You’re preparing for your international trip and need to know what things to pack? You’re in the right place. Planning an international trip can be a bit overwhelming so let’s make this simple. This post will give you my top 5 recommendations on what to pack for an international trip.

As far as packing, most things will be the same as you would pack for any trip. However, there are a few additional things to pack when traveling international.

1. Passport/Visa

If you’re traveling internationally, make sure to pack your passport. Always check the expiration date of your passport to make sure it’s current. Last, make sure to take a picture of your passport on your phone. In the event you lose your passport while traveling, you will need to replace the passport before returning to the US, and having a copy of your passport will help tremendously in this situation.

Depending on where you’re traveling, you’ll need to research whether you need a visa to travel to the country you’re visiting. Each country is different and some countries require a visa, while others do not. For US citizens, use this website here to look up the country you’re visiting and any visa requirements.

2. Adapters

One of the first things you’ll need to research is the type of adapter you need for the country you’re traveling to. It’s best to pack this ahead of time so that you’re not spending time looking for one during your trip. If you’re traveling from the US, your plugs will most likely not work outside of the US. On my last trip to Europe, I used this European travel plug adapter and it worked really well.

3. Foreign Currency

While foreign currency may not be something you “pack” per say, it is something you should definitely bring with you when traveling internationally. You can get foreign currency in the country once you arrive, but I always like to do this before my trip. I try to order foreign currency at least a week before my trip, through my bank. Unless the bank has the foreign currency in their branch, they typically have to order the currency and it arrives within a few days. Ordering through your bank is usually the best way to go because it’s lower rates and lower fees.

4. Medicine

While this might be a given, remember to bring your prescription medicine, as well as over the counter medicine on your international trip. I remember being in Shanghai, China and forgot to bring my prescription thyroid medicine. It’s not as easy as you might think to just get a new prescription medicine at the doctor’s office in another country.

I would also highly recommend bringing over the counter medicine. This includes things like Tylenol, stomach medicine, allergy/inflammatory medicine, or bug spray. While it’s likely you can find over the counter medicine in a local pharmacy, it’s best to have this with you on hand. When you’re sick and need something right away, the last thing you want to do is look around for these things.

Depending on where you go, if it’s a remote place you might not even find a pharmacy nearby or in certain countries you might not find this at all. In Cuba, my friend had a bad allergic reaction to a bug bite and unfortunately we had no access to over the counter medicine. Be prepared and have some over the counter medicines with you just in case.

5. Portable Battery Charger

This is a must when traveling internationally, to keep your cellphone fully charged. A portable charger is great when you’re out exploring all day and not near a charging outlet. I’ve had to use a portable charger many times and it’s a life saver. This portable charger I used on a recent trip and it worked well. My sister used this portable charger and absolutely loved it. She actually loved it so much that she now uses it to charge her phone regularly.

Tips on Packing for an International Trip

If I can give you other advice on what to pack for an international trip, I would say to to make your trip as comfortable as possible. On long international flights, I always bring my favorite neck pillow by HoodiePillow. Love this pillow! It’s not only a neck pillow but it also has an attached hood, making it perfect to pull over your head and sleep on a flight. It’s honestly the best thing and I love traveling with it.

Related to making things comfortable, I would also highly recommend to travel as light as possible. My best international trips were when I was traveling with a carry on. I know that might not seem realistic for some people that like to pack heavy, but most of the time you don’t use everything you pack anyway. If your trip requires getting on trains or going to multiple countries, it’s so much easier when you have a carry on luggage.

Last, and while this is minor, I can usually tell when it’s someone’s first international trip with this one. Make sure you have a pen on you when traveling internationally. You will have to fill out immigration papers when you arrive and it’s best to have a pen on you to do this while you’re on the plane. Don’t be one of those people asking everyone on the plane for a pen!

If you’re looking for more tips on things to think about when planning an international trip, see my post here on 10 tips on how to plan an international trip.

Have a great international trip!