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Before You Go — Complete Travel Checklist

Before You Go — Complete Travel Checklist

A comprehensive pre-travel checklist covering documents, money, health, phone, and insurance — everything you need to sort before leaving the UK.

📄 Documents

  • ✅ Passport: Check it has 6+ months validity beyond your return date (requirement for most non-UK destinations).
  • ✅ Visas: Check FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for each destination. EU stays are limited to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. For the USA: ESTA ($21, valid 2 years). For Canada: eTA ($7 CAD). For Australia: eVisitor (free). For India: e-Visa ($25–80 depending on duration).
  • ✅ Travel insurance documents — print and digital copies.
  • ✅ Flight/hotel booking confirmations — many countries require proof of onward travel at immigration.
  • ✅ GHIC card (if travelling to EU/Switzerland).
  • ✅ Driving licence + IDP (if driving abroad — see driving guide).
  • ✅ Vaccination certificates — some countries still require proof of yellow fever, COVID-19, or other vaccinations.

Digital backup strategy:

  1. Scan or photograph all documents.
  2. Email copies to yourself (use a subject line you can search offline: “Travel Docs Backup June 2026”).
  3. Save offline copies to your phone.
  4. Carry printed backup copies — especially passport data page and insurance policy number.

💷 Money & Banking

Get a fee-free travel card before you go:

Card Key Features
Wise Real mid-market exchange rate, multi-currency account, physical card £7 one-off. Best for holding and converting between currencies.
Revolut Fee-free spending up to £1,000/month (Standard plan). Virtual and physical cards. Instant top-ups.
Monzo Fee-free spending abroad, real Mastercard exchange rate. Withdrawals: free up to £200/30 days (3% after).
Starling Unlimited fee-free spending and ATM withdrawals abroad. No cap. Best for heavy ATM users.
Chase UK 1% cashback on all spending (UK & abroad) for first 12 months. Fee-free spending abroad.

Avoid: Airport currency exchanges — rates are typically 10–15% worse than the mid-market rate. Never choose “pay in GBP” on a foreign card terminal — you’ll pay a 3–7% Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) fee. Always pay in the local currency.

Before you leave:

  • Notify your bank/credit card of travel dates (many banks now detect travel automatically, but it’s safer to inform them).
  • Carry at least two payment methods (e.g., a fee-free debit card + a credit card).
  • Have £50–100 in local currency as emergency cash.
  • Download your banking app — freeze/unfreeze cards instantly if lost.

🏥 Health

  • ✅ GHIC card packed and valid (see GHIC guide).
  • ✅ Vaccinations: Check and book 6–8 weeks before travel (see vaccinations guide).
  • ✅ Prescription medicines: Keep in original packaging with a copy of your prescription and a doctor’s letter. Check if your medication is legal at your destination — some common UK medications (codeine-containing painkillers, some ADHD medications) are restricted or banned in countries like Japan, UAE, and Singapore.
  • ✅ Travel first-aid kit: Antihistamines, diarrhoea relief (Imodium), rehydration sachets (Dioralyte), plasters, antiseptic cream, paracetamol/ibuprofen, motion sickness tablets.

📱 Phone & Data

Post-Brexit roaming: Most UK networks now charge for EU roaming (£2–3/day with a fair-use policy cap). Check your plan before travelling:

  • EE: £2.47/day or £15/month Roam Abroad Pass (47 destinations).
  • O2: £2/day EU roaming, 25GB fair-use cap. O2 Travel Bolt On for worldwide — £6/day in selected countries.
  • Three: £2/day EU roaming. Go Roam (free roaming in 71 destinations) only on selected older plans — new plans may not include it.
  • Vodafone: £2.42/day EU. 25GB cap. Included on some Xtra plans.
  • Sky Mobile: £2/day EU roaming.
  • Tesco Mobile: Home From Home (free EU roaming) included on all plans — one of the few remaining free EU roaming providers.

Alternative: eSIM — Buy a local or regional eSIM before departure. Airalo (airalo.com) offers data-only eSIMs from ~£4 for 1GB (Europe). Nomad, Holafly, and Ubigi are alternatives. For longer stays, buy a local SIM on arrival — typically €10–20 for 10–20GB.

Essential phone checklist:

  • Download offline maps in Google Maps (select area → “Download offline map”).
  • Download offline translation languages in Google Translate.
  • Save emergency numbers in contacts: 112 (EU-wide emergency), your travel insurer’s 24-hour helpline, your bank’s lost-card number.

📞 Contacts & Links

  • FCDO Travel Advice: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice | Twitter/X: @FCDOtravelGovUK
  • UK Emergency Travel Documents: Apply through the nearest British Embassy/Consulate if your passport is lost/stolen abroad.
  • Travel Insurance: Comparison at Compare the Market, MoneySuperMarket, GoCompare. Expect £15–40 for a single-trip European policy, £30–100 for worldwide. Annual multi-trip from £40.
  • ABTA (travel advice): 020 3117 0599 | abta.com

Last updated: June 2026. Entry and roaming requirements change frequently — always check official sources before departure.