Have you ever traveled beyond the continental United States?

[True Dough]

I saw a couple of DUers mention that they'd never "left the mainland" in another thread and I assumed that would put them in the minority, but figured I'd ask here in the Lounge whether you've traveled abroad in your lifetime. My wife and I have on many occasions, but we're childless and had the wanderlust in our 30s and 40s.

How many times have you traveled outside the continental United States?

214 votes, 2 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Never
	7 (3%)
	Once
	10 (5%)
	Twice
	9 (4%)
	Three times
	20 (9%)
	Four times
	9 (4%)
	Five to ten times
	70 (33%)
	Ten to twenty times
	40 (19%)
	Twenty to fifty times
	38 (18%)
	More than fifty times
	11 (5%)
	2 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. More times than I can count.

Although not in perhaps twenty years.

[displacedvermoter]

31. Air Force

Stationed in UK, Belgium, Germany, temporary duty in Egypt and Pakistan.

Travels to England, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, Iceland, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico and Canada.

Flying no longer fun, probably no more travels abroad.

[sarge1943]

42. Same here, Air Force

UK and Germany (five years all up), temp duty in Egypt.

[displacedvermoter]

45. When Mubarak got assassinated?

[sarge1943]

64. 1969 to 1974 n/t

[displacedvermoter]

65. I meant Sadat in 1981!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

57. Welcome to DU

[Brother Buzz]

63. Are you sarge43 with a brand new account?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=182789

[Bok_Tukalo]

2. Leaving Out Mexico, Caribbean, and Canada

5-10 times.

Brazil, Great Britain (2 times), The Netherlands, The Czech Republic, and France.

[bamagal62]

3. Lived overseas

For 15 years. Have also traveled outside the continental US before I moved away and also after I’ve returned!

[True Dough]

4. For the sticklers,

I realized shortly after I posted the poll that I should have made it Five to ten times, Eleven to twenty times and Twenty-one to fifty times. Alas, the poll options cannot be altered after they're finalized, apparently.

[Unladen Swallow]

5. Not really "visiting"

I went to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls when I was a kid, and I've been to Mexico a few times to visit the pharmacy. Not sure those count.

[LudwigPastorius]

6. 4 times

Mexico as a kid, then Europe/UK, Japan/Korea, and Singapore

But, my responsibilities here prevent me from doing any traveling these days.

[LogDog75]

7. I was stationed overseas five times

while in the AF. Twice in Germany, twice in England, and once in South Korea. While in Germany and England I was able to travel to, not in this order, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Croatia, Italy, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.

I lived in Germany for a total of 3 years, England for a total of 5 years, and South Korea for 1 year. Germany was great because it was centrally located so I could drive to a couple of countries in a short amount of time. The same with England except it’s easier to take the train or an excursion bus to Scotland and Ireland.

[Upthevibe]

8. True Dough...........

My number is 4.
Hawaii, Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

[True Dough]

9. Where did you go in Canada?

I have relatives there.

[ailsagirl]

23. I lived in BC for a few months back in 2018

Plus, my parents were born and raised in Canada
(Dad-Ontario, Mom-Alberta)
Because of that, I was fortunate enough to obtain dual citizenship

[True Dough]

26. Lucky you!

BC is a beautiful province, and dual citizenship is a real plus.

[ailsagirl]

38. It really was nice living there...

I'm very fortunate to have dual citizenship with Canada

[Upthevibe]

33. True Dough

Vancouver. It's absolutely beautiful!

[True Dough]

34. Indeed!

It usually ranks among the top-10 cities in the world in many regards.

[intheflow]

10. Four times but all were still on the North American continent.

A couple day trips into Mexico, one stint to Canada as a kid, and once to visit a former DUer who lives in Alaska.

[Niagara]

11. None

I've never had the opportunity to visit Alaska or Hawaii either.

[True Dough]

12. Time to win

the "showcase showdown", Niagara!

[Niagara]

14. I bought $10 worth of Mega Millions on Dec. 27th

Obviously someone more worthy in California won the 1.22B jackpot

[True Dough]

15. There's nobody more worthy than you!

Last edited Wed Jan 1, 2025, 08:33 PM - Edit history (1)

Just wasn't your night!

[Niagara]

19. Haha, thank you, True!

I guess not!

[milestogo]

13. Africa, Europe, South America, Kauai

If you can only take two vacations in your life, go to Africa twice.

[LuckyCharms]

16. Maybe about 7 times to Canada.

Windsor, Hamilton, Toronto, London Ontario, Brockville, etc.

[AllaN01Bear]

17. yes. quite a few times .

1 canada. victoria , vancouver and sook. montreal and quebec city
2: mexico. mex city, ensanada and tj, sorry i cant spell it right now.
thats it.this was way before 911 and the mess it created .

[catbyte]

18. I've been to Maui 15 times, Italy once, Ireland once, Russia once,

The Netherlands once.

As for the continent, I've been to Canada more times than I can count. We lived near the border and would cross just to eat dinner.

[electric_blue68]

22. Lotsa poutine? Maple candy for dessert? 😉

[catbyte]

49. Actually, I've never eaten poutine, lol, and here in Michigan, maple everything is everywhere.

No, there was a Chinese restaurant in Sault Ste. Marie that my dad was addicted to.

[electric_blue68]

50. Oh. I hear you - returning to favorite restaurants!

As NYS is a mapling State.... In fact just looking it up to be sure we were at all - we're the 2nd largest! I didn't know that.

For a long time this wonderful garden in upper west Riverdale neighborhood in northewest Bronx had a gather maple syrup event. I wanted to go, but not quite enough to overcome my aversion to getting up early.

At one point I started to tolerate it more. So now's the time! But by then they had canceled it as an event. Dang!

I should check, maybe they brought it back.

Anyway, despite using maple syrup I'd never heard of Maple Candy. It wasn't till I went to a Vermont event at the World Financial Plaza that I tried it. Ohhh, yum!😄

Since then I've treated myself off & on when I find it at my Green Market. 👍

[catbyte]

60. I had neighbors who had a gazillion maple trees and, trust me, it's a nasty, tedious, sticky, cold job

to haul all of those sap buckets around. I despised it, but it sure does taste good once it's cooked, lol.

[electric_blue68]

61. Got it. Should have earbuds, and music to help! ...

At that time of year, and State locations...
brrrrrrr!

I guess chanting "Pancakes & waffles" doesn't help much!

[ProfessorGAC]

20. More Than 50

I'm guessing over 200.
I traveled a lot for my job.

[Emile]

21. I was in the Navy for four years and made

a lot cruises.

Since 1974 I have only traveled to Canada and Mexico.

[UTUSN]

67. Shipmate (I didn't know)! - also 4 yrs, not "lots" of cruises, but 3 yrs' worth out of 4

First ship: Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Guam. Second ship: Acapulco, Panama Canal, Gitmo, Haiti. Leaving out the continentals: Seattle, Vancouver, New Orleans, Norfolk. Little tour/Spain. Not much of a tourist, almost exclusively the inside of Happy Hours wherever.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

24. Several flights to other countries in addition to circumnavigating the globe four times.

[True Dough]

28. Globe?

I thought Earth was flat?!?

[Floyd R. Turbo]

46. Disc!😁

[electric_blue68]

25. Toronto, Montreal as a tween, teen w parents. Puerto Rico as a gifted vacation, and Switzerland, Paris by an aunt, and..

uncle's gift!
PR was by my sister.
Both wonderful times, and total astonishing surprises!

I, on my good luck, and effort of my own savings have gone around The USA on shorter medium, medium, and long travels. Mostly by bus. Some train, and 2 round-trip air flights.
(just to say I was able to rely on myself, too, at times, and not just others)

Last trip outside of NJ for cousins was Europe 2016.

[BOSSHOG]

27. Cuba, Scotland, England, Saudi Arabia, Bahamas

[exboyfil]

29. Baja Mexico twice as a kid

Montreal and Germany with my prior employer
Hawaii with wife

Wife won't travel outside US. I have let my passport lapse after my two business trips.

[Lifeafter70]

30. Eight times for me

Twice to Mexico, three times to Canada, Jamaica, Ireland and Tahiti.

[claudette]

32. Not enough times

Twice to France. Once to Italy. Wish I could have afforded more times.

[mdmc]

36. I got to go to Ireland

Bavaria and Rome

[sakabatou]

35. Hawaii, England, Canada

[sinkingfeeling]

37. I've been to 74 different countries on all 7 continents. Have plans to visit another 6 in 2025.

[True Dough]

44. Wow!

Mind if I ask what your six destinations are for 2025?

[DFW]

39. I passed

I have been living in Europe for many years now. I am married to one of the friendly natives, and my job takes me to a different country practically every day. That’s no big deal when “another country” can be reached with a 2 or 3 hour train ride, or a 50 minute plane flight.

For me, a trip down to Paris or Zürich is a “quickie,” where I can have both breakfast and dinner at home, and have made my trip in between.

[IcyPeas]

40. Many times

Family in Scotland... been there numerous times
Ireland 1x
Mediterranean cruise (Barcelona, Istanbul, 4 cities in Italy, Mykonos)
Caribbean cruise
Canada 2x
Mexico 2x

[duncang]

41. Wasn't sure how to respond.

I’ve been out of the U.S. several times. Not out of North America. But I also made a trip to Scotland and Sweden.

[mnhtnbb]

43. I responded more than 50

Last edited Thu Jan 2, 2025, 08:00 AM - Edit history (1)

But it would take me awhile to recall all the trips. A house fire in 2007 destroyed passports I'd held since the early '80's when I made my first trip to Europe. I'd been in Mexico and Hawaii prior to that, and then began taking Caribbean cruises. My second husband, whom I married in 1985, loved to travel, and we did a lot. Our honeymoon was a month driving around France. We were married for 32 years and probably averaged at least 1-2 trips out of the Continental US every year, even when the boys were little. Our oldest son took his first steps at 10 months when we were on a trip to England with him. He had a Polish babysitter who stayed with him who was working in our London hotel for the summer before she would return to Poland to start med school in the fall. We took her with us on one day trip to Oxford.
We went to look at New Zealand in 1994 as a possible place to relocate and stopped in Hawaii, both coming and going. We owned property in Panama during Shrub's second term and we scouted Belize prior to deciding to buy in Panama. I've been in Canada half a dozen times: our 10th anniversary was in Montreal and Quebec; another time we took the marvelous Canada by rail trip from Toronto to Vancouver.
I continued to travel abroad on my own after my husband died in 2018, up until Covid; I was on Bonaire in March 2020 when Covid hit. I've only been out of the country once since 2020 and find that the idea of traveling alone in my '70's isn't as appealing as it once was, although I probably will renew my passport before it expires in 2026.

[lark]

47. Man, I envy those who have travelled extensively!

I love to travel, but it's expensive and we're retired so we don't do much anymore. Right now, I'd be ashamed to travel to Europe and have to face their scorn for what our country did in promoting fascism on 11/5. We have considered Portugal as a fallback if things get really bad here. That's the only trip to Europe I forsee in the near future. Instead we will probbly go to places closer to here, like the Caribbean. There are a number of islands we haven't visited yet that I'd like to see.

Of course, I need to improve my mobility issues, but I've got lots of appts. trying to figure out what's wrong. Hopefully they'll figure it out and find a way to reduce the pain/weakness so I don't limp all the time.

[Mad_Dem_X]

48. I went to Canada once, in the early 90's

Saw Montreal and Quebec City.

[MiHale]

51. Went to Canada all the time as a teenager..

Then while in the Army, I was in nuclear weapons maintenance. One rotation I was on we flew to each missile site to inspect the warheads in the depots. Kinda exciting but yet boring cause we weren’t allowed to go off the base for security reasons. So around the world in 2 weeks. Whoopee! Only did it once.

[ZDU]

52. U.S. Navy

U.S. Navy: Cruises and deployments.
Study: Turkey
Fun and adventure: Mexico and Europe (multiple countries)

There are amazing people all over the world. Beautiful art and architecture, great food, and outstanding & efficient transportation systems

[sdfernando]

53. Army brat....

born in Munich but lived in Dachau...other stations: Panama, Hawaii, Alaska (technically continental, but considered overseas in the army). Also visited England, took the Chunnel to Paris. Mexico several times. Columbia, Puerto Rico.

[MuseRider]

54. Our land locked friends

and my husband and I, also land locked, made a group for at least one scuba diving trip per year. Anywhere from 4 to 6 of us went, sometimes twice. God I miss those years.

[brush]

55. Mexico several times, Canada/Newfournland, UK, Netherlands/Amsterdam/Haarlem, Belgium...

France/Paris,Nice, Spain/Barcelona, Italy/Rome/Pompeii/Naples, Hawaii, South America/Salvador Bania/Rio de Janeiro, Africa/Cameroon/Senegal/Gambia, Jamaica.

Did a bit of traveling in earlier years.

[PJMcK]

56. Going to Panama on Saturday

Traveling to other lands is fantastic! I've always loved seeing other places, meeting different people, trying different foods and breathing different air. It always amazes me that the sunlight is different around the world. There is so much to see and do in this world that staying home seems wasteful. Missing the great adventures strikes me as living an unfulfilled life.

Travel doesn't have to be expensive. There are so many ways to see the world on limited funds. You can't stay in 5-star hotels, of course, but there are many other options that are affordable for most travelers. You just have to do a bit of research and learn to be patient.

Generally, many Americans don't travel overseas. This limiting of experience adds to the xenophobia that so many people seem to have. I've never understood it.

[Elessar Zappa]

58. Once to England, about ten times to Mexico. I live 100 miles from the southern border.

Can’t afford it now though (well I could probably afford a Ciudad Juarez trip but there’s not much to do there).

[VGNonly]

59. I've been to all the Canadian Provinces

except for Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. I've been to the Bahamas and British Virgin Islands, Hawaii twice.

(I've been in all the US states except for Alaska, Mississippi and Louisiana)

[tonekat]

62. Was married to a family that traveled every 2 years

The in law parents took us for two weeks every other year in July.

In return, we got to be their servants and put up with their BS. The constant debate was between the married kids. "It's your turn today with them!"

I was able to escape eventually.

[Dulcinea]

66. Yes, but not for a long time.

Greece, the Galapagos, London a couple of times, the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada. Now that my husband has retired, we hope to travel abroad more. Paris, an overwater bungalow, & Australia & New Zealand are on my bucket list.

[yellowdogintexas]

68. I kept undoing and re-voting as I remembered things

Germany and France (same trip)
Spain
Mexico twice
Jamaica Grand Cayman (cruise)
brief excursion into Canada during a trip to Detroit

Off the mainland: Hawaii (the Big Island)

also: Key West which is kind of like a foreign country

[electric_blue68]

69. Inside "The 48" I saved for all my trips: 1x across from NYC to SF with big stops in AZ, then

Alberquerque; next year 2/3rds across to AZ, up to So Dakota, down to Denver, Co Springs (saw the Air Force Acadeny), back to AZ & Alberquerque.

Then trips to East Lansing Michigan, 20 trips to DC (half for fun, half for demos & rallies), and sevwral to Philadelphia, once Boston.

Outside of the 48 were gifts. One because my monetary circumstances changed.

My sis had a great year, and told me to pick a Carribean island. I picked Puerto Rico.
Found a by the beach hotel east of SJ with a very cool organically shaped pool. My first Casino, too. The teal/turquoise waters was something I'd always wanted to see!
🥰 Glorious! Even the deep water in the distance was a vivid semi-dark blue. Not dull like up here.
I only got to walk half way through San Juan though. I'd go back if I could to visit the western half. It *was* interesting, and fun what I did see. 👍

Then out of the blue many years later my aunt who was a *wonderful artist* invited me to her & my uncle's home in a literally picturesque little village in western Switerzerland about a mile+ from the French border! This was to make art w her!
This was for 3 weeks!!! 🥰
Her art studio (a part of their house) was big, and amazing! The whole house was very cool, and filled art, and craft items. Can you say W-O-W! You could just about see The Alps in the distance from their well furnushed attic! A better view of on the upper road to go visit Bracontés (flea markets).

Her biggest medium were B&W, and multi colored Wood cuts Had this big roller press. She was *masterful*!
Also etchings, some drawings. She made about 5 small press children's books, too. Had set up for metal typefaces.

Then bc I'd asked (we were e mailing back and forth) if I could take a 1 day trip to Paris by train - like I didn't care if I only spent a few hours there. Instead she took me, and one of her granddaughters to Paris for 4 days/3 nights after I'd been there for 10 days . Can you say O-M-G!
(returned, and still had 6 days back in Switzerland).

Of course, The Lourvre, Musee Or'say. The Lourver itself was an architectural trip! My jaw dropped open when we turned a corner, and came into this Great Hall, and at the end we entered from....
There was The Winged Victory!
(Famous staute)

But I didn't know there a Museum that housed 4 of Monet's longest Waterlilly Paintings ( and 4 "regular" size ones).
Can you say N-E-A-R S-W-O-O-N ! 😄🥰
In fact, spent so long on the first room, then a small alcove with smaller works, then foind out there was another room?!!!
Each room had 2 very long paintings, and 2 regular ones.

We were near the Seine so I, and I and my cousin walked along to see the book, and magazine sellers.

Since they'd been to Paris X times I went off to see The Eifil Tower. My aunt says to my cousin..."you think she'll be ok", she said yes. I wouldn't have had the nerve to go up even if I'd had the time. Maaaaybe to the 3rd flr if I had had the time.

But I was so thrilled *just* to walk around, and underneath it!

Then I walked to see (I was told to see this, and shown a photo while discussing my upcoming trip) The Ponte Alexander The III Bridge! Can you say 24K G-O-L-D
C-O-V-E-R-E-D Statues?!!! The shine, and glow! And very cute ?Bronze cherubs.
Returned by their metro to our hotel.

My last night (It's a hilly village) We took their car around the corner, up the longer block, around the corner and down 2 houses to visit their friends. After appetizers we had Fondue which was invented in Switzerland.
What could have been better. 🩷