39 Things to Do Before Leaving on Vacation: A Handy Dandy Checklist

As I’m writing this, the McKay family is about to head off for our annual family vacation.

There’s a surprising number of to-dos that need to be crossed off before heading out for any trip, and prior to every vacation, I generate the same mental checklist of things that need to be taken care of. But every single time, I procrastinate, try to cram too many tasks into the morning of our trip, and end up forgetting things to do and items to pack.

So taking a lesson from the post I wrote on the power of checklists, I finally decided to create a pre-travel checklist to get all my ducks in a row.

I figured others might find it helpful to either copy or remix it for their own travel use. I hope you find it useful and please add your own suggestions in the comments!

Leaving for Vacation Checklist

A Week to 48 Hours Before:

• Put a hold on the delivery of your mail, or ask someone to collect it for you (same goes for any packages that might be coming your way)
• Put a hold on the delivery of your newspapers
• Arrange pet sitter or kennel stay
• Pay bills
• Check toiletry/gear/clothes supply — buy new items as needed
• Load up on reading material — buy magazines and books, check out books from library, download books on Kindle/iPad
• Order and pick-up a refill on your medication if it’ll run out while you’re on your trip
• Let friends and family know about travel itinerary
• Arrange for a ride to the airport, or reserve a parking spot (if your airport is big enough for that to be needed — not the case here in Tulsa!)

The Day Before:

• Throw away perishable food items from fridge, as well as any fruit/veggies that might go bad while you’re away
• Notify alarm company that you’ll be away
• Get all laundry done (including bed sheets — nothing better than coming home to fresh sheets!)
• Check-in for flight online and print off boarding passes
• Print off driving directions (yeah, you can look these up on your phone, but there are plenty of times when your digital map of choice doesn’t work properly)
• Write down/print off destination addresses
• Check weather of destination
• Confirm hotel reservations
• Confirm rental car reservations
• Program phone numbers you’ll need into phone
• Download apps, music, and movies/shows for yourself and the kids
• Set up email away message
• Fully charge phone/tablet/laptop
• Withdraw cash and change it for single dollar bills in case you need to tip shuttle drivers, skycaps, hotel valets, etc.
• Call bank to let them know you’re traveling
• Run the dishwasher
• Pack everything (minus what you’ll be using on travel day) in your suitcase and carry-on bag

Morning of Departure:

Note: If you have a very early flight, some of these things should be done the night before. Just grab a protein bar and head out the door.

• Pack dopp kit after getting ready for the day
• Make sure all doors and windows are shut and locked
• Make sure the garbage disposable is clear of food scraps
• Take out last bag of trash to garbage can
• Wash any dishes you used for breakfast by hand and put away (really, protein bars are the way to go)
• Turn off lights and turn on timer for lights
• Unplug electronics
• Water house plants
• Set thermostat for away temperature (upper 70s in summer, upper 50s in winter — the rule of thumb is 4 degrees off of what your normal temperature is)
• Close blinds and curtains
• Double-check bags/clothing for loose ammunition
• Be sure your EDC is TSA compliant; pack into suitcase the forbidden items that you normally carry on your person (pocket knife, gun, etc.)
• Double check that you have IDs and itinerary packed in carry-on bag

Check for items you often use right up until leaving, and end up forgetting:

• Medicine
• Sunglasses
• Wallet
• Phone

Suggested Packing Checklists

Dopp Kit:

• Travel bottle of shampoo
• Bar of your favorite soap
• Deodorant
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
• Shaving supplies: razor, brush, and cream
• Nail clippers
• Lip balm
• Band aids
• Safety pins
• Aspirin or Tylenol
• Lint roller
• $20 bill
• Extra pair of contact lenses
• Cologne
• Medications

Carry-on:

• Itinerary
• Smartphone power cords and adapter
• Paperback book/magazines
• Tablet/laptop and power cords
• Paper copy of driving directions
• A change of clean underwear
• Pens/pencils
• Notebooks
• Headphones
• Snacks

Baby/Toddler Bag:

• Diapers
• Diaper disposal bags
• Wipes
• Snacks
• Books (way, way more than you might think you’ll need — they’ll go through ‘em quick)
• Small toys
• Bottle/cup with built-in straw (sucking will help pop their ears)
• Benadryl and/or Tylenol (see here for proper dosing)
• Toddler headphones
• Tablet with downloaded movies/shows

For more tips on traveling with babies and toddlers, check out this post.

Click here to download a PDF of these checklists.