Free tool

Holiday Countdown

Pick your departure date for a live countdown — and a week-by-week checklist that keeps the essentials from creeping up on you. Steps you've passed are ticked off automatically.

Your date is remembered only in this browser so it's here when you return. It's never sent to us.
The checklist is a general guide to typical pre-trip timings. Lead times for passports, visas and vaccinations vary by country and time of year — always check official requirements early, as some take several weeks.

Why a countdown helps

Most holiday stress comes from leaving the essentials too late — discovering a passport expires inside six months, or that a destination needs a visa or a vaccination with a lead time. Working backwards from your departure date turns a vague "I must sort that" into clear jobs for each week. Buy travel insurance as soon as you book, so cancellation cover starts straight away, and leave admin like currency and online check-in for the final fortnight.

Pair this with the budget calculator early on and the packing list in the final week, and the whole trip comes together without the last-minute scramble.