Whether you’re dreaming of jetting off to a tropical paradise or exploring charming cobblestone streets, the right vacation prep will help you feel even better during your time away. The best part? You can delegate many of these tasks to make trip planning even more stress-free.
Today
- Enter our sweepstakes for the chance to win $500 to use towards travel from KAYAK and a $500 Taskrabbit credit to make prep effortless.
A Few Months Before
- Start your travel planning journey using KAYAK Explore. Plug in your budget, trip length and time of year to see all the destinations you can fly to within your budget.
- Once you’ve settled on where to go, research the weather, local customs, and cultural norms.
- Create a rough itinerary to ensure you make the most of your time. Check out KAYAK Guides for inspiration.
- As you continue planning, use KAYAK to search hundreds of travel sites at once so you can easily compare the flights, hotels, and rental cars within your budget. Unsure of what time of year to go? Use the Best Time to Travel tool to see the best dates to travel and when to book based on your specific origin and destination.
- Make sure your passport is current and you have the necessary visas.
- Consider learning some phrases in the local language.
- Add your flights, hotel reservation, and other plans to KAYAK Trips to make organizing your itinerary seamless.
A Week or Two Before
- Visit your doctor for any required vaccinations or medications.
- Find boarding for any pets or find a pet sitter to come to your house.
- Schedule a hold on your mail or ask a neighbor to check it while you’re gone.
- Make sure you’ve downloaded the KAYAK app so you can access your Trips itinerary when you go (even if you’re offline).
- Find someone to water plants.
- Book Yard Work help to maintain your lawn while you’re away.
- Refill prescriptions.
A Few Days Before
- Mow the lawn.
- Clean the house so you can return to a peaceful environment.
- Make the age-old decision between a checked and carry-on bag.
- Start packing—or find someone to do it for you. Check out KAYAK’s expert packing tips here.
- Clothing suitable for the destination’s climate and activities. Don’t forget things like swimwear, comfortable walking shoes, and an umbrella.
- Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, sunscreen, and any personal care items.
- Electronic devices and chargers (phone, camera, laptop, etc.).
- Travel adapter and power bank.
- Neck pillow, eye mask, and earplugs for comfortable travel.
- Snacks!
- Reusable water bottle
- Notify your bank, credit card, and cell phone providers of your travel dates to avoid any issues with usage.
- Plan and budget the time needed to arrive at the airport on time and prepared.
- Share your KAYAK Trips itinerary with friends and love ones so they can track your journey.
The Day Before
- Double-check your KAYAK Trips itinerary to make sure you have your flight/train/bus tickets.
- Check-in for your flight.
- Print any itineraries or tickets that aren’t digital.
- Charge devices.
- Clean out the fridge.
- Brush up on flying ettiquite.
- Take out cash and pack a backup credit/debit card.
- Set your out-of-office reply so you can truly unplug during your time off.
Right Before You Leave
- Take out the trash.
- Set the thermostat to an energy-efficient temperature.
- Lock windows and doors.
- Check the laundry for wet laundry.
- Double-check to make sure you have the essentials.
- Weigh your bags to avoid excess baggage fees.
- If you hired a Tasker to help manage your home while you’re away, chat with them to confirm details.
With the prep taken care of, you can seriously savor every moment of vacation bliss.
