Where to travel in Europe and beyond, according to the world's most travelled people

A growing community of frequent travelers is tracking trips to every country, with a pathway to join the “UN Grandmaster” list. Most Traveled People, founded by Charles Veley in 2005, verifies applications through evidence of visits to 25 of the most difficult destinations, such as Syria, Kiribati and North Korea, plus 25 additional countries chosen at random. Proof primarily relies on passport stamps showing entry and exit, though geotagged photos of recognizable landmarks may also be submitted; if trips predate smartphones, applicants may be interviewed. A layover at an airport does not count as a visit, and 122 UN Grandmasters have been verified after a recent Portugal meet-up. In Europe, Italy topped the survey with more than half naming it favourite overall. France ranked second, Spain third, Portugal fourth and Greece fifth, while Slovenia’s Ljubljana was identified as Europe’s most underrated city overall.