Some Countries Roll Out the Red Carpet, Others Roll You Up In It.
One minute I was breezing through immigration in Spain, practically handed a glass of Rioja with my stamp, excited to start the Camino de Santiago and wondering why everyone made international travel sound so complicated.
A few months later, I was stuck at the Polish-Ukrainian border, passport in a grim-faced officer’s hand, customs agents tearing through our humanitarian vans like we were smuggling gold.
That’s when it hit me: not all countries welcome you the same.
Some, like Spain, France, or Thailand, felt built for travelers.
Friendly locals, smooth transit and paperwork that didn’t involve post-Soviet-era bribes.
Others?
Total Expert Mode: Georgia, Albania, Ukraine (especially in the ’90s), where even catching a bus felt like solving a riddle.
After years abroad, I’ve learned: some countries roll out the red carpet.
Others roll you up in it.
Before you book that dream trip, give this a read.
It might save you from crying in a train station bathroom in Sofia.
What Makes a Country “Easy” or “Expert Mode”?
I think of countries like airports.
Some guide you effortlessly: clear signs, friendly staff, coffee everywhere.
Others? Total chaos.
No signs, no English, and someone yelling at you to fill out a form you’ve never seen… in triplicate.
So what bumps a country into Expert Mode?
- Transport: Metro system or unmarked minivans?
- Bureaucracy: Can you get a SIM card without your grandmother’s birth certificate?
- Language: Can you ask for a toilet without miming?
- Digital access: Online systems or standing in a line to add money to your local cell-phone plan?
- Local vibe: Welcoming or “Tourists Go Home”?
The real test? What happens when you screw up.
Some countries smile and help. Others step back and let you drown.
Knowing which one you’re walking into?
That’s the difference between beach cocktails and crying into a cold burek at a Balkan bus station.
7 “Easy Mode” Countries for Travelers
1. Spain
Spain might just be the ultimate starter pack for new travelers.
I walked into a pharmacy in Burgos, barely coherent with an awful cold.
Five minutes later, I had meds in hand and a “get well soon” in perfect English..
Transportation? Bullet trains and buses that run like clockwork.
Food? Tapas for days.
Locals? Chill.
The Camino de Santiago itself is practically a walking orientation course for expats.
2. France
French bureaucracy has a reputation, yes, but once you’re inside the system, it works.
I’ve had faster passport renewals at the U.S. Embassy in Paris than back home.
The trains are fast, the food “Oh la la”, and even when I butchered French, people often appreciated the effort, unless I forgot to say “bonjour” first.
That’s like trying to watch a video without hitting “Play”.
3. Thailand
Thailand rolls out the red carpet for travelers, especially if you’re not behaving like a frat boy on spring break in Chang beer shorts.
I’ve wandered beach towns with only basic Thai phrases, and still managed to find food, Wi-Fi, and genuine smiles.
Want easy? Thailand practically hands you a laminated welcome guide on arrival.
4. Greece
Everything in Greece seems to move at the pace of a nap. In a good way.
The locals are warm, the food is comforting, and there’s a strange kind of chaos that still works.
I once took a ferry that was two hours late, but no one cared, including the crew.
It’s the kind of place where your stress levels don’t stand a chance.
5. Ireland
Ah, Ireland, where a pint of Guinness, some Irish stew and soda bread in a pub by a peat fire, can turn even a rainy day into a warm hug.
From the Cliffs of Moher to Dublin, the kindness never wore off.
Yes, they speak English, but good luck once the accents kick in.
Still, one of the easiest landings for first-timers abroad.
6. Mexico (select areas)
Mexico’s a country of contrasts. In tourist zones, everything runs like a well-oiled (and mildly tequila-soaked) machine.
The food’s unreal, the people are warm, and remote work is a breeze.
Just don’t mariachi the bureaucracy. Unless you enjoy 7 a.m. visa battles in Spanish.
Otherwise? You’re in like Flint, baby!
7. Poland
Poland surprised me. Safe, efficient public transport, and a rising tech-savvy younger generation that often speaks great English.
There’s a modern energy to cities like Warsaw and Kraków, and you don’t need a PhD in “Eastern European transit logistics” to figure things out.
Plus, there’s pierogi.
That alone should qualify it as Easy Mode.
5 “Expert Mode” Countries for Travelers Who Want a Challenge
1. Ukraine (especially in 1998!)
My first year in Kyiv felt like Post-Soviet Survival 101.
Cyrillic signs, unspoken rules, and cops stopping me in 1998 (first trip) just for speaking English.
Ask someone what they “do,” and you’d get silence… or a suspiciously vague answer.
Manhole covers? Often missing… sold for scrap.
Forget Expert Mode. This was Black Mirror “1999 Kyiv” Mode.
Ukraine’s come a long way.
The real question is, “Has it come far enough for you?
Do your homework.
2. Georgia
I love Georgia! No visa hassle, just a smile and a stamp.
But once you’re in? A Scavenger hunt.
Need a bank account? Expect mystery holidays, conflicting info, and a vanishing clerk.
And that alphabet? Good luck.
Still, with khachapuri, killer wine, and mountains that look photoshopped, you almost forget the chaos.
Almost.
3. Albania
Charming, chaotic, and permanently under construction. I once caught a bus from Tirana to Vlore.
Turns out the “bus stop” was just a random street corner… and a guy who looked like a bouncer leaning on a beat-up Mercedes.
Infrastructure’s hit or miss, English is sparse outside the capital or tourist zones, and it seems every other restaurant still allows smoking indoors.
But the views from my balcony here in Saranda? Unreal!
4. North Macedonia
Friendly people, incredible food, and yes, Skopje’s bizarre statue-per-square-meter ratio deserves its own museum.
But try navigating without a local SIM card or asking for help in English beyond the main square, and things get interesting fast.
While I was there I tried ordering a simple lunch off a Macedonian Cyrillic-only menu.
I can read Cyrillic, just not Macedonian, which got me a shot of rakija, a mystery dish, and a case of “the runs”.
10/10 would still go back. I love the place!
Just maybe though, I’d pack a phrasebook next time.
5. Romania
Romania plays hard to get. Trains that should’ve retired in the ’80s, inconsistent signage, not the cleanest, and customer service that ranges from helpful to “why are you even here?”
I still loved it.
The mountains are stunning, and Timișoara has both that classic Hapsburg influence but with an edge that rewards the bold.
Though, if you want things easy, Romania’s not making it easy on purpose.
How to Prep for “Expert Mode” Travel
Learn the Basics: I don’t care if it’s just “hello,” “thank you,” and “beer.” Knowing three words in the local language goes a long way.
In Ukraine, knowing a few words got me out of a police stop. No joke.
- Visa? Handle it early. Ask expats, dig through forums, DM that van-lifer. Someone knows the truth.
- Print your docs. Phones die. Paper doesn’t.
- Stay flexible. Things will go sideways. Laugh, pivot, carry on.
- Talk to people who’ve been there. They’ll teach you things blogs won’t, like how to deal with an Albanian cabbie who “doesn’t have change.”
Why “Hard Mode” Isn’t Bad… It’s Just Different
The toughest countries changed me the most.
Ukraine in ’98 didn’t just teach me to dodge manholes and mayonnaise smothered-pizza, it taught me patience, grit, and how to bond without words.
A perfect warm-up for moving there in ’99.
“Easy Mode” shows you the world. “Hard Mode” shows you who you are.
Yes, you’ll get lost. Yes, you’ll be frustrated.
But you’ll also have stories you’ll be telling for the rest of your life, like the time I ended up in a dorm room in Frankfurt thanks to a random conversation in Russian with two Moldovan waitresses.
You don’t get those stories on the beach in Barcelona.
You earn them on the backroads taking a bus through the Balkans.
Choose Your Game Mode Wisely
Are you looking for a relaxing getaway or a crash course in global survival?
Either way, pick your “travel mode” with your eyes wide open, and maybe a few extra passport photos in your bag.
While Easy Mode gives you comfort, Expert Mode gives you something even better: A damn good story!
Do you have your own “I almost cried at the Ukrainian border” tale to tell?
David Peluchette is a Premium Ghostwriter/Travel and Tech Enthusiast. When David isn’t writing he enjoys traveling, learning new languages, fitness, hiking and going on long walks (did the 550 mile Camino de Santiago, not once but twice!), cooking, eating, reading and building niche websites with WordPress.