World Tour: Dane has traveled to every country in the world without flying

2023-08-05 20:02:00

World trip without plane Dane has traveled to every country in the world without flying – after almost ten years he is back

This container ship brought him back home after almost ten years of traveling around the world: Torbjørn (Thor) Pedersen on his arrival in Aarhus

© James BROOKS / AFP

In 2013, Torbjørn C. Pedersen initially thought it would take him about four years to travel the world without an airplane. Now he has arrived back in his native Denmark – after ten years in a row traveling to 203 countries.

Torbjørn C. Pedersen isn’t the first to attempt a world tour while considering more sustainable modes of transport. However, one day the 44-year-old Dane, who also calls himself Thor, got it into his head that he really should travel to every single country without boarding a plane – and it took him almost ten years to do so.

On May 24, he ticked off the last country on his list, the Maldives, and then set off on a 33-day journey home from Malaysia on a container ship. Last week he arrived at the port of Aarhus, where, according to media reports, more than 100 people received him. He is said to have traveled to every country in the world without ever boarding a plane – according to his own statement, making this the first person to do so. In total, he is said to have been to 203 countries, even more than are currently recognized by the United Nations.

Ten years in a row on a world tour

His journey started in October 2013. At that time he assumed that the journey would only last about four years. He imposed several conditions on himself for his project: he should spend at least 24 hours in each country and make do with a budget of around US$20 a day. Besides, he should Travel the world without interruption, i.e. without returning to your home country in the meantime, and not using the plane as a means of transport. During his journey, Pedersen is said to have used 379 container ships, 158 trains and 351 buses.

While on the road, in 2021, he even married his longtime girlfriend. In an Instagram post, he thanked her for her support: she had always stood by his side, even when he had the idea for his unusual trip around the world. Over the years, she visited him in 27 countries, so despite his world tour, the two could see each other at least twice a year – until 2020.

Two years in Hong Kong because of the corona pandemic

When the corona pandemic hit the world back then, Pedersen did not abandon his travel project because he was only missing nine countries. So it came about that the planned four days in Hong Kong turned into two years before he was finally able to travel on to Australia. It was both the worst and best time of his life, Pedersen told CNN. “I had to ask myself: How much of my life am I going to devote to this? But while waiting for the world to open up again, I’ve built a life in Hong Kong and made so many special connections.”

The pandemic was not the only obstacle on his journey: visa problems, unpredictable weather and malaria also slowed him down at times. Although he was often on the verge of giving up, he ultimately wanted to go through with his project. Pedersen also benefited from the great helpfulness and hospitality he experienced all over the world, as he told “CNN”: “I have stayed in the homes of many, many strangers during my trip, and I have it in every country the world – those with armed conflicts, those with virus outbreaks – unharmed.”

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Back home, he now wants to devote himself to writing a book about his journey. He was also accompanied by a filmmaker for a number of years, and a film about his journey is expected to be released next year. He recently published a trailer for it on Instagram.

Sources: CNN, T-Online, EuronewsInstagram

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