What counts as visiting a country?

People who count countries disagree about layovers. Does changing planes count? What about a day trip across a border, or driving through without stopping?

There's no official rule

Nobody keeps an official definition of visiting a country, so every traveller draws the line somewhere. Common rules include:

• You left the airport and stood on the ground outside.
• You stayed overnight.
• You did something you'd tell a friend about, like a meal or a walk.
• You passed through immigration, even for a few hours.

How Mapped lets you decide

Mapped doesn't enforce a rule. It gives you more choices than marking a whole country or nothing.

• Changed planes in Doha but never left the airport? Mark Hamad International as an airport instead of marking Qatar. Your Passport counts airports separately.
• Lived somewhere? Mark it as Lived rather than Been. Mapped shows the two differently.
• Add the dates and how you travelled. Years later, you'll know whether it was a layover or a holiday.

Our suggestion

Count a country when you'd honestly say you've been there. For layovers, mark the airport. It shows on your map and adds to your airport count, not your country count.