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Feel like going to LONDON from DALLAS but take a detour in BERLIN by the word change game.

All are six letter towns. You can change up to TWO letters at a time and make a new word. The new 6 letter word MUST BE a town, village, city, commune in Europe.

Cannot rearrange letters before or after the change.

Can you go from DALLAS to BERLIN to LONDON in 7 steps or less?

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4
  • $\begingroup$ No towns/cities in USA count? $\endgroup$
    – Forklift
    Jul 19, 2017 at 13:16
  • $\begingroup$ Well. Most US towns have derived their names from Europe anyway. If you can do it in less than 7 steps with US towns I would be very interested in knowing $\endgroup$
    – DrD
    Jul 19, 2017 at 13:41
  • $\begingroup$ Should the steps be geographically logical (going from West to East to North) or any valid town name is ok? $\endgroup$
    – Forklift
    Jul 19, 2017 at 13:45
  • $\begingroup$ Any valid names OK $\endgroup$
    – DrD
    Jul 19, 2017 at 13:50

3 Answers 3

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Here it is in 6 easy steps staying entirely in Europe

DALLAS
BALLAN (France)
BARLIN (Germany)
BERLIN
BORLON (Belgium)
BORDON (England)
LONDON

Thanks to @Forklift for being the first to find the BERLIN->LONDON leg. I tried to find an original path, but until Bondon, Vietnam somehow moves to Europe I think that's the only one.

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5
  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to puzzling! This looks like it will be hard to beat $\endgroup$ Jul 19, 2017 at 20:05
  • 5
    $\begingroup$ Here is a quick proof to why this is the minimum possible $\endgroup$ Jul 19, 2017 at 20:12
  • $\begingroup$ I found a Ballon but not a Ballan. There is a Ballen too, This is based on UN LOCODES. Can you name the source? $\endgroup$
    – DrD
    Jul 19, 2017 at 21:45
  • $\begingroup$ I first found it here link although it looks like it's refered to as Ballan-Mire officially link $\endgroup$
    – C F
    Jul 19, 2017 at 21:53
  • $\begingroup$ There may be a suitable Ballan in Albania or Italy: see here. $\endgroup$
    – Samthere
    Jul 20, 2017 at 14:22
5
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I've done it in 6 steps in Europe with definitely real places (as in I can find them on Wikipedia)!

   DALLAS (US)
1 DALLON (Fr)
2 BELLON (Fr)
3 BERLIN (De)
4 BERNON (Fr)
5 BORDON (UK)
6 LONDON (UK)

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  • $\begingroup$ There is Ballon in Ireland also I think $\endgroup$
    – DrD
    Jul 20, 2017 at 17:35
  • $\begingroup$ @DeepakMahulikar There is, but that would take an extra step in this sequence. $\endgroup$
    – Samthere
    Jul 20, 2017 at 17:52
4
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I've got to LONDON in 7 steps:

DALLAS
DULLES (Virginia)
DULLIN (France)
DEBLIN (Poland)
BERLIN
BORLON (Belgium)
BORDON (UK)
LONDON

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2
  • $\begingroup$ Cool Forklift. Now try Europe only?? $\endgroup$
    – DrD
    Jul 19, 2017 at 14:36
  • $\begingroup$ @Forklift as a first-timer solves it :P $\endgroup$
    – Stephen S
    Jul 19, 2017 at 20:55

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