[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by Max2147

I should preface this by saying that I've been to all seven continents (including Antarctica).

A big reason most Americans don't travel abroad is distance. Unlike Europeans, we can travel a long ways from home and still be in our country.

This does two things. First, it means that you can experience a lot more without leaving our country. Second, it makes traveling abroad much more difficult. A continental European can get in their car, drive a few hours, and be in a different country. They probably won't even need a passport, and they only have to pay for gas. Just watch some of those epic BBC Top Gear races - in one Clarkson drives starts in Britain, takes the train to France, then drives through Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in about a day. Meanwhile, to to anywhere besides Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean, an American would have to catch an 8+ hour plane ride, costing hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

a good point