My family and I traveled to St. Lucia and then sailed down through the Grenadines. Being how this is a backpacking blog and not a sailing blog, I will not go over points on sailing. As we went there, we passed through customs and security seamlessly. However, on the way back, we had a few hangups.
First of all, I will cover how to travel abroad. Before going, as with any trip, you want an itinerary. You will want to have the trip fully planned out to avoid having hangups when you arrive. I suggest knowing where you are going to travel, how many days at each location, where you will stay, and how you will obtain food. In addition, you should already have your plane tickets purchased and know when your flights are and whether or not you have any layovers. As in our case, we had no layover between two flights and had to rush to get to the next gate. In another instance, we had a four hour wait. Be aware of how long you have between flights so you can plan accordingly. Having your tickets already purchased will minimize the hassle of getting through the airport. In my opinion, airports are already a pain to get through without any additional problems.
When you are at the airport and traveling internationally, you will go through customs, ticket check, passport check, and maybe a few other checkpoints where you will need your passport. Keep your passport handy! If you put it back in your bag or traveler's wallet, you will spend that extra time digging it out each time you you hit a checkpoint. I advise to keep your passport in your hand at all times with your boarding pass in your passport. This will ensure no one can swipe it from you. And something else I found helpful is to have a fanny pack. I know they aren't really socially acceptable anymore and really make you stand out as a tourist, but if you just keep everything in your fanny pack (phone, wallet, etc.), you know where everything is. I also found it helpful to have everything in a fanny pack because when you go through security, you only have the fanny pack to take off and don't have to worry about digging everything out of your pockets, which will take you through security faster. Speaking of going through security, you will also want your electronics handy, maybe in the top of your bag. Some airports will require you to turn on your electronics and having them handy will ease the process.
I have found it easier to only bring a carry on rather than checked baggage. Most airlines will allow one checked bag, one personal item (such as another small bag or laptop), and misc. items. Misc. items can be anything from a book, fanny pack, purse, or anything small that you can carry. My advice is to keep it to a minimum. When going through checkpoints, it's a real hassle to have an arm full of stuff. However, you may be on your way to a backpacking trip in which a carry on is not feasible. If this is the case, I recommend your carry on be your day pack so that you will not have any excessive bags to carry. Also, if you are checking your pack, I suggest putting it in a bigger duffel bag. That way, the straps and such won't snag on things and keeps your pack from getting damaged.
As you look into flights consider this: plane tickets are like the stock market. One day, a ticket may be $700 and next day, may be $1500. So just keep your eye out for the best deal. I also highly recommend using a travel site like Kayak or Expedia. These make it a little easier to find a cheaper flight. If it will be an extensive, involved, or expensive trip, it may be beneficial to hire a travel agent.
Moving away from flying, let's look at being in a foreign country. You want to try to minimize looking like a tourist, especially in poorer countries. I know that having your pack will make you stand out a little, but do what you can to minimize this stereotype. In third world countries, locals can spot a tourist from a mile away and will be right on you to sell you something.
Speaking of selling you stuff, always be on guard. What I noticed is that in touristy areas, people can sell you stuff before you even realize it. They put the item in your hand, talk about how good it would suit you, then ask for the money. Theses "business people" really know how to get you to buy what they have to sell. "Here, hold this bracelet. Put it on. WOW!! It really compliments your eyes. Try this necklace, it will go great with this bracelet. Take these back home and really show your friends what it's like here." And before you know it, they have sold you the necklace and bracelet.
Also be on guard for services. Some people will help you with something then charge an outrageous price. When we were mooring in a harbor, a young man came up and tied off our boat for us without our permission (actually we told him that we didn't need his services), then charged for it. He refused to leave until we pay him. After refusing to pay, we stayed on guard all night to make sure he didn't untie us. On another occasion, we docked our dingy and a couple guys hung around the dock to look after the dingies. Then one guy guides us to a restaurant. When we returned, they charged us $70 EC (about $40 USD) for their service. Then one local told us about a beautiful waterfall and said that if we paid him $20 a person, he will guide us to it. After refusing, another local came up and tipped us off that if we just walk up the road a couple miles, we would come to the waterfall. All I can say is be sure you ask for the price of the service before accepting and be sure that you actually need the service. They will naturally avoid the question, but do not accept any services without first knowing what it's going to cost. These are only some examples, but the key is to be aware that in poor countries, you will be scammed if not on guard.
This goes back to keeping from looking like a tourist. Some vendors (in most countries) will charge tourists almost twice the original amount for a product. My advice is to go to stores with marked prices. Where we were at, some stores did not mark their prices so they could charge you whatever they wanted. However, fresh fruit from a local vendor is absolutely delicious. If you go to one of these, know the prices before agreeing to buy. If they think you may go somewhere else to buy, they will often lower their prices. In some places, it could benefit you to have good negotiation skills to lower the prices.
Also before going overseas, be aware of the exchange rate. If you don't, it may shock you. In our case, it worked in our favor, but for some countries, it may not. Also be aware of the economy. A bad economy will have higher prices. Where we went, a box of cereal costed $12 USD.
If you are going to a country that is not predominantly English, it wouldn't hurt to learn the basics of their language. In the area of the Caribbean we were at, the native language is Creole which is a broken French. If you can speak French, you can sort of speak Creole. The whole time I was there, I had wished I knew some French. The first language down there is English, but they all also speak Creole. I believe if you learn some of the language where you are going, it will be more enjoyable.
If you are in a country of different culture, it's a good idea to have a friend or two with you to watch each others backs. Some countries are crime ridden and you want to avoid being the victim. Don't travel when dark. Stay in public areas. Don't get in a vehicle with someone you don't know. Just be aware that it is possible to be a victim of crime, especially in Europe or countries stricken with poverty.
In the event that you are approached my a robber, don't argue, give him the money. In these places, most robbers won't have a problem killing you. I suggest wearing a money belt or keeping a majority of your money in your shoes, but keep like $5 in your pocket. That way the robber gets something and won't suspect you are holding back. If they try to take your pack, let him. It's better to lose your gear than to end up dead. If you are robbed of just money, it's not worth going to local authorities, but if it's your pack, it would be worth going to them and they may be able to catch the robber and return your pack. That's why it's a good idea to have your name, country, and phone number on your stuff. Don't put your address on anything because if they get ahold of that, you may return home to an empty house (mostly a problem in countries with organized crime such as France, England, etc.).
Also be on the lookout for pit pocketing. I suggest keeping everything in your pack. I mean EVERYTHING. That way, they can't swipe anything from you without pulling your pack off. If you know that you are going somewhere that this could be a problem, bring a pack without outside pockets. But remember to keep a little money in your pocket in the case someone tries to rob you. In some countries, it is common to have children pit pocket people. There can be groups up to 40 kids with cardboard who will swarm you and push cardboard up against you so that you don't feel them pulling stuff out of your pockets. In this case, or any other case, don't be afraid of being aggressive and pushing them back, yelling at them, and getting away. Sometimes these groups are good enough to swipe money belts and neck lanyards, so be aware.
Moving away from money, let's talk about sleeping accommodations. Your sleeping accommodation may change thought the trip but here's some tips.
1. Don't use provided linens at a hotel/motel in foreign countries. Use your sleeping bag to avoid bed bugs. Also, some places don't wash their linens. If you suspect bed bugs, sleep on the floor.
2. If you are staying at a hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, or a hostel, don't leave your pack. If you go out sightseeing or to dinner, take your pack. Otherwise, it may not be there when you get back.
3. If you are staying at a hostel, don't leave anything out. Wear your clothes to bed, put everything in your pack, and possibly snuggle with your pack or use it as a pillow. Oftentimes in hostels, there may be 20 people sleeping in the same room. If you don't keep your belongings close, they may be missing the next day.
4. Unless you are "wilderness hiking" to a hostel, try to get sleeping accommodations in a busy, public area. This may avoid someone breaking in.
5. It's a good idea to reserve your sleeping accomadations before the trip. This will ensure that you have a place to sleep. Don't want to end up sleeping at a bus station. Hosteling International is a good place to start for reserving a bed.
I think this a good start to traveling abroad. If you are going somewhere completely foreign, I suggest really researching and buy a guidebook for that area. That would be your best bet to maximizing your trip.
