✈️international trip countdown, eight weeks to the gate

80 flights a year and I still run this list every time.

Check passport expiration against your return date

check the date. some countries want six months of validity left after you land, not after you leave home

Look up visa requirements for every country on the itinerary

Enroll in STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program)

free, takes five minutes, sends you real alerts instead of vague ones

Check if your destination needs specific vaccinations

Call your bank and card issuer about travel dates

do this even for 'no foreign fees' cards, fraud flags don't care

Get an international driving permit if you're renting a car

Photograph the front and back of every card and ID

email it to yourself. cloud photos don't help you at a police station with no signal

Download offline maps for every city

Check your phone plan's international coverage

(gate-checked once, never again) figure this out before you land, not in the taxi line

Pack a full outfit and toiletries in your carry-on

Set out-of-office and a real emergency contact at work

Leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home

Check in online and screenshot the boarding pass

airport wifi is not guaranteed

Confirm the gate one more time before boarding

gates change. i've walked to the wrong one more times than i'll admit

Or start a list of your own. Free, it takes a minute.

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