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International Trip Planning

International Trip Planning

Comprehensive checklist for planning an overseas adventure with all necessary preparations

Travel & Adventure

Template Items (17)

  • Initial international trip planning

    Start day

    #1

  • Check passport validity (6+ months needed)

    +1 day after start

    #2

  • Research visa requirements

    +3 days after start

    #3

  • Apply for necessary visas

    +10 days after start

    #4

  • Research destination health requirements

    +14 days after start

    #5

  • Schedule necessary vaccinations

    +21 days after start

    #6

  • Purchase travel insurance with medical coverage

    +28 days after start

    #7

  • Research and book flights

    +35 days after start

    #8

  • Book accommodations

    +42 days after start

    #9

  • Research local transportation options

    +49 days after start

    #10

  • Notify bank and credit card companies

    +56 days after start

    #11

  • Set up international phone plan

    +60 days after start

    #12

  • Make copies of important documents

    +65 days after start

    #13

  • Research currency and exchange rates

    +70 days after start

    #14

  • Create packing list with adapters

    +75 days after start

    #15

  • Learn basic phrases in local language

    +80 days after start

    #16

  • Final travel preparations

    +90 days after start

    #17

Using this template will create a new list with all the items shown above. You can rename the list, and optionally add due dates counted from a start date you choose.

Who this is for

17 tasks for an overseas trip, covering the things domestic travel doesn't require: visas, vaccinations, currency, insurance, connectivity, and documentation. It's the version to use when getting it wrong means being turned away at a border rather than mildly inconvenienced.

Entry requirements are the long pole

Start here, because visas and vaccination certificates have lead times measured in weeks and occasionally months. Check the requirements for your nationality, for your specific destination, and for anywhere you transit — transit visas catch people out regularly.

Passport validity is the most common problem. A great many countries require six months beyond your return date, and airlines enforce it at check-in whether or not the destination would have.

Travel insurance, read properly

Buy it when you book, not before you leave — most policies cover cancellation from the purchase date, which is the part you're most likely to use. Check the exclusions for anything adventurous you're planning, and whether it covers medical repatriation, which is the expense that turns into a life-altering bill.

Money and connectivity before you land

Have a card that works abroad without punitive fees, some local cash for the first day, and a plan for data — an eSIM bought in advance beats airport roaming charges. Know your bank's number for unblocking a card from overseas.

Copies, stored separately

Passport, insurance, bookings, prescriptions. One set in the cloud, one on your phone, one physical in a different bag. This is five minutes that occasionally saves a trip.

Timing

Turn on due dates and start three months out — earlier if visas are involved.

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