Before you go: the trip checklist
Updated on
What you need before a trip abroad, step by step, with the services we use ourselves.
In short
Nine things to sort out before a trip abroad, in the order you need them: documents and visas, insurance, internet, transfer, accommodation, tickets, your rights if the flight goes wrong, packing and, when you're back, the photo book.
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Documents and visas
The first thing to check, months ahead: without the right document you can't go.
- Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your return date: many countries require it and the airline may refuse to let you board.
- Check whether you need a visa or an online authorisation: ESTA for the United States, eTA for Canada, ETA for the United Kingdom, e-Visa for India and other countries.
- Apply only on the official sites: intermediary sites charge double for the same form.
- To renew your passport, the appointment at the police headquarters can take weeks: book it in time.
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Travel insurance
Outside the European Union the health insurance card isn't valid: a hospital stay can cost tens of thousands of euros.
- Choose a policy with high medical expenses (at least €1 million in the United States) and medical repatriation.
- With flights and hotels already paid, cancellation cover is worth it: buy it right after booking.
- Check the exclusions: sports, rental motorbikes, deductibles and baggage limits.
- In the European Union, bring your health insurance card (TEAM): it covers urgent care in public hospitals.
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Internet abroad (eSIM)
Outside the European Union, roaming on your SIM can be expensive: with an eSIM you have internet as soon as you land.
- Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to a carrier.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi and activate it on arrival: your Italian number stays active for calls and SMS.
- In the European Union, Norway and Iceland roaming is included: you don't need an eSIM there.
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From the airport to the hotel
The first journey, tired and with luggage, is the one where you spend the most without meaning to.
- First see whether there is a direct train or bus: it is often the fastest choice.
- Landing at night or in a country where taxis don't use a meter? Book a fixed-price transfer.
- Keep the hotel address written in the local language to show the driver.
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Where to stay
Book at least the first night before leaving: when you arrive you just want a bed.
- Prefer fares with free cancellation: if plans change, you lose nothing.
- For the first night, choose a place near the airport or the arrival station.
- Read recent reviews about cleanliness, noise and location, not just the score.
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Experiences and tickets
Famous museums, excursions and attractions sell out: some need to be booked weeks ahead.
- Book first the places with limited entry (like the Alhambra, the Last Supper, the Eiffel Tower or Machu Picchu).
- A guided tour on the first day helps you get your bearings in a new city.
- Choose tickets with free cancellation: weather and flights change.
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If the flight goes wrong
Delays, cancellations and missed connections happen: knowing your rights is worth money.
- Under European regulation 261/2004, for an arrival delay of more than 3 hours you can get €250 to €600 per person.
- It applies to flights departing from the European Union and to those arriving there with a European airline.
- Keep boarding passes and meal receipts: you need them for the claim, even years later.
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Check for free whether you are owed a refund: you only pay if it succeeds.
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Packing
A few items make the difference between a comfortable trip and one full of small mishaps.
- Check the carry-on size limits of your airline: they differ from one to another.
- Liquids in the cabin only in containers up to 100 ml, in a transparent one-litre bag.
- Power banks and batteries always in your carry-on, never in the hold.
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The three things we forget most often.
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When you're back: the trip photo book
Photos stay on your phone and nobody looks at them again: printed, the trip lasts longer.
- Pick your photos within a few weeks of coming back, while the memories are still fresh.
- One page per stop, with the name of the place and the date: the story writes itself.
- Add photos of tickets, maps and receipts: they are the details that bring the trip back.
Frequently asked questions before you go
What do you need before a trip abroad?
A passport valid at least 6 months beyond your return, any visa or online authorisation (ESTA, eTA, e-Visa), insurance with medical expenses, a way to have internet on arrival and the first night already booked.
How long must your passport be valid?
Many countries require at least 6 months of validity beyond the date you leave the country, and the airline can refuse boarding if it's missing. Check on viaggiaresicuri.it.
Is travel insurance mandatory?
For a few countries yes, for most no, but outside the European Union you pay for medical care: a hospital stay in the United States can cost tens of thousands of euros.
Do you need an eSIM to travel?
Not in the European Union: roaming is included. Outside it, it almost always pays off: it costs less than roaming and works as soon as you land, without changing SIM.
Got everything sorted? Now choose where to go: a whole region, or flights that land in one city and leave from another.
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