The last minute details!

passport manages to miss being packed, and some reservations.

electronic cables

left out the wrong shoes

Small umbrella - bought a pretty blue polka dotted one in a Monoprix store in Paris.
Shampoo - in Berlin bought some in a small grocery store.
Knock on wood, have not forgotten anything more important. I am going to Italy in October...
Usually if I forget to do something at home, I can call a friend or neighbor to take care of it.

In the old days having the wrong currency with me like Greek Drachmas for my trip to Cyprus, had to change it at the airport.

It are more unnecessary worries that pop up like too far from home start thinking “Did I really switch off the coffee maker and will my house burn down if not so??” Back home totally false alarm ofcourse.

The only way I can stay sane getting ready for travel is to have lists. I have a list for "Advanced Prep" and then there is my list for "Day of Travel."

These lists are constantly getting tweaked throughout the year as I think of something. In fact, your topic gave me a new list item - clear off my phone in preparation for travel photos. So, thanks for the reminder! I'm going to add it to my list right now. :D

On travel day, I have my neck wallet around my neck with our passports, travel credit cards, boarding passes, Euros, etc. My husband thinks I'm crazy for wearing it around the house for hours before we leave the house, but I'm so afraid we'll forget these items. If I didn't have them around my neck, I would be checking by purse constantly to make sure they were there (anxiety issues LOL).

Have a WONDERFUL time. I hope your adventure creates great memories for your son.

Nigel, I now keep my toiletry bag, 3-1-1 bag, first-aid kit, laundry bag, and electronic bag complete and ready for travel at a minute's notice. I have cables specifically designated for my travel electronics bag. I was so tired of trying to remember the right cables, that I now just buy duplicates and they stay in the travel bag. It has made travel prep much easier for me.

good idea, pilgrim.

(oh, I've waited years to say that after seeing John Wayne arrive in Harvard Square in a tank)

Anybody get 15 or 20 minutes away from home on a tight schedule and then wonder if when I pulled the front door closed I also locked it? (hand goes up)(twice)(false alarm both times)(missed a ferry the first time)

Sitting in the taxi on the way to the airport and discovered I had left my iphone sitting on the kitchen table. Was on my way to walk the Camino for a month. Really, really missed having this. Thought I was all organized and ready. I wasn't.

Went to the US for my step-fathers funeral and when I was getting ready for the funeral, discovered I had brought 2 left shoes. (I had 2 pair of shoes that were almost alike)

Ms L,
As long as you have the most pertinent items, such as your passports, flight tickets, credit & debit cards, hotel reservations information, cell phone, etc... You can always buy whatever it is that you forgot to pack :-)

On my most recent trip, I forgot to pack a skirt (I packed one instead of two), so it was a nice excuse to buy a new one ( actually got two!) in Provence.

If no one is staying in your home, make sure to turn off the water faucets to your washing machine. I know someone who returned to a flooded home after a 3 day weekend...

Have a wonderful trip!

If no one is staying in your home, make sure to turn off the water faucets to your washing machine. I know someone who returned to a flooded home after a 3 day weekend...

Priscilla, I learned my lesson the hard way. We always kept our water faucet on to the washing machine, and one night the hose broke. I was home when it happened, and it flooded my laundry room within minutes. Water squirted all over the walls, floor was flooded, etc. We now shut off the water to the washing machine EVERY time we are done with the washer. I won't even leave the house when I'm doing laundry - I'll wait until the laundry is done, and then shut off the valve. We had the plumber put in a nice easy push/pull lever so it can be done very easily. Worth every penny. I can't imagine what my house would have looked like after 3 days of water gushing from the hoses. My laundry room was a mess only after 5 minutes (it took me awhile to figure out where the noise was coming from).

Thanks everyone! Glad it is not just me! I too love lists. I have a dozen post it notes on the wall right now and I take them down as I accomplish the tasks. I reorder them on wall and add new ones as I think of other things. I usually like electronic organization but this keeps it nice and simple.

I too have duplicate cords for everything and keep them in a little travel bag.

Because we have a house sitter coming to watch the cat, I don't have to worry about shutting up the house. My sister in law had their washing machine flood the house when they were in Europe for 3 days before it was noticed. So turning that off is a good idea!

Nothing beats the time I dropped off my teenage son at the airport to go see his uncle and drove away. Only to get a call 2 minutes after I left that I had given him his sister's passport. That was some drive back home and then back to the airport! The bright side was that he didn't even worry, he is so used to traveling he told security what happened, they had a laugh and put him to the front of the lineup!

Off to check off my list! Europe awaits!

Left for Europe many years ago wearing flip-flops, long before it was trendy. Had not packed extra shoes. Major shopping first day in Milano. After that I always walk around the house barefoot on travel day.

Ms Jo - No phone??? I would have had to turn around and get it! I am certain that separation for more than a few hours and I would become crazy!

<<after managing a family of 6 for 20+ years, lists/planners/organizers (on PAPER!) are the only way I stay sane, I can honestly say I have never forgotten anything of importance (and I always know I can buy what I need when we get there)...BUT I am famous for losing stuff while traveling, scarves, jackets, umbrellas, sunglasses...I am so caught up in the moment and excited I just forget. Last trip-All packed and ready at the airport, our boarding is called, super organized, boarding passes in hand, we line up, chatting with the couple in front of us, about 10 min in line I am looking around...and stare right at both of our jackets, my scarf and hubbys hat still on the chairs we just left!! I tell you if my head was not screwed on...

Mrs. EB, I don't use the cloud for photos because I'm afraid it would bypass my free allowance. I only use the cloud for my contacts and documents.

I buy duplicate chargers and keep them solely in my travel bag so I won't have to remember my chargers. I also have a duplicate hairbrush so I won't have to remember my every day brush :D

Having duplicate items for travel has worked for me. All my travel stuff is ready to go on a moment's notice if I want to travel for 14 days or just a weekend getaway.

Actually, the last minute items are different for each trip -- because I very carefully remember to take care of what went wrong on the last trip and then forget something entirely new. But in the past:
-- Didn't notice that my debit card had expired until 3 days before flight date (FedEx charges to get reissued card delivered in time.)
-- Managed to misplace my husband's passport after taking a photo for on-line check-in app (24 hours before flight time); many minutes of frantic searching and recriminations before it was found.
-- Changed my mind about several tops and pulled them out of packed-zipped-and-weighed suitcase ... And then shoved in an unplanned fleece which I wore many times on the trip.

Currency acquired, getting the teen to pack and now I just have to do a few last minute items. Like change the kitty litter...

Oh, and to answer your question, I do use icloud but I still had too many photos and apps on my phone and wanted to make more room. The photos are backed up to the cloud but did not automatically delete from my phone.

I always check to make sure they are there before I delete them! I also back up photos on my desktop as I want to make sure!

All the last minute stuff done I think. Off to the airport in a couple of hours!

And all this talk of plumbing issues was foreshadowing- was up to 1 am last night unplugging the bath!! It chose last night to not drain. Of course.

My son finished packing and was instagram-ing all his friends his packing cubes in his beautiful new Timbuck2 wingman bag. Weirdly, they were very impressed! Go packing light and right!! We are spreading the word.

Now I feel the urge to recheck my packing... again!