegant. How many cities in which countries until you’ve ‘been’ anywhere? A wonderful topic for nomads to discuss over late night beans.