Seven-year-old visits 46 countries without missing school

A seven-year-old girl has travelled to 46 countries with her mum and is just six destinations away from their ambitious European challenge – all while maintaining an almost perfect school attendance record.

A globetrotting seven-year-old has visited an incredible 46 countries with her mum – without missing a single day of school.

Meet the seven-year-old girl who has already been to 46 countries – without missing a single day of school. | Paula Gaughan / SWNS

placeholder image — Meet the seven-year-old girl who has already been to 46 countries – without missing a single day of school. | Paula Gaughan / SWNS

Stella, from Glasgow, has been exploring the world with mum Paula Gaughan, 37, since her first adventure to Disneyland Paris. Now, the pair are just six countries away from their mission to visit every country in Europe, with Paula believing her daughter could become the youngest person to achieve the feat.

And their adventures are certainly not your average family holidays. The intrepid youngster has climbed Mont Blanc, hiked up Mount Vesuvius, explored the ancient ruins of Pompeii and visited the Acropolis in Athens. She has even ventured into Monaco's famous Monte Carlo casino and travelled to Transnistria, an unrecognised territory between Moldova and Ukraine.

Seven-year-old Stella has already visited 46 countries with her mum Paula. | Paula Gaughan / SWNS

Paula, a secondary school teacher, said: “It is almost like I am collecting memories with her as a hobby.” Despite their packed travel schedule, Stella has never missed a day of school for a trip. The secret? Clever planning, including so-called 'piggyback holidays', where the pair visit several destinations in one break.

During the most recent half-term, they managed to squeeze in FIVE countries in just one week. They also embrace 'extreme day trips', spending as little as 24 hours exploring somewhere new.

Paula said: “People are always surprised that we manage to do so much when she does attend school full time. As long as you are careful with planning you can do more than you think.”

The mother and daughter duo have travelled to Transnistria as part of their ambitious European challenge. | Paula Gaughan / SWNS

And the adventures don't come with a luxury price tag. The budget-conscious duo travel with just backpacks, take connecting flights and book accommodation with kitchens to save on meals. Paula has even downsized her car and cancelled memberships to free up cash for their adventures. She said: “I wasn't brought up rich and she isn't either but she definitely has a richness in the life experiences that she is having.”

Their most unusual trip was to Transnistria, despite UK government advice against travelling there. Paula says they researched the destination carefully, arranged a private guide and secured specialist insurance.

With just six European destinations left, the pair's passport-stamping adventure is far from over.