Hello all,
We are less than a month out from our 5-week trip. I'm very excited because I've been planning this trip for 10 months (and loving the planning phase which I'm going to miss). But I forget... what do you all do in the month before a longish trip? I tried searching for previous posts but I clearly do have the right search words to find anything. Thanks so much for any help, suggestions, reminders.
One month:
Check flights every week for changes. IF you know what day of the week your airline of choice updates their schedule check the day after. I check Sunday AM because I'm given to understand Delta uploads changes on Saturdays.
Assemble your toiletry kit. I fill my shampoo/conditioner bottles, get travel size toothpaste tubes, fill my small containers of face cream and sun screen. Some airports don't make you take out a 3-1-1 bag any more but I go ahead and restrict my liquids to them so if they do ask I have it ready.
Start to figure out which clothes I'm going to need.
Pull out passport, Euros, metro cards if I have them for my destination and put them in my travel wallet in my suitcase.
2 weeks out:
- Continue to check my flights
Contact my credit union to file a travel notification. I do this in person as it's a small CU and I've had issues before with a notification not going thru.
Contact my other money market debit card to file a travel notice.
Check to make sure my credit cards still do not need a travel notice.
Final pack of liquids, dry toiletries (brush, bandaids, etc)
Do a trial pack of my personal item
1 week
Final clothing selection. Wash and hang separately.
pack underwear, socks, pjs, 2nd pr of shoes.
Check rain jacket, puffy vest and glove liners.
3 days before:
2 days before
Zip suitcase and personal item. Place by front door.
Sit and wait, hahaha!!
Pam's list is good.
I would add double check that you have digital back ups of tickets or print paper copies and keep them together or share/trade if you have a travel partner.
Double check your packing list for the all the little but important items that make your trip better.
Request and/or download your reading material- I only use the library for my fiction reading so if I'm looking to read a more recent publication of a popular book there may be a waiting list for ebooks, so I have several on the list.
I start checking the weather weeks before I arrive at my destination, but the weather the few days before are the best indicator of what it will be like when you arrive.
I find it so curious that Americans still need to notify the CC/ bank of overseas travel. Canadians haven't needed to do that for years!
Their data systems know that it will be happening.
My goal is to be completely packed one week before trip. Of course, in Mar 2020 I was completely packed for a trip later that month that didn't happen. I also have clothes that I only wear on trips, so don't have to wait to pack clothes that I'm currently wearing at home.
I don't know if you still receive paper bills at your home, but you might want to set up paperless statements, and maybe automatic payments for utilities and other bills that you usually receive by mail.
And "mail hold" with USPS :-)
Both my credit cards used to require travel notification, but they no longer do so.
Every time I travel internationally, I usually save the contact information for the Embassy/Consulate at the countries I'll be visiting. Just in case of an emergency.
Much of what I do has been covered already, but about a month out I also:
I also aim to be packed two days before so I can focus on last minute things like cleaning up the house, making sure the coffee maker is empty of grounds (gross if you forget), and....waiting!
I have to say I'm astonished by the amount of stuff so many of you do well in advance.
I'm leaving for a two-month trip in five days. Here's what I've already done:
And here's my schedule for the remaining days:
Today and tomorrow
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday morning
It happens that I am being picked up at 12:30 pm to go to the airport. If I had an earlier pickup, I'd do most of the packing the night before.
@Pam and others: can you explain why you want to be completely packed three days early? (CL, okay, I get cleaning the house and emptying the coffeemaker. For me, even as a last-minute packer, I always seem to be sitting around for an hour waiting for my driver to pick me up.)
@Pam. Thanks so much. Your detailed schedule is very helpful. I'm going to make a similar schedule to follow. From your list I'm adding a trial pack of my personal item. I hadn't thought of that.
@Susan ToCA- Thanks for the reminder about reading material
@cala- My home and trip clothes have a significant overlap so I will have to wait to be completely packed until 2-3 days out.
@Joy nyc- Good idea about the Embassy/Consulate contact info.
@CL - Yes, I have Timeshifter scheduled on my calendar. I have used it before and it's very helpful. I have also been clearing my phone of anything unnecessary. I took all the toddler education apps/games off my phone since my grandkids are now 12 year old, lol (anyone want to play Daniel Tiger?) . I have plenty of space now.
A lot of great advice above.
In addition to frequently checking for flight changes, I also double check my seat assignments. With equipment changes and certain airlines (BA!!) seat assignments can get replaced/removed with no notice.
I, also, start monitoring the weather forecast and amend my wardrobe choices up to the day of departure.
Check all planned clothing/shoes are in good condition. I don't want to get to Europe and discover a button barely hanging on a thread.
Prepare my contact info & itinerary for family not traveling with me so they can reach me (or my hotel) in an emergency.
Stop any automated notifications on apps that I won't be using on the trip.
Make sure the apps I will be using are current (airlines, Citymapper, Uber, trains...).
@Pam and others: can you explain why you want to be completely packed
three days early?
Speaking for myself, I tend to make poor last minute packing decisions like "oh, I will just toss in these five extra things just in case". Having my packing decisions made and checked off allows me to focus on the other things I need to take care of - like the coffee grounds - so I don't have a last minute run around (I don't thrive in a panic). And just in case something last minute does come up (e.g., weather or flight drama) I am not scrambling to pack and can devote my full attention to that.
And to clarify, I don't have every single item packed inside my bag several days ahead, most is in the suitcase but clothing hangs in a closet and is put in the bag on departure day.
Lane, your to-do-list would drive me crazy! I over plan with multiple checklists.
Pam, Your to-do timetable is very similar to mine, maybe I learned it from you. I don't see your suitcase test pack when you do your personal item test pack. I can't do one without the other; plan for two weeks before take-off. If it all fits and makes weight and size, I hang up the shirts and leave the rest packed. Everything is marked off the packing list when stuffed in its bag.
Probably mentioned but I missed:
Watch museum tickets and buy "A" sights as soon as they open since some sell out in minutes.
Month prior: buy train tickets; confirm hotels; buy med evac insurance if I haven't already; refill prescriptions if not enough for trip plus five days.
Two weeks prior: be sure my friend (emergency back-up person) has all my travel info plus insurance info; schedule Food Tours, walking tours, Execucar to and from airport if I haven't done so.
Week prior: Hubby doesn't travel and is computer illiterate, so I lay out all my travel info, itinerary, phone numbers. Make of list of all bills he needs to pay and when.
Final week: get a pedicure; dye hair; do laundry; water plants if they're still alive; relax.
Oh my goodness, I guess I'm in the same camp as Lane. Granted I have two last minute short domestic trips coming up but I just bought the tickets for the first, which occurs in 3 weeks. I haven't bought the tix yet for the second, which occurs in 4 weeks. I have the tickets for the cross-country 2 week domestic trip (that occurs in 5 weeks) and made pet sitting arrangements for it but that's it. I do get to the airport 2 hours ahead of departure though. LoL.
"@Pam and others: can you explain why you want to be completely packed three days early?"
@Lane: Because if I don't I'll obsess and 2nd guess about what to take even after as many trips to France as I have done. The last trip at the last minute I weighed my bag and it was heaver than I wanted so took out a long sleeve tee shirt. Which I needed because Paris was cold! I also sleep better knowing everything is packed and checked off my packing list.
I don't have on my list but need to add "checking my phone apps". I have a folder for my trip which I move to my Home Screen which contains museum apps, transit apps, taxi apps, translation app, It seems that each time I go to Paris more museums and venues have their own apps for touring instead of an audioguide. I like to make sure I've got all them downloaded.
I also have a section in my NOTES app with screen shots of various passes I've purchased for museums so I will check those.
I will also sign up for STEP.
I'll add "deleting photos" to my list, hahahha! HOW many pictures of flowers can one phone have? TOO many!
@Katiecem - this is a good thread....I clearly need to update my Master list!! Thanks!
I too am fully packed a few days before leaving.
I had one trip where we were supposed to have an evening flight, but that was canceled and we were put on the early afternoon flight. That meant we had to leave right when we got the text. If we had not, we would not have made the flight. So now there is no way I will leave packing to the last minute.
@Kathy/Horsewoofie: The last few trips I've taken the exact same clothing/shoes so I've not actually done a test pack of my suitcase. I have changed up my personal item - took a day pack the last 2 trips but I'll just be in Paris the whole time this trip so will take a tote instead. That does require a test pack as I've changed what I take in this bag.
And yes, just signed up for STEP so I can check that off the list, hahaha!
One thing I haven't seen mentioned (maybe not relevant for everyone) is put a skip/hold on garbage(recycling) pickup. Even if someone is coming by, you probably won't need all your pickups.
Also, if you get things delivered make sure your last expected deliveries are a week before or last minute Amazon overnight a week before you leave. You don't want a package sitting on your porch. (check any regular mail order pharmacy items to make sure they don't ship while you're gone ) You CAN put vacation holds on Fedex and UPS but they limit the duration. (Not sure about DHL/Ontrac) UPS is 14 days. So for UPS, if you're gone longer you have to end a vacation hold and start a new one if you don't have the option for forwarding or delivering somewhere else. I think the maximum for USPS is 30 days, but do double check this.
Something else, if you have security cameras or doorbells make sure you're current on whatever subscription you may need and remember to set your cameras to away mode (and adjust your phone notifications- you don't need 30 notifications a day about the neighbors' cat walking across your driveway)
Other things to consider: turn off your water heater and put your thermostat/furnace in a lower-energy state, depending on your location.
I find it so curious that Americans still need to notify the CC/ bank of overseas travel. Canadians haven't needed to do that for years!
As Pam said, credit cards and most banks do not need to be notified any more. In fact, I think there is only one bank of mine that has an option for said notification, and that's a credit union (like Pam's) and I don't bother with it, since I don't use it much now. I think that the tech the larger banks use now is so sophisticated that it can really tell if it's you or someone else without any notice of overseas travel.
I'm sort of in the middle between Lane and everyone else. I do check things like apps and making sure I have all the supplies I need and so on, but a lot of the stuff I've already done, like checked confirmations and making sure I have everything I need. And luckily, since I share a house with my daughter and her family, I don't need to worry about taking care of the place before I go.
But Lane, you did make me laugh as you are very similar to my (male) cousin. 😂 His philosophy is to "pack light and late."
We are lucky to have a rental unit attached to our house and our renter takes care of mail, packages and lets us know if anything unusual comes up. We do the same for her when she travels.
I have a new suitcase so we did a trial packing run yesterday. My suitcase, fully packed was 18lbs. My backpack was 8lbs. I'm pretty happy with that.
I’m in the “ Plan like Pam” camp too! 😉
One thing I’ve started doing is pre-loading my credit card before I travel, then I have no debt when I get back home.
I load on the amount I estimate I’ll be spending on the trip.
I’m fortunate to be able to do this.
The other advantage to doing this is you have a higher limit ( without getting a higher limit approved) in case you need to buy a new flight or change an existing one or stay and pay for extra days due to illness (which I have had to do) which could be expensive.
Hope that makes sense?
It seems my approach is much like Lane's.
At the time I purchase flights, hotel reservations get made, and Amtrak to DC gets purchased. Train tickets over there are purchased when appropriate. From purchase until departure I'll review flight details in the airline app weekly to make sure I'm not surprised by any change.
At a month out I may firm up plans for attractions I want to visit that require very specific timing. I'll book my car service for the return home from RIC.
Travel alerts are not necessary for bank cards. I don't receive much mail, bills are paperless and received electronically, several are auto pay, and I'll put a hold on mail the week before I leave.
I usually depart on Wednesday and I'll pack on the Monday before.
Set up all of your billig accounts to be paid automatically each month, so that in the event that you are not able to return for 4 to 6 months you dont lose the car or the house before your estate is setteled. Delete from all records anything that might tie you to the llluminati.
Complete the document, and forward to trusted loved ones, and hide in a cloud account that you can access on the road, containing:
Adding - Log into EVERYTHING you may need on your phone - bank, c/c, email, airline, train, etc. Same for your backup (I bring a tablet, just in case).
Also, about a week before, I will add my Intl upgrade to my Tmobile phone to be active the day I arrive at destination.
Also, about a week before, I'll do my last amazon purchase of anything I may need (replacement travel stuff).
And in the last week (this is sort of a tip from someone else) I will make sure I have food for the day after I get back (I don't go out for more than 10 days) - so enough eggs, etc., for breakfast the morning after (the tip that had been given before was that they ordered like Blue Apron to arrive when they were to get back, so while I don't do that, this is similar).
@S J - I think that is a very wise thing to do to "pay ahead" some on your CC.
BTW, I have been checking the Delta website every day to see if I can upgrade my Comfort Plus seat to Delta One without too much expense. The cost has been running between $2500-$3600 for just the SEA -> CDG leg and similar costs for the return which is CDG-SLC. Today I clicked in and could not believe it was $799.00 to upgrade so I jumped on it before it could disappear. Wow. The return flight is still in the $3600 range but there are a lot of available seats so maybe it, too, will come down by 3 weeks out from travel. I'll keep looking.
@Katiecem - Are you packed? Are you obsessively checking the weather forecast for your destination? hahahaha!!!!
Pam
No, not packed. I did a trial run and then unpacked again.
Yes, checking weather obsessively even though I have it on my checklist to start checking 10 days out.
I checked on my flights today but didn't check for upgrades. I'll have to go back and do that.
On of the last things I now do before leaving the house for a trip is to shut off the water at the main valve. I know of too many people who have had floods or leaks while away and I live in an older house with older pipes. For a trip to France last fall when airport strikes were pending, I found myself checking news reports, this forum, and any source of information I could find daily for the couple weeks before I left. Fortunately, the strike was called off a couple days before my departure. On a previous trip, to Italy, I found myself regularly checking the Italian government transport strike list pretty regularly in the month before my trip. If I were traveling in the next month (which I'm not), I imagine I would be checking airport delays more closely. For some of these things, just checking your flight reservation or airline does not necessarily give sufficient information. For packing, I tend to start assembling items in or near my suitcase several days to a week ahead but save final packing to the day or evening before.
"No, not packed. I did a trial run and then unpacked again."
This is good! At least you know everything fit! Or didn't fit, hahahaha!
Pam- It fit and I was happy with suitcase at 18lbs and backpack at 8lbs.
On of the last things I now do before leaving the house for a trip is
to shut off the water at the main valve.
Brilliant!
We have 24 days until check in for our upcoming 5 week trip to France! Here a a few things I do which I don’t think have been mentioned.
I use my ATM so infrequently once it was turned off by the bank for inactivity. I now withdraw some cash a few weeks before I leave just to make sure it’s working and I have time to fix any issues.
If our trip is longer than 10 days, and most are, in the last month I start monitoring what’s in the fridge and adjust my grocery purchases accordingly. I make a concerted effort to use everything perishable before we leave. The last few days before the trip using up what’s there we might eat some very odd combinations. Sometime in the week before we leave, I make extras of a soup or casserole to freeze and reheat for dinner on our first night back. The day before we leave I clean the fridge completely and set aside any straggling fresh produce to give to my neighbor.
Since I’m packed least 2 days before I leave, I spend the day before we leave cleaning the house top to bottom. The morning of departure, I change the sheets on the bed and do one last tidy so that we come home to a fresh, clean house. That always softens the blow of coming home when I’d rather be back in Paris.
One last thing we do as we’re walking out the door is to turn off the power to the garage door opener and latch the door shut.
All great tips! We're also early packers.
One thing we love is we have the Schlage keypad "smart locks" on our both our front door and the door into house from the garage. We haven't used a housekey in years and don't take a housekey with us (to potentially lose). The batteries (double or triple A) in the door locks last about six months. If we think the batteries will deplete while we're on a trip, we'll go ahead and put fresh ones in. There's an app so we can see that our doors are locked, so when we're half a mile down the road we don't have to turn around just to make sure we locked them! : ) (We also have a smart garage door opener that has an app so we can operate it remotely too.)
What is STEP that people have mentioned?
STEP stands for Smart Travel Enrollment Program. You sign upon with the govt. to get alerts and emails from US embassies and consulates while abroad. It's a good idea to enroll even if there is no problem on the horizon for your travel. travel.state.gov.
Make sure all yout cards are in your Apple Pay.
Random schedule light timer in two rooms
I have a friend who always turns off her water before a 2 week trip. She leaves jars of water on the counter so I can water her plants.
My mom's senior living (in British Columbia) required that they turn off the water to the washing machine---I believe my folks already did that through the years).
Two years ago, my brother's reverse osmosis lines broke in their newly remodeled kitchen in Arizona. They were on an extended trip to the PNW. The water company sent them a message that an inordinate amount of water usage was detected...sadly, the kitchen needed a lot of new work.
