Pre-travel checklist: Things to do before you go on holiday

Yay you’ve booked your travel adventures! But something is stressing you that you might be missing something? I know the feeling! I actually made this pre-travel checklist before heading off for my own 2 month trip away. Now I use it every time as the ultimate guide to keep me organised! Read on for tips to ensure a smooth experience and peace of mind for a stress-free trip. My blog on how to survive a long haul flight may also be helpful!

Happy holidays 😊

Pre-travel checklist

To do soon as possible after booking:

Travel Insurance:

As soon as you have booked your trip, buy travel insurance. This is an essential part of your pre-travel checklist and the sooner you cross it off the better. It not only covers you in case something happens while you are actually on your holiday, but also in the lead up in the case of any change of circumstances. I will never not go on about travel insurance! My flight to Australia was cancelled (this was very stressful as you can imagine). My travel insurance, minus excess, paid me my money back for the extra £525 flight I had to buy to get to my connecting flight in time.

Passport:

If you are flying from the UK, look on the the government website. You can get here by typing into google ‘entry requirements to Malaysia/Germany/United States from the UK’. It will come up with a gov.uk link which takes you to a really useful page of ‘Entry Requirements’. This includes visa requirements (see section below) and how long your passport needs to valid for. Some countries require your passport’s expiry date to be at least 6 months after the date you plan to leave the country. Some like a or a certain number of spare pages in your passport for stamps. Check now so you have time to sort it if needed. 

Visas:

On the same ‘Entry Requirements’ section of the gov website mentioned above, look for a subsection called ‘Visa Requirements’. This will detail if and under what circumstances a visa is needed and how to apply for one. Important Tip: Check for every country as a part of your trip, even if it’s a stopover and you won’t be leaving the airport! I had flight-changes in Vancouver and Denver, each for only a couple of hours and although I stayed in the airport, I still had to get a visa/visa waiver(ESTA) online in advance for both Canada and the USA. They don’t let you board the flight without it! Most visas are now digital, and as long as you have this little symbol on your passport, it will be digitally attached to your passport. 

Vaccinations:

Hopefully the days of carrying a print out proof of COVID-19 vaccinations are a thing of the past. However, check the gov website and look if any other vaccinations are recommended. You can book an appointment with a travel nurse at your GP, local pharmacist, or in shops like Boots and Superdrug. I check online at ‘Fit for Travel’. Don’t leave this pre-travel checklist point until the last minute as some vaccinations may need several doses before you are fully protected.

Get a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC):

This enables you to receive state healthcare on the same basis (free or cost) as the residents of that country, in EU countries and some other countries. The card is FREE so well worth carrying one. Apply on the NHS website here: Applying for healthcare cover abroad (GHIC and EHIC) – NHS (www.nhs.uk). Note that this replaces the previous EHIC card (although if yours is still in date, it is fine to use).

2-3 weeks before:

Choose seats: 

If you are flying on a long haul, download the airline apps and create an account/log in with your details. You can see all the flight details which is handy, and check in when the time comes (usually opens 24 hours before your departure). Some will let you choose a free seat in advance. 

Getting to the Airport plan: 

Decide what time you would like to get to the airport- I tend to arrive 2-3 hours before departure time. Do you need to book a train or bus? Check the public transport timetables and if there are any known upcoming strikes that may affect your journey. Can someone give you a lift? If you are driving to the airport, book your parking space in advance for the cheapest price.

Upon arrival plan: 

How are you getting to your accommodation? How far is it from the airport? Do you need to book a transfer or is this included? Your airline or hotel may offer a transfer deal. Or you may wish to see if there is a bus or train route- do you need to book this advance? Google Maps and Rome2Rio are great tools at planning these journeys. Or look for blogs of people who live or have recently travelled to your destination. These are often super helpful and usually suggest the most budget-friendly method. 

Sort out travel money: 

If you are looking to exchange pounds to euros or dollars, chances are most Post Offices/supermarket travel booths will have stocks of these. But for other currency, this may have to be ordered in, or ordered online for you to collect. It is possible to exchange currency at the airport, or from an ATM in your destination country. However, by including it in your pre-travel checklist, you can get a better rate and won’t be charged extra by your bank.

Check flight luggage: 

How much luggage does your ticket entitle you to bring? Is hold/checked luggage included, or do you need to add this on as an extra. Adding on luggage is much more expensive at the airport so definitely try to book this online beforehand.

Arrange Pet Care: 

Make arrangements for your furry friends before you go. If a neighbour or pet sitter is coming in, write some detailed instructions to give you peace of mind while you are away. 

Check you have enough prescription medication:

Will you have enough prescription medication to last the entire length of your holiday and the first few days on your arrival back home? Speak to your GP or Pharmacist and order this in if needed. 

Week before:

Work out time differences: 

I find it helps to add both your home and destination clocks onto your home screen. you can usually set this on your clock app or home screen widgets. This helps when contacting friends and family that you are not going to wake them up in the middle of their night. Also, if you take a prescription medication that needs to be taken at the same time everyday, it’s hard to know when that is, so you can keep an eye on your home time. 

Double check the details: 

I am a double, triple, QUADRUPLE checker when it comes to booking flights and accommodation. I (touch wood) have never booked something on the wrong date. However, I have written it down/remembered the incorrect date and one last minute panic chuck everything into my bag and anxious travel to the airport later… I have not made this mistake again. So, it goes without saying, it’s always worth having a quick check on the lead up to your trip to ensure everything lines up and in order. It is much easier to do this when you are still at home, than realising you booked the airport transfer a day too late… Keep careful watch when you are flying long haul as you may arrive on a different date to when you left.

Re-shuffle your purse/wallet for travelling: 

Do you really need your Superdrug points card when you go to the other side of the Atlantic? Take out anything you don’t need and store them safely at home. Separate your currency- a different purse or different zipped off sections will save you from refilling through trying to tell your pennies from your cents.

Write a packing list: 

If you know me, you’ll know that I love a list, and have a list for absolutely everything (this pre-travel checklist included!) A packing list is a good idea so you don’t end up chucking in clothes that don’t match or suit the weather, and you don’t forget anything! At the very least, write a last minute list for the day you leave and include items that can only be packed the morning of, such as your phone charger and toothbrush! 

In the days before:

Check in to flights online: 

Check-in usually opens 24 hours before your departure time. If you haven’t had the chance to choose your seat, try to check in as soon as it opens to have the best chances of selecting a seat you would like! On the other hand, budget airlines such as easy jet and ryanair are likely to give you the dreaded middle seat, in the hope that you pay extra not to sit there! In this case, it is sometimes better to leave it to just a few hours before take off as all the middle seats will be allocated and you will be given a different one. Be aware that online check in usually closes 2 hours before take off so make sure you do it before then. 

Mobile data: 

Depending on where you travel, you may not be able to use your mobile data. As a resident of the UK, I can use my mobile data in EU countries, but it does not work/charges A LOT when visiting other countries. I’m more than happy to have a detox from social media, but not having internet when lost or trying to contact someone can be a nightmare!

Check in your phone settings if it allows an e-sim (most new phones do). E-sims are brought online before you go, and then activated when you reach your destination. We used ‘Nomad’ for our 2 month trip and brought a 10-day USA e-sim, then an Asia-wide e-sim that lasted 45 days. The e-sim connects to whatever network is strongest in the area and worked really well for us. We would highly recommend it. If your phone is not e-sim compatible, buy a local sim card when you arrive in your destination country (you can usually get these in grocery stores like 7-eleven). 

Write down holiday details: 

Dates, times, flight number and time, accommodation address, car hire details, contact details etc. Having this all in one place makes for a smoother journey. It especially helps if there are some language barriers or you are feeling jet-lagged. We used the app ‘Wanderlog’ which was amazing at keeping all our travel details in one place. This was ideal when there were two of us booking different aspects of our trip and quite far in advance!  

Clean and tidy your home: 

If you have time, your future jag-laged self will appreciate it! 

Change bed sheets: 

Similar to the above point! Nothing better than getting home after a long day travelling, showering, and getting into fresh bedsheets! 

Attach luggage tags: 

Especially if you have checked luggage that is going into hold. You want to have no doubt which bag is yours when it’s going around the carousel. Also, if it gets lost you want a way for them to identify it as yours. Etsy have lots of stunning personalised travel tags.

Check the weather: 

and pack appropriately! Think coat, umbrella, sunglasses, suncream, jumpers… 

Plan your flight entertainment: 

Download films on Netflix, music playlists and podcasts on Spotify, and audiobooks on Audible or BorrowBox. A fun one to check off your pre-travel checklist! Charge your headphones if needed!

Day before: 

Check into flight (if you haven’t already) 

Download digital boarding pass:

You can access your boarding pass on the airline app, or you can download it to your apple/google wallet for easy access. 

Charge your devices: 

Ensure all your devices including phones, ipads, laptops, headphones, and portable chargers are full of juice before you set off. This means you don’t have to wander around the airport to find a plug, and I feel the plane chargers don’t always work so not one to rely on! 

Finish packing and weigh your bag: 

I brought a digital luggage weigher for a few pounds at the supermarket and it seems to be pretty accurate compared to airport scales! Nothing is worse than having to sit on the airport floor and rearrange/put 2 jumpers on and one around your waist because your bag is too heavy! 

Get your outfit ready for the next day:

Having it laid out will enable you to start the day calmly rather than realising you’ve packed every piece of underwear you own at the bottom of your suitcase. 

Feel holiday ready:

Complete preference and feel free to ignore this section, but personally I like to shave my legs, underarms, and bikini area before going away, as well as clip and paint my nails etc. 

Water Plants:

Give your plant friends some TLC before you set off, you don’t want to come back to wilted leaves! 

Gather travel snacks:

Even if you plan to have a meal at the airport before you fly, it’s worth taking some snacks like cereal bars and sweets for the flight in case you get hungry/hangry (like me). 

Before you leave quick pre-travel checklist list:

Eat, give away, or chuck perishable items from fridge

Empty your bin

Close and lock windows

Switch off all plugs

Pack last minute bits including chargers and cables, phone, toothbrush, toiletries and make up

Hope this pre-travel checklist helps, enjoy your adventure!

B 🙂