Your passport is valid. Your flights are booked. You feel ready—until 11 PM the night before departure, when you realize you never set up international data on your phone, don't know if your credit card charges foreign transaction fees, and have no idea how to get from the airport to your hotel.

This checklist exists to prevent that moment. Work through it in order, starting 6–8 weeks out, and you'll board that plane knowing every box is checked.

6–8 Weeks Before Departure

Passports and Visas

Passport validity requirements catch more travelers off guard than almost anything else. Most countries require 6 months of validity beyond your travel dates—not just validity through your return date. Check yours now.

Visa requirements by destination (examples):

Destination	US Citizens	Processing Time
Schengen Area (EU)	Visa-free up to 90 days	N/A (ETIAS starts 2025)
Japan	Visa-free up to 90 days	N/A
India	e-Visa required	3–5 business days
Vietnam	e-Visa required	3 business days
Brazil	Visa-free up to 90 days	N/A
China	Tourist visa required	4–7 business days
Australia	ETA or eVisitor required	1–5 minutes to 24 hours

Check the US State Department's travel site and the destination country's official embassy for the most current requirements. Rules change.

Flights and Accommodation

Book flights: Use Google Flights to track prices, and aim for Tuesday/Wednesday departures, which are typically 10–15% cheaper than Fridays
Book accommodation: For popular destinations in peak season (Tokyo in cherry blossom season, Paris in summer, Bali in July/August), book now—not later
Confirm cancellation policies: Look for free cancellation windows in case plans shift

Travel Insurance

International travel insurance is not optional if you're doing this properly. A medical evacuation from Southeast Asia to the US can cost $50,000–$100,000 out of pocket. Annual plans from providers like Allianz ($150–$300/year) or World Nomads cover multiple trips.

At minimum, your policy should include:

Medical coverage ($100,000+)
Emergency evacuation
Trip cancellation/interruption
Baggage loss

4–6 Weeks Before Departure

Finances

Notify your bank. Major banks now often detect foreign charges automatically, but a quick notification prevents card freezes at the worst possible time.

Get the right cards. Foreign transaction fees (typically 1–3%) add up fast. Cards with zero foreign transaction fees:

Chase Sapphire Preferred / Reserve
Capital One Venture / Venture X
Charles Schwab Debit Card (also refunds ATM fees worldwide)

Cash strategy: Don't exchange currency at airport kiosks—rates are terrible (often 10–15% worse than the interbank rate). Instead, withdraw local currency from ATMs at your destination. Plan for $50–$100 equivalent in local cash for your first day (taxis, tips, small vendors who don't take cards).

Research tipping norms. Japan and South Korea: no tipping expected (can even be seen as rude). France: small tip appreciated but not mandatory. US visitors often overtip in Europe; the standard is 5–10% at sit-down restaurants, if anything.

Health and Vaccinations

Check the CDC's destination-specific page at least 4–6 weeks out—some vaccines require multiple doses over several weeks.

Common requirements and recommendations:

Destination Region	Typical Vaccines/Precautions
Southeast Asia	Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Japanese Encephalitis (rural)
Sub-Saharan Africa	Yellow Fever (required by some countries), Malaria prophylaxis
South America	Yellow Fever (jungle regions), Typhoid
Europe	Routine vaccines up to date
India	Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Malaria (rural areas)

Pack a basic travel health kit: prescription medications (extra supply), antidiarrheal (Imodium), pain reliever, rehydration salts, bandages, antihistamine, and hand sanitizer.

2–4 Weeks Before Departure

Build Your Itinerary

This is where most travelers waste the most time—hours of spreadsheet-building or tab-hopping between TripAdvisor, Google Maps, and travel blogs. Faroway builds your full day-by-day itinerary automatically, accounting for travel time between sights, opening hours, and your travel style. It takes 2 minutes instead of 2 hours.

Whether you use a tool or go manual, your itinerary should include:

Day-by-day activities with addresses and hours
Transportation between each location (and cost estimates)
Restaurant reservations for high-demand spots (Jiro Dreams of Sushi in Tokyo needs months of advance booking; popular Paris bistros fill up 2–3 weeks out)
Pre-booked tickets for major attractions (Vatican Museums, Sagrada Família, Eiffel Tower summit all sell out)

Transportation Logistics

Airport to hotel: Research in advance. Don't assume taxis are the best option. The Narita Express in Tokyo costs ¥3,070 (~$20) and is direct. An Uber from JFK to Manhattan is $60–$90. The AirTrain + subway combo is $9.25. Know your options.
Getting around: Research metro systems (Tokyo, London, Paris, NYC all have excellent transit apps). Download Google Maps for offline use—available for most destinations.
Rail passes: If you're traveling across multiple cities in Europe or Japan, check rail pass vs. point-to-point ticket pricing. For 3+ cities in Japan, the JR Pass (¥50,000 / ~$330 for 7 days) usually wins.
International driving: If renting a car, get an International Driving Permit (AAA issues them for $20, takes 10 minutes). Some countries require it; others technically don't but car rental agencies ask for it.

Accommodation Confirmations

Print or save offline: confirmation numbers, addresses, check-in instructions
Note check-in times and whether you need a credit card present at check-in
Identify the nearest pharmacy, convenience store, and metro stop

1–2 Weeks Before Departure

Technology and Connectivity

International phone plan options:

Option	Best For	Cost
Add international day pass (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon)	Short trips, 1–2 weeks	$5–$15/day
Buy local SIM at destination	Longer trips, lower budget	$10–$30 for 1–2 weeks
eSIM (Airalo, Holafly)	Any trip, convenient	$20–$50 for 2 weeks
Google Fi	Frequent international travelers	$10/GB abroad

Download offline maps (Google Maps or Maps.me) for your destinations before you leave—it saves data and works when you have no signal.

Apps to download before you go:

Translation: Google Translate (download language packs offline)
Currency: XE Currency
Transport: Rome2rio, Moovit, or destination-specific apps (Suica for Japan, Navigo for Paris)
Accommodation: Your booking apps with offline access

Documents Package

Create a physical folder and a digital backup:

Physical:

Passport
Printed visa confirmation (if applicable)
Printed hotel confirmations and addresses
Travel insurance card with emergency phone numbers
Emergency contacts

Digital backup (cloud + email to yourself):

Passport photo page scan
Visa copies
Insurance policy number and claims number
Credit card emergency numbers
Itinerary

48–72 Hours Before Departure

Final Checklist

[ ] Check in for flights (most airlines open check-in 24–48 hours before departure)
[ ] Confirm seat assignments
[ ] Download boarding passes to your phone (and print backup copies for countries with unreliable connectivity)
[ ] Check baggage allowances—international carriers often have different rules than domestic
[ ] Verify carry-on liquid rules (100ml containers in clear bags for most countries)
[ ] Charge all electronics
[ ] Pack charger, power bank, and destination-appropriate power adapter (Europe: Type C/E/F; UK: Type G; Australia: Type I; Japan: Type A but 100V—check device compatibility)
[ ] Confirm how you're getting to the airport and when to leave

Money Check

Activate international plan on your phone
Confirm credit cards are loaded in Apple/Google Pay
Have some local currency ready (or plan for first ATM withdrawal)
Know your card PINs—European chip-and-PIN terminals sometimes ask for them

Day of Departure

At home:

Unplug appliances and set thermostat
Notify a trusted contact of your itinerary
Lock all windows and doors
Take out the trash (you'll thank yourself on return)

At the airport:

Arrive 3 hours early for international flights (2 hours if you know the airport well and have no checked bags)
TSA PreCheck/Global Entry don't apply at foreign airports—factor in extra time for security abroad
Locate your gate, then eat/shop. Not the other way around.

The Stuff Most Checklists Skip

Stomach prep: If you're heading somewhere with different food norms (India, Mexico, Southeast Asia), bring probiotics for 2 weeks before departure and during the trip. It genuinely helps.

Weather reality check: Don't just pack for average temperatures. Check rainfall probability for your specific travel weeks. Southeast Asia's "dry season" still gets occasional downpours; a packable rain jacket takes 20 seconds to pull out.

Phone backup plan: Screenshot your hotel address and phone number in the local language. If you lose data connectivity, you can show a taxi driver the screen.

Emergency cash stash: Keep $100–$200 equivalent in small bills hidden separately from your wallet. A stolen wallet is painful; a stolen wallet with no backup is a crisis.

Let Faroway Build Your Itinerary

You can track this checklist manually, or you can let Faroway do the heavy lifting on the itinerary side. Plug in your destination, travel dates, and interests—Faroway generates a complete day-by-day plan with real places, real logistics, and time built in for the unexpected. It's the piece of trip planning most people spend the most time on, automated.

The rest of this checklist? That's still on you. But at least you know what to do.

The Complete Travel Planning Checklist for International Trips (2025)