25 Surprising Travel Facts That Will Shock You
Travel: we sort of know all about it, right? Wrong. Scratch beneath the surface, and it turns out we know nothing of this world. Do you know how long the world’s shortest commercial flight lasts? (Clue: shorter than the time it takes to boil an egg.) How about which country has no rivers? Or what unconventional pizza topping is popular in Sweden?
With international travel currently off the table, why not use this time to swat up on surprising travel trivia? This offers a few precious minutes of sweet relief from the constant news cycle and provides some fun facts to fill awkward pauses during video calls with friends and family. Trust us, nothing plugs a silence better than a stat about how many steps from the nearest trash bin you are in Disneyland at all times.
Without further ado, here are 25 travel facts that are certain to shock and surprise.
1. The world’s longest commercial flight took around 30 hours.
The so-called ‘Double Sunrise’ service by Qantas, which ran from Australia to Sri Lanka from 1943-45, often lasted over 30 hours, with passengers seeing the sunrise twice. Today, the longest commercial flight is the Singapore Airlines Singapore to New York route, with an average journey time of 17 hours and 50 minutes.
2. The shortest commercial flight takes less than two minutes.
Incredibly, the shortest commercial flight, operating between the neighbouring islands of Westray and Papa Westray in Scotland’s Orkney islands, takes around one and a half minutes, with the fastest recorded flight taking less than 50 seconds.
3. Japanese railways hand out ‘certificates’ for delays of more than five minutes.
Japanese trains, reputedly the most punctual in the world, issue passengers with a ‘delay certificate’ if a train runs more than five minutes behind schedule. The documents can be shown to bosses or teachers to explain a passenger’s lateness. Delay certificates are also issued on some trains in Germany and in Paris.
4. The most expensive airport to city taxi ride costs around £190.
Any budget traveller worth their salt attempts to avoid airport taxis at all costs. However, anyone keeping an eye on their finances should certainly avoid jumping in a cab from Tokyo’s Narita Airport, which costs an average of £191/$235 one way.
5. India’s trains transport roughly 23 million passengers each day.
This number is equivalent to the entire population of Australia. Additionally, if laid out in a single line, the tracks from India’s railway network could circle the world one and a half times.
6. Saudi Arabia has no rivers.
The country in the Arabian peninsula has no permanent rivers, making it one of the 17 countries in the world without a single river flowing through it.
7. In Ethiopia the current year is 2013.
Ethiopia maintains its own calendar, which, due to a difference in the perceived date of the Annunciation, is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. In Ethiopia, the new year begins on either August 29 or August 30.
8. It is the same time at both ends of China.
Despite spanning five geographical time zones, China only has one official time, which is China Standard Time observed throughout the country (UTC+8).
9. The UK has the world’s longest country name.
The UK’s official title of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland makes it the longest recognised country name in the world.
10. Alaska is both the westernmost and easternmost state in the USA.
Alaska’s Aleutian Islands are located west of the 180th Meridian, making it the only US state partly located in the eastern hemisphere.
11. The most ordered meal on Deliveroo in 2019 was a Hawaiian dish of raw fish.
The most ordered meal was the Poké Signature Super Protéiné – a Hawaiian dish with raw fish from a restaurant in Paris. Surprisingly, a humble cheeseburger from the London branch of Five Guys was the second most ordered dish.
12. Russia only classified beer as an alcoholic drink in 2011.
Remarkably, before then, any drink with less than 10% alcohol was considered a ‘foodstuff.’
13. Pilots and co-pilots do not eat the same meal before a flight.
This is a standard convention to avoid the risk of food poisoning affecting both pilots. If one of them is incapacitated, the other can take over.
14. Banana is a popular pizza topping in Sweden.
Often paired with curry powder, believe it or not.
15. Instant noodles topped a Japanese poll of the country’s greatest inventions of the 20th century.
In a poll conducted in 2000, respondents placed instant noodles at the top of the list, followed by karaoke in second place. Incidentally, karaoke translates from Japanese into English as ’empty orchestra.’
16. Despite common belief, the Great Wall of China is not visible from space.
Even from low Earth orbit, the structure requires magnification to be seen by the human eye.
17. The Eiffel Tower was initially greatly disliked by the Parisian art community upon opening.
The iconic tower was labelled as ‘monstrous’ and ‘ridiculous.’ It’s claimed that contemporary writer Guy de Maupassant disliked the structure so much that he ate lunch in the tower every day as it was the only place in Paris where the landmark was not visible.
18. The Great Ocean Road in Australia serves as a war memorial.
Built by soldiers and dedicated to those who lost their lives in WWI, the road serves as the largest war memorial in the world.
19. Sudan has more ancient pyramids than Egypt.
Sources vary, but Sudan is claimed to be home to around 250 pyramid structures, built by ancient Kushite kingdoms. Egypt has just over 100 pyramids.
20. The minarets of the Taj Mahal lean outwards slightly.
This was done deliberately so that if the structure collapsed, the minarets would fall away from the central tomb, preventing damage.
21. There are currently 320,000 people learning ‘Klingon’ on Duolingo.
While English remains the most popular language on the app, with 34 million users learning since 2020.
22. On the island of Yap, rocks are used as currency.
Each rock’s worth is based on its size and history. While US dollars are now used for everyday purchases, rocks remain for ceremonial transactions.
23. If it was as densely populated as New York City, the entire world’s population could fit into Texas.
While it might be crowded, there would still be plenty of uninhabited spaces to escape to.
24. You’re never more than 30 steps away from a trash can in Disneyland.
The story goes that Walt Disney used to observe visitors and determined to place litter bins no more than 30 steps apart. Additionally, there exists a secret bar in Disneyland that operates as a private members club.
25. You don’t need to wait an hour after eating before swimming safely.
Despite the common myth, there’s no medical evidence to suggest you can’t swim on a full stomach. However, it’s best to take a short pause after eating to avoid discomfort.
