How to pack for an international trip
Packing clothes for another country is mostly like packing for anywhere else. What changes is the paperwork, the power, the money and the rules you do not know yet. A forgotten sweater costs you a shopping trip. A passport that expires too soon costs you the trip.
Check your passport date before anything else
Open your passport and look at the expiry date today, not the week you leave. Many countries ask for six months of validity beyond your departure, some ask for less, and a few want blank pages for stamps too. Transit countries can have their own rules. Renewals can take weeks, so the earlier you notice, the cheaper and calmer the fix.
Sort entry permissions early
Depending on your nationality and destination, you may need a visa, an electronic travel authorization or nothing at all. Use the destination government's official website rather than a third-party service that charges extra. Print or save the approval, because border officers and airline staff may ask to see it.
Know your plug and your voltage
Look up which plug type your destination uses and pack an adapter for it, or a universal adapter if you are visiting several countries. Most modern chargers handle 100 to 240 volts, so they only need a different plug shape. Hair tools are the usual exception. If yours is single voltage, buy a dual-voltage travel version or use the one at your hotel.
Carry medications the careful way
Keep medicines in their original, labeled packaging, in your carry-on, with enough to cover a few days of delays. Bring a copy of the prescription using the generic drug name, since brand names change between countries. A small number of common medicines are controlled or banned in some places, so check before you go if you take anything that might be.
Split your money and your backups
Do not keep every card, all your cash and your passport in one place. Carry one card and some cash on you, and keep a backup card and a little emergency cash in a different bag. Choose cards without foreign transaction fees if you can, and when a card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in the local one.
Your travel document folder
Keep one slim folder or zip pouch for paper, and keep it in your personal item. Here is what usually belongs in it:
- Passport, plus any second passport you will need.
- Visa, electronic travel authorization or entry approval.
- Return or onward flight confirmation, since some countries ask for proof you will leave.
- Address of your first night's accommodation, which arrival forms often require.
- Travel insurance policy number and emergency phone line.
- Driver's license and International Driving Permit if you will drive and your destination requires one.
- Vaccination records if your destination asks for them.
- Printed contact details for your country's embassy or consulate.
For a printable, step-by-step version that starts weeks before departure, read our international travel checklist.
Packing light across borders
Long-haul flights, train transfers and cobblestone streets reward a smaller bag. If you can, travel with one carry-on and a personal item, and plan to do laundry once a week. Our carry-on packing list shows how to fit a week or more into the overhead bin, and the general vacation packing list is useful for clothing quantities. Remember that liquid limits for carry-on bags can differ at airports abroad, so check the rules at each airport on your route, including the one you fly home from.
Finally, dress for the culture as well as the climate. Some sites and countries expect covered shoulders and knees, and a light scarf or long skirt in your day bag solves that in seconds.