Pre-Travel Checklist

Whether you are planning a week-long beach trip, a vacation to Europe, or a road-trip across the country, a planning checklist will create a more enjoyable trip.

This detailed pre-travel checklist will help you avoid the stress that accompanies last minute forgetfulness.  Do it ahead and the whole family will feel better.

Jump ahead to the section you need:

Up to Two Months Before You Leave
Up to One Week Before You Leave
The Day Before You Leave

Up to Two Months Before You Leave

Obtain a Passport (if you need one) or Check its Expiration Date

If you don’t have a passport, make sure to order one plenty early.  Some post offices require an appointment to apply, but getting an appointment can take a while, so plan ahead.  If you are short on time, there is an expedited option, but it does cost more.

If you do have a passport, make sure the expiration date is at least 6 months past your trip.  Some countries require 6 months on your passport, so this is a good rule of thumb.

Obtain Necessary Immunizations

Check out the CDC Traveler’s Health website to see if you need immunizations for the country you are visiting.

Buy Airline Tickets

Hopper helps you predict when to buy airline tickets.

Although it is possible to get a good deal on tickets last minute, this can be hard to do and you might end up paying more.  It’s a good idea to start searching as soon as you decide to take a trip.  Then keep watching the prices to see if they are going up or down.  If you have a preference of non-stop, then buy your tickets early–these are the first flights to sell out.  A good source to know when to buy your tickets is the app Hopper.  You can set searches and it will alert you when there is a price change and if you should wait or buy now.

Start Creating Your Itinerary

Start figuring out where you want to go and what you want to do.  Need help figuring out your itinerary?  Check out our article on How to Plan Your Perfect Itinerary.

Reserve Hotel or Airbnb

Hotel rooms and Airbnb apartments can book up surprisingly fast.  Start investigating where you want to stay as soon as possible.  When we went to Kyoto, Japan in November, we didn’t think there would be a problem reserving a hotel.  November is usually considered off-season in most places.  But, as it turned out, this was the peak fall foliage viewing and hotels booked up 6 months out.

If you choose to rent through Airbnb, you can save $40 by signing up through this link.

Buy Clothes, Shoes/Boots, and Coats

Evaluate what you need for this trip.  Do you want to buy some new clothes for the trip?  Do you need a new coat for the season in which you’ll be traveling? What about comfortable shoes or hiking boots or sandals?  Consider these things months in advance, so you’re not looking at the last minute.

Consider Travel Insurance

Sometimes we buy travel insurance, sometimes we don’t.  If it gives you peace of mind to know that you will be covered, then by all means, buy travel insurance.  Some things to consider:  is there a possibility of a natural disaster at your destination (think California wildfires)?  Is there unrest in the area? Maybe someone in your family is sick and you are concerned you might have to cancel your trip?

Always check to see what is covered by the insurance. Are your flight costs covered if you cancel? Will your healthcare be covered if you are sick?  What about helicopter evacuation in case of a real emergency? Many insurance companies will only cover you for what you booked before you left.

Apply for an International Driver Permit

If you plan on renting a car during your international trip, then you should have an International Driver Permit.  Some countries allow US driver’s licenses (e.g. Spain), but require a local language translation. Other countries (e.g. Hungary) do not allow a US driver’s license.  The International Driver Permit works in all these situations.  To apply for one, AAA is a reliable source.  You can visit your local AAA office or mail in the required information.   Visit the AAA International Driver Permit site or more information.

Make Arrangements for Pets

Make arrangements for your pet’s care while you are away.

If you are boarding your pet, reserve a spot for them.  Some boarders will book up a few months out (especially if you are traveling during a holiday season).

If you are having someone watch your pet, ask the person with plenty of notice to make sure he or she doesn’t have other plans.  Consider the necessities involved in this.  Will your pet stay home and the person will come over to play with your pet and feed it?  Think about how much food to supply.  How often will the person stop by?

Up to One Week Before Your Trip

Download Books, Movies, Songs

Whether you’re going on a long road trip, chilling out on the beach or going on a long-haul flight, you will want to have entertainment at your fingertips.

If you are buying physical books, do this now too.

Buy Last Minute Necessities

Do you need any last minute items?  Travel bottles? Snacks for the road or plane? Try to buy these things the week before you leave so that you’re not making late-night runs to Target on the night before you leave.

Pack Everything

Try to pack at least two-days before you leave, but it’s better to pack earlier than that.  Something I do that makes it easier on packing day is to have a designated area to place things. In the weeks leading up to packing day, I place things in this spot.  On packing day, I already have everything in one place.

Remember to leave out the outfit you will wear on travel day.  But, make sure you have this outfit saved and out of your normal rotation.  The last thing you want is to scramble for an outfit the morning you’re leaving.

Notify Credit Cards and Banks

Sometimes, credit cards will deny a charge if they think someone has stolen your card and is using it in another state or country.  To avoid this, notify your credit cards that you are traveling. Most credit cards have a spot on their website to notify them of upcoming travel.   These are simple to fill out, filling in the country(ies) and dates of travel.  For a few credit cards, it is not necessary to notify them (this will be written on their website).

If you are bringing your debit card, the same applies.

Check Withdrawal Limits

What a relief to finally be able to withdrawal Euros!

We were in Germany when we were trying to withdrawal money from the ATM.  It wouldn’t let us and we couldn’t understand why.  It was fortunate that we had Euros with us to buy dinner; because the restaurant didn’t accept credit cards.  After trying multiple things, we went into a bank and asked the teller if he spoke English.  He did! He let us use the banks phone and helped us get us to an English speaking person.  In talking to the person on the phone,  we found out why we couldn’t withdrawal money.

It turns out, our daily withdrawal limit was lower than what we were trying to withdrawal.  So, after so many tries of trying to withdrawal more than the limit, our account was locked.  Make sure to ask what the limit is and adjust it to best fit your needs.

Consider Buying Local Currency before You Leave

It is nice to have at least a small amount of money in the local currency.  When you land, it is comforting to know that you have the local currency with you.  This way you can buy a bus ticket, or buy some food even if you have some problem with your cards.

You can buy foreign currency from your bank.  If you want to buy Euros, certain banks have it on hand.  If you want a different type of currency, the bank might have to order it.  So, you will have to plan ahead for this.  Visit your banks website and search for foreign exchange. Or, simply call your local branch and ask what their procedure is.

You should also carry money in your native currency.  We like to bring at least 100 US dollars, that we can exchange if necessary.

Download Travel Apps

Do this at home when you know that you will have reliable internet service.  It might be difficult to download the apps once you are in another country, when you have to rely on WiFi.

Print Documents

Use a binder to keep all important printouts in one place. Use tabs to help stay organized.

Have printouts of the necessary documents:

• Hotel/Airbnb confirmations
• Airline itinerary
• Maps
• Phone numbers and addresses of family and friends back home (to send postcards or to contact in case of emergency)
• Phone numbers of people you will be meeting
• Train tickets
• Attraction tickets

I like to have a small binder (with prongs for three-hole punched paper) with all of our information in it. I create tabs for each city we are visiting, then have information pertaining to that city behind that tab.  Oftentimes, I will add extra reading about the city or sights to see.

Check Weather

Now that the forecast will be more accurate, double-check the weather to see if you need to pack anything else (e.g. a sweater or shorts).

Small Bills for Tipping

Think about who you might need to tip with cash like the shuttle driver to the airport.  Stash some cash for the return trip, too.

Make Copies of Documents

In case you lose any documents, scan or make copies of them.  This includes your passport, immunizations card, credit cards (front and back) and International Driver Permit.  Keep one printed copy hidden away in your luggage.  Give one copy to a family member or friend that you can contact in case of emergency.

Place a Hold on your Mail/Newspaper

You can easily place a hold on your US mail by visiting the USPS website and enter in the date you want your mail held and when you want it dropped off (or held at the post office).

The Day Before You Leave

Charge all Electronics

Make sure all of your electronics are completely charged.  You don’t want to be an hour into your trip when your tablet dies. Think about all of the electronics you are bringing:

• phone
• computer
• tablet
• camera
• camera flash

Remember to bring charging cords for each of these electronics.

Lay out Clothes for Travel Day

All of your other clothes are packed away, but have your travel outfit laid out and ready to be put on.  Consider what clothes you want to wear for a long day of travel.  What do you feel most comfortable in?  It is so much faster and less hectic to have your clothes figured out the morning before you leave for a trip.

Leave a Note on Packed Luggage

Create a list of the last minute things you need to pack that you can’t have packed the night before.  This might include glasses, phone charger, etc.

Check in Online for Air Travel and Print Boarding Passes

Twenty-four hours before you leave, you can check-in for your flight.  Once you check in, print your boarding passes and add them to your travel documents.

Set Automatic Timers on Lights

To throw off burglars, set automatic timers on your house lights to make it look like someone is home. You can set them to come on at different times on different days.

Make sure Your Pets are Accommodated

If you are leaving your pet at a boarder, take him or her the day before.  If someone is watching your pet for you, confirm arrangements.

Relax, you have a busy travel day tomorrow.

The idea is to not leave very much to do on the night before you leave.  It alleviates stress and grumpiness.

Last minute packing, running to the store, or forgetting the things you need can cause undo stress at the beginning of your trip.  I hope you’ve found this pre-travel checklist helpful to remember all the fine details.  If you’d like to have a printable copy just enter your information below.

Enjoy your journey