Finally! After 2.5 years, I’m travelling again. I think it will be the longest trip I have ever made. I’m starting in France to finalise legal matters after my mum’s passing two months ago, catching up with friends in Europe, and then helping my son settle in at university in Canada. Needless to say, it does require a fair bit of planning for this kind of long trip preparation.
As anyone who has planned an international trip knows, trying to keep track of everything on that checklist before leaving on vacation can be a recipe for overwhelm if you try to keep it all in your head. That’s why I’ve taken this opportunity to update my pre-travel checklist. I’m happy to share it with you here. It is designed to drastically reduce your stress and ensure a smooth travel experience, no matter the destination.
Your Stress-Free Pre-Travel Checklist: A Simple Step-by-Step Countdown
When booking the trip:
- Book air tickets/car rental/accommodation, etc
- Check passport validity
- Check visa requirements
- Check COVID testing requirements
Two weeks before:
- Arrange pet care
- Arrange plants/garden care
- Inform your neighbour and/or friend that you’ll be away
- Go through your packing list and customise it based on your destination
- Make a list of items you need to buy before your trip, including medicines / first aid kit, and those to buy when you reach your destination
- Buy the items you need to buy before your trip
- Arrange transport from/to the airport
One week before:
- Give spare keys to a neighbour or friend
- Ask a neighbour or friend to collect your mail while you’re away
- Save all travelling documents, including passports, itineraries, car rentals, accommodation bookings, vaccination certificates, etc., on the cloud (or print them if you prefer to have a hard copy)
- Save important phone numbers on your phone
- Withdraw/change money
- Pay your bills
- Consume perishable food
- Cook and freeze one or two meals for your return
- Wash and put away laundry
- Clean your home
- Start packing based on your packing list
The day before or the day itself:
- Do online check-in (and print boarding pass if you prefer to have a hard copy)
- Set an automatic out-of-office message
- Give or throw away perishable food
- Charge electronic devices: phone/tablet/laptop, etc.
- Water plants
- Finish packing
- Bring the toilet seat cover down
- Empty garbage bins
- Unplug electrical items / Switch off plugs
- Lock doors and windows
Now, don’t reinvent the wheel every time you go away! Make sure to save your final pre-travel checklist. Having a digital version you can update over the years, perhaps with checkboxes on an app like Evernote (my personal go-to!), will save you a significant amount of time and keep you on track.
Ultimately, the point of having a structured pre-travel checklist is simple: to remove the mental load and reduce stress. If you’re a busy woman and the thought of leaving on vacation feels like another overwhelming task, relying on a simple, reusable list is your solution. You deserve to start your international trip feeling calm, not frazzled.
If you found this structured approach helpful, but still feel like the planning overwhelm doesn’t stop once you’re back home, that’s where I come in. Travel planning is just one part of life management, and if tackling all your daily demands leaves you feeling paralysed and unsure where to start, I can help. I work with women just like you to create simple, actionable systems that bring calm to your entire life, not just your suitcase. If you’re ready to move past the chaos, take a look at my Life Management Coaching services here.
Before you go, I’d love to hear from you: What essential items would you add to your own pre-travel checklist? Share your ideas in the comments below.
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