Though there isn’t much travelling going on in the world right now, it never hurts to learn about the places just beyond our fingertips. Sometimes our wanderlust can be satisfied just by seeing these places and imagining being able to step into them someday in the future. Maybe check out the longest nonstop flights to bring you back down to the ground. Usually, if you were to be visiting another country, your first step would be to book your flight. But not so fast—sometimes you aren’t just able to step on a plane and go anywhere in the world.
Vatican City
This is a tricky one. Vatican City is not only an independent city-state, but it’s also the smallest country in the world. The 109-acre spot does not have its own airport, likely because it is actually “enclaved” within Rome. Rome, as a point of reference, has two international airports. Visitors could fly into Rome and then drive into the small Roman Catholic city/state/country.
San Marino
Speaking of Italy, San Marino similarly doesn’t have an airport despite being surrounded by Italian land. As the fifth-smallest country in the world, San Marino doesn’t suffer from inaccessibility as it is only nine miles from the famous Federico Fellini International Airport.
Monaco
Surrounded on three sides by France and on one by the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world. It also holds the title for the most densely populated sovereign state in the world.
Liechtenstein
As the smallest country in the world to border two countries (Austria and Germany), Liechtenstein is also without an airport. Visitors would need to enter by car, boat, or the popular rail system from nearby Swiss or Austrian rail stations. The nearest airport is Switzerland’s St. Gallen–Altenrhein.
Andorra
Andorra is landlocked on the border between Spain and France. Located in the Pyrenees mountain range, this micro-nation allows beautiful hikes, climbs, and views. Andorra’s capital city is Andorra la Vella, which is also the highest-elevated capital city in Europe. There are five airports within three hours of Andorra in Spain and France. With or without an airport, Andorra is definitely doing something right—it consistently has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.