When can you claim to have visited a country?

[Zieg]

My personal rule is that I have to spend at least one night.

 

[augk]

I spent eight hours in the airport in Rome when I was a kid on the way to Greece. So let’s see we ate slept and Shi& there. Oh yah and I was politely nudged out of a restricted area be some Uzi touting security thug so yes I’ve been to Italy.

 

[almitywife]

i went with set foot on soil as it makes me sound much more interesting and well travelled

 

[Hank49]

The prohibition of visiting Cuba has nothing to do with the Cold War, it's because of the political clout of the Cuban population in SE Florida. The US never prohibited us from visiting the USSR. I visited Soviet Russia openly and had a wonderful time. We even were able to get special permission that allowed us to travel through Vladivostok, a city that was closed to non-Soviet citizens at the time.

They are? Why didn't you tell me this before I met the woman of my dreams?

Interesting. It never occured to me to even try to go there. I would have thought the Russians wouldn't have been too stoked about it and being as paranoid (at least we're told that) as they are, that any American would have been suspected CIA.
But it's good for you they didn't stamp your passport. I went into Saudi just after the Gulf War and man, after that, as soon as they saw that stamp in my passport at airports, they'd call in some special guy and he'd start asking me why, when, who I saw...blah blah blah. I was glad when that passport expired.

 

[Walter]

I don't know about now, but during the last part of the Soviet era, Americans in the USSR were treated like VIPs.

 

[shoturtle]

You can not go with passport in all case, as if you visit the EU you get the stamp of the airport you flown into, and you have access to all EU member states without the need to stamp between country except to Britain.

 

[parrothead725]

i definitely have to say that airport terminals, train stations and bus ways do NOT count!! i have flown THROUGH munich and frankfurt about a dozen times when traveling overseas, yet, i cannot say that i have been to Germany (which sucks because i really want to go!).

the exception to the one-night rule for me is that i was flying through brussels once and had something ridiculous like an 8 hour layover. i took the afternoon for about 5 hours and went into the city, had lunch (and some belgium beers ), etc. so, technically i had to leave the airport, go through customes, etc. but didnt spend the night, however i consider that i did go to Belgium. makes sense in my book

 

[T23]

parrothead725,

I think your post has given me cause to consider raising the bar on my own standard of what counts... from now on if I don't step foot on soil and stop long enough to try a local brew I'm not going to count it.

On second thought maybe I should reset the counter and start all over considering all the brews I've already missed...

 

[ianr33]

Wow, you guys are strict on the definition. I count the countries I've visited in my dreams... as well as the women I've met in them. Heck I've visited hundreds of countries, not to mention a few other planets (Xanadu being my favorite, but I did dive on Mars) and galaxies.

I'm guessing the 60's were very good to you Bill?

 

[The Anchor]

I think that perhaps it is a combination of those criteria. For instance, I spent a month in England, but I was to young to drink and I was chaperoned so no sex with natives, but I have fulfilled the pasport and one night rules. Two years ago I was in Mexico on a cruise, but I didnt stay overnight in Mexico, or have sex with the locals (girfriends seem to frown on that:ne_nau: ) and because we left from the states, no passport stamp, but I did drink beers in country and dove so I think I have visited. I have spent many nights and drunk many beers in the US, but no stamp (not required for canadian citizens) and I consider my self having visited there as well.