century travel club

About the TCC

Membership in the Travelers’ Century Club® (TCC) is limited to those travelers who have visited one hundred or more territories of the world. It was first organized in Los Angeles in 1954 by a group of the world’s most widely traveled people. The idea has attracted the interest of the world travelers everywhere and we now have members throughout the world, as well as the United States.

In the Territory List, you will find TCC’s official list of 330 territories, updated January 2022, along with an application form for prospective members. In the Events Calendar you will find information about upcoming meetings.

Membership Benefits

Why would a frequent traveler want to join the Travelers’ Century Club?

First and foremost, we are a social club for serious travelers, offering the fellowship that comes with belonging to a select group of exceptionally well-traveled individuals. Here are some of the reasons why there are currently more than 1,500 TCC members:

• Worldwide recognition, or “bragging rights,” since so few people in the world have visited 100 countries, the basic requirement for membership
• The opportunity to share experiences with other well-traveled people
• Social events, such as lunches, dinners, and receptions, with other TCC members in key locations throughout the world
• Virtual Explorations – the opportunity to attend and participate in online discussions about unusual travel destinations
• Local Chapter meetings, often with interesting and educational speakers and the chance to see presentations about unique locations
• Exclusive Info Files, written by members from their own experiences, containing helpful information, especially about the more difficult-to-reach or unusual destinations
• Camaraderie and friendship among the members, networking opportunities
• Opportunity to travel with other TCC members to exotic destinations, and help in planning and organizing trips to challenging destinations
• Quarterly informative newsletters, updating TCC information, news about other members and chapters.
• Members-only pins, updated when the member reaches higher levels of territory visitations.
• Online Directory of TCC membership
• A Web-based private, invitation-only, social network, allowing members to log in and communicate with other members, and to share travelogues, photos, specific travel advice and information about travel-related topics
• Better understanding of worldwide cultures, history, peoples.
• Inspiration for growth and self-fulfillment.

If you would like to become a TCC member, click Join the Club for information about membership requirements and dues.

TCC is a NONPROFIT NONSTOCK CORPORATION

Travelers’ Century Club® 8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 102 Los Angeles, CA 90045 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2297 Cupertino, CA 95015 Tel: (888) 822-0228 Email:  [email protected]

TCC Forum is a private social networking site for members only. Registration is required.  More info here »

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There's an elite club that you can only join if you've traveled to over 100 countries

The  Travelers' Century Club  (TCC) might be one of the world's most exclusive clubs.

This international society of jet setters may only have one entry requirement, but it's a tough one: TCC members must have visited at least 100 countries.

According to the US Department of State , there are 195 sovereign nations on earth — that's quite a few stamps for your passport.

However, the TCC expanded that list to include  324 eligible destinations, which include territories  like Prince Edward Island (a province in Canada) and Alaska (technically a US state). 

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The current 324 territories as defined by the TCC are grouped into 12 regions, and the TCC acknowledges that many of them aren't actual countries —  they define them  as geographically or politically distinct . For example, the club sees Sicily as separate from Italy and the Easter Islands as distinct from Chile.

The club is also flexible in that it allows members to count  a layover or stop at a port of call as an official visit.

The TCC has over 2,100 members today, some of whom have been to the minimum 100 countries and others who have traveled to over 300 destinations.  Members get access to various meetings, presentations and seminars, organized trips, and activities across the 21 TCC chapters worldwide, as well as a membership card, certificate and a pin.

Of course, a little healthy competition between members never hurt anyone either, so there are various levels among members: 150 countries is silver, 200 is gold, 250 is platinum, and 300 is diamond. Those who visit all 324 territories receive a revolving crystal globe — 15 members have made that  distinction to date, and many more have been to 300+ destinations.

The club claims to be for travelers rather than tourists, and encourages members to go on once-in-a-lifetime adventures, and to seek out some of the most remote and obscure places on earth, from Abkhazia to Zimbabwe.

Most of the club's members are retired, others are racking up countries while holding down jobs and families. Often, members get together to access some of the most remote spots as a group to share the expenses, like those who chartered a boat from the Seychelles to the British Indian Ocean Territory, which many consider the most difficult destination to reach because there's no commercial transportation. It took them five days each way.

The American "country collecting" organization was founded in Los Angeles 1954, back when country hopping was a lot more difficult than it is today. Still, the club boasted 43 members by 1960. Their slogan? World travel — the passport to peace through understanding.

Have you been to 100 places? Then all you need to do is fill out the application form , name each of the 100 countries you've been to, and pay a $100 initiation fee. Once accepted, you will have to pay an annual $85 fee ($95 if you live abroad).

Watch: This was just voted the best place to travel to in the world

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You Can’t Join This Exclusive Club Until You’ve Been to 100 Countries (Video)

Siobhan Reid is an NYC-based freelance writer, editor, and copywriter. She is currently the editor-in-residence at The Vintner Project and was previously an editor at Travel + Leisure , covering culture, design, style, and wellness.

A globe-spanning Instagram feed may be considered the benchmark for being well traveled in 2017, but for the ultimate travel bragging rights, there’s the Travelers’ Century Club .

Billed as the world’s most elite travel community, the club is made up exclusively of people who have visited more than 100 countries — no small feat considering there are only 195 sovereign countries on Earth as defined by the U.S. Department of State .

Luckily for those interested, the club's definition of a country is quite broad, and has expanded to include 325 destinations like Prince Edward Island (a Canadian province) and Alaska (the U.S. state).

The club dates back to 1954, when it was founded in Los Angeles by a small group of world travelers, and has since expanded into a community of 1,400 members hailing from all around the globe.

Once admitted, members have access to a network of travelers with rare knowledge about little-known locales around the world. Want to know the best way to cross the treacherous waters surrounding the Pitcairn Islands ? Or what to do if you find yourself in the middle of the Namib Desert with a flat tire? Travelers’ Century Club members can answer those questions and many more during regular in-person meet-ups.

Other member perks include organized travel excursions; educational seminars; social events across the 21 club chapters worldwide; access to exclusive guides that detail the world’s more difficult-to-reach destinations; as well as a membership card, certificate, and pin.

To apply, simply fill out the application form , tick off each of the 100 countries you’ve visited, and pay the $100 initiation fee. And just like that, you’ve got instant jet-set status.

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Travelers' Century Club's Official List of Countries and Territories

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Join the Club

Anyone who has visited 100 or more of the territories included in our directory is eligible to join the Travelers’ Century Club®. If you can qualify, send us your completed application indicating the territories you have visited, together with your name, address, initiation fee and current year’s dues. We will forward your membership card and certificate. Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing of membership.

Click to download the TCC Membership Application Form [PDF Format]

This downloadable form is in PDF format, which may be filled out and saved on your computer before emailing back to the Club using the email provided on the form. Alternately it may be printed and mailed to the Club using the address provided on the form. To view and print the form, you must have the free Adobe Reader software installed on your computer.

Membership Fees

Please note that all new members must pay the initiation fee of $100 per person plus the first annual dues payment (see rates below). Payments may be made by check, credit card (American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover Card), or via our online payment system ( click here to pay online ).

Your membership will not be processed without the appropriate fee. The annual fee covers 12 months of membership beginning with the month we process your application. For example, if your membership application is processed in July, your renewal date will be July 1 of the following year.

The spouse rate applies to a second member sharing the same address; all of the same membership requirements apply to join as a spouse.

One-Time Initiation Fee $100 per member, $100 for spouse

First Yearly Dues Payment U.S. residents — $75, spouse $65 Residents of other countries — $85, spouse $65

Optional Dues Supplement for Mailed Info Files Info Files are trip reports submitted by our members. Members who want to receive Info Files by mail must pay a $10 supplemental fee to cover the cost of printing and mailing. If you choose not to receive Info Files by mail, you may read them on our members-only Web site at no additional charge.

Provisional Membership

If you have 75 or more territories and you cannot yet qualify as a full member, you are welcome to attend meetings of the club. At your request, we will put you on a Provisional Member mailing list to receive The Centurian newsletter . Dues for Provisional Members are the same as regular membership, but with no initiation fee required.