Pre-trip checklist for international travel from Australia
Flying out of Australia is a longer commitment than flying out of most places. Sydney to most of Europe is at least 22 hours by the time you've added stopovers. The pre-trip checklist matters more here than for someone catching a 90-minute hop within Europe or North America. This is the list I recommend to Aroā customers heading overseas, refined over a lot of order conversations.
Six weeks out
The mental checklist starts here.
Check both passports are valid for at least six months beyond your return date. Several countries refuse entry otherwise. Apply for any required visa or e-visa. The processing time for some destinations is weeks, not days. Confirm any required vaccinations and book a travel health appointment if needed. Tell your bank you'll be travelling, especially if you're using a card that flags overseas activity. Book travel insurance. The cheapest time to buy is when you book the trip, not the week before.
Four weeks out
Now the trip is real.
Confirm all bookings: flights, accommodation, transfers, car hire. Start a packing list. Not the packing itself, just the list. Download offline maps for the destinations on Google Maps or Maps.me. Set up an eSIM or arrange international roaming. Save a copy of your itinerary somewhere a family member can find it.
Two weeks out
The pre-trip energy kicks in.
Confirm what you're packing. Pull every outfit out of the wardrobe, try it on, decide. Wash and prepare the clothes you'll need. Order any last-minute travel pieces. (If you want a personalised passport cover or family travel wallet, this is the cut-off for a comfortable lead time. Aroā needs about a week to emboss and post.) Refill any regular prescription medication. Make digital copies of every important document (passport, travel insurance, driver's licence, prescription scripts) and save them somewhere accessible offline.
One week out
Pack the small things.
Buy any toiletries or skincare in travel sizes. Confirm currency: a small amount in cash for the destination is useful for transfers and tips. Charge every device and check every cable still works. Sort out who's watering the plants, taking the bins out, collecting the post.
The day before
A short list, on purpose.
Pack the suitcase. Don't over-pack. Confirm boarding passes are saved offline. Charge the phone, the laptop, the camera, the portable battery, the headphones. Print one paper copy of the itinerary in case the phone dies. Put both passports in the passport cover or family travel wallet, not loose in a bag. Set the out-of-office on.
The morning of
Wake up earlier than you think you need.
Eat a proper breakfast (airport food is the wrong start). Final scan of the house: water, gas, doors locked. Get to the airport with buffer. International from AU usually means three hours before departure. Have the passport cover in your hand from the car park onwards. Not at the bottom of a bag.
What to keep in your carry-on
What to keep in carry-on for Australians flying long haul:
Both passports, boarding passes, and any visa printouts in the passport cover or family travel wallet. A change of underwear and one clean top. Spills happen. Skincare in 100ml bottles. SPF. A water bottle, empty until you're through security. A book and downloaded movies on a tablet. Snacks the airline won't provide. Headphones with a phone jack adaptor (some airlines still use them). A portable charger. Eye mask, neck pillow, slip-on shoes if the long-haul comfort matters.
What to pack in your check-in
Everything you don't need in the first 24 hours.
Outfits packed by day in cubes. Toiletries you can't access in the carry-on. Shoes (heavier ones in check-in, comfortable ones in carry-on). Anything fragile, wrapped carefully. A small empty bag for souvenirs on the way home.
The things that get forgotten
A travel adaptor. SPF for your face that won't make you break out. Cash in the destination currency for the first day. Headache tablets. Antihistamines. A small kit with bandaids, paracetamol, and rehydration sachets.
A note from me
If there's one piece of advice that comes up in every honeymoon, family, and solo trip conversation I have with customers: keep your documents in one piece. A passport cover and luggage tag set is the piece I make that lands hardest. Hand embossed in Sydney with your name or initials. Saffiano vegan leather. Gold or silver foil.
If you're stuck on the colour, the personalisation, or which piece to pick — DM me on Instagram @aroa.australia. I genuinely love these conversations and I reply to every one of them. 🤍