Charge all your electronics & pack your chargers
You will want to make sure that everything you will be using is fully charged. This includes your phone, laptop, iPad, or any other electronics you rely on. Also, be sure to pack all the chargers.

Print your travel documents
Do not rely on your memory for your itinerary. If you are traveling internationally, you’re dealing with different time zones and currencies, lack of sleep, etc. Make things as easy as possible for yourself and print your itinerary and all your essential travel documents.

Do not rely on your phone for this information either. Batteries die.

Be sure to make copies of your passport, visas, credit cards. Save this information in the cloud or email it to yourself so that you can access it if needed. Also, print two copies of each. Save one copy in your carry-on luggage, and the other in your checked luggage. That way, if (heaven forbid) your passport or credit cards are stolen, you have easy access to all that information.

Pack your essential documents
Obvious? Yes! This tip is on every international travel checklist because it is vital, so do not dismiss this. When you’re planning for an international trip, there is so much to think about and you may forget some of the most obvious and/or important things. (On a trip to South Africa once, I forgot to pack my Capital One credit card – which was essential because it was the only card I had that didn’t charge international transaction fees.) Therefore, think about the things you really would need and make sure they are packed. These include passports, credit cards, itineraries, etc.

Check to see if you have enough cash
Sure, you may be traveling to a foreign country, but you may still need cash from the country you are in to pay for taxis, busses, tipping, etc. Also, make sure you will have cash for when you return home. (Once we came home from an international trip and the airline lost part of our luggage. We were helped, and this person really went out of his way to get us what we needed. I couldn’t tip him because I had no US currency. Years later, I still feel terrible about it.)

Download useful travel apps
Does your airline have an app? Check to see what apps will make your life easier. For example, if you are traveling to a country where they don’t speak your native language, download Google Translate or something similar to help you communicate with people. Also consider communication apps like WhatsApp, etc. Sit down and think about what would make your life easier while abroad, then see if there is an app for it.

Pack essentials
Other than your clothes, snacks and travel documents, here are a few things you’ll want to be sure to pack:

• Your prescriptions (if applicable)
• Contact lenses or glasses (if you need them)
• Insurance and ID cards
• A portable charger
• Long flight essentials like an eye mask, noise-canceling headphones or earplugs, etc.
• Electrical adapters and/or converters for your destination.
• Chargers and batteries.