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!
