What to Pack for a Trip: A Checklist You Can Adapt
Start with travel documents, usable payment methods, necessary medication, clothing, footwear, toiletries and chargers. Then add items for your planned activities and remove anything your accommodation already provides. A useful packing list covers the categories; your destination, journey and laundry plans determine the quantities.
This checklist is intended mainly for holidays with equipped accommodation. Overnight hiking, technical climbing and other specialist trips need their own equipment lists.
Build the list around the trip
Before opening your suitcase, answer five questions:
- Where and when are you going? Review conditions at every stop, including evenings, rain and wind. Check the forecast again near departure.
- What will you do? City walks, swimming, business meetings and outdoor activities have different requirements.
- When can you do laundry? Confirm facilities, access and enough time for clothes to dry.
- What does the accommodation provide? Ask about towels, a hairdryer and toiletries rather than assuming they will be available.
- How will you transport your belongings? Check the number, weight and dimensions of bags allowed by your booking and any item restrictions.
Sketch the activities before choosing the equipment. A swimsuit, formal outfit or workout kit earns its place when there is a relevant plan.
To see what you might need for city visits, you can create a day-by-day plan in RoadMe around your interests and pace. Review the selected activities before deciding whether they call for extra clothing or footwear.
Your core travel packing checklist
Tick the items that apply. Use the trip-specific sections below to add what your plans require.
Documents, money and essential information
- Identification accepted for your transport, accommodation and border crossings.
- Required visas, authorisations and supporting documents.
- Tickets, booking details, accommodation address and check-in instructions.
- Insurance documents and assistance contacts where you have cover.
- Payment methods checked for the destination, plus an accessible alternative.
- An emergency contact and relevant local numbers.
- Important information available without an internet connection.
A copy does not replace an original document where the original is required. Arrange a way to retrieve essential information if your phone is lost or stops working.
Clothes and footwear
- Underwear and socks for the days before your next wash.
- Everyday tops.
- Trousers, shorts, skirts or dresses suited to your activities.
- Sleepwear.
- A warmer layer where needed.
- Suitable protection against rain or wind.
- Familiar footwear for your main walking activities.
- Additional shoes for a specific purpose.
Choose pieces that work together. Check the official dress requirements of places you intend to visit instead of relying on general assumptions about a country.
Toiletries and personal care
- Toothbrush and toothpaste.
- Deodorant, a comb or brush, and your usual care products.
- Shower products if suitable ones are not provided.
- Menstrual products as needed.
- Glasses, contact lenses and their care supplies if used.
- Tissues and a small bag for used or damp items.
- Sun protection suited to the trip.
Take practical quantities rather than full-size replacements for everything at home. Before flying, check how airport security treats liquids: creams, gels and pastes may be included.
Medication and medical supplies
- Your prescribed medication for the agreed duration.
- Prescriptions, a clinician’s letter or permits where applicable.
- Necessary medical devices and consumables.
- Basic dressings if appropriate for the trip.
- Information about required storage conditions.
Discuss medication and health supplies with a suitable clinician or pharmacist. Another traveller’s medicine list does not establish what you should take.
Check transport and import rules separately, using the active ingredients, quantity and countries on your route. The UK, for example, has specific requirements for medicines containing controlled drugs; those requirements should not be treated as worldwide rules. GOV.UK: travelling with medicine.
Devices and charging
- Phone and charger.
- Cables for the devices you are taking.
- A power bank if needed and permitted.
- A suitable plug adapter after checking outlets and device compatibility.
- Headphones, camera, e-reader or laptop for a defined use.
- Protective cases where needed.
Test your charging setup before packing. Save tickets and arrival details so you can open them without mobile data.
Before city walks, you can download the destination in RoadMe while you have internet access. Once downloaded, its maps and navigation are available offline.
Add only the sections your itinerary needs
| Trip conditions | Possible additions | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Beach or swimming | Swimwear, sun hat, suitable footwear and a towel | Whether towels are supplied and can be taken to the beach |
| Cold, wind or rain | Warmer layers, outerwear and seasonal accessories | Morning, evening and higher-elevation conditions |
| Visits with dress requirements | An outfit meeting the specific rules | Official entry requirements |
| Outdoor day trips | Route-appropriate clothing and shoes, water and required supplies | Duration, terrain, weather and operator or park guidance |
| Remote work | Laptop, headset and necessary accessories | Your tasks and equipment available on arrival |
| Travel with children | Documents, age-appropriate supplies, food and familiar items | Accommodation provisions and transport rules |
| A long journey | Comfort items and permitted snacks | What the carrier provides and applicable restrictions |
For changeable seasons, consider the conditions throughout a day. These shoulder season planning checks can help you assess weather and availability.
Check food, plants, sporting equipment and other restricted items separately. Fitting inside the bag does not establish permission to carry or import something.
A one-week clothing example
This illustrative list assumes one adult, seven days in a city, moderate weather and no special events. Laundry is available on day four, with clothes dry by the following day. Quantities include the outfit worn for the journey.
| Category | Example quantity |
|---|---|
| Everyday tops | 4–5 |
| Trousers, skirts or other bottoms | 2 |
| Underwear | 5 sets |
| Socks, if worn daily | 5 pairs |
| Warmer layer | 1 |
| Rain protection if needed | 1 |
| Sleepwear | 1 set |
| Shoes | Main pair; another pair if needed |
Adjust this for how frequently you change clothes, your activities and laundry access. A longer trip with regular washing does not necessarily require a larger wardrobe.
Confirm that laundry fits the itinerary. An unspecified intention to wash later is not enough to calculate the clean clothing you need.
Pack according to when you need things
Keep documents, money, your phone, essential medication and journey items accessible. If you check your main bag, a small change of clothes and necessary toiletries can help while you wait for delayed luggage.
Keep accessible: documents, payment methods, medication, permitted personal-care liquids, charging equipment and essential devices.
Pack for use after check-in: most clothing, extra toiletries, additional shoes and permitted activity equipment.
Leave out where appropriate: items confirmed at the accommodation, unnecessary duplicates and accessories without a clear use.
For flights, check three separate sets of conditions:
- Carrier and fare: bag count, dimensions, weight and item restrictions.
- Airports: security rules, including connections and the return journey.
- Countries on the route: import restrictions and required documentation.
Do not assume every airport applies the same liquid-container limit. UK guidance explicitly advises checking your departure airport and other airports on the journey, including the return. GOV.UK: liquids in hand luggage.
Check power banks separately. Under FAA rules, spare lithium batteries and power banks must travel in the cabin and be removed if a cabin bag is checked at the gate. The FAA also notes that airlines may impose stricter restrictions, so confirm your carrier’s current conditions. FAA: Lithium Batteries.
Make a final pass for unnecessary items
Lay everything out and identify the job each item performs. A spare outfit can have a clear purpose while another similar accessory may not.
Agree on shared items with travel companions where practical, such as compatible charging equipment or a common toiletry. Keep personal documents, essential medication and items you depend on accessible to each person.
Once packed, weigh and measure the bag, including protruding parts according to the carrier’s method. Check whether you can comfortably carry, lift and move it on stairs. Leave room and a weight allowance for planned purchases.
Departure-day checks
- Required original documents are packed.
- Phone, charger and cable have been added after their last use.
- Medication and medical supplies are accessible and meet storage requirements.
- Glasses and other morning-use items are packed.
- Tickets, accommodation details and contacts open offline.
- Bag dimensions, weight and contents meet applicable requirements.
- Items for the next few hours are easy to reach.
If this is your first independently organised trip, use the first-trip planning guide to check the wider preparations.
After returning, note what you missed and what you did not use. Keep the core checklist separate from the optional sections so you can adapt it quickly for the next trip.
