I have an international travel checklist and a packing list almost memorized for the trips I make. My trip to South America is coming up in the next few weeks and I am not nervous at all – partly because I often travel internationally, at least twice a year. More importantly, I perfected the art of smooth international travel through ten long years of solo travel, and recorded it as my personal international travel checklist. Think of a travel checklist as a list of pre-requirements that has to be planned a few weeks in advance of your travel date.

Today, I want to write this list down & share with you my international travel checklist that will make your long international travel stress-free, smooth & successful! Here’s my 9 step international travel checklist:

1. Apply for Travel Visa at least 3 months in advance

This international travel checklist item has been very critical to me since I am an Indian expat living in the US. The rules of tourist visa are different for different nationalities. US citizens are able to travel to up to 189 countries without a visa , or with visa on arrival. US citizens can check the official travel.state.gov for more information. For Indian citizens, the number of countries offering visa-free travel is very limited – A tourist visa is a must before you enter most countries. For Non-US citizens, I recommend to check & apply for a travel tourist visa at least 3 months in advance of your travel – this timeline varies per country.

General rule of thumb is to google official visa website of a country (generally a consulate of a country) for information on tourist visa application process & timeline.

For instance, I looked up “Visa to Peru for Indian Citizens” on Google & it showed me an official page of the Consulate of Peru where I was able to search for more information.

Picture of me at Tokyo’s Neon Light – Kabukicho street, Tokyo, Japan.

2. Book Refundable Hotel Accommodation

I say “refundable” because you never know if the hotel is total garbage until you get there. I personally use sites like Booking.com that offer free cancellation & refund X days before the date of your stay. I would definitely take advantage of that. It’s a top international travel checklist item.

Now, to booking the hotel itself.

My general rule of thumb is to get accommodation super close to public transit, like a train station or a bus station, so you can make your commute from airport>hotel>sightseeing>hotel super easy!

In fact, I recently curated a travel guide for a lady who has never been to UK before and wanted to go to the city of Edinburgh for 2 days – My travel guide provided detailed information on hotels that are within walking distance of public transit.

Booking hotels in advance offers you peace of mind! This is true.

Picture of my accommodation in El Nido, Philippines.

3. Book Train / Bus tickets in advance

In addition to staying close to public transit, I ensure that I purchase train / bus tickets in advance for inter country travel. It’s best practice & a great travel checklist item if you are traveling in peak tourist season or to popular places.

I travelled to Japan in April, in the peak cherry blossom season, and I made sure to pre-book my bullet train tickets to Kyoto & Osaka at least 2 months in advance to avoid mad rush!

Planning your transit, booking tickets, getting transit passes are research intensive but necessary steps – check out my wander guides, I give away information on how & where to book your transit tickets.

Picture of Shinkansen (bullet train) taken by me at Kyoto, Japan.

4. Book Day Tours as applicable

Booking day tours from a central place is a smart way to see a country, especially if you don’t have a private vehicle. In April, I booked a day tour from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji – it’s so convenient because you can leave your luggage in your hotel room & carry your essentials only to the day trip.

I carried my passport, cash, credit cards, phone a camera to this trip. You can book a day tour either through Booking.com or Tripadvisor – both are reliable & I’ve had a great experience with both of them. No, I am not sponsored by either! Anyway, useful travel checklist item!

Did you know? My curated travel guides on this website have information on travel requirements, hotels, dining, visa consulate weblinks, so you don’t waste your time researching!

Picture of Mt.Fuji taken by me on a Tokyo-to-Mt.Fuji tour bus

5. Get Foreign Currency Cash

Depending on the country you plan to visit, carrying cash is crucial. This is an essential travel planning item. Some countries like the Philippines, Thailand, even India are mostly cash dependent. While others like Iceland, Sweden, USA are digital.

I would recommend carrying some cash for your daily expenses like food, sightseeing, shopping etc.

For instance, I carried USD 60 per day in cash in Japan to spend on dining, transit & souvenirs.

Stock photo of USD currency

6. Check the Weather before packing clothes

I am going to travel below the equator in a few weeks & I know the weather in the southern hemisphere is topsy-turvy to what it is in the northern hemisphere. I talked about brutal summer temperatures and lack of AC in my recent post. I am glad I am cheating & skipping seasons – going straight to winter in Peru with lows in 40 degree Fahrenheit (4 degree Celsius). Naturally, my packing list will have layers of clothing, a jacket, hiking boots, regular shoes & warm leggings.

If you forget your favorite sweater, don’t fret – you can always a buy a new one in the country you are visiting! What are souvenirs for!

Photo of me in Glacier National Park, MT in summer of 2023.

7. Pack your Travel Medicine Bag

If you take regular prescription medication, then this is a no-brainer travel checklist item for you. I recommend that everybody carry a basic baggy of medication because a) it’s difficult navigating a healthcare system in a country that you barely know, and b) go read a.

In addition to prescription medicines, I carry the following over the counter medicines in my travel medicine bag at all times – and I have it on my carry-on luggage.

• Pain Killers – Over the Counter
• Cortisone cream for skin rashes
• First Aid Kit
• Insect Repellant
• Travelers Diarrhea medicine – hey! not a joke.

Stock photo of a medicine bag

8. Buy International Travel Charger Adapter

This is so easy to forget. It’s an important international travel checklist item, if you want your phone to stay alive. I once went to Ireland without a charger adapter & literally had to walk to several stores before I found an Ireland charger adaptor in Ireland – funny!

You can avoid all that mess by carrying a travel charger adapter – go to your nearest travel store to buy one!

Stock photo of a international travel charger adapter

9. Carry printouts of your Immigration paperwork

How can something be so boring & so important at the same time? Immigration paperwork is a must for expats like me to carry, especially on an international trip. This paperwork includes a copy of my tourist visa, copy of my accommodation confirmation, copy of my daily itinerary. I always these paper copies, in case anyone at airport border control asks. I love to come prepared. Why else would I travel blog?

I hope you found my post valuable. Leave your comments below – I really appreciate your input.

Check out my Wander Guides for curated travel guides to locations around the world – it has information on hotels, dining, activities, visa requirements, pro tips & a complete itinerary.

Seek your adventure – Alisha out!