Does an Airport count as a visit to a Country?
Discussion
36 for me. Only had two of the sort that the OP is alluding to (neither of which I'm counting). Changed planes in Helsinki once without leaving the terminal. Landed in Ghana on way back from Lagos as not enough fuel at latter airport to get home. There can't be many 747 flights lasting less than an hour..
@ anyone saying transit doesn't count, I've been to dubai, 4 times. Both were stop offs on longer return flights, and all let me see the local horrendous treatment of women, foreigners that were also brown, mullered s
tters and bling that would be deemed classy in Bradford.
So yeah - I reckon I've seen all I ever want to of Dubai. fking sthole full of backwards aholes with women walking 8 feet behind them. I'd rather be in Tangiers*
tters and bling that would be deemed classy in Bradford.So yeah - I reckon I've seen all I ever want to of Dubai. f
king sthole full of backwards aholes with women walking 8 feet behind them. I'd rather be in Tangiers**The second worst place I've spent time in.
To me you have to first clear immigration/customs and then leave the airport to count as 'visiting' a country.
If I counted all of my airside stop-over connections then my country number would jump up by a third.
However saying that I have acquaintances who leave the airport take a taxi/car to a hotel, have a meeting in the hotels conference suite and then fly back agin, perhaps they spend a evening and go to a local restaurant but can you really count that as visiting a country? It's a moot point.
If I counted all of my airside stop-over connections then my country number would jump up by a third.
However saying that I have acquaintances who leave the airport take a taxi/car to a hotel, have a meeting in the hotels conference suite and then fly back agin, perhaps they spend a evening and go to a local restaurant but can you really count that as visiting a country? It's a moot point.
Edited by LeapingDeere on Wednesday 17th December 11:44
Some Gump said:
@ anyone saying transit doesn't count, I've been to dubai, 4 times. Both were stop offs on longer return flights, and all let me see the local horrendous treatment of women, foreigners that were also brown, mullered stters and bling that would be deemed classy in Bradford.
So yeah - I reckon I've seen all I ever want to of Dubai. fking sthole full of backwards aholes with women walking 8 feet behind them. I'd rather be in Tangiers*
Haha, I worked there for 4 years so know what you mean!tters and bling that would be deemed classy in Bradford.So yeah - I reckon I've seen all I ever want to of Dubai. f
king sthole full of backwards aholes with women walking 8 feet behind them. I'd rather be in Tangiers**The second worst place I've spent time in.
But transit doesn't count
- You have clearly never been to Nigeria!!
Good idea counting airports. As I used to be cabin crew my total is going through the roof!
Happy to stick with my current count of a minimum 12hrs in the country though. (cannot count passing immigration as sometimes on a crew waiver). The 12hrs would normally include a meal of course.
Happy to stick with my current count of a minimum 12hrs in the country though. (cannot count passing immigration as sometimes on a crew waiver). The 12hrs would normally include a meal of course.
Mark A B said:
If it were me I'd like to have a beer in a bar to count the country, a friend of mine recently turned 30 and had wanted to visit 100 countries before this birthday. If he counted just landing then he would of nailed it but "his rules" are he has to spend at least 24 hours there.
What about Saudi Arabia?
Puggit said:
If you are in international transit, then technically you do not enter the country - you remain 'airside'.
Not so. Even if you're airside you have still entered that country. Next time, try murdering someone in the airport lounge and see if the local police arrest you and charge you according to their laws. Or see if they just ignore it and let you on your onward flight because you weren't actually in their country! simonrockman said:
I've worked on the rule that you have to have had a meal to count it as a visit.
I that case I have been to Chicago and Boston.*which before any smarty pants points out "are both in the USA", I know, but the USA is huge and I treat the USA and its States as lots of different countries. *
lambysdad said:
Recently seen a few people on FB using a map that shows how many Countries they have visited.
I wonder if they are counting passing through an Airport as 'visiting' the Country?
Some years ago I transferred through Bucharest, as I didn't leave the Airport I would not say that I have been to Romania.
What do you think?
Hmm, I think my last count was 46 countries, a while back, can't remember if that was airports, or hotels, or just passed through. I wonder if they are counting passing through an Airport as 'visiting' the Country?
Some years ago I transferred through Bucharest, as I didn't leave the Airport I would not say that I have been to Romania.
What do you think?
Maybe I could check my EIGHT passports for stamps.
King Herald said:
Hmm, I think my last count was 46 countries, a while back, can't remember if that was airports, or hotels, or just passed through.
Maybe I could check my EIGHT passports for stamps.
How do you fare on the alphabet game? (At least one country for each letter of the alphabet)Maybe I could check my EIGHT passports for stamps.
I've flew via Dubai several times but I'd never tell someone I've 'been there'.
I know nothing of Dubai except the airport so I really don't think I can say I've been there by my own standards. Same goes for a lot of other cities in the States I've had connecting flights, Atlanta, Minnesota etc. I've flew via Amsterdam many time but have been there on dedicated trips so in my book can say I've been there.
I know nothing of Dubai except the airport so I really don't think I can say I've been there by my own standards. Same goes for a lot of other cities in the States I've had connecting flights, Atlanta, Minnesota etc. I've flew via Amsterdam many time but have been there on dedicated trips so in my book can say I've been there.
lambysdad said:
Dubai = 32 
Dubai is not a country! You can count UAE though (if you choose). I don't have anywhere I have ever transitted through and not visited the country. I dont understand why you would not bolt at least a night onto your trip to see something different?
lambysdad said:
simonrockman said:
Do you know, I have been looking for something like that for years!Unfortunately I now need to visit Northern Ireland, and Taiwan - as she has scratched those of but we have never been there! A trip to Moscow involves a lot of scratching though as is very difficult to do by city rather than country.
Edited by Fats25 on Wednesday 31st December 15:17
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