I'm sure others will have better answers for you -- but IMO he needs at minimum 1) a firm address for his stay in the UK (hotel/hostel/whatever), and 2) an onward ticket . . . . .

But maybe I'm overly cautious.

When I was young (many years ago) I was extensively questioned upon entering Great Britain on three occasions, despite being well dressed (at least the first time and presentable the other times) and having a return ticket home and enough travelers' checks for the duration of my stay. Last time there were no questions asked but I don't know if it's because I'm older or because things are more lax at immigration.

Your son should at least look neat and clean regardless of where he purchased his clothes. Does he have a job or promise of employment in the future? A degree? Bank statement?

If he is on an around the world trip doesn't he have an around the world plane ticket?

GB is the only country I've had trouble entering.

He's planning on traveling overland as much as possible. Unfortunately for him, he wants his trip to look something like that of the incomparable "sandy" who was posting here a while back - couch-surfing, thumbing, ride-shares, etc. He has a job right now, but obviously will be leaving it to travel, although I think they would be happy to have him back. No degree. He will have a bank statement with $10K+.

He's not entirely unwashed, but "neat" is kind of difficult with the awful dreadlocks (hardly anyone Caucasian can grow decent ones), and he only trims rather than shaves. The explanation is that this is cheaper and easier.

The eyesore you describe will certainly get attention that he doesn't want.

Yeah, I know, I'm fairly sure he's going to get questioned, but we work with what we have. I'm assuming that having frizzy (but at least clean) dreadlocks and a scroungy beard won't categorically rule him out as a visitor. I'm just trying to do what I can to help him head off trouble at the pass.

My consolation is that, despite his barbering choices, he is a very personable, smart, kind, and wonderful human being, and as he's only 21, there's still hope that he will grow out of this eventually.

Have him ask his employer to write a letter stating he is a valuable, hard-working employee and they will welcome him back after his grand tour. Is he young enough to claim this is a gap year?

Sorry to hear he wants to emulate Sandy but perhaps this adventure will be the making of him.

It ain't the scruffy that will probably be a problem. Lots of scruffy kids travel.

And if he plans on copying the famous "sandy" - does your son realize that easily 90% of what he posted was totally fake. The consensus is he was a pubescent Canadian posting from his mother's computer somewhere in Ontario.

UK immigration has a reputation for being tough (but so is US, Australian etc), but they work strictly to rules and cannot just turn him way at the whim of an individual official.
Regardless of appearance and first impressions, he will need to satisfy that he will meet all the requirements of a visitor. That means a reason for visiting (such as sightseeing, meeting friends, attending cultural or sporting events etc, with some creditable evidence such as an itinerary, tickets, guide books etc), enough funds to support himself without working (recent bank statement is best) and preferably return or onward ticket/reservation, or enough money to get one in UK. It helps to have accommodation booking for the first few days in UK. He must answer all questions truthfully and politely but don't volunteer opinions or ideas not asked for. Immigration has been known to use leading questions, such as 'Are you thinking of doing any casual, voluntary or unpaid work while you are here?' He should answer with a firm No. Never, ever breathe a word of possibly extending his stay, or wanting to study or doing voluntary work, none of which is allowed as a visitor and is a reason enough for refused admission (activity incompatible with visitor status, not holding a relevant visa etc). So provided he is forewarned and gives short, relevant answer to any questions, and as long as he can show evidence of funds and leaving at then end of his two-week stay, I don't think he will have any difficulty being admitted.

The lack of an onward ticket may be a real problem. Of course the appearance won't help. If he wants to waste his time and money, and not cooperate with bureaucracy, and then get sent back, I guess that is up to him. It's easy enough to comply with the UK's minimal requirements for entry, and easy enough to be obliging to accepted standards of dress and demeanor.

Actually I would be more worried about what the "welcoming" USA Immgration would do to him on return. (At least here in ATL they are worse then anyplace I have been)

I think that if he's articulate and able to explain himself then he should be fine. he should just be perpeared that he may have to do that. It happens. As an earlier poster pointed out, they generally don't deny you due to "looks" alone. (I did see a woman with a sewing machine once who appeared to be having quite the hard time convincing the immigration folks that she wasn't planning to stay. Can't say I blame them.. A sewing machine?)

Opps....didn't see the onward ticket issue. That might be a concern. Hmm....

artsnletters,

My daughter is currently in England studying and had the appropriate visas, letters and proof of financial stability she needed. She did feel that had she not been able to produce proof of her return ticket home, she might not have been admitted. I would strongly suggest your son have an exit ticket booked (plane ticket or Chunnel ticket) before his arrival in the UK.

They will want to see hotel or hostel reservations for at least the first couple of nights and some sort of onward ticket. I'm not sure how you can not have the rest of a round the world ticket - it may be open to changes - but there will be on ongoing ticket.

If you mean he's bought a one-way ticket to the UK and nothing else - that must have been an awfully expensive ticket.

Another issue is if it looks like he may be camping out - as in carrying lots of things typical tourists don't.

Showing assets i s good, but showing intent to move on is often necessary.

Two ideas that may help:

Clothes make s the man, or so I've heard. Scruffy hair and beard are negated by a jacket and necktie. Dreadlocks are often covered by a roomy cap, some of which are designed for just such a purpose.

Onward ticket could be a fully refundable ticket for 2-3 weeks later, and he can then get a refund, no harm done.

nytraveler, he has bought a one-way ticket from New York to London, for a grand total of $211. May I recommend studentuniverse.com?

He's got friends to stay with in London so he can give their name and address, and he's timing his arrival because he has tickets to a concert three days after arrival )which he bought months ago), so there is that. I will have him get the letter from his employer. The bank statement should not be a problem - he'll have $10,000+. He will have a sleeping bag, but I'd think that's reasonable for someone who's planning to hostel in the winter.

BTW, he didn't take his example from Sandy, whom he's never heard of. He has several friends and acquaintances who've done what he is planning to do. In any event, the trip lasts only as long as his money, so if he's wrong about his ability to couch-surf his way around his chosen route, he'll just be home sooner than he wants to be.

The general agenda is:

*Western Europe - London, Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona?
*Turkey
*India
*Africa - he has friends in Nigeria so that one's for sure, but basically he wants to travel from Morocco down to South Africa or vice versa.

No chance he'll scrounge up a jacket and tie, but he does wear beanies, which make him look considerably less disreputable, and I'll talk to him about finding something reasonably tidy to wear coming off the plane.

It's no joyride having a son who prefers bum couture. The one consolation is that I'm sure he'll eventually outgrow it.

I will definitely broach the subject of the onward ticket.

Not sure what to say about the (lack of) onward tickets. Maybe your son could type up with a "draft" itinerary to show upon arrival...one that clearly indicates his intent to move on to Amsterdam, er, no, Paris on a date certain.

But that aside, and given appearance that you described as only a mother could do...I'd say that attitude is as important as appearance when entering a foreign country. A polite, upbeat demeanor certainly helps. And organizational skill helps too: having travel documents in hand, not fumbling for passport, landing card filled out neatly, etc.

I think his appearance won't be a problem but the lack of travel plans / onward ticket will. Also having friends in London might work against him. Try to think about this from the immigration officer's point of view. He's got money and friends but no onward travel plans.

I agree with KidsToLondon about an itinerary, and getting an onward ticket. Does he have friends in Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam or Barcelona? correspondence with them could help.

Actually print of this thread and send it with him.

"He appears to be precisely the sort of scruffy, hippie-ish young fellow who might be planning to stay indefinitely. "

Is, frankly, complete tosh. Talk about motes and beams

People who plan on staying indefinitely come in all sorts of guises, and if dressing like a parody of a 1950s American fratboy got you through immigration, Heathrow would be stuffed with male Stepfords.

As it is, Heathrow's actually stuffed with "scruffy, hippie-ish young fellow" s who are billionaire British businessmen, arriving (but legal) rock stars or just ordinary punters who've spent the night in cattle class from Singapore. At intercontinental rush hour, if you want to attract an immigration officer's attention, dress posh. Scruff is the norm.

Immigration officials get fired for fatuous stereotyping, and fired with the derision of their colleagues if they make their recommendations on the basis of hairlength. There is no dress code for presenting yourself to UK immigration, and faffing about as if there were is to miss the point spectacularly

What WILL worry them, though is vagueness. As you've described it, he ticks far too many "send him home" boxes:
- no onward ticket
- no precise plan for where he's staying
- couch surfing
- no evidence of a specific reason for going home

A non-European arriving at UK immigration with no return ticket and no evidence of a job or full-time course back home
is very likely to be interrogated intensively with a view to deportation. Medical insurance is irrelevant, and cash in the bank (which, BTW, has to be enough to support him IN BRITAIN for the length of time they think he's going to be here - in his case, six months) doesn't help much either.

If he hasn't got hard evidence of a job or real course in a real school he's going back to in the next six months, it really is almost essential to have a ticket out of Britain.

I more or less exactly agree with flanner. I have to say that for Americans, the only difficulties I've encountered have been where they thought the person was coming in to get married and hadn't got the right visa.

However, the comment that an immigration officer "cannot just turn him way at the whim of an individual official." Effectively they can do just that.

Just to add to FlannerUK's post. If they decide to not let him in he won't be deported, he'll be "refused entry." Seems like a small difference but one that's very important for getting future visas.

A decision to refuse entry must be taken by a sunior officer at UK immigration, not just the counter officer. He will first be taken aside and face interroration in an interview room, initially by the counter officer who has doubts about his eligibility, and then by a senior officer who needs to come to an independent decision. All available evidence will be examined, including his luggage (which will be fetched from customs) and phoning up any UK contacts who can verify his statements, or not. Only if two officers agree can then a procedure for removal be initiated, and he will be given a letter setting out grounds for refused entry. Even then, he may be given a couple of days in UK to sort out his affairs before reporting back to Heathrow for removal.

The most sensible option really would be for him to have an onward ticket to his next destination. I know he wants to wing it, but it wouldn't kill him to have one firm date in his travel plans. You can get very inexpensive flights from London-Paris with someone like Ryanair or Easyjet, which would seem to me like a sensible investment. Or even a foot passenger ticket for a ferry out of Dover to Calais? That will cost as little as £15 - see www.poferries.com

As others have pointed out, his appearance is irrelevant.

Interesting point of view Alec. Having dealt with this from the other side of the barrier, it looks a lot like a whim, to me

Just an observation. It does seem crazy that UK/US can be so obsessive about letting in an english-speaking "all American" or "British rose" yet these two countries let in the 7/7 bombers and 911 hijackers respectively.

We didn't 'let the 7/7 bombers in'. They were British. They lived here.'

RE the OP - Being scruffy is unlikely to cause many problems (except perhaps a drugs search!). The lack of a return or onward ticket is the real problem. That will almost certainly single him out for extra questioning.

And not quite the same issue, either. Immigration officers aren't police or security officers.

"We didn't 'let the 7/7 bombers in'. They were British. They lived here.'"

They may have been citizens but at some point the families that produced them were let in.

So we ban immigration just in case some descendant turns out wrong.

Or will you allow immigration but prevent them from breeding?

"So we ban immigration just in case some descendant turns out wrong"

What I'm saying is using common sense when it comes to immigration and not allowing in those that are more prone to terrorism or don't assimilate very well and it's a myth that all groups can equally assimilate or even assimilate. Anyway, both the US/UK are in a recession and have had massive immigration over the past several years so I believe common sense dictates that most immigration be halted.

"I believe common sense dictates that most immigration be halted." - there doesn't seem to be much common sense in this post, but the BBC was reporting last night that immigration has halted itself as the jobs have dried up. www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/09_september/08/migration.shtml

If he is flying from the US, are you sure he will even be allowed on the plane???

This summer DH and I flew to the UK and took the Queen Mary II back. I had to show our QMII reservation at the ticket counter at the airport because we didn't have a round trip ticket.

BTW, this subject has been beaten to death, but he does know about the 90 day Schengen limit after he leaves the UK, right?

Yup, he knows about Schengen. I don't think there's a danger of huim lingering overlong in the Schengen countries due to his financial limitations. We've heard it's best to visit India between November and March, so he'll be heading there, where it's much cheaper, before too long.

I assume he potentially faces all this again when he leaves UK for his first Schengen country? His current thinking is Copenhagen.

artsnletters,

My daughter reports that she has had a much easier time traveling to other European countries than she did with that first entry into the UK. Now, I don't know if that will be your son's experience, but I hope so!

By the way, I love your description of your son's looks. As a parent of two, I know It is not always easy being the parent of "young'uns" who must do things their own way, is it?

Saying he plans to stay with friends is like a red flag to a bull. That makes it sound like he's there for a long time, perhaps semi-permanently, since his lodging will be free.

Agree that he should get some sort of ongoing plane ticket - even if refundable and he turns it back - and also have some sort of reservation at a hotel or hostel - even if he cancels it as soon as he gets through Immigration.

I'm not an immigration expert, but wanted to share my bit of experience. I've stayed with friends in the UK a few times in the past few years, the most recent trip in May of this year. I got questioned more on this trip than I remember being questioned in the past. I always have an address for my friends, my passport and landing card ready to go. On previous trips, I've gotten through immigration with little more than the proper documents and a "What are you here for?" "Sightseeing and visiting friends." This time, they seemed more stern and asked questions like what my friends do for a living, and seemed to pay closer attention to the answers. I was with a few other people and this seemed to be pretty standard now.

I've never had any trouble, because I was able to answer all the questions easily and always had a round-trip ticket and a firm answer to how long I was staying. I agree that looking "scruffy" won't cause too much of an issue (I mean really, almost everyone looks scruffy after an overnight flight, and dreadlocks don't seem that big of a deal), but I do feel like things are more strict and your son should be prepared to answer those sorts of questions (including an onward/return ticket).

This news story illustrates how strict immigration is about any intention to work, even as a volunteer. It happened in June 2009.

http://www.thecnj.co.uk/islington/2009/062609/inews062609_01.html

When thinking about travelling to a country outside the US, ask yourself what hoops do the citizens of that country have to go through to visit the US. Normally the measures are reciprocal. So just as a young man or woman from the UK could not enter the US without clear intention of leaving within a reasonable time so will the UK immigration authorities apply the rules to a young man from the US like your son.

Unfortunately too many people (at least in the US and I assume the UK) enter in as visitors and then do overstay - so who can really blame the immigration officials. If your son is old enough to do the "round the world" adventure - he should be old enough to adjust himself to the realities of immigration and purchase a ticket to an onwards destination.

Hello,

I am not sure what country you are writing from but if I were you, or your son, I could call the UK Consulate/ Embassy in your country and ask your questions. You don't have to give details of your name, etc. but perhaps you can state the facts: your son is travelling around the world, he has X amount in bank account, he is staying with friends, etc. etc. They may be able to more officially and formally inform you of what the UK government's concern are and how he can avoid running into problems subsequently. Is there any need for a Visa? Perhaps he can get one regardless for a short term stay. Entering countries with a Visa is brilliant -- you know well in advance if they're not going to let you in!

Likewise, if you are nervous to call the UK consulate/ embassy, then contact your country's embassy/ consulate in the UK. They also may be able to help you.

I think the best way, obviously, is to plan ahead but using the proper tools. While forums like fodors are so very useful, asking the proper officials what a visitor needs and should expect would help you and your son be that much more prepared.

Hope that helps and wish him luck. I was a scruffy 21 year old the first time I entered the UK and I was upgraded to business class, so it just goes to show you.....

NicaZ: What on earth do you suppose a call to the UK embassy (or even less useful - the embassy of her home country) will accomplish?

"Hello. artsnletters here. I have a son who travels around w/ dreads and look like a street person. How do we get him into London when he doesn't have a fixed address nor an onwards ticket?"

And even IF the embassy officer gives her advice, he won't be there at LHR arrivals passport control to help. This isn't a question about needing a visa, it is a question about using common sense when traveling.

""I believe common sense dictates that most immigration be halted." - there doesn't seem to be much common sense in this post,"

Yes, when one is in a recession and many citizens are out of work, it makes perfect sense to halt immigration.

<< suec1 on Sep 8, 09 at 03:15 PM
Unfortunately too many people (at least in the US and I assume the UK) enter in as visitors and then do overstay - so who can really blame the immigration officials. If your son is old enough to do the "round the world" adventure - he should be old enough to adjust himself to the realities of immigration and purchase a ticket to an onwards destination. >>

I've read all of the posts and I feel that this one makes the most sense.

<<What I'm saying is using common sense when it comes to immigration and not allowing in those that are more prone to terrorism or don't assimilate very well and it's a myth that all groups can equally assimilate or even assimilate. Anyway, both the US/UK are in a recession and have had massive immigration over the past several years so I believe common sense dictates that most immigration be halted.>>

Those more prone to terror? Er and which groups would that be? Let me think about terrorism over the last 30 years - well the Irish stuff to start with, then ETA ............. oh I get it lets stop all Catholics entering the UK and USA.

And lets not let in anyone at all, don't worry about that causing a shortage of doctors and nurses. At least people will die in a country with no nasty foreigners.

sashh: Oh - don't fret about corli33. She goes off on the same sort of rant every so often. We all just just learn to ignore her . . . .

<<< What I'm saying is using common sense when it comes to immigration and not allowing in those that are more prone to terrorism >>>

At least one of the 7/7 bombers was a convert to Islam - and in any case how do you detect people who are "more prone to terrorism" several years before they are born?

I'm not really a racist - I'm just trying to prevent terrorism!

I think the important point is: nothing your son wants to do is in any way illegal or frowned upon by the governments of the countries he wants to visit. He can easily state what he intends to do (it isn't that unusual).

As others wrote, the only thing that might cause a problem in the UK is the missing return ticket. There is a good explanation, i.e. he wants to stay flexible and thus he can't pre-book anything without risking cancellation fees. I think it's absolutely legitimate to ask the UK consulate whether this will be a problem and what they advice. If you do it by mail, the reply can be printed out.

Alternatively, look at booking a ferry (I think a short hop across the channel costs less than 20 pounds). If the date can be changed or if the consulate sees a problem if he hasn't got an onward ticket, then he might buy it in advance.

With the immigration guys he should just stay with the true and simple story of him wanting to visit friends in the UK for maybe two weeks as a tourist and then move on to the continent, using public transport for which he will buy tickets in the UK.

"oh I get it lets stop all Catholics entering the UK and USA."

The Irish thing was an internal problem. How many Catholics from abroad fly into the USA or UK to cause terrorism?

"And lets not let in anyone at all, don't worry about that causing a shortage of doctors and nurses. At least people will die in a country with no nasty foreigners."

There is NO, I repeat NO SHORTAGE of workers in the UK/US, there is a shortage of jobs for citizens so saying that people will die is ridiculous. There is a shortage of doctors in many places where these immigrants come from however. Also, I never said or implied "foreigners were nasty", that comment is absurd and you know it nor is common sense "ranting".

"and in any case how do you detect people who are "more prone to terrorism" several years before they are born?"

Look around and see all of the buddhists blowing up airplanes and planting bombs? Seriously, we all know who I'm talking about.

"I'm not really a racist - I'm just trying to prevent terrorism!"

The truth is not racist, it's just the truth.

Face it folks, we all know which group on average is more prone to terrorism. Furthermore, I'm talking common sense here. The UK is an island with limited space,resources and not enough jobs for the citizens. It makes NO sense to continue most immigration at this point. The USA is not an island but also doesn't have enough jobs for its' citizens and has limited resources. Large growth is causing severe water shortages in the Southwest as well as straining the electical systems, causing a greater usage of oil, urban sprawl etc. By mid-century, the USA will have half a billion people and over a billion before century's end if this continues. Both the UK/US will implode on themselves. Not to mention in BOTH countries or anywhere, importing people with very differing languages, cultures etc. en masse leads to increased tensions and balkenization. Most immigration is not needed and in such high levels is harmful, a proven fact. Don't kill the messenger.

"There is NO, I repeat NO SHORTAGE of workers in the UK/US"

But all workers are not equal. If you wish your nurse or doctor to be a citizen, but to have trained as a shelf packer at Walmart, then that's fine.

To answer your other points, there were strong, documented links between parts of the Irish American Catholic community and the terrorist organisations in Ireland. This included finacial support, arms and providing of safe havens.

The UK born bombers are second and third generation immigrants. How obvious was Pakistani inspired terrorism in the early 1970s?

Your self justification about "The truth" comes across as barely veiled islamaphobic racism. It always amazes me that an inhabitant of a nation proud of its diversity, and built by generations of immigrants should think this way.

"But all workers are not equal. If you wish your nurse or doctor to be a citizen, but to have trained as a shelf packer at Walmart, then that's fine."

I'm NOT saying that all docs/nurses have to be citizens. I'm saying that immigration en masse is unecessary and much of it needs to be halted.

"there were strong, documented links between parts of the Irish American Catholic community and the terrorist organisations in Ireland"

That was true in the past but is not a problem today.

"The UK born bombers are second and third generation immigrants.

True, you have a point but now that we know, why continue with migration of certain groups. Also, not all groups all groups are equally assimable or even assimable.

"It always amazes me that an inhabitant of a nation proud of its diversity, and built by generations of immigrants should think this way."

If you're talking about the USA, immigration in the past was legal ,was in much smaller numbers and on an as needed basis and there was a lot of pickiness and quotas about who was let in.

None of which helps the OP.

Back on track here:
1. onward ticket would help, or a clear idea of the longest he will be in the UK, together with proof of funds.
2. evidence of employment or other commitments in the US that he will be returning to will be a big help.
3. if a round the world ticket has been purchased, at least he will have some sort of evidence that he intends to travel on from the UK.

I really don't think that this is the first scruffy young American ever to enter the UK. The immigration officials are well-trained professionals and know how to look past physical appearance. When they ask about plans, they are generally qualified to determine if somebody who says "I'm going overland to India" is being truthful or not.

Arriving with a one way ticket is actually quite common when one is planning to wander around Europe, North Africa, or whatever (ask a lot of the Australians and New Zealanders out there!) for an indeterminate length of time.

The clarity of the young man's replies will be far more important than trying to wear a 'normal person disguise' to get into the country -- those disguises are what the terrorists wear.

Thank you to those who rerouted the conversation back from the immigration debate. My son is not interested in immigrating, legally or illegally. Perhaps corli33 and willit might start their own thread to debate the merits of immigration?

Is there a consensus here that if he has an onward ticket to somewhere and states clearly that his plans are to spend a couple weeks in England and then move on, there should be no problem with the one-way ticket? (Remember, he has the bank account down.)

Yup artsanletters, that's about the size of it.

Hope your son has a great trip.

An onward ticket, firm plans and general attitude of cooperation have always worked fine for me. (Actually with those, I've never been asked for a bank statement, which is a good thing as I've never had one with me.) Just remind him to have his friends' address with him on the plane to fill out his landing card. And to have a great trip.

Does he have a valid credit card? Officials find that particularly reassuring.

artsnletters - congratulations on having an adventurous son who is curious about seeing the world. I wish the worst thing any twenty-something did was wear dreadlocks and travel on the cheap! The most interesting, intellectually curious, well-rounded people I know are people who did exactly what he plans to do when they were young. More power to him. And more power to you too - I know it's hard to "let" (as if we have a choice) - our young loved ones go off to far-flung adventures.

Last year DH and our 20-year-old DD and myself arrived in Amsterdam with no onward ticket anywhere and not word one was said about it. No questions of any sort. We had quite good explanations and were eager to tell someone our life stories, but no one was interested.

Of course I had sense enough to be wearing couture and a tiara.

And I know Amsterdam isn't the UK, so the experience isn't really relevant, but I just wanted to brag about how my fashion know-how enabled me and mine to sail through European immigration with no return tickets.

I do think the idea about having some sort of (refundable) ticket in his possession might possibly help. Although surely immigration people are aware of such ploys. Basically I agree with Kerouac re: "the clarity of the young man's replies will be far more important ...". An honest and sincere explanation of his plans - perhaps with emphasis on how one of his dreams has always been to see India or Africa or wherever, will help convince them he doesn't want to limit his adventure to staying in the UK. As some have pointed out, Europe is FILLED with young people who look just like him - many of them from the US, Canada, Australia, etc. and many of them with open-ended travel plans just like his.

Or maybe, in lieu of trying to look like an insurance salesman from Des Moines, he can deliver an impassioned lecture about how he hates to work (anywhere) and considers getting ANY kind of paid employment a major sell-out. That would let them know he doesn't plan on getting a job AND endear him to the people who work for a living at immigration.

Tell your son to write a trip report - or maybe you can keep us posted. I'd love to hear about his adventures.

Since you mentioned that he will be going to Nigeria and other parts of Africa and India-I sure hope that he has all of his vaccines,malaria pills,etc. for that part of the world.

kerouac - yes, he has a credit card all his own.

NorCalif - LOL!!! Loved your story. My son is already a very interesting person who has had some unusual experiences. Some of that was my doing/fault, but he is a person who attracts extraordinary people and events. He's hoping to keep a journal and perhaps write a book when he returns - knowing him, he will have some incredible stories to tell. He's a gifted writer, although his ADD makes it painful to get it down, and his punctuation and spelling are atrocious - but fortunately his mother can hlep him, get that rite! (sic) I expect to get newsy missives such as "Hi Mom, I'm in ______ and I'm still alive." He's just not ready for college and might never be, so I think this trip is the perfect way for him to get a great education (though his grandparents are very upset that he's spending the college money they put away for him this way). I am deeply, deeply envious. (BTW, your "sell-out" description isn't far from the truth - he is an "anti-consumerist" who has been supporting himself doing on-the-street fund-raising for social causes for the last year and a half.)

dutyfree - that's something he's starting on this week, but thanks for mentioning it!

Anyway, pale American rastas are not really what the immigration authorities are worried about. (On the subway tonight, I was tuned in to how many dreadlocks I saw at rush hour -- I don't know how common they are in the U.S. but there is certainly no lack of them in Paris!)

Anyway, another unfortunate group is more the target of interest than young American tourists: http://tinyurl.com/lg7c8n

Who the hell goes on holiday to Nigeria?

I think he should bring his mother.

C_W - Someone who has friends there to stay with! And who doesn't want the usual sort of tourist-sight travel experience.

knittingdoll - We both laugh in your face! Although we are close, he and I have very different travel and personal styles, and he is a fiercely independent fellow, for which I am profoundly grateful. He has lived away from home and supported himself with no assistance from me since he was 18! I feel fortunate that he has included me in his travel planning, although some of that is because he knows I know a lot about traveling abroad, and that I'm much better at scrounging up information on the internet and having the patience to read through it. I want him back in one piece when he's finished!

C-W was replying what I was thinking?

The airline that I fly for has two cities that we fly to in Nigeria and it is considered VERY dangerous-so much so that the crew is split up so if something happens they can still get the plane out ASAP back to the US.NOBODY wants to do the trip!
Has he ever lived or traveled overseas?

Forgot to add that he will need a tourist visa BEFORE he leaves for India.

dutyfree, I will mention this to him. I sort of worry about much of his African trip, as many countries there seem to be very unstable politically (or, if stable, have a fairly frightening regime). I didn't realize Nigeria was one of the scarier ones.

He's not entirely a babe in the woods, he's been to Japan and Italy, he's lived in major metropolitan areas his whole life, and he has dared the wilds of east Oakland, which can be pretty darn frightening too. But I doubt up for serious political unrest in a third-world country (at least I hope not).

Have you heard bad things about Ghana? He's very keen to go there. (I think I foresee a trip to the Africa forum in my very near future.)

We did know about the visa to India. Well, I did anyway, and I told him.

Nigeria? This "scruffy young man" story is getting bizarre. I was in Nigeria once, under big corporate sponsorship and escorted by a native driver and a soldier with a carbine. SYM is just out of his mind to go there.

Hey, we don't have to worry about Nigeria just yet. Right now he just needs to get into the UK. Maybe I'll be lucky and he'll run out of money and have to come home before he gets there?

<<Forgot to add that he will need a tourist visa BEFORE he leaves for India.>>

Forgot about that - visas in his passport for his travel will also show he intends to continue his travels.

janisj thanks for the advice and apologies to OP for rising tot he bait.

I hope he has a fantastic time.

"Perhaps corli33 and willit might start their own thread to debate the merits of immigration?"

Point taken and apologies.

Nigeria is about the worst place you can go to as a white westerner. Kidnapping is common. Robbery commonplace.

It's horrible by anyone's standards. Bloody dangerous too.

Tell UK immigration you want to go to Nigeria - forget it.

If you're interested read this book by a UK immigration officer - mainly about Nigerians:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Refusal-Shoes-Tony-Saint/dp/1852428279

My brother was, for some years, editor of an African football magazine. He was a frequent visitor to Nigeria and spent a great deal of time there.

He truly hated the place and believes it to be the most corrupt, crime ridden place he has ever had to work (and that includes Johannesburg).

artsnletters, print out this thread and let him have at it. He is 21 and needs to be able to deal with the consequences of his choices. If he can't already handle it, he will by the time he returns.

I guess think of it the other way. How would you advise a visitor to USA to present himself with the chance of getting in? He may even find thta the airline will not let him board as they have to pay to take him back.

Jeez! Rasta hair and one way tickets are fine. Some of you want this guy to act 61 years old instead of 21.

Nigeria is off the itinerary. Mom heaves a sigh of relief. I have introduced him to the travel advisory page on state.gov. (We've also had a conversation about staying away from the borders of countries with which the US doesn't have diplomatic relations.)

I'm a little confused by the talk of "consequences." He doesn't want to do anything illegal, he's far from even pushing the envelope. He wants to spend about two weeks in Britain and then move on. My question is only on what he can do to ensure that his intentions are clear to the passport control officer.

At this point, I'm pushing the onward ticket since the consensus seems to be that that will be sufficient to prevent any untoward attention.

Besides the corruption and crime in Nigeria, SYM also has serious issues with disease. My county health department gave me a prescription of anti-malaria pills. My doctor gave me prescription anti-diarrhea pills and an antibiotic. He was part of a group which smuggled Christian missionaries into the country and knew the situation. My company gave me a medical kit with more stuff in it, including needles but I forget what they were for. Maybe the local medics re-used needles so it was better to bring my own in case of need.

spaarne, he's changed his mind and will not be going to Nigeria.

He is planning a number of stops in tropical areas, so he will be making a visit to a travel medicine clinic before long for vaccinations, anti-malarial medication, and general info about keeping himself healthy in such places.

artsnletters,

You posted while I was composing. Good to see that Nigeria is out.

I agree with the others about an onward ticket. That may be the deal breaker if he doesn't have it. I was only asked once, at AMS years ago. I didn't have it but I had a rail pass and a bundle of travelers checks starting a three month roundabout on the Continent. I was admitted.

You know the major issue by your description of SYM. He looks bad so he will raise suspicion. It doesn't matter that London has loads of kids like that, the passport police have a singular duty in life -- protect the border. Maybe SYM could go to the Salvation Army store and buy a suit for $20. That could raise his credibility. After he got into to the UK throw the suit away.

Norcalif - Are you saying you had no visas to stay in the Netherlands a year?

He might encounter his first problems at the US airport with the one-way ticket. DD spent 6 months in Spain (with visa) and decided to come home for a week vacation and booked a r/t ticket Madrid/US/Madrid. When she was returning to Spain, everything was questioned and looked at because she had no return ticket to the US. Of course, she was able to produce the visa, but they really took a long look at the dates on it.

He will need to get a visa in advance to enter India - and for that he will need proper vaccinations. I believe all that has to be taken care of in the USA before his departure. He should also check on the visa requirements for whatever African countries he plans to visit. Kenya, I know, requires a visa, but you can buy it at the airport when you enter. Other African countries (and Asian ones too) may require advance visas and vaccinations. He should have malaria pills as well - enough to cover his stays in countries where they might be needed.

Scruffy appearance is not an issue. Scruffy men enter the UK and everywhere else all the time. If he has a recent bank statement, a credit card, and a plausible explanation of his plans, he should be OK, EXCEPT for the onward ticket issue. I would urge him to do some research into a cheap, refundable plane, train, or ferry ticket to another country, buy it, and then plan to actually leave GB within a reasonable amount of time, even if it's not on that original ticket.

Glad to hear he's not going to Nigeria.

Everything you do has consequences. It has nothing to do with legal or illegal. You seem concerned about his dreadlocks and how people will view him. You seem concerned that his dreadlocks will cause officials to view him in a negative manner. That may or may not happen. If he doesn't like how people pre-judge him, he might change his hairstyle. On the other hand, there are people who will find him an interesting and intelligent man. He will have to decide by his experiences how he wants to go forward.

artsnletters: feel this saga drawing to a close, but you MUST promise to provide us with updates.

I would love to think that Fodors can provide a perspective on travel experience very different from the sort that most posters see.

"Sandy" was an unpleasant and probably bogus example. But my own kids travel all over the world and do couch surf successfully. Personally, I would love to see Trip Reports (even second-hand, if you can't induce son to write his own) about this sort of adventure travel.

It's probably too late for this to be of any help, since he's already got the ticket directly to London, but my experience with UK customs (although this is 20 years old-so it may have changed) is that they are much less fussy when you are crossing in overland from Ireland. My roomate and I were waved through the line in Belfast getting off the train from Dublin-never even opened the passports, much less had anyone look at them or ask us questions-much to our amazement. I assume I must have shown somebody something for the ferry trip from Dublin to Holyhead, but I have no recollection of it, and there certainly wasn't any scrutiny of my intentions. Two years later, in Heathrow, with a return ticket to the USA dated for less than two weeks later, I was asked multiple questions about the distant cousins in Liverpool I've never met!

kybourbon re: your question: "Norcalif - Are you saying you had no visas to stay in the Netherlands a year? "

Yes, I'm saying we had no onward ticket and no visa or other official paperwork to stay in the Netherlands when we arrived. And absolutely no questions of any sort were asked.

After we had been there a few months we got a residence permit that enabled us to stay for a year. This was the way we were told to do it by the university DH was doing research at. I'm certainly not suggesting random travelers try this. If we HAD been questioned at entry, we would have been able to show some correspondence from the University showing they were sponsoring DH's research, but since no one asked us anything, we didn't show them anything. (I'm telling you, it was the tiara that did it.)

And actually, the reason we didn't have a return ticket home is that we could not purchase a ticket for a date slightly over a year ahead of when we were arriving - the airline wouldn't let us book that far ahead. Kind of frustrating actually.

barbara, he's indifferent to how he's perceived, as he's grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area where you can present yourself in almost any fashion you choose without drawing a second glance. It's me who worries, as I know the grandparents, who live in more conservative Reno, shudder to see him, so I'm aware that others may not be as impressed with his hippie couture.

persimmondeb, the student air ticket fell through, although I'm still finding $250 one-way fares for London. His timeline is based around a concert ticket he has for October 30, but he's talking about going a little sooner, so that might make heading to Ireland a possibility. I will look into it - thanks!

If I have enough information about his adventures to post, I'll be sure to do it. I could gets lots if we were checking in by phone, but he wasn't even happy with my request that he send an e-mail once a week anyway letting me know what part of the world he's in.

Thanks to all for your help! I will at least let you know how the entry goes, once it has happened.

To clarify my last post, when I said "I"m certainly not suggesting random travelers try this", I meant that I don't think any traveler should try to enter a country counting on having no questions asked.

I AM suggesting it may be just fine for a random traveler to have no firm onward ticket (I think Immigration is aware that tickets can be cancelled/refunded, so an onward ticket may not be worth the paper it's printed on.) So I think anyone needs to be prepared to have a logical, sincere explanation for their plans and be willing to discuss them, showing some sort of corroborating evidence if possible.

But hey, I can only speak from my own experience, don't know what the rules are supposed to be. I spent an entire year (just got home a few weeks ago) in Europe and was never asked to produce my residence permit anywhere. I did only travel back and forth to the Netherlands within Schengen though - France, Germany, Spain, etc. until I left for the States. Where I was also NOT asked to show any proof it had been legal for me to be in Europe for so long.

The reason I mentioned a credit card is that in most countries a credit card counts as an "onward or return ticket".

Do the rest of you really think that a return or onward ticket is any proof that the person is returning or moving onward? The immigration officials certainly know better than that! (Especially since so many round trip tickets are cheaper than one way tickets, even on the Eurostar.)

SYM absolutely should not waste money on buying an onward ticket ahead of time if there is any chance that he won't actually use it for that specific trip (such as a cheap nonrefundable Eurostar ticket).

When travelling from Ireland to the UK, you don't need to show your passport - there is a seperate entry lane where you walk right through (you just have to pay attention to the signs) without going through immigration.

So, no questions should be asked unless you are singled out for whatever reason.

<<< When travelling from Ireland to the UK, you don't need to show your passport - there is a seperate entry lane where you walk right through >>>

Not any more

artsnletters-you asked about Ghana? We have had 7 crewmembers come down with malaria since last November-one flight attendant picked it up in Ghana and has since died. Please stress to your son both for Africa and India the importance of the pills.
My son just returned after working two years in India in the northern region-he has stressed that your son needs to realize how big and far India really is.DS doesn't think that your son will have enough money to accomplish all the countries and lifestyle that he wants to do for a year. India is cheaper than Western Europe but things do add up.
DS also came home with a parasite-ah the joys of living and traveling in 3rd world countries!!Do stress that the poverty and despair in alot of the countries he wants to visit is not like going to Italy or Japan.

alanRow - when did this change ... in the past few months?

"ah the joys of living and traveling in 3rd world countries"

You don't have to travel abroad to see a third world country, just go to Queens,NY or Los Angles.LOL

Apart from having the correct medication for travelling outside Europe your son will need medical and repatriation insurance to cover all the areas of the world he hopes to visit unless you want to stump up if it all goes wrong. While it can go wrong many young people travel with no problems but insurance is there for the unexpected. No I don't sell insurance I'm just cautious.

From the UK Borders Agency this is the cryptic advice on the website.

"How do I qualify to travel to the UK as a visitor?
In general, you must show that:
you want to visit the UK for no more than six months;
you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit, and
you have enough money to support yourself and live in the UK without working or needing help from public funds."

He has to convince the officials at immigration of these points, if unconvinced he will be turned back.

Visas for other countries for any extensive stay should be applied for from the home country. This is the basic international system.

Countries he may he travelling to in Asia will want to know about his immunisation, particularly if he has recently visited another Asian country where a particular illness is prevalent.

As Helen says, get vaccinated and get plenty of anti-malarial pills to take with you, and make sure you know which countries you will need to take them, and when to start/finish taking them.

And he really does need a good travel insurance policy.

One of my daughters spent several months travelling (backpacking) extensively in SE Asia and American Express tailor-made a policy for her. We did have to make a claim for stolen property (it happened in Laos) when she got home but it was no big deal with them. Amex were very littke more expensive than other companies, and offered a better level of cover. Also the name does count for something if you have to get a police report or medical documents in a foreign country.

My younger daughter has an annual world-wide policy with American Express, and we chose them because they cover almost every eventuality and have a good repatriation insurance (not all policies do).

Please excuse me, the rest of you who have been so helpful.

Helen, I sound the constant drumbeat about vaccinations and anti-malarials. I hope he's going to be visiting a travel medicine clinic this week.

julia_t, we're currently investigating travel medical insurance. My son knows well that I don't have the resources to help if he ends up in dire circumstances abroad, so he doesn't have a choice about getting it. We will definitely look into American Express.

Hi artsnletters,

I've been reading your thread and it sounds very interesting that your son is planning on a whirlwind world tour. He certainly is very brave and must be very adventurous.

I wanted to chime-in about the vaccinations. Make sure that he is not allergic (or might have problems from side-effects) to any of the vaccinations, esp. the anti-malarial vaccination. The reason I mention this is because I had a friend who went to South America a few years ago to travel/go hiking/explore and the anti-malarial meds he took caused him to lose his balance on a hike. He fell off the mountain and died at the age of 24. His father was a doctor, and discovered that the side-effects of the anti-malarial drugs caused the accident.


Take care, and I hope that your son has an incredible travel experience.

asalamy - I was in Dublin a few months ago, and definitely had to show my passport both entering and exiting Ireland from the UK.

Third World Countries? Queens NY in comparison to someplace like Old Delhi India or parts of Western Africa.Not even close!

Have your son take a look at www.gapyear.com - there's loads of information there about visas, vaccinations, insurance. It is primarily aimed at young travellers from the UK, but the information provided is relevant for travellers from all countries and much of it will apply to your son regarding his trip.

You can download a 'Malaria Awareness' guide, and in the countries section there's info on Nigeria and Ghana.

You need visas for both countries, and apparently even Bill Gates was refused a visa for Nigeria in 2007. So you may not need to worry about your son visiting those countries.

Also, the World Health Organisation website will advise which immunisations your son will require for each country - and it takes 8-12 weeks to fit them all in with sensible gaps between each set so he needs to think about that NOW.

<<and it takes 8-12 weeks to fit them all in>>

I have been after him for a couple months to get on this. He wants to leave home in a couple weeks, and the country toward the end of October, so he clearly has left this very late. No fault of mine. Before I went to the Philippines many many years ago, we went once a week for a month and got a shot in each arm, so I certainly knew this and told him.

Some areas of Africa require protection against Yellow Fever, a nasty series of jabs

Kudos to your son, artsnletters, on wanting to undertake this adventure, and even moreso to you for being such a supportive and sensible parent. I've followed this thread with interest and wish him all the best for a fantastic trip.

You've got lots of good (and some not so) information to sort through. I think you've got your answer now on the entry/exit into the UK so no more comment on that.

May offer some other considerations ?
On the subject of travel in Africa, I agree giving Nigeria and Ghana a pass but do not overlook the Northern part of the continent (Morocco, Egypt), the eastern part (Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar) and even the south (Botswana, S.Africa) as possibilities for varied and exciting experiences. And these can be had safely and inexpensively. If he has his wits about him once he gets there, he will definitely find safe and cheap ways of visiting and exploring these countries. I know cos I've done it myself, albeit a few years ago, but many close friends of mine have done it more recently. The same goes for travel in S.E. Asia and India. There are some wonderful adventures waiting for him to experience in all these countries and continents, and ones that I think he will appreciate given his character that you've described. He will also meet plenty of other travellers like himself to help him along.

Like a previous poster, I too think that he will go through $10K quickly. It's harder to be prudent with cash on a trip like this so suggest either putting some of it aside for emergencies or save a bit more before leaving. If he doesn't have to rush, the world will wait for him !

On the subject of visas, if he plans on visiting Russia, he may have to look into obtaining his visa AND invitation from his home country before he leaves. As far as I know, the only exception for this requirement are cruise ship visitors who typically visit for only a day or two. However given his open ended travel plans, it might be better and cheaper to look into it before his departure - if he plans to go there. Also, central Europe and the eastern bloc countries are wonderful destinations and relatively inexpensive.

One other consideration might be to check the time of the year with respect to climate and weather of the countries he may visit. Severe winters can be limiting in the Northern Hemisphere, and India/SE Asia in Monsoon season is no picnic. Remember that the African winter is in July/August and can be a pleasant respite from the burning sun for travelling, but you will need warm clothing in S. Africa (toque and gloves in the early mornings as my family discovered on their vacation there this year). Avoid desert nations during their summer; its hotter and more oppressive than you could ever imagine.

One last thing, it may be helpful to him (and you) for him to carry the means for mobile communication beyond a cell phone. The world is very connected nowadays, even in remote areas. His independent nature may not think it necessary but its good to have.

Can't wait to read reports of his adventures. Please keep us posted and ask away for advice. The FODORS Africa and Asia boards are helpful, as is Lonely Planet for travellers his age.

Good luck !

M

PS And lets not forget a tiara at the bottom of his backpack in case of an emergency.

Yellow fever is one shot, not particularly nasty. He will need that certificate to get into any country if he's coming from one where it's endemic. If I were you, I might worry more about the grandparents-rather uncool that he's using the money they set aside for college.
There is a well-established backpack trail, and he won't be alone out there. I don't think asking for weekly email is excessively constricting, but I'm a mom!

Mathieu, thanks for your insights. It sounds like the eastern side of Africa is less dicey than the western side. I'm supposed to be in charge of suggesting an itinerary that avoids the worst of the weather, but it isn't helpful that he's starting this trip essentially at the beginning of November. I've heard November through March is a good time to be in India as well as the southern end of the African continent, but as long as he's in western Europe, he wants to see what's on his agenda there first, since it's going to be the most expensive leg. And Turkey is supposed to be in there too, although early winter seems a bad time to be there. Right now I'm thinking maybe western Europe, then Turkey, then India around the first of the year, then where he can fly to in South Africa, and working his way north from there. That saves the diciest part of the trip until he's (a) got some experience in the third world, and (b) is closer to heading home. Maybe he comes up through Morocco and flies home from Spain?

(The funny thing is, he'd think it was hilarious to wear a tiara.)

SusanSDG, I feel pretty bad about the grandparents, although in my son's defense, with his learning disabilities college may just not be in the cards. He spent three semesters trying to get some purchase in community college and managed to complete a whole three courses. The grandparents are very traditional, security-minded folks, and while that's admirable, it doesn't work for everyone and certainly lacks any scope of vision. My mother thought I should go get a nice secure clerical job for the federal government after I finished my undergrad degree and serve out my time. Instead, I got a Ph.D. and now do considerably more interesting and challenging stuff than pushing papers around.

Forgot to ask, Mathieu - what do you recommend as a mobile means of communication? Right now he's not planning on anything. Keeping cost low is very important.

Oh for heaven's sake, corli33. You know nothing whatsoever about me or my experience, where I live or what I drive. As a matter of fact, you are completely, totally wrong on every count.

I don't appreciate your "participation" (if you can call it that) on this thread, as you've had nothing constructive whatsoever to offer this discussion. You are only looking for a platform for your own irrelevant (in the context of this thread) opinions. In all honesty, why don't you go post in the lounge on threads where people want to talk about the stuff you're interested in?

I was born in an NIC (newly industrialized country) that used to be Third World, but has modernized in the past 30 years.

I lived for 20 years in Los Angeles. I don't think it's Third World at all. Yes, there is homelessness, crime, hunger, unemployment, a high percentage of immigrants. But this describes urban life. If we equate cities like LA, the Bronx, and Queens to the Third World, we could also say that Paris, Berlin, and Rome are "Third World." These cities have characteristics as described above, too.

Of course, it certainly isn't true that Paris/Berlin/Rome are Third World cities, and we know this here at Fodor's because most of us have traveled there. This is why it's so important for more young Americans to travel internationally to explore and learn from the rest of the world. And this is why I applaud artsnletters for encouraging his/her son to travel.

Americans consist of 5% of the total population in the world, and yet our lifestyles require/allow us to consume more energy than western Europe, China, and Russia combined. If more of us are able to see first-hand what Third World countries are really like, we'd realize how lucky we are to be living in a society surrounded by such immense wealth.

I feel fortunate to have immigrated to the US and am thankful for the educational opportunities, for if it weren't for these opportunities, I wouldn't be able to contribute to the American economy today. I hope that the younger generation of Americans will take their experiences abroad and use it to build a more intelligent, efficient, and open-minded America.

Thanks, nancicita, for injecting a dose of reality and rationalism.

artsnletters-I would highly recommend a "travel sized" laptop (netbook) that is inexpensive but very nice to have while traveling around for looking up places to stay or stay connected to his family. I LOVE the ACER which was about $297 at Sam"s Club. There are alot of similar ones now at about every possible computer purchase place.
Although I fly as an international flight attendant everyweek overseas,I use my netbook everywhere. Skype can be used with the built in webcam so you will be able to see him-very important for us moms?

I would love to have one of those for myself, but unfortunately it's beyond my budget right now and far beyond his. I think it would be very difficult to talk him into taking one even if provided for him, and harder still to hang on to it when he's planning on traveling rough. Darn! It's hard to imagine not talking to him for such a long time.

there are internet cafes EVERYWHERE these days - that's usually the cheapest and easiest way to stay in touch.

Hope he has a lovely trip and don't worry too much about him - loads of people his age are doing the same thing in the same parts of the world. Not everything can or needs to be planned out in detail.

Oh and on Nigeria, while I agree its of limited general tourist interest (although it has its intersting parts, you may as well see similar elsewhere) and not as safe as the main African destinations, I'd disagree it's quite the nightmare portrayed by some here. I get the feeling that most of the comments relate to the north of the country, (smuggling in Christian missionaries?) but the south isn't quite as bad as that.

I'm in Bangkok at the moment and uselessly brought my netbook. I am not staying in a hotel with wifi (when you're spending $9 a day for a hotel room, it's already pretty cool to have air-con, satellite TV and a swimming pool, so I'm not complaining), so I just pop into an internet cafe from time to time at 0.75 baht per minute (that's about $1 per hour). My netbook is a useless piece of baggage on this trip.

Doing business in Nigeria is usually with accompanied highly armed bodyguards and back up vehicles. So, I tend to think it would be far off any tourist safelist.

As for the laptop, since it's really just a means to stay in touch, and does not need to have the latest bells and whistles, might it be practical to check shops that sell secondhand computers, or even thrift stores? Some of these places have enormous quantities of old electronics show up in them. I'm borrowing an old laptop from a family member for my Ireland trip, as I use a desktop, and I don't want to take my husband's. Even if you're not related to the kind of people who always have to have the latest thing, there are a lot of slightly obsolescent but functional computers out there.

If the OP and her son are looking for a way to keep in touch, I would look into an iPod Touch rather than a full computer. I don't have one so I don't know many details, but it does have wifi capability and may be able to use Skype? I'm not sure. Something to check into, anyway, and I'd much rather carry that around than a laptop. However, it sounds like neither may be in the budget, in which case I think internet cafes will work just fine (at least in Europe; I'm unfamiliar with other places on his route).

For those of you who want to follow this saga, I will do my best to keep you posted. The trip is beginning in a couple weeks with a ride-share/hitchhiking trip from the Bay Area to NYC, possibly quite roundabout, so it will turn up on the United States board for starters. Thanks for all your help!

linca - I agree that Nigeria is not the safest place and not on most tourist lists - but the worst area is the north with all the oil business- there you definitely need armed bodyguards as kidnapping is a real risk. It's a massive country though, and it's not the norm everywhere.

Well, might comfort some, but I sure hope my kids don't get the bug to go there anytime soon.

but the worst area is the north with all the oil business

The north is where I was, working at a refinery for a few weeks in Kaduna. Oil is produced in the delta, nowhere near the north. The north is dangerous because of the ethnicity of the locals. The problem is that the damn British Empire manufactured Nigeria like they did with many other countries, especially in the Middle East. Historically Nigeria is basically three distinct peoples and three distinct religions. It will always be in turmoil thanks to the legacy of British colonialism.

The only way up to Kaduna was via big oil corporate jet. We had to wait for some fellows from Houston. Three of us were holed up in a hotel in Lagos for three days waiting. We couldn't go to town because the taxis could get no gasoline! We didn't really want to leave the bar and the pool anyway after hearing about the situation outside the gates of the hotel compound.

I think this thread now has enough information about Nigeria and medical issues.

Can anybody think of anything else?

For those who are interested, "Scruffy Young Man" has left the building and is on his way cross-country from the Bay Area to New York:

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/scruffy-young-man-has-left-the-building.cfm

Pray that Elvis guides him.

I think he's going to need someone to guide him. Apparently he somehow missed his first bus - to Oergon. Then took a difernt bus but forgot to get off and ended up somehwre random. Got a bus back ad it now rock climibing somewhere 100 miles form home.

And is planningo on hitching cross coutry (perhaps he doesn't realize it's illegal in many places).

I hadn't seen the US post. SYM is destined to be an international incident, if he can even make it to London.

"UK immigration has a reputation for being tough (but so is US, Australian etc), but they work strictly to rules and cannot just turn him way at the whim of an individual official."

I think you'll find this is not the case - often the initial decision is left to the judgment of the officer in front of you...then the fun starts....

I'm sorry if I'm repeating others advice but - if he states that he's "Staying with friends" he is greatly decreasing his chances of entry.

what immigration are concerned with is that he will leave the country and not try to stay/work get welfare......staying in backpackers etc is fine, small money is fine.....just so long as they are convinced he has good reasons to leave/move on or go home he'll be fine.

i doubt if he'll be the first hippy they've seen either.

ttt