Whether you’re heading out on a weekend getaway or are sketching out plans for a future dream vacation, knowing what to pack and prepare for can be a challenge. To simplify the process and make sure you don’t forget any essentials, use this handy travel checklist.
Tip # 1: Pack the essentials
Before you start packing for your trip, make a list of the essential things you want to bring with you. Think about how long you’ll be going, the activities you’ll be doing, and the weather forecast to help you decide what to bring. If you’re travelling for longer than a week, plan to do laundry rather than bringing fresh outfits for the whole trip. Some of our Travel essentials we pack:
Photo ID
Passport
Cash and credit cards (your money belt!)
Health insurance card
Travel insurance info
Itinerary, ticket, and reservation info
Phone and charger
Luggage lock
Travel pillow
Sanitizer, hand wipes
Keys
Water bottle
Sunglasses
Snacks
Our clothing considerations:
Take the time to plan your outfits while you pack. That way, you won’t toss in a bunch of extra clothing “just in case” and never wind up wearing it
Bring items you can layer. That way, you can add or remove pieces as you warm up or cool off
Stick to one- or two-color schemes so everything matches
Roll up socks and stick them in your shoes to save space
You will need to spend some time thinking through how you’ll handle expenses while abroad, and whether to use cash or credit card when traveling. Try to bring a mix of both! If you do a bit of research prior to your trip, you’ll be able to safely estimate how much cash you should bring with you, how much and where to withdraw, and what your bank and credit card company’s policies are regarding international expenditures. Some things to consider when you bring your credit card:
Notify your bank/issuer of your travel plans abroad
Carry a backup credit card. If your credit card is lost or stolen, you’ll have a second credit card which you can rely on for your daily spending
Store your primary credit card and backup credit card in separate places. If you lose your wallet, you won’t lose both cards at once
If you’re planning on traveling abroad, make copies of your passport, travel itinerary, and your credit cards just in case. Either hard copies or electronic copies are fine. The important thing is that you have access to these things if your luggage, purse, or fanny pack is lost. So, make copies and bring them with you and keep them in a safe place while traveling — perhaps in an in-room safe.
Tip #4: Charge up your electronics
Before you go on a long trip, remember to charge your electronics so that when you get on the plane, bus, or train to your destination you’ll be ready to relax. You can watch movies, play games, or listen to music without worrying about your battery dying. If you want to ensure you’ll stay juiced up the whole way there, consider buying a few portable power banks. These work great in emergencies or just whenever you need to charge your laptop, tablet, phone, or handheld gaming device when there isn’t an available outlet nearby.
Tip # 5: Prepare your home
Before you go on vacation, we typically create a vacation cleaning checklist – this includes cleaning your house, taking out the garbage, recycling and remember to dispose of any perishable food in the refrigerator. The last thing you want is to come home to bugs or mice roaming around your home. You should also unplug any unnecessary appliances and electronics like fans, air conditioners, toasters, computers, TVs, game systems, and whatever else you can think of that might be sucking up electricity.
If you make note of these suggestions, we can assure you that you will feel better about your planning and feel like you have less to worry about when you are travelling - giving you that freedom to really enjoy your vacation and truly escape.
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