Most of what goes wrong on an international trip is decided before you ever leave home. The good news? A few minutes of checking, about a week out, saves you a whole lot of stress at the airport. Here's what we'd run through.
Entry requirements
Start here, because it's the one that can actually stop you at the gate. Whether you need a visa depends on your passport, not just where you're going, and the rules change. Some countries want a full visa, some want an online travel authorization you apply for ahead of time, and some don't need anything for a short visit. Check every country on your route, including places you're only connecting through if you'll leave the airport.
If you have a US passport, the State Department's country pages are the place to start. Holding a different passport? Check with the destination's embassy or consulate.
Your passport
- Check the expiration date. Many countries want your passport valid for six months past the day you arrive, not just past the end of your trip. If yours is close, renew it before you book anything.
- Blank pages. Some countries need one or two empty pages for stamps. Worth a quick flip through.
- Make copies. Keep a photo of your passport on your phone and a paper copy somewhere other than your wallet. If the worst happens, it makes replacing it a lot easier.
Money
- Let your bank know you're traveling, or check that your card doesn't need you to.
- Bring a card with no foreign transaction fees, plus a backup card you keep somewhere separate.
- Here's one that catches people: when a card machine asks if you want to pay in dollars or the local currency, pick local currency. The "pay in dollars" option usually comes with a worse exchange rate.
- Carry a little local cash for small shops and transit. You rarely need much.
Phone and power
- Data. Check your carrier's roaming plan, or grab a local or travel eSIM before you go.
- Plugs. Look up the plug type for each country and bring a plug adapter. Our Trip Planner flags this for you, so you don't have to look it up.
- Voltage. Most phone and laptop chargers work on 100–240V, so all they need is an adapter. Check the label to be sure. Hair tools and other things that heat up often don't, and need a converter or a dual-voltage version.
- One tech pouch. Keep your adapter, cables, chargers and power bank together in one pouch, so nothing gets left behind in a hotel outlet.
What stays in your carry-on
Even if you're checking a bag, keep these with you in the cabin. Bags get delayed, and these are the things you really don't want on a different flight:
- Your passport, cards, and printed or saved bookings.
- Any medication, ideally in its original packaging, plus a few extra days' worth.
- Chargers and power banks. Airlines require spare lithium batteries, including power banks, to be in the cabin, not in checked luggage.
- One change of clothes, just in case your bag takes the scenic route.
- Liquids in containers of 3.4 oz / 100 ml or less, in one clear bag. Travel bottles make this way easier than buying minis every trip.
The night before
Check in online, save your boarding pass, download offline maps for your first city, and charge everything. Then take one last look at your bag, and take one thing out. You'll thank us later.
This post is part of our guide to packing light for any trip, the thinking behind our Trip Planner. Put in your destination and the planner adds the right plug adapter, a reminder to check entry requirements, and gear matched to the weather. Build your list →
