50 Places to Flee to if Trump Gets ReElected in 2020

We’ve all said it: if it hits the fan, we’re moving to Canada. And we’re joking, of course. But then again…

What are our options? It might not be as easy to move to Canada in a caravan of millions of Americans who’ve Had It Up To Here. We need to have a plan, team!

In honor of our increasingly dystopian government, here are 50 places you can tell your friends to meet you when you’ve gotta get out, fast.

  1. Too far away to be followed:
    Pitcairn Islands, Madagascar

    The time it takes to get to the remote subtropical Pitcairn Islands prevents most people from visiting. Take the weekly flight from Papetee, Tahiti, to the Mangareva airport in the Gambier Islands, 330 miles away. Hopefully from there the multi-day ferry to Pitcairn is running.
  2. Best city to do business remotely:
    Chang Mai, Thailand 

    Known to many as the digital nomad capital of the world, Chang Mai is well hooked up for internet, good facilities, and coworking. The cost of living is incredibly low and the expat population is high.
  3. Best place to seek asylum from US:
    Havana, Cuba

    The US has had rough relations with Cuba for a while, and Cuba is in no hurry to comply with US requests. There are no extradition laws. Maybe Snowden could head to Cuba next.
  4. Solid expat community:
    Boquete Panama
    Expat life is sweet, slow, and lovely on the Caldera River, surrounded by the coffee plantations of the Chiriquí Highlands. Nature is abundant and you can easily join the ranks of birders who seek the luxuriously named Resplendent Quetzal, with its fluffy little caricature of a head.
  5. Money goes far:
    Pokhara, Nepal

    Haggling (kindly) is common in Nepal. With prices already so low, you can get the heck out of the rat race and enjoy that wad of cash for months on end.
  6. All you have is gas money:
    Chapala, Mexico

    Carpool with your buddies down to Chapala to a comfortably mild climate and affordable food in the lakeside town.
  7. US borders shut down:
    Boundary Waters, Minnesota

    In this tangled web of lakes inaccessible by road, it’s easy to portage your canoe in and out of Canadian and US borders without anyone ever noticing. So much for putting the wall on the Mexican side.
  8. Easiest place to get citizenship:
    Bitola, Macedonia

    Earn your citizenship in quaint and charming Bitola with just 1 year of residency, or even more quickly if you start a business.
  9. Nobody will look for you here:
    Altai Mountains, Russia

    Asia and Sibera collide in the vast Altai Mountain range, a land of mountains and glaciers and rare animals that draw outdoor enthusiasts.
  10. Hide your identity:
    Oymyakon, Russia

    Nobody will ever see your face if it’s too darn cold to take your parka off.
  11. Confuse your pursuers:
    Baarle, Belgium & Netherlands

    The international border dividing the town of Baarle is one of the strangest on earth. 26 land pockets (enclaves) of the countries of Belgium and the Netherlands within and around each other make this a particularly confusing place to be. White crosses and metal studs mark the zig-zagging border through houses, roads, and shops. It’s common practice to determine your household’s nationality by the placement of its front door.
  12. Nothing left to lose:
    Chernobyl, Ukraine

    Known as the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history, Chernobyl is still a radioactive ghost town. But it’s fascinating to watch nature slowly reclaim a human city as if in a post-apocalyptic novel. It’s even starting to resemble a wildlife sanctuary, attracting bear, lynx, bison, and horse alike.
  13. Still technically “America”:
    American Samoa

    Colonialism is a modern day reality in American Samoa, a US territory in which not only do the citizens not have voting rights, but they also don’t have citizenship by birthright. (Citizens of other US territories do.)
  14. Most options for border runs:
    Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    If you don’t know when or to where you’ll have to flee to next, Brazil’s your place. Vibrant culture aside, it shares borders with 10 other countries, many of which have extremely lax visa policies. Rio is right on the ocean, leaving open the option of escape via seafaring vessel.
  15. Most relaxed Visa policy:
    Berat, Albania

    Called Visa-free access, American citizens don’t need a visa for to enter Albania as a tourist. The maximum length of stay is 1 year.
  16. Feels like another country:
    Ketchikan, Alaska

    Alaskans are Alaskans, and many see themselves as separate from the lower 48. They pretty much do their own thing.
  17. Afraid of change:
    Helsinki, Finland:

    Helsinki has a hipster vibe and, on the world spectrum, is culturally identical to youthful US cities. No culture shock here!
  18. When you’re the refugee:
    Aqaba, Jordan

    Jordan is one of the countries most generously and openly taking on refugees. There are (very roughly) 2 million refugees- mainly Syrian- living in Jordan now.
  19. Be anonymous in a crowd:
    Bangalore, India

    Population: 12 million.
  20. US county most likely to declare independence:
    Humboldt County, California

    Part of the Emerald Triangle, Humboldt is full of well-aged hippies, colorful eclectics, students, and even a few dangerous mountain men. Many of the residents were opposed to marijuana legalization because it could hurt their booming black-market economy. They’ll do just fine on their own.
  21. Live the easy life:
    Hoi An, Vietnam

    Enjoy the preserved ancient trading port town of Hoi An, which experiences a warm dry summer after the rainy season. Temples, rice paddies, tasty food, and beaches come at an affordable exchange rate.
  22. Need a panic room:
    Ozark Mountains of Missouri

    The Ozarks are a vast and wild place in which you can jump on the doomsday prepper train in anticipation of the end times.
  23. Make an action movie escape:
    Miami, Florida

    There are few finer places to make off with an expensive speedboat into crystal green waters, never to return.
  24. Least likely to be bombed by US:
    Fjords of Norway

    Beloved by Trump for being an extremely white, not-a-shithole country. You should be safe here, tucked into the fjord.
  25. Natural disaster safe zone:
    Tulsa, Oklahoma

    A town that some who study climate change say should be fairly safe from global warming (though nowhere really is), Tulsa has gone to great lengths to protect against flooding.
  26. Water security:
    Lake Titicaca

    A good source of fresh water, Lake Titicaca is a high altitude lake on the border of Bolivia and Peru. Titicaca National Reserve protects the surrounding wildlife.
  27. Turn-key ruins:
    Petén Basin, Mexico

    The Calakmul Mayan site has ruins more incredible than many of those more accessible to tourists.
  28. A ghost town to hide in:
    Kangbashi District, China

    Built for a massive modern population but never populated, the Kangbashi District is one of the infamous never-used ghost towns of China.
  29. Jump ship if flights are grounded:
    Carnival’s $600 Panama Canal Cruise

    Take your pick from a selection of highly affordable central American countries to disappear yourself into. Hop off at a port of call and be free!
  30. Highest standard of living:
    Vienna, Austria

    Consistently #1 on Mercer Quality of Living Survey, Vienna is a lovely city that offers a classy lifestyle. But it comes with a big price tag.
  31. Survive and thrive:
    Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

    One of the world’s longevity “blue zones,” this beautiful setting, strong community bonds, and other factors keep people alive and fulfilled to a ripe old age.
  32. Still want to be in the rat race:
    Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    Addicted to the faced-paced American shop-till-you-drop lifestyle? A move to this consumerist Disney World of a city is good bet for living a high-stress life full of things you don’t actually need and that you’ll pay through the nose for.
  33. Matches your divided views of America:
    Seoul, South Korea

    Like the rest of us, they hate trump, but still think America is kind of ok.
  34. #Vanlife:
    Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada:

    Take a car ferry over to this laid-back island where you can shun societal norms and soak up the views in your camper van.
  35. You’re done with people:
    Osaka, Japan 

    Osaka has a fairly high population of hikiomori, mostly younger and middle-aged men who have so thoroughly shunned society that they rarely, if ever, leave their own rooms. Follow their lead.
  36. Best health care:
    Lyon, France

    An American expat can get insurance after establishing residence for 3 months. They are eligible for PUMA, the quality state insurance.
  37. Not my president: 
    Ottawa, Canada

    If trump isn’t your style, perhaps you’re among those who’d prefer to follow the leadership of swoon-worthy Trudeau, who upholds higher moral standards while living at Rideau Cottage in Ottowa.
  38. Resources for homesteading:
    Yukon Territory, Canada

    Fresh water, fish, and game are abundant in this beautiful and wild landscape in northwestern Canada. With less than one person per square kilometer, there’s plenty of space to stake a claim and live off the land.
  39. Escape nuclear winter:
    Svalbard, Norway

    Technically part of Norway but with its own set of rules entirely, most anyone can live on cold and isolated Svalbard visa-free. Seed samples from around the world are kept in the Global Seed Vault, in case the worst happens and we need to coax a few species back into existence.
  40. Disappear off grid:
    Northern Idaho

    A survivalist paradise, Northern Idaho has a high concentration of wilderness areas, low population density, low crime, and conservative gun laws.
  41. F@%k society:
    Papua New Guinea

    There are still tribes here that live traditional lifestyles in villages that haven’t been polluted by western modernization.
  42. Sick of political conflict:
    Lausanne, Switzerland

    A pretty and French-speaking city on the shore of Lake Geneva, Lausanne is a good choice for a lifestyle attractive to Americans in a historically neutral nation.
  43. Collapse into hedonism:
    Venice, Italy

    Tourists flock to Venice (in numbers too great for the city to handle) to experience the luxuries of decadent Italian food and drink, architecture, and the lavish Carnival celebration.
  44. #YOLO:
    Queenstown, New Zealand:

    Known to many as the bucket list capital of the world, Queenstown is a good place to check off all the adventures you should have been experiencing instead of worrying about world politics.
  45. Armchair politics:
    Hong Kong

    Happy to join in rallies and protests but not to actually make any hard changes? Hong Kong has incredibly frequent protests- more, perhaps, than almost any city in the world- so while they try to take their country back, you can hold up a sign and say you’ve done your part.
  46. Ethnic diversity:
    Zanzibar City, Tanzania


    Tanzania has high ethnic diversity score of 0.9530. Zanzibar City, part of which is a UNESCO world heritage site, lies on a tropical archipelago within Tanzania.
  47. Start your own civilization:
    Mu Ko Ang Thong, Thailand

    An uninhabited island chain in Thailand might be a great tropical place to make a fresh start with a few friends and family.
  48. Feels like another planet:
    Iceland

    Iceland is an entire country that looks like a (gorgeous) movie set for another planet. Start a new life with nothing to remind you of the US city you came from.
  49. If trade collapses:
    Rural China

    China isn’t in great relations with the US anyway. Rural China is a viable choice for self-sustaining farming communities away from all the trade drama.
  50. When you also need a place to live:
    WanderJobs.com/jobs


    Seasonal adventure jobs for travelers. Housing included.

Images are in creative commons. Links to photographers:
Pitcairn, Havana, Boquete, Pokhara, Chapala, Boundary Waters, Bitola, Altai Mountains, Oymyakon, Baarle, Samoa, Rio, Helsinki, Aquaba, Humboldt, Hoi An, Ozarks, Miami, Norway, Panama cruise, Vienna, Nicoya, Dubai, Osaka, Lyon, Ottowa, Yukon, Svalbard, Idaho, Lausanne, Venice, Zanzibar, Iceland,

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