The Rick Steves-Approved Checklist To Always Do Before Vacation

We all have our travel preferences. Some like to wing it, throwing a minimum of clothes into a backpack and hopping on a plane with nary a hotel booking nor a solid plan. Others are more meticulous, planning road trips down to the detail — using AI, no less. But for travel expert Rick Steves, an indispensable element that travelers can't afford to write off is pre-departure preparation.

With decades of travel experience under his belt, Steves has his pre-departure routine down pat thanks to a checklist of what to do before jetting off on a vacation. Crossing items off a pre-trip checklist is a small but significant preparation that can alleviate some of the stress of the journey ahead. "Quite a few things are worth arranging while you're still at home — lining up these details well ahead of time is a big part of having a smooth trip," he writes in his blog. Covering your bases beforehand leaves you the freedom to be as spontaneous or meticulous as you want during the rest of the trip, so let's dive into that essential list.

There's nothing worse than finding yourself at the airport with an expired passport, or one that's close to its expiry date. Some countries require that your passport have at least six months of validity beyond the dates of your trip, and if your passport is nearing its expiration, you may not be allowed to travel. This also goes for your driver's license: Check its validity in case you're planning to drive in the country you're visiting, and as Rick Steves suggests, inquire beforehand if an international driving permit is needed.

United Kingdom-bound visitors should apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before arrival. This new regulation was rolled out to different countries over the past few years, with European Union countries being the latest to be included in the new regulation starting in April 2025, per Gov.uk. Other countries can have similar requirements, so do your research beforehand.

If you're traveling with kids, don't make the crucial passport mistake that has caused many families to miss international flights: failing to check the validity of your child's passport. Keep in mind that passports for children under 16 are only valid for five years. Other child-related travel documents include letters of consent for children traveling without their parents, or proper documentation for adopted children, Steves says. Taking your child's school ID may also grant them free entry or discounted prices to a number of cultural destinations and transportation. Needless to say, keep a copy of these precious documents in case of loss or theft.

With your travel documents in order, the next crucial checklist items to cross off are your accommodation and transportation bookings. Domestic or international flights, ground transportation, and lodgings give your travels structure, so booking early is key for a stress-free holiday. In the early years of his European jaunts, Rick Steves would travel to a city without any room reservations and still have his pick of satisfactory lodgings. That's not so much the case now. "But these days Europe's best-value rooms are generally booked up weeks, often months, in advance," he warns in a blog post. If you find a hotel or accommodation that suits your needs, you're better off booking sooner than later.

While there's no cut-and-dry formula of how far in advance you should book your flight, you can book flights up to 11 months in advance for most U.S.-based airlines, but lead time may vary according to your payment method (cash or air miles). In the volatile world of flight ticketing, earlier doesn't necessarily mean cheaper, but checking early gives you an idea of the fare you can expect to shell out. 

Plan on taking the train? Booking your rail passes or point-to-point tickets in advance saves you the trouble of queuing and miscommunication when booking them in a foreign country. "If you don't mind forgoing some spontaneity, you'll probably be able to save money with advance-purchase discounts on point-to-point tickets," Steves shares in his blog.

There's nothing more nerve-wracking than finding yourself in a foreign country unable to withdraw cash, or having your credit card payment denied and trying to pantomime your situation to a confused shopkeeper. Rick Steves advises verifying the validity of your credit and debit cards and alerting your bank about your upcoming travel so as not to raise any flags when foreign charges come through. If you're planning on a particularly big purchase during your travels, adjust your ATM or credit card limits accordingly. Research transaction fees, and memorize your PIN number before you go.

In Europe, contactless payment is commonly used. As the European Central Bank reported, "53.8% of all card-based payments in the euro area were contactless in the second half of 2022. In 13 of the then 19 euro area countries, more than half of all card payments were contactless, reflecting strong demand for this technology across the euro area." Steves suggests adding your bank's contactless payment app to your phone for easier and safer transactions. However, he still believes that having a bit of cash on hand couldn't hurt. "I carry $100–200 in US dollars as a cash backup, which comes in handy in an emergency (for example, if your debit card gets eaten by the machine)," he shares.

Prior to your departure, Rick Steves suggests taking care of any medical-related issues that could impact your trip. A standard medical or dental check-up can prevent issues that would be complicated and costly to handle abroad. Also, make sure you have enough medication with you (along with prescriptions) to avoid running out of them while traveling. This precaution is crucial, since some medication may not be available or could even be illegal to carry in your destination without a prescription. Low-quality or counterfeit drugs are also something to watch out for in certain destinations.

If your vision depends on eyeglasses or contact lenses, Steves recommends bringing a copy of your prescription with you — and, of course, don't forget to bring your eyewear and enough contacts to get you through your trip. Finally, travel insurance may not cover certain situations, so research its cost versus benefits beforehand.

With so much of travel depending on updated and readily available information, signing up for a reliable international data phone plan and downloading a handful of useful apps are indispensable steps for overseas travel. The Rick Steves Audio Europe travel app is free, plus you can download the audio files beforehand for offline listening. For navigation, Google Maps is amazingly intuitive and available for offline use, while Citymapper offers clear public transport instructions in a majority of cities, showing metro station exits and departure times. Your smartphone can help you track any lost luggage via an AirTag, or keep all your tickets, QR codes, contactless payments, and air and rail passes easily accessible. Numerous translation apps are also a great hack for a stress-free trip.

Before switching to vacation mode, ensure that your household runs smoothly in your absence by addressing basic maintenance tasks. "Cancel your newspapers, hold your mail delivery, and prepay your bills," writes Rick Steves. And if you must take valuables along with you during your trip, document them with photos and note down their values or serial numbers when possible. This small, proactive step prepares you for worst-case scenarios such as theft or loss.