5 Essential Things to Do Before Every International Trip

International travel is exhilarating, life-changing, and incredible rewarding!

It’s also overwhelming!

While planning and preparing for your big trip, it’s easy to forget a thing or two. If you’re new to international travel, you may not even know that some of these things are important.

The last thing I want to do is add to the overwhelm, so I’m going to share just 5 things you should do before any international trip. All of these steps are important in their own right and are all intended to ensure you have an enjoyable, safe trip with as little hiccups as possible!

1. Check Entry Requirements & the Travel Advisory

Entry Requirements

Before you even book a flight anywhere overseas, you MUST check the entry requirements. Having a passport is plenty for visiting some countries, but not all! Most countries require your passport to have been issued at least 3-6 months before entering, and they also may exclude passports that will expire in the next 3-6 months. You also must have 1-2 empty visa pages in your passport before entering most countries. Check ahead of time to make sure you meet these requirements.

Also, do you have to have a visa? Can you obtain one on arrival? Is there any sort of arrival form that you have to fill out before entering? You HAVE to know these things before you travel anywhere. To check the requirements for the country or countries you’re visiting, check HERE. If you are not a US citizen, check the Department of Travel for your country, as they will have information on the entry requirements for your specific nationality.

Travel Advisory

It’s always important to understand the safety situation for where you’re visiting. The US Department of Travels categorizes countries into 4 categories:

Personally, if a country is level 1 or 2, I will visit without hesitation. If it is a level 3, I will do some research and weigh the pros and cons of visiting.

Be mindful of the advisory, but don’t conclude that all of the noted risks will automatically happen/apply to you. Most countries have safer & riskier areas and the advisory can be a helpful way to indicate if there’s areas you should avoid. Anything can happen to you anywhere. No matter where you go, ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings and always practice the proper precautions. Check out my solo travel safety post for safety tips.

2. Make a Packing List at Least 2-3 Weeks Ahead

You can be a last minute packer (I’m guilty of this), but don’t be a last minute planner!

Make a list of everything you’ll need to bring at least a couple weeks ahead of time to ensure you have everything. If you’re missing something, it’s much better to know that sooner rather than later. Of course, if you forget something, you can probably just buy it while you’re there. But if there’s anything you absolutely need, get it now.

Make sure you have the right power adapter (I recommend getting a universal adapter). Make sure you have the right clothes for the region you’re visiting. Even if you decide to pack your bags the day of, don’t create your packing list at last minute unless you want to add an extra dose of chaos to your travel day.

3. Purchase an Esim

Gone are the days where you have to wait in line at the airport to purchase a physical SIM card. Gone are also the days where you have to rely on your cellular provider’s expensive AF international plans (I’m side-eyeing you, Verizon).

In 2025, the only worthwhile option to stay connected is using a Esim. Do you absolutely need one? Well, no. You *could* just rely on WIFI & download the Google Map for where you’re traveling ahead of time… but I don’t recommend this. Well, OK, let me clarify: I DO recommend you download the Google Map ahead of time so that navigation won’t eat up all your data. I DON’T recommend traveling internationally without ANY cellular data.

Having an Esim helps you stay connected at all times. You may need to figure out some logistics. You may need to problem solve. You may just want to see if there’s anywhere nearby you can grab coffee. There’s many situations where I’ve needed data on a whim (or I’ve just wanted to look something up) and thank goodness for my Esim! Plus they’re super affordable and easy to install.

There’s lots of good carriers, but I’ve always liked Airalo. You can choose a singular country, or you can choose regional or global. The price will fluctuate based on the region, how many GBs you purchase, and how long you want the Esim to be good for. I usually slightly overestimate how much data I’ll need, but keep in mind that you can easily add on more later if necessary, so choose the option you think will be the most convenient for your trip.

4. Purchase Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is the thing you hope you won’t need, but you’ll be really happy you have it if something happens.

When planning your trip, you certainly hope nothing bad will happen, and chances are, nothing will. However, there are many things that could happen while traveling: You may get sick or injured. You may have to book a night somewhere at last minute due to unexpected delays. What if a natural disaster or political unrest occurs? You’ll need to find a way to quickly evacuate.

These are just a few reasons why travel insurance is SO important. I don’t care if you think it’s “too expensive.” Medical bills and emergency plane tickets are MUCH more expensive than travel insurance. Don’t risk it. Just get coverage. Basic coverage is usually fine unless you have special circumstances (such as planning to try an extreme sport or carrying a lot of expensive electronics). My top recommendation is SafetyWing. They’re an excellent choice for long-term travel, but also have very reasonable rates for shorter trips as well (minimum of 5 days).

5. Create a Map of Everywhere You Want to Go

Did you know you can create a list on Google Maps that will make it easy to keep track of everywhere you want to go? Well, you can! And it’s completely changed the game for me (Not gonna lie, I learned about this WAY too late in my travel career).

It’s super easy to set up. Just create a list on Google Maps, then add everywhere you want to go, and it will be pinned! Once you’re at your destination, you can easily navigate to all the spots you want to check out. If you have some extra time or you’re hungry, you can refer to your map to see if there’s somewhere close by.

While this is less essential than the other steps, it’s still helpful to be prepared and to have easy access to the landmarks/restaurants/places you want to visit. It makes planner easier AND it helps to make the most of your days. Even if you’re only mildly interested in a place, add it to your list just in case.

Stay Organized, Stay Safe, HAVE FUN!

After these 5 steps, you’re ready for your trip! Of course, make sure to remember to check into your flight, double check your itinerary… do all the things you would do for a domestic trip. I know an international trip can seem daunting, but with proper preparation, it’s not too bad!

The more international trips you take, the easier this all gets! So learn from experience, remember that everyone makes mistakes while traveling (I still do!), and always be kind!

Traveling & trip planning can be stressful, but it’s 100% worth it!