Crossing an international border can be an adventure in itself. Some borders are quick and straightforward to cross, while others involve long queues, passport checks, paperwork and unexpected challenges.
As a family travelling the world and working towards our goal of visiting 99 countries before our daughter turns 18, we’ve experienced border crossings in different parts of the world. On this page, we share our first-hand experiences of crossing international borders in Europe, South America and Asia.
You’ll find our real stories, what happened during each crossing, the challenges we encountered and practical tips to help you prepare for your own travels.
Whether you’re planning a road trip across Europe, travelling overland through South America or exploring countries in Asia, our border crossing experiences can help you understand what to expect.
Browse our stories by region below, and discover what crossing borders around the world is really like.
Please remember: Border procedures, visa requirements and entry rules can change and depend on your passport and circumstances. Always check the latest official guidance before travelling.
World Borders – Europe.
A large part of Europe is Schengen (a common travel area with open borders), which means crossing borders is extremely easy. However, this isn’t always the case, and sometimes crossing land borders within Europe means paying a visit to passport control.
World Borders – South America.
Land borders in South America can be really straight-forward for some passport holders and very difficult for others. Even if you have the right passport, the queues can be long, and the wait can be excessive. These are the experiences we had crossing borders in South America.
World Borders – Asia.
Most people fly between countries in Asia due to transport between the countries being long and grueling, but sometimes there is the opportunity to cross land borders, and here is our experience of doing that.
If you have any questions about crossing any borders, please drop us a message on one of the posts above, and we will happily respond. Or if you have a border we need to try and cross, please message us and we will give it a go.
Thanks for reading.
The Lewis family.