15 Countries you should visit before you turn 30

The oldest, truest axiom of travel is that you never have both time and money. Before retirement, when your knees will be feta, your best shot at traveling big might be those bumpy early years when the world's a swirl anyway. In your teens and 20s, let's be honest, you're not in charge of squat; you don't have kids; you can get eight solid hours even when origamied in a bus seat; you're gastrointestinally fearless; and virtually nothing can kill you even if it tried.

So stack a bit of cash, drop the dog at mom's, and get going. The world will still be here in a week, a month, a year. Trust us. No one in their 30s or 40s or 90s stops to wish, Gosh, if only I’d traveled less and put in longer hours at the office.

That's the how and the why. For the where, we asked writers who've been around the world twice and lived to tell. Here's what they sent back on how to (mis)spend your youth -- at whatever age you happen to be now.

Italy

Why to go when you're young: Italy truly has it all. Art, culture, beaches, mountains, hands-down the best food, friendly people, booze galore. It's also easy to hit several different cities in a matter of days -- and when you're just a pup, you actually have the stamina to do that.
Where to head first: Florence, San Gimignano, and Cinque Terre
When I think that I almost chose to study abroad in London over Italy, it makes me cringe. Nothing against London of course, but after living in Florence during college, backpacking through Western Europe in my 20s, and returning in my 30s, I feel confident saying Italy is a genuine treasure. Returning as a real-life adult I discovered that I didn't just fall in love with it because I was a carefree 20-year-old blowing it out on my parents' dime. Certain activities have changed -- i.e., drinking fewer flaming shooters at Shot Cafe -- but my love and admiration for the country only grows with every visit. That's rooted in the overwhelming sense of culture and community (not to mention just sheer staggering beauty) Italy offers: Locals just want you to eat some damn good food, drink a ton of Chianti, and love their country. Trust me, you will, no matter what age or how many times you've been there. In fact, my last visit to a mountain gazing down at Vernazza (one of the five towns that makes up Cinque Terre) was no less awe-inspiring than the first time I stood in the same spot a decade earlier. Except, the second time, I had the memories to join me. -- Liz Newman, Thrillist contributor