A map of the countries you’ve visited: how to keep one
A visited countries map is a world map where the countries you've been to are filled in. You can keep one on paper — a scratch-off poster is the classic — or in an app on your phone, which is always with you and easy to update. The only hard part is deciding what counts as "visited", and the simplest honest rule is: you entered the country and did something there beyond changing planes.
Why keep a map of visited countries
- It's a memory, at a glance. A filled-in map tells the story of years of travel in one image. Each colored shape brings back a trip.
- It shows the gaps. You may realize you've done half of Europe but never crossed into South America, or that a neighboring country you keep flying over is still blank. That's often how the next trip gets planned.
- It answers the question "how many countries have you been to?" — honestly, without counting on your fingers.
- It's motivating. Some people set goals: a new country every year, every country in the EU, all of Southeast Asia. Seeing the map fill up keeps the goal alive.
- It's fun to share and compare with friends and family — a good conversation starter.
There's also a quieter benefit: travel blurs together over the years. Was that trip to Portugal before or after the move? Did you actually cross into Slovenia on that road trip, or just drive past the sign? A map you update right after each trip settles those questions and turns a vague sense of "I've traveled a bit" into a clear picture you can be proud of — or a nudge to finally go somewhere new.
Options: scratch map, app or a list
| Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Scratch-off poster | Looks great on a wall, tactile, a nice gift | Small countries are hard to scratch neatly, no undo, stays at home |
| Pin map / wall map with pins | Can mark cities, not just countries | Takes space, fiddly, stays at home |
| Travel journal or spreadsheet | Room for dates, notes and details | No visual map unless you make one |
| Phone app | Always with you, easy to fix mistakes, tiny countries are easy to tap | Less of a decorative object |
Many travelers combine them: a scratch map on the wall for the look, and an app for the day-to-day record — especially useful right after a trip, when you're unlikely to be home with a coin in hand.
What counts as a "visited" country?
There's no official rule, so set your own and apply it consistently. The common approaches:
- Strict: you stayed overnight, or spent a meaningful amount of time there.
- Common middle ground: you passed through immigration (or crossed a land border) and did something — walked around, ate a meal, saw a sight. A day trip counts.
- Loose: you set foot in the country at all.
Some frequent edge cases:
- Airport layovers. Most travelers don't count a transit stop where you never left the airport. If you went out into the city during a long layover, many do.
- Cruise ports. A day ashore usually counts under the middle-ground rule. Staying on board doesn't.
- Day trips across a border. Count them if you did something there, not if you just touched the line for a photo.
- Territories and disputed regions. Places like Greenland, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong or Gibraltar are counted differently by different people and maps. Decide whether you're tracking UN member states only or also territories, and stick to it.
- Countries that no longer exist or that you visited as a child. If you remember being there and the place is a country today, most people count it; if you were a baby, it's up to you.
A practical tip: write your rule down once — for example, "left the airport and spent at least a few hours" — so your count stays consistent over the years.
How to mark countries in TripGist
TripGist has a section called My countries with a world map:
- Open My countries in the app.
- Tap a country on the map, or use the + button to add one.
- Visited countries are filled in on your world map.
It's free and works on iPhone and Android. The same app is a guide to 100+ cities, so after marking where you've been, you can look up the next destination: neighborhoods, must-sees, food, insider tips and the scams to avoid.
Ideas for using your map
- Fill it in from memory once. Go through old photos and passports; it's a surprisingly nice evening.
- Pick a "next blank". Choose one uncolored country close to home for a long weekend this year.
- Plan by region. If a region is half done, a single trip can connect the dots — for example, Istanbul plus the Turkish coast, or Bangkok plus a beach on Phuket. Our guides to Istanbul, Tokyo and New York are good starting points.
- Travel smarter, not just more. A filled-in country means more when you saw its real neighborhoods and avoided the traps — see common tourist scams before your next trip.
The whole city in one app
TripGist is a free guide to 100+ cities worldwide: neighborhoods on the map, must-see spots, local food, insider tips and tourist scams. No subscriptions, no ads.