20 Times Travelers Were Shocked, Amused, Or Amazed In Other Countries

Traveling isn't just about taking a break from work and spending your money on comfortable accommodations; although nice and often necessary for our burnt-out bodies and minds, these luxuries are only part of the essence, which lies in exploring new places, meeting interesting people, and opening up to unfamiliar experiences.

To show you how much these things can broaden our understanding of the world, we at Pictolic collected a bunch of unforgettable moments tourists shared online from their international journeys. From innovative uses of communal spaces to unorthodox transportation solutions, sometimes you don't even know what's possible until you see it.

Continue scrolling to check out the pictures, and don't miss the chat we had with travel blogger and writer from Norway, Lisa Stentvedt.

20 PHOTOS

#1 The German Circus Uses Huge 3D Holograms Instead Of Live Animals

#2 Splurged On A Hotel In Patagonia

After seeing these pictures, we might be quick to expand our bucket list; however, it's important to remember that when we visit places on it, we need to remain mindful of others, especially on planes, where passengers can feel the impact of our questionable actions.

"Generally, as long as people act normally and leave each other alone for the most part, they don’t affect the flight experience much at all," Lisa Stentvedt, the woman behind Fjords & Beaches, a travel blog dedicated to everyone who refuses to stop exploring, told Pictolic.

"All it takes is a smile and polite conversation to improve it, or a pair of bare feet on your armrest to detract from it."

#3 My City Has Lines That You Can Follow That Direct You To Certain Places For Tourists

#4 This Toilet At A Dutch Supermarket Lets You Test The Brands Of Toilet Paper They Sell

#5 There Is A Mini Rijksmuseum In The Amsterdam Airport To View Paintings While You Wait For Your Flight

Out of all the annoying things, "What I experience the most is people who forget that the seat in front of them has another passenger in it," Lisa said.

"Too many people use the seat in front of them to pull themselves out of their seat (instead of the armrest), aggressively tap their video screen to change their movie, or even lean on the seat when getting into their own. All of these actions disturb the person sitting in that seat and can be annoying."

#6 A Cheese Vending Machine In A Mountain Village In Switzerland

#7 Icelandic Park Benches With Footrests

#8 Lisbon Consists Of 7 Hills. To Make It Easier For Residents And Tourists To Move Between The Different Neighbourhoods, This Open-Air Escalator Was Installed

#9 The Way This Window Turned To Look Like A Painting. Florence, Italy

The Pew Research Center examined the travel habits of people from 24 countries. The data showed that the share of those who have traveled abroad ranges from a low of 3% in India to more than 99% in Sweden and the Netherlands.

Overall, a median of 79% across the 24 countries surveyed say they have been to at least one other country, while a median of 21% have not traveled outside their homeland.

#10 These Beautiful Movie Tickets In South Korea

#11 I Rode On A Boat, On A Lake, In A Cave

#12 My Bubble Hotel Room In Petra, Jordan. At Night, You Could See All The Stars In The Sky

#13 This Supermarket In An Old Theatre In Venice, Italy

There are large differences by region, with Europeans being the most likely to have traveled to a country other than their own: about two-thirds or more in every nation on the Old Continent surveyed have traveled abroad. By contrast, roughly a third or fewer people from India, Indonesia, and the Latin American and African nations surveyed have done the same.

#14 My Hotel Room Is Under Water

#15 This Slide At The Berlin Mall

#16 Stumbled Across This Cemetery In Kyoto During A Festival Tonight. All The Lanterns Were Candle Lit, And It Was Stunning

Without wandering, without a plan, and without getting lost, you miss out on opportunities like this.

#17 Snack Serving Robot In China Upset With Me Because I Didn't Take Any Snacks

While the physical size of the country or the region someone is from may play some role in people's travels, it is not the only explanation. Economic factors are also important.

Higher-income countries have much higher rates of international visits. For example, Sweden and the Netherlands are among the richest nations surveyed, and in both places, nearly all respondents said they had traveled to another country.

The country that departs from this pattern is the US. While it's at the top of the countries surveyed in terms of gross domestic product per capita, about half of the nations had higher rates of international travel.

#18 Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania) Zebra. It was So Cool To See So Many Here On My Trip In June (This Place Is The Garden Of Eden)

#19 My Hotel Phone In Iceland Has A Special Button That Will Wake You Up If There Are Northern Lights In The Sky

#20 This Restaurant In Italy Has A Salami Hose

And as tricky as flights can be, Lisa of Fjords & Beaches tries to avoid open conflict whenever she can. "I would personally never bother the crew for anything that isn't an actual violation of safety or airline protocols," she said. "If someone smells bad, for example, that's not something the stewards can do anything about. Nor is it against airline policy, as far as I am aware." So, be empathetic, stick to your boundaries, and when you land, you will (hopefully) be in a good enough mood to make the best of your journey.