International travel requires more advanced planning to ensure you have the right travel visas, up-to-date vaccines or immunizations, and a valid passport. In most cases, you’ll also want to book your flights and accommodations ahead of time, as last-minute international travel can be costly.
Are you packing for yourself, or will you be packing for your children or family as well? If you’re traveling solo, travel-sized items are probably all you need. But if the whole family is coming along, you’ll need to add toiletries for each person on your travel checklist.
The longer your trip, the more items you’ll need. Remember, the more days you’re away from home, the more variance there could be in the weather. Three in five people surveyed in the OnePoll study had to purchase something to wear while on vacation.
If you’re staying in a hotel, they typically provide toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, and soap and have hairdryers and towels in the bathrooms. But they also can provide things like razors, bandages or first aid, toothbrushes and toothpaste, sewing kits, and games or activities for kids.
If your trip involves flying, you need to pack more carefully than you would if you’re traveling by car, bus, or train. One thing you’ll need to do ahead of time is to check the dimensions of your luggage, as the oversized baggage fees airlines charge can be hefty.