Are you going to travel? Use this checklist and don’t forget anything: travel arrangements + hand luggage + documents and much more!
The time to travel is always long-awaited, isn’t it? In the midst of all the anxiety, it is very easy to forget an essential item or feel that it has gone blank when packing!
For this reason, we have prepared an essential travel checklist to not forget anything, not only to help pack, but also to help with the preparations and things you need to check well in advance.
Travel Checklist
Plan ahead for your trip
- Destination and complete itinerary
- Passport (if required)
- Entry visa (if necessary)
- Plane, train, bus tickets, car rental
- accommodation
- Travel insurance
- Vaccines required by the country
In this item we include some things that you need to have or decide in advance to make your trip feasible.
One of the first things you need to think about is, of course, the destination of your trip and which itinerary you are going to follow. Have you thought about which countries and / or cities you are going to visit? How will you get from one place to another?
This is where the items you need to organize well in advance come in. Especially because, when we talk about plane tickets, train tickets and car rentals, it is possible that you will find much more interesting offers when looking for a few months before the trip, with a lot of planning!
In addition, the necessary documentation needs to be in order, often even for the purchase of tickets. Buying plane tickets without a passport or visa, for example, is risky especially when you have a very short time to organize all the paperwork necessary for documentation. (Once i bought tickets to Thailand for 70 days only to find out that i was allowed to stay in the country for just 60!)
One thing that also needs to be organized in advance for your trip, but often falls by the wayside: whether it is necessary to have an International Driving Permit to pick up your rental car, also called an international driver’s license.
Items that make a difference in the travel checklist
- Printed copies of the main travel documents and vouchers
- Activate mobile roaming if necessary
- Unlock international use of credit cards (some banks require manual unlocking)
You know those things that we forget, but make a difference on the trip? That’s what we’re going to talk about. What is sometimes left behind, but which is easier to solve than the previous items.
Activating or unlocking mobile phone roaming, for example, is great for those going on international trips. Of course, you can probably purchase an international chip in your home country. However, you can also choose to purchase one when you arrive at your destination.
If you’re travelling in Europe read our guide on using the cell phone in Europe.
In order not to run out of means of communication, our suggestion is that you unlock roaming on your cell phone, even if you are only going to use it for a few hours before buying the new chip.
Likewise, unlocking your credit card for international use is great for getting out of trouble. Spending too much happens, as does an emergency. In these cases, the money you took in local currency or a prepaid card may not be enough and your main cards can make a difference.
Another thing to not be caught off guard: always have printed copies of the main receipts of the trip. Vouchers for plane tickets, train tickets, accommodation, car rentals – all of these are important to have on hand, even if carrying paper is a bit boring.
Having these copies on your cell phone and in the cloud can also avoid possible inconvenience. I always use digital for convenience and try to have paper backups just in case.
Accessories you may need while traveling
- Padlock, cover and identification tags for checked bag
- Suitcase scale
- Plug adapter
- Portable charger for cell phone and other small electronics
- International chip for mobile
Not all items on our checklist are that optional. Locks for suitcases, for example, are an essential security item, as are tags that identify luggage in case of loss.
Another very important item in this part of our travel checklist is the power plug adapter. Remember that, depending on your travel destination, the pattern of the socket may be different, which means that you will not be able to charge any electronics or use other devices that you have packed in your bag without an adapter.
Have you ever thought of putting something in the bag that can’t be used? In addition to wasting space, it’s a big frustration!
For this, always remember to bring an adapter and check the voltage of your destination. If any device is not compatible, do not waste space in your luggage!
What you need to remember before packing
- Wash the necessary clothes
- Clean shoes
- Buy small packaging for hygiene products or travel size products
The whole process of packing can be stressful, but it won’t be if you organize yourself in advance.
One thing that makes packing a lot easier and makes the whole process a lot faster is keeping all your clothes and shoes clean. Do you know what you don’t know if you’re going to take or not? Leave the item clean so you don’t have to put clothes in the washer at the last minute or get frustrated because you won’t be able to take that piece of clothing you want so much!
Another tip that makes it much easier, especially if you want to reduce the size and weight of your bags, is to buy the “travel size” version of your hygiene items, which are compact in size for the trip. If you are going to travel for just a few days, this dramatically reduces the weight of your suitcase.
Another option is to buy kits with small containers to place the products you need in smaller packages, which can be a cheaper option depending on the amount of products you normally take on a trip.
Handbag checklist
- Neck support
- Electronics and chargers of your choice
- Plug adapter
- Jewelry and sunglasses and / or grade
- Change of spare clothes
- Pills for headache, nausea etc, and your important medication
- Pen pencil
- Copies and / or proof of tickets, reservations, etc.
- Passport and other documents such as RG, CPF CNH etc.
The handbag is one of the most important items for your trip. That’s because it can be a wildcard to take some things that don’t fit in your checked bag, but it also needs to have a little bit of everything you need to live for a few days.
Of course, nobody wants to have their checked bag lost, but we need to be prepared if that happens. Therefore, one of the items that we put on our travel checklist was precisely a spare change of clothes in the handbag.
In addition, any and all items of value, such as electronics and jewelry, must be carried with you in your handbag. In addition to avoiding even bigger problems in case of loss, you keep your electronics safe from falls, more sudden crashes and anything else that may happen.
What’s more, air travel can be a little uncomfortable and stressful for many people, so it’s always a good idea to add some items to your hand luggage that bring you comfort. Blouses, caps and scarves, in addition to protecting you from the airplane’s air conditioning, are great sources of comfort. A headrest or sleeping pillow is also always welcome.
And don’t forget the more than essential items: documents, vouchers and booking vouchers and some medicines simply can’t be missing! If you need special medication keep it on your hand luggage. Also make sure you don’t need Doctor documentation to enter a country with your meds.
Checked luggage checklist
- Clothes and shoes with less weight and that wrinkle little (or less)
- Nail accessories, cotton swab, cotton, makeup etc.
- Cap, hat and other hair accessories
- Slipper
- Hygiene products (soap, shampoo, conditioner, gel, etc.)
- Remedies and prescriptions
- Umbrella and / or raincoat
- Laundry bag
If you did your homework before packing, this part will be much easier!
One thing you should definitely take into consideration when choosing what to pack is what you are actually going to use while traveling. It is very easy to fill the suitcase with incredible pieces and always wear the same set of clothes throughout the trip.
To make the suitcase easier and not to weigh, consider simple, practical and comfortable clothing combinations. When traveling, walking all day is common, so it is better to dispense with that pair of shoes that you may only wear once and exchange them for good shoes.
If you want to take some items to make the look, it is much easier to bet on accessories, which are smaller, lighter and literally fit in any corner of the bag. In this case, necklaces, earrings and belts are a great choice.
We have also added to our list some items that are easily overlooked. Of course, you can buy many of them while traveling, but anyone who wouldn’t want to spend money unnecessarily can take them home: cotton buds, tweezers, nail file and umbrella or raincoat, for example, are not essential, but they can be much more expensive in the country you are planning to visit.
Note that we added medication to both hand luggage and checked luggage. This is because it depends on the medication. If it’s extremely important and you can’t easily find it on the destination country (or you need prescription for it) i suggest keeping it on your hand luggage in case of checked luggage being lost.
You may download our travel checklist pdf or just download the next image.
