The Trip Planning Checklist: What to Sort Out Before You Go

As soon as you decide to go

These items depend on other people’s processing times, so they come first.

• Passports and IDs. Check that every traveler’s passport is valid and has the pages and remaining validity your destination requires. Renewals can take a long time.
• Entry requirements. Visas, electronic travel authorizations and vaccination or health rules change often. Always confirm them on the official government website of your destination and of your own country, not from an old blog post.
• Time off and dates. Confirm your dates with work, school and anyone else affected before you buy anything.
• A rough budget. Decide what you can spend on transport, lodging, food, activities and a cushion for surprises.

Bookings

Book the big items first because they shape everything else: flights, then accommodation, then transport between places. Only after that book timed attractions and restaurants. Keep every confirmation, reference number and cancellation policy somewhere you can open offline.

• Flights, including baggage allowance and seat choices if they matter to you.
• Accommodation for every night, with check-in and check-out times noted.
• Airport transfers, trains, rental cars and any domestic flights between cities.
• Tickets and reservations that sell out or have fixed entry times.

Need somewhere to compare options? The bookings page collects flight, hotel, attraction and car rental search partners in one place.

Money and cards

• Check which of your cards work abroad and what they charge for foreign transactions and cash withdrawals. Ask your bank or card issuer if you are unsure.
• Decide how much cash you want on arrival and how you will get it.
• Carry at least two ways to pay, kept in different places.
• Note the currency and any tipping or payment habits at your destination.

Insurance and health

• Look into travel insurance that fits your trip, and read what it actually covers before you buy.
• Bring enough of any regular medication for the whole trip plus a margin, in its original packaging.
• For vaccinations and health advice, talk to your doctor or a travel clinic and follow official health guidance for your destination.
• Save emergency numbers for your destination and the address of your accommodation somewhere you can reach without a data connection.

Phone and connectivity

• Decide how you will get mobile data: your home plan’s roaming, a local SIM or an eSIM. Check that your phone is unlocked if you plan to swap SIMs.
• Download offline maps of the areas you will visit and the apps you will need (transport, tickets, translation).
• Bring the right power adapters and a portable battery.

Packing

Pack from the plan, not from habit. Look at the forecast and at the activities on your itinerary, then list clothes and gear per day. Keep documents, medication, chargers and one change of clothes in your carry-on in case checked luggage is delayed.

The days before you leave

• Check in online where possible and save boarding passes offline.
• Confirm your first night’s accommodation and how you will get there from the airport.
• Arrange for mail, plants, pets and anything perishable at home.
• Share your itinerary and contact details with someone you trust.
• Do a last check of documents, cards, chargers and keys.

Keeping the checklist in one place

MyTrip Builder includes a built-in pre-trip checklist for exactly this: reservations, travel documents and extra items, each in its own category, with a progress bar showing how much is left. Every item can be marked done and have a document attached, and packing and shopping lists live on their own pages. Open the app to start one for your next trip.