Nothing is worse than arriving at the hotel or airport and realizing you’ve forgotten something crucial for your trip. With our International travel checklist, the days of slapping your forehead in frustration are over. Before every trip, pull up our list on your phone or print it out to ensure that you never forget to pack a necessary item.
What you carry becomes much more crucial if you decide to travel right now, in the midst of the pandemic. Consider including all of the health and safety necessities on your must-have list to reduce your risk of contracting or transmitting the coronavirus while traveling.
Additionally, several nations are demanding travelers from outside to arrive with negative COVID-19 testing and/or proof proving their excellent health.
As a result, packing can change slightly from your usual practice. Our list will help you keep track of everything in one location. As a result of all of this, packing can change slightly from how you’re used to doing it. Utilize this International travel checklist to keep track of everything you require in one location.
You can make sure that you are as prepared as possible for your trip by using this international travel checklist.
International Travel Checklist
Many of the items to take into consideration when preparing for a trip are covered by this checklist. Even though it is lengthy, you do not necessarily need to bring everything on it.
If you’re going on a laid-back beach vacation, you probably won’t need to pack a suit and tie. Additionally, you can need products that are not on the list while traveling.
Ask yourself the basic questions
There are a few questions you should think about before you even start packing for a trip. Doing so will make packing much simpler.
What’s your destination? What is the weather like today? Will you be in soggy Seattle? or how about Egypt’s deserts? Your bag will appear somewhat varied depending on the environment and weather.
How are you spending your trip? Is it a tranquil beach vacation or an action-packed trekking trip? What you should bring depends a lot on what you’re doing. Here is our packing list, for instance, for a trip to Disney.
How many days or nights will you be there? Nobody appreciates an over-packer, and if at all possible, try to avoid having to pay for a checked bag.
Is there anything you don’t need to bring from home because you can get it easily and quickly where you are going? It’s usually a good idea to pack extra pants, but if you’re staying at a hotel or resort, you can probably get some toothpaste for nothing at the front desk.
Briefly, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to packing, so be sure to take the specifics of your trip into account before you start.
Check passport
Your passport should be the first item on your International travel checklist. You cannot move forward without it. If this is your first time traveling abroad and you don’t already have a passport, you should apply right away.
Check the expiration date of your passport if you already have one. Consider renewing your passport if your vacation is approaching the deadline because many nations require it to be valid for six months after your stay.
Fortunately, renewing your passport is simple, but gives you at least a month. Also, take into account how many pages in your passport are still blank.
Know Visa requirements
Checking visa requirements well in advance of your trip—possibly even before you book—should be a top priority on your international travel checklist list. Depending on the nation of origin of your passport, some countries require visas to visit the country.
US residents can consult the State Department website for information on each country’s requirements. Many locations are visa-free for Americans, and certain visas, like those for Turkey and Egypt, are simple to get at the airport.
It may take a lot of time and effort on the part of the traveler to obtain visas for other nations, such as China or Russia. Be aware of the paperwork required in advance and make travel arrangements appropriately.
Consider Travel Insurance
If your current insurance doesn’t cover you and your belongings abroad or if there’s a possibility that your plans might change, think about purchasing travel insurance.
There are various types of travel insurance policies with varied levels of coverage and costs to suit your needs, from health insurance to trip cancellation. Although it may not always be necessary, it is generally preferable to be safe.
Get required Immunizations
The vaccinations you need for overseas travel should be another item on your checklist. You might need to acquire travel vaccinations, either new vaccinations or booster shots for ones you’ve already had, depending on where you’re going.
Lists of the required and advised immunizations for certain countries can be found on the CDC’s travel webpage. Going to a pharmacy or clinic that specializes in travel vaccinations is also a good idea because they may assist you identify any problems you might not be aware of.
For instance, we assumed we didn’t need the yellow fever vaccine for our trip to South Africa and Zambia because neither country required it for passage from the US.
However, we would be travelling between Zambia and South Africa, which our travel chemist understood was necessary. We might have gotten into trouble had we thought to check that on our own.
You’ll need to decide for yourself what dangers you’re ready to accept because certain immunizations might or might not be covered by your insurance. Who wants to get sick and have their vacation ruined? That’s why we usually err on the side of caution.
Additionally, be aware that some vaccinations must be given in a series of time, so make preparations. One of the most crucial things to complete before a trip overseas is this.
Check your dates
Ideally, when you book your trip, you’ll have time to study any holidays or other significant events occurring in your destination. The moment is now to see if that wasn’t possible. Knowing when your trip might conflict with local holidays is always a smart idea.
By doing so, you may plan ahead for any transit issues or attraction closures. This is especially crucial if you just have a short amount of time to spend in a place and there are attractions you absolutely must see.
Make reservations
It’s nearly always a good idea to plan ahead, especially if you’re traveling during a popular time of year. Make arrangements for lodging, popular restaurants, big attractions and anything else that is important to you.
Your travel abroad check list should also include printing copies of your bookings, confirmations, and tickets. When you get at your location, especially if you paid for things in advance, it will make your life lot simpler.
Medical requirements is a must
The requirement for travel vaccinations should have previously been determined, but there are other healthcare issues to take into account before leaving the country.
Make sure you have plenty of any usual medications for your trip if you take them. It will probably be beneficial to have an extra set if you wear contacts or prescription glasses.
Get an International Driving Permit
One of our favorite travel experiences is venturing out on our own schedule is an itinerary to explore. But it’s crucial to be organized. Obtaining an International Drivers Permit (IDP) should be on your travel must-do list if you want to rent a car.
Your valid US driver’s license and an IDP may be useful in some locations but necessary in others. The IDP offers vital information from your driver’s license in 11 different languages and is recognized in more than 150 countries.
Luckily, obtaining it is simple. Fill out the short application that may be found at AAA.com. Two original passport-style photos, $20 USD, and a photocopy of your current U.S. driver’s license are required for the application.
Notify Credit card companies
To let them know where and when you’ll be traveling, get in touch with your credit card companies. Additionally, this is an excellent moment to inquire about any overseas costs or emergency contact information.
Having a PIN for your credit cards is another smart move. While PINs are virtually always required for transactions when using chip credit cards, they are already the norm in Europe.
Know How To Access Local Currency
It’s always a good idea to have some local cash on hand in addition to credit cards.
There are a couple of options: you can order some from your bank several weeks beforehand or convert money at the airport (though the exchange rates there are typically horrible). We proceed exactly as we would at home—stop by a cash machine if necessary.
Photocopy Important Documents
Having copies of your most crucial documents is usually a smart idea. In the worst situation, not having your boarding card, passport, or visa will leave you stranded in a strange nation.
You can prevent it by packing extra copies of them and distributing them throughout your luggage. Keep in mind that many credit cards include insurance for lost and delayed baggage.
Making copies of your documents is much more important in a pandemic. For instance, you wouldn’t want to arrive at your destination only to discover that you left your negative test result on your kitchen counter at home if you were traveling to a location that requires a negative COVID-19 test result.
Make extra copies of documents proving your health so you won’t need to be tested or placed in quarantine when you arrive.
Check the baggage and carry-on size limits for airlines.
For a list of what is permitted and the most recent security precautions, as well as rules that are always changing, visit the Transportation Security Administration’s website.
Additionally, be careful to familiarize yourself with your airline’s baggage policies for checked bags and carry-ons to avoid being hit with unforeseen surcharges.
Download entertainment
Finding that your TV is damaged or that there is no entertainment on your long-haul flight is one of the less pleasant surprises. Consider downloading entertainment before you leave home to prevent spending hours looking at the seat in front of you.
Prior to flights, Amazon Prime subscribers can download movies and TV episodes to their devices, while paid subscribers to Spotify can quickly download music.
Also available on iTunes for download are series and movies. Make sure you have a portable backup charger so you have lots of battery life so you can binge watch as much as you want.
Check the weather
Always check the weather for your destination, even though it may seem basic to do so. So that you can be ready, note the high and low temperatures as well as any precipitation.
Cleaning & safety supplies
We’ve added a few more items to our international travel checklist list in the coronavirus era. As of right now, you ought to hide your face if you’re near a sizable crowd. This becomes much more crucial when you’re cramped into a train, plane, or car with poor air circulation.
Additionally, if you travel, it’s a good idea to have hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes. Traveling exposes you to a lot of pathogens, pandemic or not. It never hurts to clean your seat before settling in or to sanitize your hands once more after finishing a flight attendant-provided snack.
Pack smartly
Even though packing isn’t often the most enjoyable aspect of traveling, it’s one of the most crucial. Roll your clothes, pack as little as possible, and don’t forget to bring an eye mask, earplugs, and noise-canceling headphones.
Check out our article on packing recommendations and our list of must-pack carry-on items for your trip for more of our hard-learned packing advice.
Conclusion
Why should packing be unpleasant and challenging when traveling is fun and exciting? You won’t ever forget an item you need for your trip again if you use our comprehensive International travel checklist. You’ll quickly become an adept packer if you adhere to that checklist and these pointers.