International pre-travel checklist

💡 All the important little stuff that's super easy to forget

Jan 07, 2026

Welcome back to another occasional edition of my Go Informed Plus newsletter! Today I’m sharing my personal pre-travel checklist.

My head used to totally spin in prep for a vacation, with all the little things that need to be done and all the packing. So many post-it notes!

Then a friend showed me how she keeps lists in her phone’s notes app, a master list of what to do and what to pack. This system is a total game-changer for me. Now when it’s time to get ready, I just open the list & see what needs to be done.

After a lot of travel these past few years, I have honed down my pre-trip checklist to the absolute essentials. Here’s what’s on my list, and why.

Skip to the bottom if you just want a list you can copy & paste for yourself. Happy travels!

My pre-travel checklist

This is the list I start with every time - I just copy it into a new note & edit the things that don’t apply or need an update. Tasks are arranged in the order they generally need to happen, beginning about 4-6 weeks before travel.

Check on visa/entry requirements

If you’re heading overseas, double-check to be sure you don’t need a visa or some other documentation to enter. A good source for this info is the US State Department here: https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories.html

Register with US State Dept/STEP

If you want to be looped in on local US Embassy alerts about major weather and safety information, go to https://mytravel.state.gov/s/step and enter your trip info and contact details. This also gives the local US embassy your contact info in case of an emergency.

Make sure travel insurance is adequate

For many trips, travel insurance is an essential security measure. If you bought your insurance when you first booked your trip, take a look to make sure the coverage is still enough to take care of an emergency cancellation or disruption of your entire investment. You may have added non-cancellable hotels or flights since first purchasing the policy - be sure the coverage takes care of everything you need to insure.

Arrange airport transportation

Figure out how you’re getting to and from the airport - on both ends - and make any bookings for rides or parking. Especially at the holidays, pre-arranging an airport parking space may be essential.

Even if you’re just taking an uber or a taxi, now’s a great time to find out where to go when you get to your destination airport.

Check international calling plan

Does your phone plan including international calling, or is there something you need to do to activate it? Another option is to buy an e-sim for your destination, which can be done from home in advance.

Notify credit/debit cards

Tell your bank you’ll be traveling, so your card won’t get flagged when you try to use the ATM in Paris.

Be sure to use your no-foreign-transaction-fee credit card, if you have one. If you don’t know if your card charges these fees, find out before you go.

Get foreign currency

You’ll get a lot better deal if you order your foreign currency in advance, rather than exchanging at an airport kiosk. Most banks offer this service, as well as AAA offices, and you can even order from some online vendors. Expect it to take a few days for turnaround, and you’ll need to pay with cash or debit, not credit (‘cause that’s considered a “cash advance” on your credit card, and nobody wants that).

Get International Driving Permit

If you’ll be renting a car overseas, it’s advisable to get yourself an International Driving Permit. Not every rental car office or every cop will insist on an IDP, but the ones that do can be real sticklers. No IDP, no car, or worse.

AAA is the issuer of IDP’s in the US, and you can get one either in person at a local office, or by requesting it online here: https://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html

Be aware that the IDP system operates like it’s still 1955. You receive a paper book - there is no digital option (if you see this online, it’s a scam). So if you’re planning to do this online/by mail, be sure to take care of this a few weeks before your trip. And don’t forget to pack your IDP!

Set up USPS hold mail

If you’ve got a mailbox that’s going to overflow before your return, head over to USPS.com and set up a mail hold for your address.

Arrange someone to check on house

Even if you don’t have pets or plants that need attention, it doesn’t hurt to have a friend look in on your place.

Load airline/hotel apps + login/save passwords

Every airline and hotel chain seems to have its own app, and these can be essential for keeping tabs on reservations. Get those apps loaded, and make sure you can login easily.

Preorder food for flights

Especially on long-haul flights, most airlines allow you to choose your meal up to a week in advance. Choosing my meal always feels like the trip is about to start. It’s getting real now!

Confirm flight times/be sure passport info is complete at airline

A day or two before the flight, double-check to make sure your departure time hasn’t changed, because it absolutely can with no notice.

Also, look to see if all the documents, known traveler numbers, frequent flyer numbers, etc, are attached to all the passengers. The more you can do in advance, the smoother everything will go at the airport.

Send itinerary to family

Email the basics to whoever you think is going to wonder if your flight got there. I use the TripIt app to organize my itineraries. It’s easy to use, and easy to share.

Notify neighbors

This is just a quick email I send to the neighbors who have a view of my house, so they know nobody should be home.

Download music/movies/books

Bandwidth is best at home, not at the airport, and certainly not on a plane. Get all those streamers downloaded & ready to watch. Same with e-books and music.

Here’s the complete list

Feel free to copy, paste, and use this list for yourself.