Pre-travel checklist – the essential things to do before you travel

My husband laughs at me whenever I’m packing for a trip away – because after putting my passport into the bag as the first item on my pre-travel checklist, I then check another half a dozen times that it hasn’t somehow crawled out of its own accord.

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I’m not quite sure what I expect to happen to it between putting it on the pile and that final swift look before setting off to ensure it hasn’t grown legs and scuttled away while I wasn’t looking. But, you know, just in case.

I thought this was something everyone did – maybe not the obsessive checking, but making sure you don’t head merrily to the airport without that essential piece of ID. But apparently not, as research has found that over a million holidaymakers have forgotten crucial travel documents before leaving the UK.

More Britons check the weather at the destination than their passport the week before travel. Obviously I obsessively check the weather too, sometimes on several different apps until I find the forecast I’m hoping for!

But after a friend accidentally picked up her husband’s passport (and managed to board the plane, only realising just before security in France on the way home – that’s a whole other story…), I also make sure I’ve got mine and my daughter’s rather than his as well.

And of all the things which are likely to derail your dream trip, not having a valid passport is going to top the list: even if you live relatively close to an airport, chances are you won’t have enough time to get home and back again without missing your flight – something which 2.7 million people admitted had happened to them.

Frankly, the stress of finding it gone – or discovering it expired or isn’t valid for long enough – is enough to take the shine off any trip, especially as your travel insurance isn’t going to cover you if you simply forgot to pack it, or tried to travel with one which ran out last week.

It’s worth doublechecking what your policy does cover, for example if you lost your passport while you’re on your travels, or worse if it’s stolen while you’re away.

Let’s fact it, paperwork rarely tops people’s list of exciting things to plan before a holiday (best restaurants and beach time, yes! Printing… not so much). But I’ve found that a bit of advance planning goes a long way, especially if you travel a lot – these are my failsafe travel tips.

1. Pre-travel checklist: Have a packing list

I have a general packing list saved on my computer which covers everything my daughter and I might need for most standard trips, then I adapt it for the specific holiday (deleting gloves/suntan lotion etc as needed).

There are usually extras to add on, and I’ve updated it over the years, but it’s a great starting point and means those odds and ends – like a travel towel or adaptors – don’t get forgotten and left in a cupboard.

Passport, needless to say, is at the top!

Check out my other packing essentials on my Shop The Blog page

2. Pre-travel checklist: Ensure you’re insured

Make sure you’ve got travel insurance – and make sure your travel insurance covers you for the trip.

Millions of people go away without it each year, but paying a relatively small amount (especially for single trip cover) could save a fortune, particularly if you need medical care – bills in the United States rack up alarmingly quickly, for example, and the cost of being repatriated from anywhere makes me wince.

Some policies will cover specific things – check if yours has options for winter sports for example, if you’re skiing or snowboarding, which is not included in many standard policies.

Look out for disruption cover too, particularly useful if you have connecting flights as disruption at airports (whether that’s caused by bad weather or other events) is out of your control but could end up costing a lot.

And if you go away with an array of devices, you might need enhanced cover for your gadgets.

I’ve found an annual policy works best – although there are limits to the number of days you can spend abroad so check out extended stay cover if you’re off on a longer trip.

For more tips on what travel insurance should cover, check out my post

3. Pre-travel checklist: Sort your paperwork out

Whether it’s hotel confirmations, boarding passes, that insurance, visas or any other paperwork you might need, make sure you’ve got everything you need before you go.

It’s a good idea to set a reminder in your diary or phone a few weeks before, so if you do need to panic sort something, you’re not trying to do it the night before.

And if you’ve put your passport in a ‘safe place’, it gives you time to find out where that was – one relative who shall remain nameless had slipped theirs inside the book they were reading on the plane. Then forgot they had done that. Cue the house being turned upside down and inside out until it was (happily) found in time.

I always keep copies of all the essential paperwork and my passport page on my phone but also take a printed copy – discovering your battery is about to die or there’s no data access just as you need to get hold of something urgent is no fun. Packing a portable battery charger is also useful though!

For more of my travel packing essentials, check out essential baby packing list here or shop the blog

4. Pre-travel checklist: Check the weather

No, not whether it’s sunbathing temperatures on arrival but what the forecast is for the day you’re heading to the airport – and leave extra time if it looks bad.

Checking for roadworks and diversions is also a good plan (discovering at 4am that the M23 to Gatwick was closed and I’d have to follow a diversion through the Surrey countryside was not a good start to a trip…)

If you’re skiing, it’s also worth checking whether your insurance covers weather delays and road closures (and lift passes) on your arrival as well, in case you get held up on the way to the slopes.

5. Pre-travel checklist: Have a list of anything else to sort

Need someone to feed the cat or water the plants? Got to remember to check in for your flight online as soon as it opens to try to snaffle good seats? Need to pop to the shops to buy something essential for the trip?

You can’t beat a good checklist so it doesn’t get forgotten in the flurry of getting ready for the trip. Whether it’s paper stuck to the fridge or an app on your phone to buzz reminders is up to you. And it saves that sinking feeling at 3am when your brain wakes you up to go, aaargh, you forgot to restock the first aid kit.

My 23-page travel planner includes notes, space for reminders and things to do, as well as important info and space to plan your trip itself

*First published 2019, last updated 2026*

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Images courtesy Depositphotos

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