Trip Planning Checklist
The tasks for the weeks between booking a trip and leaving for it, not the day before. Passport expiration, travel insurance, visas, the things that are easy to leave until it's too late to fix them.
Make a copy or download the PDF
No account required to view. Click "Make a copy" to get your own editable version.
The tasks that need lead time, in the order they need it
Passport and visa check
Expiration date, blank pages, and any visa requirements for your destination, checked first because these have the longest lead time to fix if there's a problem.
Travel insurance
A prompt to decide, not a nag. Some policies need to be bought within a window of the initial trip deposit to cover pre-existing conditions.
Health and vaccinations
A space to note anything your destination requires or recommends, since some vaccines need weeks to become effective.
Logistics you'd forget
International phone plan or eSIM, pet or house sitting arranged, work coverage set up, so these aren't a scramble in the last few days.
Anyone planning more than a weekend trip
For international trips specifically, pair this with the international trip itinerary template, which covers the destination-specific logistics this checklist doesn't. For the day-before tasks (mail, plants, bank notices), use the vacation checklist printable instead; it's shorter and timed differently on purpose.