I read that less than 50% of Americans own a passport. I can kind of understand it. America is a big place with any climate you could want. But, do you own a passport and have been abroad? Where did you go and what was it like compared to the US?
I read that less than 50% of Americans own a passport. I can kind of understand it. America is a big place with any climate you could want. But, do you own a passport and have been abroad? Where did you go and what was it like compared to the US?
Comments
Yeah but I didn’t until 6 years ago. We got one for my daughter when she was 1 year old.
I have a passport that I got when I was little. Renewed it ever since.
Yeah, I got it for the first time when I was young to visit family abroad
Had, its currently expired.
I do. the US is really huge though , bigger than all of Europe. and not everyone likes to travel, so I get it.
can Europeans travel all of Europe with out a passport?
I don’t. I can’t afford to fly to the other side of the world so I don’t really see the point. If I’m ever financially in a place to do so, I’ll get a passport then.
Edit: for everyone saying “just go to Mexico!!!”
I don’t have any reason to go there and yes, it is still more expensive than traveling domestically. If I ever have to go to Mexico for lord knows what reason, I’ll get a fucking passport.
No, but we have appointments to get ours next week.
just went to Japan some weeks ago. so yeah
Had one my entire life (born overseas).
Didn’t really start using it until I was in college. Since then, built a career that often takes me places.
I miss passport stamps (many nations don’t bother anymore).
The comparisons of APAC nations, EU nations, Middle Eastern nations, South and Central American nations – all fun and interesting.
I have had a passport since I was in my early 20s. I’ve been to a bunch of countries.
I do have one. Yes. Has it ever been anywhere? No. 😭
I got it several years ago to use as an ID when I was living in Tijuana. It surprised me how many workers were surprised seeing a passport card used as an ID. Several of them went to get managers to check if they could it use it as an ID.
I’m currently carrying it in case they try to deport me lol
Edit: to clarify, I meant using the passport as an ID when in San Diego. And I’ve never been outside the US or Mexico, and I don’t even need a passport to cross since I have both citizenships
I had one as a kid. I went to an all-inclusive in Jamaica at age 9.
I have not renewed it. I don’t do long-haul flights so international travel is not on my radar. I’ve made peace with the fact that I’ll never see Europe or Asia. (The flight there would be so miserable that it would throw a wet blanket on the entire trip, not worth it to me).
Yes, renewed since I was 18. It’s a bit of a hassle but only occasionally.
Yep. Got one at 18. Forgot to renew it. Let it lapse for a long time, have one again.
When I was younger you didn’t need one to go to Canada or Mexico. North America is huge so you could do a lot of vacationing without ever needing a passport. Just vacationing in the US is enough to cover an entire lifetime for most.
For Americans Europe seems far away and is a relatively expensive trip. It is not like jumping on a train and being there in 2 hours.
I’ve had a passport since I was a practically a baby because my grand parents lived abroad and we would travel once a year to visit them. As an adult, I’ve taken full advantage of it and have visited 32 countries already. The culture differences are insane, it really opens your eyes to how much variation there is in the human experience
> But, do you own a passport
Yes.
> have been abroad?
Yes.
> Where did you go
Canada, Bahamas, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, France…
> what was it like compared to the US?
I could teach a 2 semester class on that
No passport or real id. I don’t really travel anymore so no need for it.
Yes as well as Nexus, Global Entry, TSA Precheck…
I travel regularly (several times a year) to Canada and occasionally (every other year or so) to various countries on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
Nope
Haven’t ever needed one, so it seems kind of silly to go through the hassle and pay for something you don’t need
I do, yes. Got one at 16 to travel with parents, and renewed a few years back (it was expired for like 15 years in the interim).y husband got his first one at 36.
I’ve been to Italy, England twice, Mexico, and Canada. I love travelling. Different food, different vibes, different people. Especially going to places like Rome that are ancient cities melding with modern ones. You just don’t get that in the states, for obvious reasons.
I do, but I travel to Canada pretty regularly. I have also been to Mexico, England, Austria and Italy. Wish I could afford to travel more.
Yes I have one.
Yes I have been abroad. Multiple times. Most recently to the Bahamas but to Canada and Mexico and various countries in Europe as well.
Never had one. Never been out of the country. Would love to but I still have a lot of places in the us I want to check out first
Yup. Visited around 20 countries and took a gap year to work and travel in Europe.
I’ve had one since I was 16, and I went to Europe. My mom lives in Mexico, so it gets used a fair amount.
46 and never had one.
Yes. I travel internationally often. I’ve spent time traveling around Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. What is it like? It’s different than here in different ways to varying degrees. That’s kind of the point.
Yes I do. I’ve been to France, Monaco, Italy, Germany, Canada, England, Iraq. Can’t remember where else. But there are still a lot of places I want to go. I think it’s hard to compare a place you go for vacation or work to a place you live though. There are some nice places and then there are those I would rather never visit again, but I can also say that about the US. I’ve been to all 50 states but haven’t gone to any territories yet.
I’ve been to all 50 states and honestly apart from different cultures globally, there’s not much you’re left wanting for in the US. It can be radically different even through the same regions, and while I love international travel and just ‘being’ somewhere that isn’t so familiar, I understand why a lot of people don’t bother with it.
It’s a bureaucratic mess to get one, they take forever, and unless you have a good idea of where you’d want to go and what you’d want to do, it can feel like a lot of wasted effort.
Yes, but not until my mid 20s. You didn’t need a passport to go to Canada or Mexico until 2009 or cruises (looping the US)
I recently got one for my first ever international trip that I’m taking in like a week and a half. I think my parents have one but I’m not totally sure if they’re up to date. Not sure about the rest of my family
I have one, you need it to fly domestic now if you don’t pay extra for your drivers license. So might as well keep the passport current.
I’ve had 3 passports, but the one in my possession now is def expired
They were all to travel to France, though I think I used them to get into Canada as well.
I loved being in France every time. The south was beautiful and idyllic and funny. Paris was wonderful and enchanting and weird. And I ate well every time.
I do. Been to the Philippines and Japan.
Both have amazing food and the people are both were really great minus us being pulled over twice in Manila possibly because the cop saw a white guy in the car and both times suggested having their lunch bought makes it go away.
I had one when I was growing up because my family traveled a lot. but it was just too expensive to keep it current or travel internationally as an adult.
I’ve been meaning to get a passport card at some point though.
I have one, but I know many people who do not.
I do, but I never left North America and no one else in my family has one, yet. I hope to change that in the future
No. I’ve never needed it or been able to spend $200 on something I wouldn’t use.
I’ve had passports since I was a baby but I have a parent from another country, so there was a valid reason. However, the first time I ever went abroad was when I was 12 years old. The next times I was in my twenties. I have gone abroad exactly three times in my life and the final time was moving to my mothers country.
Advice for americans, get out of America and go to other countries. Take a break from stress
I think the closer you get to the boarders (i.e I am from northern Minnesota), the more likely you are to have one. Everyone in my family has them, as we would go to Thunder Bay fairly often.
I do. I’ve been to Europe, South America, and lots of Caribbean islands.
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a passport and 95% of my friends have been abroad.
I have one but it expires this year… so far I have stamps from Canada, Ireland, England, France, Germany, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. I even have an entry stamp from the States for some reason.
Got mines last year because, I was going on a cruise and would be in international waters.
Absolutely. The US has a lot to offer for travel, but nothing compares to visiting countries with different cultures and way more history. I am trying to show my kids as much of the world as we can before they are off on their own.
I have a passport. I’ve been to about 40 countries some of them multiple visits, some are similar to the US culturally or aesthetically (UK, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada) and others not so much (Malaysia, Morocco, Georgia, Colombia).
Also we don’t technically own our passports:
§ 51.7 Passport property of the U.S. Government.
(a) A passport at all times remains the property of the United States and must be returned to the U.S. Government upon demand.
(b) Law enforcement authorities who take possession of a passport for use in an investigation or prosecution must return the passport to the Department on completion of the investigation and/or prosecution.
I do. I’ve lived abroad twice for a total of 8 years. I’ve found that’s very rare.
I got mine. I’ve been to Ireland once and go to Canada at least once a week for fun.
I have one. Been to Paris, London, Dublin, and Tenerife so far. Loved them all!!
Nope. Never have. I’m working on traveling to the states I want to see although we would like to do a cruise at some point so will have to get one.
I don’t but I plan on getting one
I did but prior to 9/11 one could easily move between the US, Canada and Mexico with nothing more than one’s state issued id, so unless one was traveling to another continent one was not necessary. I have traveled abroad with my passport but it expired years ago and now I need to get a new one.
I don’t have one, never been outside the US. It isn’t that I don’t want to travel outside it, I’ve just never been able to afford it.
I got my first passport last year at age 32. Only because I went to Italy. I’m lucky to have it now.
I have one, but I think it expired recently 😅 Adding that to the to-do list.
Yes. Renewed for the third time.
Passport around 10 years old. First trip was Australia. Been a lot of places since then.
I know many don’t have passports though. They just go to the non-passport islands
I finished the fifty states the week before my 35th birthday, so there’s nothing left to see here. 🙂
I used my passport for the first time 31 years ago, and continue to use it as much as I can, with France being the primary location (anywhere in France) but also trips in the last few years to Geneva, Vienna, Amsterdam, and Brussels.
I’m contemplating Birmingham, UK the end of May. I should look at plane tickets.
Yes. I’ve only used mine in Europe. My husband has used his in Europe, the Caribbean, Canada and Africa. My 8 month old has one, mostly because we think it’s good to have a valid ID, but we’re also thinking about Iceland or Ireland soon.
I think for many Americans it’s a financial thing. Passports are like $165 or so (don’t remember for sure but that seems right in my mind), and that can be hard on some families, especially with several family members and/or no intent to travel abroad.
No. I also don’t have Real ID.
I don’t and I never have.
I do have a passport, but honestly never expected to have one. I grew up lower middle class in the Midwest. Plane tickets out of the country were prohibitively expensive for us and pretty much anyone I knew. I can’t remember anyone ever taking a vacation outside of the United States when I was growing up.
I met my wife about four years after graduating college. We both had good jobs and she wanted to go to Ireland for our honeymoon, so we did. It was fantastic and we’ve been back on a second trip since then and hope to go again someday.
If it hadn’t been for my wife having slightly broader horizons than I did, I would have most likely lived my whole life without leaving the US. It’s not that I wasn’t interested in other places or anything, it just never really registered as an option. People I knew just didn’t go that far, so why would I?
Yes I have a passport but only because I have taken a couple cruises and they go to other countries (Mexico and Bahamas for example) and I also have one because I do plan to travel to Europe in a few years.
No, I ain’t rich.
Never had one.
I’m not really interested in traveling.
Given the current political environment in the US, I am somewhat concerned they might not let me back in if I left.
To answer you: yes. UK and Iceland twice.
But the other issue worth noting is the high percentage of people living in poverty or close to it. Passport is a luxury, especially when there are warmer, cooler, whatever places that don’t require a passport.
my husband and I do not have one. I had one when I was younger before I was married. Never renewed it or got a new one. My husband and my in-laws seem to have no desire to visit places outside the United States. I do, I fantasize about all-inclusive which we don’t have in the USA.
So no, my in-laws do not have passports and I tried to get them to get one because they were going on a cruise, and then they brought copies of their birth certificates which they were told were not valid. They didn’t let them go on vacation. You would think that that would have encouraged them to get one–nope. They just figure they are too poor to travel some place out of the country. They are not THAT poor. If they wanted to–they could, they just don’t prioritize it. I think that’s my husband’s logic too. He doesn’t want to travel abroad because “it’s expensive.” Some places are cheaper than staying in the USA.
But I kind of have created a United States bucket list travel list. Lots of places to visit right here.
I own a passport and travel often. I’ve been to 30 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia. I’m also single with no kids, so I have enough disposable income to do so.
Something to keep in mind about that statistic is not only is America HUGE, it’s also geographically isolated and expensive just to get around the country. Remember, many of our states are so big that they can easily fit multiple European countries within them. Millions of Americans can’t even afford to travel to the next state over, nevermind intentionally. See my example below.
A European family of four can get on a train for EUR 400 total and be in another European country in the same time zone by lunchtime. An American family of four would have to spend, at a bare minimum, USD 4,000 on airfare alone just to get to Europe and lose a couple of days out of their trip due to the time zones.
Oh, and American passports are expensive. They’re 135 each, plus another 35 for processing.
Yes, I have one and might be able to explain why so few Americans have them.
I had to use one vacation day from work to go back to the county where I was born, and make an appointment at the courthouse to request an original copy of my birth certificate with an official seal.
I had to take a second day off work to go to another county’s Social Security office to make an official request for a Social Security card.
I took a third day off to request an official marriage certificate in the closest city.
I took a fourth vacation day, (3 months later when all of those documents had arrived,) to get the cash from the bank, obtain a passport photo, and complete the forms at the post office, then wait in line for over an hour to learn everything I had done wrong on the forms and everything else I needed.
I had to take a fifth vacation day to obtain updated passport photos for my child, redo the forms, wait in line at the post office for another hour+, and finally apply for a passport.
Americans typically get 10 vacation days, and it takes at least 4-5 weekdays off to obtain a passport.
48% of Americans have a passport (up from just 5% in 1990).
23% of Americans have never been outside the country.
These are facts, people, not rando-Reddit opinions
That’s probably an accurate number, a lot of it has to do with geography, the only countries the US shares borders with are Canada, Mexico, and Cuba (technically), the next nearest countries require plane rides to get to (The Bahamas). In addition to this, the US is a massive country, and most people don’t really leave the region they’re from.
On top of that, most Americans don’t have the financial security to be able to afford a vacation somewhere that requires a passport, iirc 1/3 of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. The initial cost of a passport is another factor that reduces the number of passport holders (I think it’s $375 for the passport).
For me personally, I have a passport and could get an official passport (the one for government employees) if I needed to, for me it was just a convenient thing to have as I was stationed in Germany for 4 years, unfortunately I got there around when COVID started so I didn’t travel much, but Germany was completely different than the US, in some ways it was nice (decent public transit), in others not so much (everything was closed on Sundays.
Europeans like to complain about all the American tourists in Europe being obnoxious and loud and ruining everything and also like to complain how little Americans know about the rest of the world and don’t even have passports and don’t travel anywhere outside the US. Sometimes you just can’t win.
I have my passport. I have no been abroad and have no plans to currently. I just wanted one, thought that “now was as good of a time as ever.”
Also, just a side note, I really hate it when Europeans (Schengen Europeans) get angry at americans for not having a passport, and “not traveling outside the country” while if you’re in the schengen, you don’t need a passport to travel and the schengen area is comparable in size to the US… It’s just a bit hypocritical. It’s not like the average dutchman is traveling to Tokyo, Melbourne, and Vancouver every 3 months, there just isn’t much of a point to get a passport until you need one. That holds true for both Europe and the USA.
The Werefrog have a current passport card, but not the passport book.
The Werefrog have been to foreign lands that require a passport book and had one at that time. However, in the near future, the card is sufficient for going where The Werefrog want to go, so The Werefrog maintain the card because it’s cheaper than the book.
Went to UK in 1996. Loved it! So much history and lots of fun, friendly people! But it expired and I have never gotten renewed. But I will be this year. I refuse to get a ‘real if’ so I will need a passport for any plane trips. Would love to go to UK again though!
I have a passport but no Jordans. I’m an enigma.
Yes, since I was a toddler. We had relatives overseas who we’d visit when I was a child. I think the longest stretch I went without traveling internationally was from age 3 to age 12. In college I studied abroad for a semester and traveled a lot during that time, and in my 20s I went backpacking. I also did a couple of organized group trips at different points. I lived in NZ for a year on a working holiday visa. All in all I think I’ve been to 25 countries.
I’ve found things to like and appreciate almost everywhere I’ve been. There aren’t many countries I’ve been to that I wouldn’t want to visit again. But ultimately only America is home and I feel out of place everywhere else. It gives me a lot of respect for immigrants who are able to make entire lives in new countries.