The International Travel Packing Checklist: What to Pack (and What to Leave at Home)

Forgetting a phone charger is an inconvenience. Forgetting your passport, prescription or travel authorisation can end a trip before it starts. This checklist puts the essentials first, then helps you pack light for everything else.

How to use it: run through the documents section a month before you travel, then the full list two or three days before departure. Everything here assumes a trip of one to three weeks with checked luggage optional.

1. Documents and money (check one month before)

• Passport, valid for at least six months beyond your trip, with blank pages
• Visas or travel authorisations: for example, the UK’s ETA, or e-visas and digital arrival cards required by many countries
• Travel insurance policy number and emergency phone number
• Flight, hotel and transport confirmations (offline copies on your phone)
• Driving licence and an International Driving Permit if you’ll rent a car
• Two payment cards from different banks, stored separately
• A little local currency for arrival, or a plan to use an airport ATM
• Photocopies or secure photos of your passport and cards
• Vaccination records if required for your destination

Entry rules change often. Thailand cut its visa-free stay to 30 days for many nationalities in 2026, and a growing number of countries require online authorisations before travel. Always check official government sources for each country on your route.

2. Carry-on bag

Keep everything you can’t afford to lose, or need on the journey, with you.

• Passport, wallet and phone
• Medication in original packaging, plus copies of prescriptions
• Power bank and charging cables (never in checked luggage)
• Universal travel adapter
• Headphones and a downloaded playlist, podcast or film
• Reusable water bottle (empty through security)
• Clear bag of liquids, gels and aerosols (see the rules below)
• Light jumper or scarf: planes and airports are often cold
• A change of underwear and a T-shirt, in case checked luggage is delayed
• Pen for arrival forms

3. Liquids and security: the 2026 rules

Carry-on liquid rules are currently inconsistent between airports, even within the same country.

• United States: the TSA’s 3-1-1 rule still applies: containers of 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less, in one quart-sized bag, one bag per passenger.
• UK: several major airports with new scanners now allow containers of up to 2 litres, but others still enforce 100 ml.
• EU: a patchwork, with some airports allowing larger containers and many still applying the 100 ml limit.

Our advice: unless you’ve confirmed that both your departure and return airports allow larger containers, pack liquids in 100 ml containers in a single clear bag. Check your airport’s website before you fly.

4. Tech

• Phone and charger
• eSIM set up before departure, or plan for a local SIM
• Offline maps and translation app downloaded
• Power bank (typically up to 100 Wh is allowed without airline approval)
• Universal adapter with USB ports
• E-reader or tablet
• Camera, spare memory card and battery (spare batteries in carry-on)

Power bank note: an increasing number of airlines restrict using or charging power banks during the flight. Check your airline’s policy.

5. Health and toiletries

• Prescription medication (enough for the trip plus a few extra days)
• Painkillers, antihistamines and rehydration sachets
• Plasters, antiseptic cream and blister patches
• Insect repellent (essential in the tropics)
• Sunscreen and lip balm with SPF; reef-safe sunscreen for snorkelling
• Toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant
• Hand sanitiser and tissues
• Glasses or contact lenses, with a spare pair

Medication tip: some common medicines are restricted or require permits in certain countries. Check before you travel, and always keep medication in its original packaging.

6. Clothing: pack for the climate

For warm destinations

• Lightweight, breathable tops and shorts or skirts
• One set of clothes covering shoulders and knees, for temples and religious sites
• Swimwear and a quick-dry towel
• Sun hat and sunglasses
• Sandals and comfortable walking shoes

Heading somewhere tropical? Our guide to affordable tropical islands covers the best time to visit each one.

For cold destinations

• Thermal base layers
• Insulated jacket and waterproof outer layer
• Hat, gloves and scarf
• Warm socks and waterproof boots

Planning a winter trip? See our best countries to visit in December.

For every trip

• One more pair of underwear and socks than you think you need
• Two or three outfits that mix and match
• Something smarter for dinners out
• Sleepwear
• A packable daypack or tote bag

7. Comfort on the journey

• Eye mask and earplugs
• Neck pillow for long flights
• Compression socks for long-haul flights
• Snacks (check food rules before landing; many countries ban fresh food)

What to leave at home

• Expensive jewellery you’d be upset to lose.
• Full-size toiletries: buy them at your destination.
• “Just in case” outfits you won’t wear.
• Spare lithium batteries in checked luggage: they must go in your carry-on.
• Too many shoes: they’re the heaviest thing in most suitcases.

Five packing mistakes to avoid

1. Leaving passport checks too late. Renewals can take weeks.
2. Packing medication in checked luggage. Bags get delayed.
3. Assuming liquid rules are the same everywhere. They aren’t in 2026.
4. Forgetting the return journey. Leave space for souvenirs, or pack a foldable bag.
5. Overpacking. Lay everything out, then remove a third.

Ready to go? Get inspired by our 12 bucket-list places, or plan your first big trip with our 7-day Japan itinerary.