Essential International Travel Checklist Points

International travel can give us all, feelings of great excitement and anxiety at the same time. Though, it can be so rewarding to experience a different culture, explore new areas, seeing first-hand historically symbolic structures and eating delicious local cuisine.

Whilst I know this first-hand from my very first trip planning exercise over 10 years ago. Even now that I have planned many trips, I still get the thrill of going overseas and some anxiety around, “I hope I don’t forget….”. This is one of the main reasons our international travel checklist was developed, to minimise anxiety of last-minute travel panic. We have also included some time-points for guidance.

Our international travel checklist, compliments our other travel checklists and information we have gathered over the years we’ve been traveling. Even if international travel is just a thought, we can help you plan your next adventure.

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Preview – 10 Essential International Travel Checklist Points

Our preview, briefly highlights what you will discover in the article… description brief of article and internal post that can cross link or be of benefit…

6. Coordinating trip info – so simple tips on how to coordinate and collate trip information
7. Finalising your trip preparations – a comprehensive list of things to do the week before you leave
8. Last Minute Check – a review of itinerary and last minute housekeeping
9. Departure Day – DO YOU HAVE YOUR??…check list
10. YEAH we are going on an Awesome Trip – things to consider as you are walking out the door

 1. Before you Book (6-11 months before departing)

Before booking those flights and other essentials, there are a few basics to include in your international travel checklist. One of the most important things on your international travel checklist is making sure your passport is within the required entry requirements. This should be checked for your return as well. Also, do you require a visa for the country or countries you are traveling to and are there any entry fees. With some countries there are various options to choose from.

Whilst, it has always been prudent to check if the country you are going to has vaccination requirements. Many countries still have entry requirements post COVID pandemic, which is an important to include on your international travel checklist. Additionally, your destinations immigration page will have valuable information about what you can and can’t take into the country. In  addition, to any  restrictions on medication (if applicable), and if you need an international licence, if driving whilst in the country.

If you are still deciding when to travel the World Weather Information Service. Once at the site enter your destination in the search bar, you will be able to view the current forecasts. The destination page also displays monthly means for min/max temp (°C), rainfall (mm) and days of rain.

Check local customs, are there any days during your travels that have special local significance that also may have travel restrictions around them. For example Nyepi Day, the Hindu Balinese ‘Day of Silence’, for this day the whole island shuts down, with no traveling outside. If holidaying at the time of Nyepi, guests are required to stay in accommodations or homestays, shutter windows and low lighting, remaining quiet or silent.

I had a trip booked with my eldest daughter that included Nyepi, though was not able to attend due to the beginning the pandemic. When we initially enquired at the hotel we had booked we were assured some services were available though lights were to be off and no service after 6pm.

Our Nyepi day schedule was to include morning facials and  body scrubs followed by relax around the private pool of our villa room, and light lunch. The afternoon was to include massages and some reflexology, a light dinner and relaxing evening.  All considered we were and still are looking forward to being in Bali for Nyepi…

Our travel checklists, are the first step to start your independent travelling. Use these in conjunction with this International Travel Checklist for all your travel planning requirements.

Checklists for:

• Your destination DO List
• before you travel
• see and do notes
• carry on packing list – warm and cold climate
• checked in packing list – warm and cold climate

2. Start Essential Bookings (6-11 months before departing)

This for me is possibly the second most exciting part of traveling (going is obviously the most exciting part). Here I love to research all the options available and possible when creating our perfect itinerary. Though as you can imagine there are certain things that need to be done also, and we have given guidelines to these in our international travel checklist.

As soon as you start booking, having travel insurance is the next important step, whilst you can get this closer to departure. To ensure everything you book is covered it is prudent to have it at time of booking, do you need insurance at all? YES!!! is my answer…

Whether you are traveling by plane, train or automobile, your transport has to be considered and included to the international travel checklist. If flying you can book flights 11 months out and I always start to look to get an idea of costs to add to our budgeting. Whilst you may get cheaper flights as it gets closer to the date of departure I have never had this happen. However, as a rule of thumb I like to book  no later than 9-10 months. If travelling by trains, many don’t take bookings until 3 months out though you can purchase rail passes earlier.

When traveling by plane, now is a good time to consider ticking off pre/post travel transport, or departure point parking availability from your international travel checklist. Booking once you have your flights booked, ensuring availability and alleviating any anxiety as the time draws near.  If booking accommodation at this point, enquire or arrange transport from arrival port, dependent on distance to be travelled. We often walk, especially if traveling by train.

The next item I like to tick off the international travel checklist is events and activities that are on our ‘must do’ list of things to do. I have learnt from experience waiting until the last minute can leave you disappointed. We use Get Your Guide for this as we can filter for Eco-Certified tours, to ensure we are taking steps for traveling more sustainably.

A little something to remember though, to truly soak in the essence of a place. You need to take a day and ‘Just Breathe’…Don’t fill ALL your days allow some room for exploring.

At this point of booking I also like to research accommodations to see if there are any great specials for the time we are traveling. At minimum I will book our first and last few nights, to ensure we have somewhere to start.

RETAIN AND DOCUMENT THE ADDRESS OF AT LEAST YOUR FIRST ACCOMMODATION – FOR CUSTOMS

3. Finalise Essential Bookings (3 months before departing)

Continuing on with the itinerary building, we start finalising all our bookings, which are included in our international travel checklist. Whilst we generally get rail passes now, in the past when booking internal transport between destinations on regional transport, 3 months out is a good time to start. This include any regional transport (trains and buses) required to travel between destinations, not included in rail passes.

If you require a pet or house sitter, this timepoint is good one to register and advertise or look for an appropriate person. We have found Trusted Housesitters have great options. Become a TrustedHousesitters Member! and see for yourself.

This is also a great time point of you international travel checklist, to book any activities you have discovered whilst researching your destinations. We especially love small group tours as the benefits are just amazing, though these fill up quick. So, unless you are spending an extended time in one area, we recommend booking these in.

As we usually have a good idea on where our itinerary is taking us, we continue booking accommodation now. That way we can take advantage of the advanced booking, cheaper prices and any special offers that may be available.

One last thing that we add to our international travel checklist for this timepoint, is to register with your countries relevant travel program. Or at minimum, a reminder to check this regularly for updates. In Australia it’s Smart Traveller, this site gives us all relevant information regarding safety, health, local laws, travel information and our countries, local contacts.

4. Organising Travel Essentials (4-6 Weeks Before Departing)

Leaving things to the last minute can lead to stress and really one of the main reasons, the international travel checklist was created. So mine was at a minimum ha ha…

If you don’t already have a global currency card, now is a good time to get one. There are several big banks that do these and your bank may even have it’s own global currency card. These are often referred to as global or world wallets. However, not all created equally, and we recommend doing a little research.

Some things you may wish to look for in a global currency card;

• your destination currency is included
  • if more than one destination, ensure the majority of currencies are included
• instant exchange between currencies
• no initial or annual cost of card
• no account keeping fees
• no ATM fee

We personally use Citibank for our travel money card, though Travelex and HSBC both have comparative inclusions.

Now is the time to check your packing checklists, are there any items you may need to purchase for the trip.

• a new luggage or a backpack 
• some special winter/summer attire
• special footwear, hiking/walking shoes or boots – surf shoes
• universal adapter/charger for devices

Other considerations on the international travel checklist we included, are to review local customs. For those that may also require any special consideration whilst you are traveling. We have also found it prudent to familiarise ourselves with any tipping etiquette, so as not to embarrass ourselves or the local communities we visit.

Our travel checklists, are the first step to start your independent travelling. Use these in conjunction with this International Travel Checklist for all your travel planning requirements.

Checklists for:

• Your destination DO List
• before you travel
• see and do notes
• carry on packing list – warm and cold climate
• checked in packing list – warm and cold climate

5. Checks and Registrations (2 Weeks before departing)

We are getting close to walking out the door and I have to say I am excited…With all that goes on in the world our safety when traveling is paramount to me. This goes further than just insurance also, for this time point of the international travel checklist. 

This is more of a re-check list or monitor…If you had signed up to your countries travel program, you should be getting updates. If not now is a good time to re-check the site, I would also recommend signing up for update emails. Things can change in an instant whether at home or overseas, so it’s good to have some information. 

We had added a re-check to the international travel checklist of your destination immigration page. This is to ensure you are up to date with any changes to safety status or entry requirements of your destination. These could include the addition or exclusion of entry visa costs. Some countries also have online applications for entry visa’s, check  if your destination has this and if so where and when does this need to be filled in.

Additionally, if you require prescription medication, now is a good time to check if you have sufficient for the trip. A visit to the doctor maybe required to get your prescription to support you throughout your trip. In addition to a letter from the doctor advising these are essential and required for personal use. 

6. Coordinating Trip Information (1 Week before departing)

The week before you go, is so exciting and to be honest, here is where my anxiety kicks in. All the, ‘Have I done…?‘ Questions raise their head, and no matter how well I plan they still slip in there…This is where the international travel checklist shines, as I can look at this and see what has been done and what needs doing.

In this week, I get together all our trip documents, flight schedules, accommodations, tours etc. These I used to print and carry with us, now I download them and keep a copy in our Travel Organiser, as well as saving them in an email. I also share our itinerary with family, so they know where we are if needing to contact us. I have to say the internet is good for this, and why we always try to get free wi-fi with accommodation.

Another thing that needs to be checked off the international travel list is organising your money. We always travel with some local currency, as we don’t always go to places that take cards so it’s prudent to order or exchange now. Before our trip, we use the global travel wallet as a savings account, adding money each month. In the last week, I usually transfer to appropriate currencies and designate the currency we will be using as the default, so we always have available cash. This is the time to notify your banks that you are going overseas also so accounts aren’t frozen.

Note: If using global travel wallets for savings, check exchange rates regularly to take advance of the best available rate.

In the event I haven’t started packing this is where I begin, I print out our packing lists and have a final check of what we need, we can get any essentials we have missed. Our regular travel checklists have carry on and checked in packing guides are great to reduce overpacking and are a perfect match with the international travel checklist.

7. Finalising your trip preparations (last days before departing)

It’s easy in these last few days to forget something or second guess yourself as to whether you have done something. This is just one reason having an international travel list is so handy, or any checklist really.

This last week is where all the final preparing happens, collect any clothes that you wish to take and do what laundry needs to be done.

Check that all your bookings have been finalised for those ‘must DO’ activities, events and places to see. In addition to any booking any initial restaurants or desired restaurants. As a foodie this is often something I do for us, if there is a special restaurant we wish to go to. Many of the best restaurants have waiting lists or only open reservations in blocks, it’s prudent to check.

Whilst we rely on having wi-fi for connection with family. In the event you need to have better connectivity, it is recommended you get a local sim or investingate global roaming with your local service provider. Additionally, this is the best time to check you have downloaded all the apps you require during your trip. We regularly have GPSmyCity, WhatsApp, TripLingo and Smart Traveller (our countries travel info program).

No matter what country we go to we always make sure we know at minimum the basics of the language. A simple ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in the native tongue goes a long way and for us just signifies respect.

To be honest I have probably started packing or gathering items to pack by now, that said we have space to do this. If that’s not you these last few days are the time to do this so you aren’t stressing on the last day. I get our packing lists out and add to our bags anything we wouldn’t be using before we leave.

This is the time I will also prepare our toiletries bag the basics for carry-on and a larger one for checked in.

8. Last Minute Check (1 Day Before Departing)

One day to go before you go on your amazing overseas trip, if I am honest I am usually up at like 3am here. Not for any sensible reason like acclimatising myself to time zones…I am just so excited…

Today for us it’s all about using our international travel checklist to do that, check the list…

Reviewing our itinerary, making sure we are fully aware of times to be at the airport all our pick-up bookings are in sync. If possible we check-in and download/print boarding pass. This greatly depends on the transport you are using and if you have to check-in luggage. That said, being checked in can still save time especially at the airport, as then you just have to show boarding pass, check luggage and go through any security checks.

As international travel for us is usually 4+ weeks, I clean out all perishable goods from the fridge, water any inside plants and put them outside in the shade.  If we are leaving early in the morning, which is often the case for us, I will let our neighbours know. Otherwise I leave it to the day we leave.

Additionally, if you have accommodation booked, and can check-in early, it often streamlines the arrival process. This can save you time and have you in your room quicker fter what could be a long trip.

KNOW THE ADDRESS OF AT LEAST YOUR FIRST ACCOMMODATION – FOR CUSTOMS

9. Do you have?? (Departure Day)

On departure day you are usually so excited it is easy to forget something (OK – maybe that’s just me). Which is why I have a checklist within our international travel checklist. This is, to make sure nothing is left out, especially things we need to travel e.g., passports (never happened YET) or items we like to have whilst we are in transit to our destination e.g. travel entertainment.

To be honest I often have this all packed the night before or at least some of it. Though I still go through our international checklist again the morning we are due to depart…

10. Walking out the door – YEAH!!! we are going on an awesome trip

This section may seem like common sense or in your brain your say… I don’t need to add these to my international travel checklist… Oh yes I hear you there and have thought the same on many occasions. However I add them for my peace of mind, so we aren’t traveling to the airport and I think of damn did I lock the front door…So, here we go short and sweet.

Turn off and unplug all major appliances not needed…we do this in case of any surges or power blackouts whilst away. This ensures there are no nasty surprises or expensive bills when you get home.

Check all doors, including garage and windows are locked before leaving, especially if the house is going to be vacant for some time. Also, added insurance that you don’t have any nasty surprises on arrival home.

Finally, if you have sensor lights or an alarm be sure to set them before you walk out the door…Additionally, to have an extra pair of eyes or two, let your neighbours know you are leaving and when you will be back.

Now you can leave, international travel checklist all ticked and have an awesome trip…♥♥♥

Other articles that may help you.

Travel insurance – Do YOU really need it?

The Points or Pay system when travelling??

6 steps to Create YOUR Perfect itinerary

9 Tips for YOUR Perfect Travel Plan and Budget

7 Essentials to Pack for Cold Climate Destinations

6 Luxury Accommodation Styles Pros and Cons

How to Create a Sustainable Travel Capsule Wardrobe in 6 Steps

I am always happy to reply to any comments, suggestions for next articles or a hello. You can contact me through our Social Media or at jeanine@letsgoawandering.com with any questions or comments.