19 Things You Should Do Before You Go on Vacation for Peace of Mind

The first step to a successful vacation is to make sure that your travel documents (which may include your passport, identification cards and/or visas) are current. Your passport also needs to be current six months after your return date. If you're planning to renew it, remember that expediting often takes two to three weeks, so begin the process with enough time in advance.

You can check out the U.S. Department of State's website for more information on how to replace or renew your passport.

Note that as of May 7, 2025, you'll need a REAL ID to travel within the U.S. A REAL ID is a driver's license or identification card that meets federal security standards. To get a REAL ID, you'll need to reach out to your local Department of Motor Vehicles and be prepared to provide your state ID, social security card and proof of residency.

Visit USA.gov for more information on how to obtain your REAL ID.

Even if you've already decided where you’ll spend your vacation, do some extra research about the location. Knowing a place’s history, culture and customs can come in handy. For instance, public displays of affection are regulated by the law in Dubai and could lead to fines or even arrest. In Singapore, flushing public toilets after use is a legal requirement. Failing to do so can also lead to a fine. Knowing this kind of information before traveling somewhere could save you a lot of trouble.

Here's a list of countries with strict rules that tourists must follow.

It's also important to research the neighborhoods you'll be staying in or visiting for safety purposes.

"If a city has a reputation of high crime, there are probably still safe pockets around it," says Karen Cicero, Good Housekeeping's contributing travel editor. And on the flip side, if a city has a great reputation for safety, there are still probably pockets within that city that you'd want to steer away from."

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After researching the location, decide what the vibe of the vacation will be. "You have to come to an agreement with whoever you're traveling with before you start planning the itinerary," Cicero says. "Otherwise, you may butt heads."

What is the goal of the trip? Is it to relax or sightsee? Either way, it's important to communicate how much downtime you expect versus exploring. If the group can't come to a conclusion, it might be best to plan some activities you can do alone.

"Occasionally, I think that's the key to a successful vacation," Cicero says. "Everyone gets to do what they want to do. But that doesn't mean that everyone has to be dragged to it."

Need help creating an itinerary? Wanderlog is a free app that organizes travel plans, cost and reservations.

While it's always good to plan your vacation with as much detail as possible, sometimes we come across unexpected roadblocks. Make a plan B in case any of your activities are canceled or your flight is delayed. Even if you don't resort to your plan B during your vacation, you'll be better prepared if you plan ahead.

If you're going on a road trip rather than flying, always service your vehicle at least a week prior to your departure (This involves checking fluid levels, filling your tank, inspecting your tires and checking your lights). Pack emergency supplies (jumper cables, spare tires and first-aid kit). And don't forget to stock up on snacks for the road.

Additionally, write down the contact information of a roadside assistance company like AAA in case of an emergency.

That city tour you booked? Make sure it’s confirmed. Your hotel reservation? Make sure it’s set before you arrive. If there’s anything worse than having an expired passport a month before your trip, it might be realizing that you never clicked “confirm” on your hotel reservation once you arrived from the airport. Call ahead to confirm all reservations or check your email confirmations.

To help you find your reservations quickly, try keeping them all in one place. Bookmark them in your email or keep the confirmations in a folder.

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Did you plan a hike, a beach day or both? Packing the right items is key regardless. Use your itinerary as reference and list what you’ll need to ensure maximum enjoyment and comfort on your trip.

"For longer travel, I recommend bringing compression socks, an eye mask and ear plugs," says Emma Seymour, Associate Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's textiles lab. "Make sure you first pack the absolute essentials like medications, passports/visas and your wallet in your carry-on bag."

When flying, airlines have different limits for what size luggage you can bring on the flight, which varies from ticket to ticket, Seymour says. For instance, some economy tickets don't include a carry-on, which prompts some travelers to only pack what fits in a personal item like a backpack or pay extra to bring a carry-on. If you're flying, make sure you check what luggage you can bring with you or if you'll have to pay extra.

Also, if it's time for a new suitcase, we recommend investing in quality. "Having good luggage that meets the size limits is a great way to maximize your packing space," says Seymour. "I recommend using packing cubes to fit everything in your suitcase plus it makes it easier to unpack once you arrive at your destination.

Add a luggage tag to your suitcase with your name and contact information in case it gets lost. You should also consider putting a Bluetooth tracking device inside of it.

"There's obviously a lot of lost luggage, and it's very easy to leave your purse, keys or your phone somewhere," Cicero says. "Try to safeguard against that as much as you can by having a tracking device in your luggage."

Additionally, you should add a luggage tag or a piece of paper with your information inside of your bags.

Preventive planning is always a good idea. Before you leave for your vacation, make a list of people in your life who can be contacted if something were to happen to you, if you were to get lost, lose your phone or if you needed someone to check on your home while you’re away.

Download a safety app like Life 360. Life 360's features allow you to share your live location with trusted contacts, retrace your steps, and send SOS alerts in case of an emergency.

Whether it's because of hotels' pet policy or airline restrictions, bringing your pets with you on vacation might not be possible. If you have to leave your furry friends home, make sure you find a pet sitter or ask someone you trust to check on them while you're gone. You should also leave enough food, water, and instructions.

You can check out the website Trusted Housesitters if you're looking for someone to take care of your pets while you're away.

Find out the conversion rates from U.S. dollars to your destination's currency (if traveling international) in advance. This can help you budget and be prepared for extra expenses. Sometimes, you can even do conversions through your local bank.

Some credit and debit cards have a foreign transaction fees, a fee charged after making a transaction that's processed through a bank overseas. Make sure to find out whether your card has foreign transaction fees before you start using it abroad.

Depending on the bank, you may earn points for using your credit card on travel and dining expenses. Some cards with travel rewards include: Capital One Venture Rewards, Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Freedom Unlimited.

Sometimes your bank will flag transactions as fraudulent when they don't recognize the merchant. They often do this to protect you and themselves from unauthorized transactions. If this happens to you, they'll usually contact you so you can confirm whether you approved the transaction.

Banks often flag international charges for this reason (especially when the cardholder doesn't travel to that destination often). So, before you go on vacation, give your bank a call and let them know you'll be using your card abroad. They will make a note on your account to avoid unnecessary freezes.

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Some countries have immunization requirements for visitors. Before traveling somewhere, research if that's the case for your destination. If it is, reach out to your primary healthcare provider to schedule a time to get vaccinated. You can find vaccination requirements and suggestions for all countries on the Center for Disease Control's website.

If you take prescription medicine, make sure you have enough before you leave. Reach out to your healthcare provider to let them know how long you'll be gone and ask for a refill in advance. Find out if your medications are sold where you'll be vacationing since some meds are only sold in the U.S. or are harder to find abroad.

Avoid putting your meds in your luggage in case you need them during your flight or in case your luggage gets lost. Instead, put them inside your carry-on or in your personal item bag since airlines may sometimes request you check your carry-on due to size.

Anything can happen when traveling, especially internationally. Consider getting travel insurance in case an unexpected issue comes up (like losing your checked luggage or having to cancel your vacation due to illness). These travel emergencies can lead to significant monetary loss if your trip isn't insured. Some travel insurance will even cover up to 100% of your travel cost if you have to cancel, according to Forbes Advisor.

Having travel health insurance can help you save money if you need medical attention or evacuation while abroad. Some health insurance plans cover medical expenses abroad, but others (like Medicaid and Medicare), don't. Ask your health insurance provider if they cover international expenses before traveling.

This is a total “worst case scenario” situation, but let’s say you lose your phone or it gets stolen while you’re away from home. In this case, you’ll want to have your phone data backed up so you can easily access it once you get a new phone. Most smartphones allow you to save your data in a cloud service, but you can also back up your phone to an external hard drive.

Get rid of any perishables inside your fridge that might not hold off until you come back from vacation (You want to avoid mold and bacteria growth inside your fridge). Take out all of your garbage to avoid attracting pests.

Pro tip: Keep a microwaveable meal in the freezer just in case you arrive home late and hungry.

Preventing accidental fires or waste of energy in your home while you’re away is very important. Unplug any electronics that won’t need to be functioning while you’re away (like lamps, chargers, TVs, printers, kitchen appliances, etc.). However, never unplug your fridge to avoid food spoils.

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Lastly, before you grab your well-packed bags and go out the door of your clean house, lock and secure each entry point in your home, like doors and windows. Make sure the batteries of your smoke detectors are changed and working. If you have them, also change the batteries of your security system or security cameras so you can check them while you're away.