The ultimate pre holiday travel checklist

Find yourself in a state of panic weeks leading up to your trip? If you’re not sure where to start for a big international trip overseas? Never fear, we’re the experts all things travel, and here to help! Welcome to your new best friend – the ULTIMATE travel checklist. Now this isn’t your standard packing list, oh no, we’ve decided to go pretty off the charts and think of absolutely everything that could potential give you packing related headaches.

Put everything important ONLINE

Store all of your passport documents, IDs, itineraries, insurance, receipts, work certificates etc. online. Google Drive is a great to do this! The best part of all? You’ll be able to access it digitally ANYWHERE in the world!

Check your passport expiry date

Depending on the countries you’ll be visiting, your passport may need to be at least 6 months outside of its expiry date. Make sure your passport is valid, your visas are organized, and your flights are booked. It also doesn’t hurt to have other forms of ID on you in case of emergencies.

Travel insurance

Make sure you sort this out before you leave your home country. Trust us it will be a load more expensive if you buy it once already on your travels. Like all things in life, the future is unpredictable so you want to cover all the bases just in case you get into trouble.

Medicine & toiletries

This is one thing on your travel checklist you won’t want to miss. Pack vitamins and Tylenol/Advil/Panadol to cure those headaches. Berocca is great to fix those hangovers and keep you as healthy as possible. Other recommended toiletries to bring with you are band-aids/plasters, travel shampoo, tampons, condoms (just in case you get lucky). Bring anything else you might need on your trip, such contact lenses, prescription glasses…you know the drill. It pays to be prepared for anything!

Vaccinations

Check with your doctor before you leave on what vaccinations you might need for your trip, especially if travelling to Asia or Latin America. Keep your vaccination card safely stored with your travel documents just in case any authorities ask to see this while travelling.

Unlock your phone

Unlocking your phone before you leave is ESSENTIAL. Having an unlocked phone means you can purchase local SIM cards everywhere you go. It’s a much cheaper alternative to paying roaming charges and less stress than depending on WiFi.

Pack strategically

Take a good look at your wardrobe. What do you wear most? What goes with absolutely ANYTHING? Most likely plain colours (black, white and a few choice patterns are always good) Those will be your biggest assets, which you’ll end up wearing most of the time. Pack sensibly, do you really need that dress up wig or super high heels? Urr, no. You could even ask “Alexa, pack my bags…” for some extra help!

Micro-fibre towel

Towels can be quiet bulky. Micro-fibre towels are a great alternative option for any travel checklist! They are thin, light, take up minimal space and do the job just as well. Problem solved! Sometimes you can even find ones that dry quicker, essential if you are staying in a different country each night.

Cash

Not too much of course, but having some cash is always handy. The US dollar is accepted almost everywhere and is particularly useful when sorting out visas and the like. Separate out your cash throughout your bag so you carry it all in one place. It’s also a great idea to carrying a little bit of currency for your destination as you’ll get better rates from home rather than the airport.

Credit cards or travel cards

Travelex cards are a great cash card option as they avoid pesky conversion charges. Just be sure to activate your card before you go, or if relying on credit cards, make sure you let your bank know which countries you’re going to in advance to avoid any issues.

Electronic gadgets

Portable speakers or headphones to keep you company on the bus/plane/train/car and a camera are all pretty essential. iPad’s are a great laptop alternative as they’re small and light, just make sure your gadgets are all covered in your insurance policy.

Adapters

This is an ESSENTIAL item on any travel checklist. Depending on where you’re travelling, you may need a travel power adapter to use your devices. Check out this adaptor bible for everything you need to know about travel adapters.

Comfortable shoes

Having a good pair of shoes is a MUST. Flip flops, a pair of runners – you never know what activities are around the corner. Check the weather in the destination you’re visiting and pack accordingly. If it’s rainy or snowy, packing a pair of waterproof shoes could be a good idea. Whatever you decide, just make sure they are comfortable because there is nothing worse than having to walk in an uncomfortable pair of shoes for hours.

A reusable water bottle

Because we know you care about the environment, packing a reusable water bottle is a great idea. Pack your fave bottle to go or if you’re looking for an alternative the Contiki water bottle is a great option. Their foldable, travel-friendly water bottle creates clean drinking water wherever you are in the world through an advanced filtration system that removes 99.95% of bacteria from tap water. Talk about environmentally-friendly!

Stress less

Travel is meant to be fun so enjoy it! If you’ve booked with Contiki you know we’ve got the important bases covered; like transportation, food, and accommodation (and way more), so really all you need is an open mind and a positive attitude for your holiday. Now that your travel checklist is complete, bring on the adventure…