13 Essential Things to Prepare Before Traveling Abroad (2025)

Amber Everywhere contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using one of these Amazon links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Read my privacy policy for more information.

Planning to travel abroad and wondering what you need to do to prepare? Here’s everything you need to know!

Traveling abroad is one of those things that can feel very intimidating before you do it for the first time. Often, we have no real sense of what to expect, and the unknown can feel quite scary and intimidating – what vaccines do you need, and how do you get a passport, anyway?! 

The good news is that it doesn’t stay scary or new for very long! 

I’ve traveled abroad many times in my life, starting with my first trip to Guatemala in 2011. So, I’ve had a chance to hone my skills and techniques over the years. Still, there can be a lot to manage when you prepare to travel abroad, especially for the first time. 

Don’t worry, you’ll be a world traveler in no time!

In this post, I’ll cover the top things that you’ll need to do before traveling abroad. I created this list after reflecting on all of the pieces that go into a successful trip – in my opinion, anyway. 

13 Things to Prepare Before Traveling Abroad

From the very basics of getting a passport to booking your flight to cleaning your home before you go, these are the things I always do before I leave for a trip. Your pre-trip list might have even more items on it, and that’s OK! This post intended to set you off on the right foot with your planning. 

1. Get Your Passport

There’s no two ways about it, you’ll need a passport to travel abroad. If you’ve never held a passport before, you’ll need to apply for one. The process can be more involved and onerous than you might expect, and it’s possible you’ll need copies of documents like your birth certificate. 

Your passport will need to be valid for at least six months after you plan to return home. If your passport won’t be valid long enough, be sure to renew it as early as possible before your trip. 

You can apply for a US passport by visiting the Department of State’s website. They also have instructions for renewing your US passport. 

I like to keep my passport in a passport holder, along with a pen and some US dollars and local currency, if possible. I keep any visa-related paperwork or receipts in my passport holder until I’m finished with my trip (or get around to clearing out my passport holder!). Fun fact: passport holders are one of my favorite gifts to give people traveling abroad for the first time!

2. Secure Your Visa

Depending on your passport and where you’re planning to travel, you may need to secure a visa before you go home. Some visas are simple, online processes, while others require you to mail your passport or go in person to an embassy. 

Always look up the visa requirements as early as possible so that you’re not left scrambling.  

Planning to visit Europe from the United States? There’s a new visa process that is set to roll out in mid-2025. The program is called ETIAS and it will be required to visit 30 European countries. Although it is supposed to only take a few minutes, I would recommend applying at least a month in advance until we have a chance to see how the rollout goes. 

3. Make Your Travel Itinerary

Some travelers love them, others hate them, but on some level you’ll need an itinerary. An itinerary can be as simple as which city you’re in each day of your trip, but most travelers choose to be more detailed when making their plans. 

It’s possible to go overboard when planning an itinerary, so be sure that you leave a few hours of free time each day. Not only will you have time in your itinerary to decompress after a busy travel day, it’ll free you up for activities you decide to try after you arrive. 

For longer trips, you may want to be more detailed in the first few weeks and then leave space for your plans to evolve as you go. I wouldn’t recommend this approach for trips shorter than a week or two, but it’s great for longer term travel. 

US Citizens: When you know which countries you’re visiting, consider enrolling in the US State Department’s STEP program. This is a free service for US citizens where US Embassies around the world report local safety conditions. The program also makes it easier for the US Embassy to contact you in the event of an emergency.  

4. Buy Your Flight

Aside from your passport and any relevant visas, a flight is the only other thing you technically need in order to travel abroad. I recommend that you start looking at flight prices as soon as you decide to plan your trip and book about 1 to 4 months in advance. 

I check both aggregator sites like Google Flights, Kayak, and SkyScanner, as well as a few individual airlines. Whenever possible, I prefer to book directly with the airline – I just find the deal on Google. Avoid sketchy third party sites like GoToGate or Martigo, which can be nightmares if something goes wrong with your flight. 

I’ll cover insurance more later in the post, but I recommend buying travel insurance separately from your airline ticket. 

5. Book Accommodations and Major Activities

This one is a personal preference, but I like to know where I’m staying before I leave home, especially for the first week or so. Other travelers sometimes prefer to keep their itineraries flexible – it’s a valid choice, but one that means you’ll spend hours of your trip planning where to stay and how you’ll get there. 

For that reason, I don’t recommend that new travelers “wing it” when planning the first week or two of your trip. After a week or two, you’ll be in a better position to book your hotels and/or hostels on the fly because you will better know what to expect. 

If there are any special activities that you want to try while you’re abroad, like trekking to Machu Picchu in Peru or seeing the Louvre Museum in Paris, it’s good to book ahead of time. The mega popular activities sometimes sell out days, weeks, or months in advance. 

6. Purchase Travel Insurance 

I recommend that you purchase travel insurance separate from your airline. The insurance should cover your flight, any major health issues abroad, and repatriation of your remains if anything were to happen to you. 

If you’re doing anything fancy with your flights – like booking part of the journey with one airline and another portion with a second airline – be sure to also get missed connection insurance. That way, if anything happens on the first flight that prevents you from taking the second flight, you’ll have coverage. 

For younger travelers and digital nomads, SafetyWing offers health insurance and minimal travel benefits like $100/day for unplanned overnight stays. For other travelers, or for more specific coverage for your flights and pre-booked activities, I’ve had good experiences with Allianz. 

7. Manage Your Money

Managing money while you’re traveling abroad can be easy as long as you plan ahead. Call your bank and let them know you’re traveling, find out what your foreign transaction fees are, and any currency conversion rates. 

I like to use a Visa credit card (set up via my Apple Pay, too) for most purchases. This way, I earn points, which help me travel in the future! More importantly, though, the card protects me against fraud if the number or physical card is stolen. 

The Chase Sapphire card is a good starter credit card for travel. Although your credit limit may be high, it’s important that you never spend more than you can pay off in a month. 

8. Plan a Ride to/from the Airport

As a seasoned traveler, one thing I always try to sort out before I leave home is how I’ll get to and from the airport. Your plan doesn’t need to be elaborate or complicated, but it’s good to know if you’ll take a taxi, public transit, or some other form of transit. 

Airports can be disorienting and your cell phone might not work when you land. Once, I accidentally left my cell phone in the boarding area before my international flight. Stuff happens, so it’s good to be prepared. 

If you know the address where you’re going, how you’ll get there, and how you’ll pay for it, you can probably figure out the rest later. 

9. Get Your Home Ready

Unless you’re moving abroad, you’ll thank yourself later if you take some time to prepare your home for your absence. Clean perishables out of the fridge, take out the trash and recycling, and generally clean the space. As a bonus, this is a great way to prevent the post-vacation blues. 

You will probably also want to close the curtains, lock your windows and doors, and make sure that you unplug hair straighteners and small electronics. I like to leave at least one light on and ask a neighbor to bring in my mail. 

10. Stock Up on Anything You Need

Most trips include at least one trip to the shop. Whether I’m stocking up on useful travel accessories, plane snacks, or fresh socks, I try to go to the store several days before I’m planning to leave. 

The same goes for items you’ll need to order online – I try to make a list and order them as early as possible in case anything arrives late or defective. 

Check to see if you need an outlet adapter for the country you’re visiting and be sure to order one before you leave. For countries without drinkable tap water, you might want to bring along a Steripen to sterilize the water (or you can rely on bottled water). 

If you’re traveling for a longer period of time, like for a study abroad program, I recommend that you start preparing, shopping, and packing at least a week in advance. 

11. Fill Your Prescriptions and Get Travel Vaccines 

Discuss your travel plans with your doctor ahead of time, ideally a month or two ahead of your planned departure date. Your doctor can recommend any travel vaccines that you’ll need, some of which – like the yellow fever vaccine and typhoid – need a few weeks to fully take effect. 

An important thing to do before traveling abroad is fill any prescriptions you might need during your trip ahead of your travel date. It’s a good idea to have a few extra days worth of any medications that you need in case your flight gets canceled or there’s any issue. 

I recommend bringing prescription medications in their original bottles with your name on them, if possible. In the event that you forget your medications, you can usually resolve the issue abroad by visiting a local doctor and/or pharmacist. Still, it’s far preferable to just bring what you need! 

12. Pack Your Bags

One of the most exciting parts of getting ready for any trip is packing your bags! 

Try not to pack at the last minute. Instead, start practicing packing a week or so ahead of your trip, making a pile of items you know you want to bring as you think of it. When the trip gets nearer, practice packing your bag at least once with everything you’ll bring to ensure that it fits and is under the weight limit. 

You can find packing lists for most destinations on Google. For travel to Ireland, here’s my packing list. I love to use compression packing cubes to organize my clothes and make more space in my bag. 

13. Learn a Few Words in the New Language 

Unless you’re traveling somewhere English-speaking like Dublin or London, it’s a good idea to learn a few words in the target language before you go. This way, you can communicate a few essential things. 

Although the world is increasingly globalizing, I still routinely encounter people who don’t seem to speak a word of English. So, I’ve gotten good at trying to use the language skills I have and rely on Google Translate for the rest. 

Here are a few phrases worth learning before you travel to any new place:

✅ “Hello”
✅ “Thank you”
✅ “Where is the bathroom?”
✅ “Can I please order…” (or a variation)
✅ “Goodbye”
✅ “Water”
✅ Words for any dietary restrictions or allergies you might have

Duolingo is a great option for free, beginner-friendly language lessons. Rocket Languages has more comprehensive language lessons in several languages, including Spanish and French. 

FAQs: Things to Prepare Before Traveling Abroad

Still wondering what else you need to prepare before traveling abroad? Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions from other travelers. 

What do you need to prepare for when traveling abroad?

Some of the things you’ll need to prepare for when traveling abroad are spending money in different currencies, navigating new transportation systems, and, potentially, speaking a new language. You can prepare by doing your research, keeping an open mind, and preparing for local conditions ahead of time. 

How do I prepare myself for international travel?

You can prepare yourself for international travel by learning a few words in the new language, planning an itinerary, and handling all of the logistics that go into international travel. Secure a passport and visa, buy your flight, and book hotels in your destination. Just before traveling, eat healthy, light meals and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. 

What do I need to travel internationally?

Before traveling internationally, ensure that you have your passport, visa, and any other travel documents. Depending on your destination, you may also need special vaccines – ask your doctor to be sure. You will also need any medication that you regularly take, ideally with a few extra days in case your flight is delayed unexpectedly. 

What should I do to prepare for an international flight?

Before an international flight, you will want to drink enough water to stay hydrated, eat a light and healthy meal, and bring plenty of snacks. Consider using a Timeshifter app to help you sleep, consume caffeine and avoid light at the appropriate times. Compression socks, noise canceling headphones, and gum are all other ways to stay comfortable while on a long international flight. 

Conclusion: Things to Prepare Before Traveling Abroad

There are many things to prepare before traveling abroad, but, so long as you’re aware of them, it shouldn’t be too challenging to take care of everything. 

I recommend that you start preparing for your trip abroad several weeks to a few months in advance. This way, you’ll have time to secure your passport, make a plan, and ensure that you’re not rushed as you figure out all of the little details that go into trip planning. 

Remember: it’s OK to be new at things, and traveling abroad is no exception. Don’t worry if you’re not perfect or if unexpected situations come up. It’s completely normal, and it’s happened to all of us who have ventured far from home. Go away. And, if you have to, do it scared. 💜