I traveled to every country in the world without ever getting on a plane

Traveling As, Travel + Leisure’s Traveling column, features travelers who share their unique experiences. We spoke with Thor Pedersen The Danish man, who never got on a plane, spent almost a decade traveling to 203 different countries. He detailed his experiences on his blog during the project. Once Upon a Saga, Visited Red Cross Danish Red Cross Goodwill Representatives have offices in over 192 countries. His book “The Impossible JourneyThis spring, a documentary with the same title was released. Here’s his story…

As a child, my mother instilled in me a love of adventure and imagination. I used to imagine myself as a member of Robin Hood’s band, Ivanhoe and Indiana Jones. After I reached adulthood, I became interested in the adventures of those who circumnavigated planets, travelled through the darkest jungles to find the longest rivers, or made it to the North Pole and South Pole. 

I realized eventually that I had been born too late. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to be the one who was the first in the world to achieve success. Mount EverestFor instance, it was already done in 1953. The great firsts had all been done. I felt a little sad. It was like nothing was left for me and the others.

In 2013, my father sent me an email regarding extreme travelersI’ve met people who have been to every country on earth. This was something I never thought possible. I thought this would take forever and that you would need to be millionaires. It was inspiring to see that 200 people, some in their 20s at the time, had done it. 

It dawned on me that no one has ever traveled to all countries without flying. I was 34 years old and assumed I would be on the same path as everyone else of my age, which was to start a family and pursue my career. But I couldn’t let the idea go, so I began planning.

I bought blue and black pens to help me plot the route with my sister. I planned to begin in Denmark, then travel through two-thirds or so of Europe, then over the North Atlantic. Next, I’d go on to North America, Central America, South America and finally the Caribbean. I would then cross the Atlantic, go from West Africa up to North Africa, complete the rest of Europe and finally go to the Middle East. This would allow me to connect with Asia and then travel down and around Australia and Pacific. I finally had a completed project and funding.

When I planned the trip, I was dating a woman whom I had met in 2012. We began dating in 2013. We completed the Berlin Marathon together in September because she wanted to. I chose to leave on October 10 at 10:10 am, since it sounded nice.

I had three cardinal principles. I set three cardinal rules. Second, I was not allowed to return home before I had visited the final country. This had to be just one trip. Last but not least, I will never fly again for any reason. If I were evacuated from an airplane, then I would have to start over. 

Also, there were three other rules. I could not pay any bribes along the way. I had a daily budget of about $20. In other words, if I needed to pay $50 or even $100 for a Visa, I would not spend any money on anything else. Third rule: I couldn’t eat McDonald’s on the entire trip.

I used public transport whenever possible. The bulk of that was buses—351 in total. I took 158 train journeys, especially in Europe. Also, there were taxis, motorcycles shared, minibuses and metros. When I could, I used sailboats. Ferries are another easy way to get around. As I traveled through the Pacific towards the end of my journey, I used a lot of container ships. 

The whole thing was incredible. The funny thing is that it was not so serious in 2013. If I followed the rules, I thought that there would be a clear definition for what it meant to visit all countries without flying. The countries had to be connected because I couldn’t fly. It could be a problem if you don’t get a visa. I could not move forward if there was a country that blocked me. 

Many highlights were experienced. Venezuela is such a gorgeous country—I couldn’t believe my eyes. It’s the mountains, the vegetation and the size and shape of the valleys as well the coasts and islands. I went to Machu Picchu I was able to have it all to myself in the afternoon, as the tours are only in the morning. That was cool—standing in the mountains, seeing the clouds in between peaks, and looking at the ancient town. 

Another time, I was on board a container between Iceland & Canada during a 4-day storm. The ship was very shaky for several days. It was winter and we got a report saying there was ice in the water—and we weren’t far from where the Titanic sank. It was a bad situation. 

The water surface was mirrored, and the effect was stunning. Every time the water surface was broken, a whale or dolphin would appear. The nighttime was when we saw the whales. northern lights. Four hours before seeing Canada, we were able to smell its forests because the wind had blown pollen towards east. It was unbelievable.

In the Pacific where the waters were a light turquoise, the ship was headed towards a massive rainbow. On the bridge, I asked an officer “Is this normal?” He said that he had never seen anything like it. 

In the end, it was all about the people. My motto was “A stranger is someone you have never met before.” This project involved thousands of people. People who would give me a hug when I had a bad morning, or offer me food, a bed, or even just point me to the right direction. They would assist with translations and connecting me to people. I was never alone—people around the world were helpful, funny, and generous.

I knew that it would be a lot of fun. I knew it would be fun. All of that did happen, but it was a challenge a couple years later. I was forced to go to a certain country whether I wanted it or not. In most cases, this wasn’t a big deal. If I was in a country with an armed conflict, or if I couldn’t get a visa to enter the country, then 24 hours became a problem. It was not allowed to return home.

Equatorial Guinea, for example, is a small country with a stunning flora. The country is in a very difficult area of the world with dictatorships, corruption and famine. There have been many changes since I visited in 2016. They were very strict in the past about who was allowed to enter their country. The visa took three months. I was denied visas after I returned to countries that I had previously visited.

The borders were closed when I got my visa. There was a rumor that there had actually been a failed coup attempt. I had less than 30 days before my visa expires, so I felt desperate. I tried everything. I tried so many things. 

It was predicted that the project would take less than 4 years. In reality, it took 9 years, 9 months and 16 days. It meant that I had been in a distance relationship for nearly a decade. My wife came to visit me 27 times. That’s 27 countries. She used the plane each time.

In the beginning, we had ups anddowns. She started her career after she finished her PhD and became a doctor. We were both very busy, and the distance between us made it difficult to maintain a relationship. We almost lost it at one point but managed to rebuild it by focusing on ourselves.

After a while, I began to feel that this was the woman I wanted to spend my entire life with. In Tanzania, I bought a Tanzanite ring, which was unique to that country. Its color changes depending on how it is twisted. I decided that I would ask her to marry on the summit of Mount Kenya. Our guide led us on a two- to three-day hike to the top. 

It was like this in my mind The Lion King With a beautiful dawn and animals bowing. As we neared the top, it became colder. There was snow, ice, and frozen flowers. At the top, there was no view—it was a complete whiteout.

Then I got down on one knee, asked her a question and she answered yes. She almost danced the whole way down. We had tea and popcorn at the bottom. On the rooftop, there were monkeys.

The pandemic struck when I was at the nine last countries. Hong Kong was to be my transit point between two ships. I had to stay there for four days. At first, Hong Kong was a closed country. I ended up being separated from my fiancé for a year and a half. There was no other way to get her in Hong Kong than if we were married.

There is a marriage agency in Utah that allows you to get married online. She was at Copenhagen, 10 p.m. and I was in Hong Kong We had friends and family logging in from around the world. We were technically not married on the same date due to the time differences.

Hong Kong was satisfied with the documentation and granted her a visa. After three weeks of quarantine in a hotel, we were all together. We couldn’t get our paperwork passed Denmark afterward. 

We met in Vanuatu after I had left Hong Kong. It is a beautiful Pacific island nation. We met a German living in Vanuatu for many years. He ran a resort where he organized many weddings. We chose to marry in this resort.

We were married on the beach in just a few hours, had cake and took photos. Denmark refused a second wedding, saying that it wasn’t real. We finally got married at the city hall. Copenhagen after I got home. It’s funny, we’ve now been married three different times.

Two years after the project began, I still wanted to leave. It took me almost eight years to finish it. Not knowing how long this pandemic was going to last, the two years were mentally stressful.

Looking back was a good way to remember all that I had done, including the people I met, the places I visited, and the things I learned. But it was also nice to think ahead, like one day I’ll be living in Japan. Sometimes it was a nightmare.

I did not realize that there would be so many forms to fill out. In some countries, getting a train or bus ticket was a tedious process. In some countries, you only need to call for a few minutes. The longest time I spent on a boat was around 10 months. 

As I was heading to the Maldives for my last destination, someone sent me a text message that said “This is your last chance in life to visit a new place.” But I always love returning to places. It’s never the same. It’s always fun to look back at old photos and see what has changed. 

Now I am working on Project 773I want to become the most travelled man in Denmark.

I hope people are inspired by my story to pursue their own goals. We need to fight for our values and the things that we believe in. You can achieve anything you set your mind to, be it completing an education or learning a foreign language. Expand your circle if you can’t get it by yourself.

Now my wife and myself have a little girl. We have just returned from a 40 day RV trip that took us through 18 states, covering more than 6,500 mile. Hopefully, she will also learn to pursue her goals with some determination—and I hope she will travel. In fact, I wish everyone would travel more and meet more people.