Visiting your country of choice isn't as easy as it seems in the movies... dashing to the ticket counter, hopping on the next flight to Bangkok, and arriving in time to sip
Siam Sunrays at sunset. The reality is that you have to deal with immigration and border control, which can be relatively simple or painfully difficult depending on where you're from, where you're going, and why you're visiting.
US passport holders are pretty lucky compared to many other nationals. As of 2011, we can travel to
169 countries visa free or with a visa upon arrival. Not having to apply for a visa ahead of time is a big deal -- visas cost money, require lots of paperwork, and can take weeks for processing.
Once you've arrived, how long can you stay in a country? The answer partly depends on why you're there. As tourists, US citizens can visit
many countries for up to 90 days visa-free. We're entitled to even longer tourist stays (180 days or more) in Canada, the Bahamas, Mexico, Panama, the UK and Ireland. Do you want an option that lets you stay, play, and work as long as you want? Consider the US territories and commonwealths, such as Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and Guam -- you don't even need a passport to go!
