The best packing list is boring and repeatable — the same categories, checked every time, regardless of destination.
Documents
- •Passport (and visa, if required) with enough remaining validity for your destination's entry rules
- •Printed and digital copies of your booking confirmations and any travel insurance policy
- •A backup photo of your ID and cards stored separately from the originals
- •Any required health documentation, including for pets or medical conditions
Electronics
- •Charging cables and a portable battery pack
- •A universal power adapter if traveling internationally
- •Headphones
- •Any device-specific accessories you can't buy easily at your destination
In your carry-on, always
- •A full change of clothes, in case checked luggage is delayed
- •Any essential medication, in its original packaging
- •Liquids within your route's carry-on limits
- •Valuables and anything irreplaceable — never checked
Clothing
Pack for the destination's actual weather during your dates, not the season name — layering pieces cover more variability than one heavy item. Roll rather than fold to save space, and leave a small amount of empty capacity for anything you pick up along the way.
Before you leave the house
- •Check in online and download or print your boarding pass.
- •Confirm your transportation to the airport and roughly what time you need to leave.
- •Set out-of-office replies and share your itinerary with someone at home.
- •Do one final sweep of chargers and adapters — the most commonly forgotten item by far.