PRE-TRAVEL CHECKLIST:
PRE-TRAVEL CHECKLIST:
Traveling can be stressful when you are trying to prepare for a trip, especially one that is international. You need to organize flight schedules, boarding passes, travel documents, packing lists and this is just the beginning. It’s only natural to feel overwhelmed during this process. However you can help lighten the load with a simple pre-travel checklist. Here are a few of the important things to do before you travel:
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1. CHECK PASSPORT VALIDITY & PAGES:
Verify you have at least 6 months of validity on your international passport counting from your intended travel date. You need at least 2-3 free passport pages for entry and exit stamps. Trust me, this is important. I have seen people in nightmare situations because they were traveling during or after their 6 month window. Why it’s this long, no idea and I think it’s a bit inconvenient. However with the rate in which governments have been processing documents post-covid you might need the full 6 months! Whether you need to apply for a new passport or renew yours, (if you’re American) you can do it with the United States Postal service here. Another option if you think you might run out of space is to order additional pages for your passport! They can be added and used during the normal time frame.
2. BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE:
There are a variety of travel insurance plans and options, but they typically cover emergency medical coverage, evacuation, lost luggage, and trip cancellation. If you are looking for a one stop shop then my recommendation is Safety Wing. They are the top travelers and digital nomad insurance provider I have found. They also provide health insurance coverage that is more extensive than your average medical emergency insurance. Travel insurance is one of those things that you won’t realize how much you need it until it’s too late! Trust me, just do it.
3. MAKE COPIES:
A major but simple fact that is mostly overlooked. In todays world everything is digital. Sure, this makes it really convenient and can be a huge time saver. I love that I have my boarding pass in a QR code that pops up automatically during my boarding time. However, technology fails. Phones can die. This is why I highly recommend having a paper copy of all your important documents. Here’s a list of my pre-travel checklist documents that I always try to have hard copies of.
- International passport
- Confirmed accommodation
- Travel Insurance
- Visa and COVID-19 test result (if still applicable)
- Vaccination card (if applicable)
- Flight Ticket / Boarding pass
- Travel Itinerary (i.e tours, reservations)
4. PACK A SURVIVAL KIT:
If you were a Boy Scout or Girl Scout let me hear you say it: always be prepared! There is always a chance of something going wrong and it is better to plan ahead than have to panic to find a solution. Flights get delayed or canceled, accidents and injuries happen, people can start to feel unwell. The list of unexpected travel relates issues is not in short supply. So here are a few things I like to pack in my survival kit:
- Snacks (because flights can be long and airports are greedy captors who want to bleed you dry)
- Neosporin
- Bandaids
- Ibuprofen
- Earplugs
- Sleep aid
- Headphones
- Prescription medications
- Hand sanitizer
5. CHANGE YOUR CURRENCY:
Always remember to change your bills to the local currency of the visiting country. If you do this BEFORE departure you will get a much better exchange rate. Once you arrival it will be a less favorable rate (especially at the airport). You can also use international exchange cards from Wise (previously TransferWise). Wise is up to 8 times cheaper than using traditional banks. It has one of the highest transfer speeds with 81% being transferred within a day, 30% transferred instantly! You have access to up to 50 currencies with the best conversion rates. If you’d like to check it out, click here to sign up for a Wise account.
There you have it, my top 5 pre-travel checklist recommendations to help make those adventures just a bit less stressful. A little preparation and a bit of organization can go a long way. If you have any other recommendations please feel free to leave them in the comments below!
As always, happy travels xx