The Ultimate Travel Checklist For 2022

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As more and more places begin to open up and many societies adopt a strategy of learning to live with our current situation rather than battling it endlessly, travel in 2022 looks like a more appealing prospect than it did in 2021 or 2020. Sites like Tripadvisor are once again offering advice and help to travellers looking to venture to the furthest reaches of the globe, and disgruntled workers everywhere are looking to book getaways and escapes, our pick is this guide on Gibraltar by ClickTravelTips. If that’s you, make sure you don’t embark on your next holiday without everything you need. Here’s our ultimate travel checklist for 2022.

Destination

Obviously, you’re not going to get very far in your holiday without choosing a destination, right? You might want to consider booking a holiday in a less “touristy” location for 2022; many of the more popular destinations will likely be swamped, so if you’re looking for peace, quiet, and a truly tranquil experience, try one of the roads less travelled. This will result in less jostling and competing with others for the best views. You won’t regret it, we promise!

Of course, choosing a destination is one of the first things you have to do. It can be a single destination, or a chain of points, connected by a route. Along with it, you have to plan your transportation, accommodation, local activities and all other details. And all of this should be planned as a full itinerary. It may looks a bit complicated, but for more details, check our guide about how to plan a travel itinerary. Anyway, it is the foundation of your trip.

Money

It’s an unfortunate fact of life that holidays always need to be funded somehow. You’ll need to pay for all kinds of things; travel, food, accommodation, and various other expenses need to be accounted for.

We’re not talking about major holiday funding here, though; that should already be sorted, and prepared in advance while you build your itinerary. Instead, we mean the kind of spending money that will help you when you’re out and about and looking for things to do once you actually arrive. Be sure to parcel out some cash for carrying.

Clothes

There’s an art to packing clothes for a holiday. Our top tip: take twice as many clothes as you think you’ll need. Don’t just pack a single set of clothes for each day, because you could end up spilling something or somehow damaging those clothes, and then you’re in trouble.

Make sure you have a suitcase or a backpack (if you go to a more adventurous trip) large enough to accommodate all of the clothes you’re going to need, because there’s nothing worse than trying to cram all of your clothes into your suitcase last-minute.

This is something that belongs to the last phases of your trip preparation. And here we talk about daily clothes for a “normal” travel. But if you are going to adventures in the nature- trekking, liveaboard diving, or an expedition to harsh and remote points on the Earth, you would need a special travel gear.

Special travel gear

This includes all the accessories that you would need to not only enjoy, but even survive if you go “out of the civilization”. If you go on a trekking to K2 Base Camp, you would need a proper backpack, proper hiking boots, hiking poles, and more.

Or, if you go on a liveaboard tour in French Polynesia, you would need your diving mask and snorkel, your fins, and if you are a scuba diver, better you bring your own diving equipment (although they usually offer their own). 

All of these accessories, depending on the type of your trip need to be prepared carefully in advance, in good balance between necessary things to bring and weight of your luggage. Nevertheless, if these accessories are crucial for surviving in harsh conditions, better bring more than less.

Medication

This is one of the most commonly forgotten items when people are packing for trips. Don’t forget any medication you might need; it’s easy to take it for granted because it’s always available at home, but you might find that when you reach your destination, you’re not easily able to get replacement pills or other meds. Pack more than you think you’re going to need (if your meds aren’t taken daily), because you could run out or lose a supply.

Documents

Don’t leave your house without packing passports, travel documents, and any other crucial travel documentation. Think carefully before you set out. At an absolute minimum, you’re going to need your passport, because you won’t be able to travel without it.

After that, you might need a special visa depending on which country you’re travelling to and what your purpose is for going, and forgetting that could land you in customs for a lengthy discussion with the officials. Finally, you may need some travel permits, if you are going to visit areas with certain restrictions– autonomous regions, occupied territories, nature reservations, and more. 

Of course, plan these documents in advance, while you are still building your itinerary, and when the time of departure comes, don’t forget to pack them carefully!

Entertainment

Your flight is likely to be long and tedious, especially if you’re going somewhere far away (which is the only reason you should have for flying, given the state of the environment right now). Make sure to take enough to do so that you don’t get bored before your holiday has even begun.

If you have an e-reader, that’s an excellent way to pass time on a flight, but you might also want it for the trip itself; you may want to wander down to a beach and take a good book with you for a day of relaxation and de-stressing.

Electronic devices

This can be a crucial detail for your journey. Yes, most probably you will not forget your mobile phone, since it is a habit for most people to bring their phones always and everywhere. But how about your charging devices? A charging cable, a power bank, especially if you go on a wild journey with poor opportunities for re-charging?

Your mobile phone with its charging accessories is very important. However, if you want to fully enjoy your journey, not only during the trip, but also after that, you would need your camera (yes, the modern mobile phones can take good photos and videos, but if you want them more professional, you would need a camera), or a GoPro.

Also, if you often need your laptop, you have to consider it too, as a part of your luggage. And for all of these, don’t forget all the cables, charging devices, and other related accessories (it is easy to forget them, thinking only about the main devices!).

SIM cards

Depending on where you’re travelling, your SIM card might not work when you arrive. It’s important to have arranged an alternative so that you can contact whoever you might need to while you’re travelling.

Whatever you do, make sure to thoroughly research your situation so you know what you’re going to need; if you arrive and realise your card doesn’t work, it might be too late (although many international airports do sell SIM cards that work in the country in which they’re based).

Toiletries

Often, hotels will provide their own toiletries, meaning you don’t need to bring your own. However, at the very least, you’ll need to take a toothbrush with you, and it’s a good idea to take spare toiletries just in case your hotel doesn’t provide them. This means packing shampoo, deodorant, and other amenities.

You won’t need to pack toilet paper, and it’s unlikely you’ll need towels, but you may wish to take toothpaste. Be sure to follow proper airport procedure when it comes to declaring these items as you pass through customs.

However, again, if you go to a more adventurous journey, planning to spend the nights in basic conditions- local lodges, camping, or other forms of sleeping in the nature, you have to plan your toiletries accordingly. You may not be able to wash for many days, at the same time, in such cases you have to consider the weight of your luggage. Anyway, toiletries is something you should plan well in the last stages of your trip preparation.

COVID-related documents

Despite what some media outlets may tell you, we are still in the grip of a global pandemic, and many countries don’t have the same attitude towards the virus as yours might. That’s why it’s important to take any COVID-related documents that are required in your chosen destination.

You may, for example, need proof of vaccination, or perhaps proof of a negative test within the last 72 hours. Make sure to thoroughly research what will suffice as proof so that you don’t get caught short when it’s time to leave.

Insurance

Travel and holiday insurance are often overlooked, but they’re critical parts of travelling. At the very least, you should try to ensure you have international medical insurance, because you might run into a hefty health bill if you’re taken ill or get into an accident while you’re on holiday. You could also look into cancellation cover, which could let you cancel your flight or any other element of your trip without needing to pay huge premiums.

In general, these are the most important things you have to consider before you leave your home for a journey. You can use this short travel checklist for a faster and quicker reference, or you can see a longer check-list with 50 travel tips for better trip preparing. If you want to get deeper in details, read our article about how to prepare for a trip. And finally, if you prepare everything well, you can enjoy a great travel experience wherever you want to wander around the Earth!

Check some travel books about planning a trip!

   

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