A stowaway is a person who hides on a ship, airplane, train, or other vehicle to travel secretly without permission or payment. Stowaways tuck themselves into cargo holds, shipping containers, or other hidden spaces, hoping to reach a destination they couldn't otherwise get to.

Historically, stowaways might have been desperate people seeking a better life in a new country, or adventurous souls sneaking aboard ships bound for distant lands. In classic adventure stories, a young stowaway might be discovered days into a sea voyage and forced to work alongside the crew to earn their passage.

Modern stowaways face serious dangers. Cargo holds often lack heat, air circulation, and safety features meant for passengers. People have died attempting to stow away in airplane wheel wells, where temperatures drop far below freezing at high altitudes. Ships and airlines consider stowaways a major security concern and work hard to prevent unauthorized boarding.

In everyday conversation, someone might jokingly call themselves a stowaway when sneaking into the back of a friend's family car for a trip to get ice cream, though real stowaways face legal consequences and genuine peril for their unauthorized journeys.