Trip Planning Checklist: What to Do Before You Go
A dated trip planning checklist: what to do two months, two weeks and two days before you go, plus travel day, with official passport and visa links.
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A trip planning checklist works best by date. About two months before you go, sort documents, health and the bookings that sell out. Two weeks out, confirm everything and set up your money and phone. Two days out, save offline copies and pack. On travel day, carry the few things you can't replace and leave a buffer.
The tables below take each stage in turn, with official sources for the parts that depend on rules rather than habit.
The trip planning checklist at a glance
| When | Focus | The big tasks |
|---|---|---|
| 2 months before | Documents, health, scarce bookings | Passport and entry rules, travel clinic, flights, first night, timed tickets, insurance |
| 2 weeks before | Confirmations, money, phone | Reconfirm bookings and hours, cards and cash, data plan, transit card, prescriptions |
| 2 days before | Offline copies and packing | Offline maps, saved tickets and plan, document copies, liquids, check-in |
| Travel day | The essentials | Passport, phone, charger, medication, a time buffer |
The State Department's own international travel checklist has five steps that map onto the stages here: learn about your destination, enroll in its Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), organize your travel documents, review your travel needs and safety tips, and consider travel insurance.
Two months before: documents, health and bookings
| Task | Why now | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Check your passport's expiration date and blank pages | Renewal takes weeks | Your passport and the destination's entry rules |
| Renew if needed | Routine processing is 4 to 6 weeks, plus mailing | State Department processing times |
| Check entry rules for your nationality | Visas and travel authorizations take time | The destination's page on your government's travel advice site |
| Book a travel health appointment | Some vaccines need several doses | CDC destination pages |
| Book flights, your first night and timed-entry anchors | They sell out | Airline, hotel and official attraction sites |
| Consider travel insurance | Home coverage may not apply abroad | Your insurer and card benefits |
| Enroll in STEP (US citizens) | Alerts and contact from the nearest embassy | travel.state.gov |
Passport validity. In its guidance for cruise passengers, the State Department recommends a passport valid at least six months beyond your travel dates, with two or more blank pages. That's a sensible bar for any trip abroad; check your destination's own entry requirements as well.
Passport timing. The State Department's processing time page lists routine processing at 4 to 6 weeks and expedited at 2 to 3 weeks, and says mailing isn't included: allow up to 2 weeks for your application to arrive and up to 2 weeks for the passport to reach you.
Entry authorizations. Some countries require an online authorization even from visitors who don't need a visa. The UK's ETA page says that where an ETA is needed, each person traveling needs their own, including babies and children, and warns that other websites may charge more and imitate government services. Its application page says decisions usually arrive within a day but can take up to 3 working days. For Europe's new entry systems, see our guide to planning a first trip to Europe. If you need a Schengen visa, our guide to the travel itinerary for a Schengen visa covers what consulates ask to see.
Health. The CDC's travel vaccines page recommends an appointment with a healthcare provider or travel health specialist at least 4 to 6 weeks before you leave.
Insurance. The same State Department cruise guidance notes that U.S. Medicare and Medicaid do not cover medical costs abroad, and recommends medical and emergency evacuation coverage.
Bookings. Book the things that are limited and that your plan depends on. Our guide to what to book in advance shows how to sort the list, and our guide to how far in advance to plan a trip covers lead times by trip type, from national parks to peak season.
Two weeks before: confirm, then sort money and phone
| Task | Details |
|---|---|
| Reconfirm every booking | Names, dates, times and what each confirmation includes |
| Check opening days and hours for your dates | Weekly closures and seasonal hours move plans |
| Cards | Check foreign transaction fees and whether your bank wants travel dates |
| Cash | A small amount of local currency for places that don't take cards |
| Phone | A roaming plan or local data option that works on arrival |
| Transit card | Set up a digital one where your phone supports it |
| Prescriptions | Enough to last beyond your trip, plus a written copy |
| Arrival route | How you'll get from the airport to your bed |
Two examples from our Tokyo example plan: it suggests adding a Suica or PASMO card to Apple Wallet before arrival, and carrying a small amount of yen for market stalls, shrine offerings and small bars, since cards are widely used but not universal.
For medication, the State Department advises bringing enough to last beyond your trip dates in case of delays, carrying a written copy of your prescriptions, and checking with the destination country's embassy because some medications legal in the U.S. are not allowed in other countries.
Plan the airport-to-bed route in detail now, while you have time to compare options. Our guide to planning your first day in a new city covers that route and a light arrival day.
Two days before: save offline and pack
| Task | Details |
|---|---|
| Download offline maps | On the phone you'll carry, for each city or region |
| Save your plan and tickets as files | PDF of the plan, confirmations, QR codes |
| Write key addresses in the local script | Your first night's address above all |
| Make document copies | Passport photo page, visas, itinerary |
| Pack liquids for security | Follow the rules of the airport you depart from |
| Check in online and check your bag allowance | Avoids surprises at the desk |
| Check the forecast | Pack layers and rain gear to match |
Offline maps. Apple's support article says offline maps in Apple Maps need iOS 17 or later and aren't available in all countries or regions. For Google Maps, our guide to mapping your itinerary in Google Maps covers offline areas. Then test everything in airplane mode; our guide to keeping an offline copy of your itinerary has a five-minute setup.
Document copies. The State Department suggests color copies of your passport photo page, visas and itinerary: leave one with a trusted family member or friend, carry one separately from the originals, and keep a photo on your phone. Our guide to organizing travel plans sets up one trip folder for those copies and your bookings.
Liquids. Departing from the U.S., the TSA's liquids rule allows a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in carry-on bags, in containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. Larger containers go in checked baggage.
Travel day: the short list
| Carry | Why |
|---|---|
| Passport and any visa or authorization confirmation | Checked at check-in and at the border |
| Phone, charger and a power bank | Your maps, tickets and plan live here |
| Medication in your carry-on | Checked bags can be delayed |
| A payment card and a little local cash | For the ride from the airport |
| The first night's address, offline | For the driver, the desk or a passerby |
Leave earlier than feels necessary, and keep the first evening light. Anything you forgot at home can usually be bought; a missed flight can't.
Where to check entry rules
Entry rules depend on your nationality, your destination and sometimes your route, and they change. Use official sources:
- U.S. travelers: the State Department's country information pages on travel.state.gov.
- UK travelers: the government's foreign travel advice, which covers entry requirements, safety and security, health risks and legal differences for each country.
- Everyone: the destination government's official site, and your airline for transit questions.
If a site charges a fee to "process" an official form, compare it with the government's own page before you pay.
Check before you go
This checklist covers tasks; for what belongs in the itinerary itself, our guide on how to make a travel itinerary has a field-by-field list. Processing times, entry rules and booking policies change, so confirm each one on its official site in the weeks before your trip.
If you're building the day-by-day plan from a travel video, Vidtrip turns the video into a plan and the full version exports as a printable PDF, which covers the offline copy in one step. Start with a video once the two-month tasks are done.
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