Find yourself in a state of panic weeks leading up to your big send off? Never fear, we’re the experts in this biz and we’re here to help. We all know how daunting the lead up can be when you are going overseas. What essentials do I need? What clothes? Which toiletries? Do I need medicine? A first aid kit? Brain. Overload.Instead of panicking, we decided to do what we as humans do best – compile a list. 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. Welcome to your new best friend – the ULTIMATE travel checklist.
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. Please make sure your Passport is valid, visas are organised, and you’ve got flight tickets ready. It also doesn’t hurt to have other forms of ID on you.
Necessary Travel Visas For Your Destination
Depending on which passport you hold, your destination may require a visa. More and more destinations require ESTA’s (Electronic Visas) to be done online in advance (USA, Canada & Turkey for example) For upto date list of travel requirements for British Passport holders from UK, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.For example, as of January 2018 for British Passports below countries definitely require a visa in advance (below is for reference only, and is only correct at the time of written. Please still double check with the embassy that you are travelling with).
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bhutan, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mongolia, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, Tibet*, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Yemen (USA, Canada, Turkey require E-Visa (Esta) before travelling on British Passports)
* A visa for China will not cover Tibet.
** This list doesn’t include those countries not on the official U.N. list or disputed regions such as South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh.
*** this list is just for reference only. There may be countries that require visas not on this list. Times Travel has only given the information above as reference and examples.
Put everything important ONLINE
Store those passport documents, itineraries, insurance, warranties, receipts, work certificates etc. online. Google drive is great in helping you do this, and the best part of all? You’ll be able to access it digitally ANYWHERE in the world!
Travel insurance
Make sure you sort this out before you leave your home country as 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
We’re talking vitamins, panadol to cure those headaches, berocca to keep you as healthy as possible, plasters, travel shampoo, tampons, condoms (just in case you get lucky) and anything else you might need on your trip such contact lenses, prescription glasses…you know the drill. It pays to be prepared.
Vaccinations
Check with your doctor before you leave on what jabs 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 whilst travelling.
Unlock your phone
Unlocking your phone before you leave means you can purchase local sim cards everywhere you go – 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.
Micro- fibre towel
Towels are bulky as. Micro fibre towels are thin, light, take up minimal space and do the job just as well. Problem solved.
Cash
Not too much of course, but some $$$$ are always handy. The US dollar in particular is accepted everywhere and is particularly useful when sorting out visas and the like. Also make sure you separate out your cash throughout your bag as you don’t want to be carrying it all in one place. Carrying a little bit of currency for your destination is wise 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 these 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.
Electronic gadgets
Portable speakers, 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.
A journal and pen
To write about your awesome experiences whilst travelling / to note down any information just in case your phone’s out of juice…
Comfortable shoes
Flip flops, a pair of runners – you never know what activities are around the corner.
A reusable water bottle
Because we know you care about the environment. SIGG do some pretty awesome ones, and if you love your coffee don’t forget your reusable travel mug too!
Stress less
Travel is meant to be fun so enjoy it! If you’ve booked with Times Travel you know we’ve got the important bases covered; like transportation and accommodation (and way more), so really all you need is an open mind and a positive attitude for your holiday. Now roll on the adventure…
