I love experiencing countries by car. In May 2013, we drove through France...
London - Sancerre
2 nights
Route
Dover - Calais – Rouen – Chartres – Orleans – Crézancy-en-Sancerre
Restaurant
Restaurant La Tour
Hotel
La Maison de Margot
Sites & Activities
Sancerre
Vineyards
Sancerre - Nice
1 night
La Route des Grandes Alpes
1 night
Route
Cagnes-sur-Mer – Menton
Menton
– Sospel (Col de Castillon)
Sospel
– Saint-Martin Vésubie (Col de Turini)
Saint-Martin
Vésubie – La Colmiane (Col Saint-Martin)
La
Colmiane – Valberg (Col de la Couillole)
Valberg – Barcelonette (Col de la Cayolle)
Barcelonette
– Vars (Col de Vars)
Vars – Guillestre
Hotel
La Maison du Guil
Restaurant
Activities
White Water Rafting [Gérard Champoiral, 00 33 (0)6 88 01 67 13, gegechampoiral@aol.com]
Les Alpes to Bourgogne
1 night
Hotel
Auberge du Paradis
Restaurant
Chateau d'Ige
La Route des Vins de Bourgogne
1 night
Route
Santenay – Beaune – Dijon
Hotel
Au Jardin
Restaurant
Le Jardin des Remparts
Sites & Activities
Beaune
Dijon
Maison
Parigot & Richard
Dijon - Epernay
2 nights
Hotel
La Mongeardiere
Sites & Activities
Troyes
Champagne
JL Vergnon
Champagne Vilmart et Cie
Vallée de la Marne
Epernay - Reims
1 night
Hotel
La Closerie des Sacres
Restaurant
Le Jardin
Sites & Activities
Montagne de Reims
Massif de St-Thierry
Reims - London
We had planned to do this trip in 2013 but couldn't find the time. Hoping we can fit it in sometime soon....
London - Auckland - Waiheke Island
1 night
Hotel
The Boatshed
Waiheke Island - Auckland - Bay of Islands
3 nights
Route
Aukland - Red Beach - Waiwera - Leigh - Mangawhai - Waipu - Tutukaka - Helena Bay - Russell
Total Distance: 320 km
Approx. Driving Time: 5.5 hours
Hotel
Flagstaff Lodge
Activities
Trip to Cape Reinga
Boat Trip
Bay of Islands - Auckland
2 nights
Route
Russell - Paihia - Awanui - Ahipara - Opononi - Auckland
Total Distance: 490 km
Approx. Driving Time: 7 hours
Hotel
Hotel DeBrett
Restaurant
Sidart
The French Cafe
Sights
Bastion Point
Parnell Village
Sky Tower
Mount Eden
Auckland - Matamata
2 nights
Route
Auckland - Kawakawa Bay - Coromandel - Whitianga - Whangamata - Matamata
Total Distance: 410 km
Approx. Driving Time: 6 hours
Hotel
Broadway Motel
Activities
Hobbiton
Matamata - Gisborne
1 night
Route
Matamata - Tauranga - Whakatane - Opotiki - Te Araroa - Gisborne
Total Distance: 510km
Approx. Driving Time: 6.5 hours
Hotel
Knapdale Eco Lodge
Gisborne - Napier
1 night
Route
Gisborne - Napier
Total Distance: 215km
Approx. Driving Time: 2.5 hours
Hotel
The Crown Hotel
Activities
Te Mata Peak
Wineries
Napier - Wellington
1 night
Route
Napier - Masterton - Wellington
Total Distance: 330km
Approx. Driving Time: 4 hours
Hotel
Bolton Hotel
Activities
Te Papa
Cable Car
Wellington - New Plymouth
1 night
Route
Wellington - Opunake - New Plymouth
Total Distance: 390km
Approx. Driving Time: 5 hours
Hotel
The Nice Hotel
New Plymouth - Taupo
1 night
Route
New Plymouth - Tongariro National Park - Taupo
Total Distance: 330km
Approx. Driving Time: 4 hours
Hotel
Huka Lodge
Activities
Lake Taupo + Thermal Springs
Huka Falls + Huka Falls Jet
Aratiatia Rapids
Taupo - Rotorua
1 night
Route
Taupo - Rotorua
Total Distance: 80km
Approx. Driving Time: 1 hour
Hotel
Black Swan Lakeside Boutique Hotel
Activities
Mount Tarawera
Te Puia
Waiotapu or Waimangu
Rotorua - Auckland - London
Route
Rotorua - Auckland
Total Distance: 230km
Approx. Driving Time: 2.5 hours
Depending on where I looked, the answer ranged from 195 to 209 so I combined all the lists I found - the UN Member States, the UN Observer States, the Partially Recognised States, the Unrecognised De Facto Sovereign States, the nations recognised by the International Olympic Committee and the countries FIFA deems eligible for the World Cup - to come up with 213 "countries". I don't care whether they're "internationally recognised", I just want to visit as many places as possible.
So my list looks like this:
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas, The
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
England
Equitorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Holy See
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Northern Ireland
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Scotland
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten / Saint-Martin
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Unites States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands
Wales
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
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