Your first international trip: a pre-departure checklist
Forex, insurance, SIMs, documents and the small stuff nobody tells you — everything to sort before your first flight abroad.
Your first trip abroad is thrilling and, for about a week beforehand, slightly stressful. This is the checklist we give first-timers so nothing gets forgotten.
4–6 weeks before
- Passport: valid at least six months beyond your return date.
- Visa: apply early — some take weeks. (We handle this in our packages.)
- Flights & stays: booked and confirmed, with printed copies of everything.
1–2 weeks before
- Travel insurance: non-negotiable — medical cover is the point, not baggage.
- Forex: a mix of a travel card and some local cash beats relying on one method. Tell your bank you’re travelling.
- Connectivity: an eSIM or international roaming sorted before you land.
The two things people skimp on and regret: travel insurance and a working phone on arrival. Sort both before you fly.
The day before
- Documents in one folder (physical + phone): passport, visa, tickets, hotel vouchers, insurance.
- Check the baggage limits for your airline — they vary a lot.
- Adapter for your destination’s plug type, and any medicines in original packaging.
At the airport
Reach 3 hours before an international flight. Keep your passport, boarding pass and one card in an easy-to-reach pocket — not buried in your bag.
Travelling with us? Most of this is already handled — but keep the checklist; it works for every trip after this one too.
Ready to see it for yourself?
Browse our packages or get a free custom plan.
