I stood by, watching as our tour manager’s friendly demeanor turned cold.

"Yea, that's not going to work. There is no way I'm going to pay that."

The look on her face proved that she was serious and ready to stand her ground.

Together we had just checked in a tour party of ten people, along with more than thirty pieces of luggage and equipment at Jakarta, Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta airport. With well-worn passports and freshly printed boarding passes now in their possession, the band and crew dispersed to entertain themselves. And the tour manager and I headed to pay the checked luggage fee.

For those of us who travel extensively, it’s hard to believe that some people don’t like flying. Even when taking the hassle of airports out of the equation, they just prefer to be on solid ground.

As is true with most things in the production world, the key to a pleasant customs experience is to do your due diligence in advance. There are a few very important things to know before you head to the airport when using a carnet.

International travel can be intimidating, even more so if it’s your first time out of the country. Band and crew rely on you for guidance every step of the way, and carrying a bunch of gear adds a fair amount of time and effort to everything you do.

Travel by train in the US is not that common these days, especially when touring. When traveling abroad however it's not as rare, and you may find yourself using a train to get from city to city at some point.