The pre-departure checklist: what to sort and when
Most pre-trip stress isn't caused by hard tasks — it's caused by easy tasks all landing in the same panicked week. Spread them out and the run-up to a holiday becomes calm. Here's a week-by-week checklist from roughly eight weeks out to the morning you leave.
Around 8 weeks out: documents and the slow stuff
Start with anything that takes time to arrange, because these are the things you can't rush at the end.
- Passports. Check every traveller's passport is valid and meets the destination's validity requirements — some countries want several months left beyond your travel dates. Renew now if it's close.
- Visas and entry rules. Find out whether you need a visa or any pre-arrival authorisation, and how long it takes to get. Some are quick; some are not.
- Vaccinations and health. Look up any recommended or required vaccinations, as some need to be given weeks ahead or in a course. Don't leave this late.
Around 6 weeks out: protect the trip
With the foundations in motion, turn to the things that protect your trip and your money.
- Travel insurance. Buy it early rather than at the airport, so you're covered for cancellation in the weeks before you travel, not just while you're away. Check the terms cover what you actually plan to do.
- Confirm bookings. Re-read your flight, accommodation and transfer confirmations and put the key details somewhere you can find them offline.
See the whole runway at a glance. Our holiday countdown shows exactly how many weeks and days you have left, so you can map these tasks onto the time you've actually got.
Around 2–4 weeks out: money and logistics
Now the practical middle layer.
- Travel money. Sort how you'll pay and access cash abroad, and decide whether you want some local currency before you go.
- Connectivity. Plan how you'll stay online — a local or travel eSIM, or checking your roaming options — rather than working it out at the airport.
- Home and admin. Arrange anything at home that needs covering while you're away, and tell anyone who needs to know your dates.
The final week and departure day
By now the hard work is done, so the last week is mostly about confirming and packing.
- Online check-in. Check in when it opens, choose seats if you want them, and save or download your boarding passes.
- Pack. Work from a list so nothing gets forgotten, and weigh your bag at home against your allowance.
- Offline essentials. Download maps, tickets and confirmations so you're not relying on signal at the other end.
- Departure day. Documents, medication, phone and charger on you; check your departure time and how long you need to get to the airport; then go.
This checklist is the home stretch of a bigger journey. To see how it connects to budgeting, choosing dates and booking in the right order, read our full how to plan a holiday guide.