10 things you must do before you go on holiday

Holidays are a highlight of many people’s year. You get to switch off, lie in the sun and take a break from your to-do list at home. But the lead-up to a break can feel stressful. Our handy to-do list will make sure you don’t forget a thing.

There’s a lot to do before a holiday – a work handover, packing, making sure everything is set up when you arrive and nothing goes wrong back at home while you’re away… And, sometimes, pre-holiday stress can make you forget the most obvious and important items.

So, to help you if you’re jetting off soon, we’ve put together a handy checklist to make sure you’ve got everything covered. Here’s what you can’t forget.

1. Dig out your passport and make sure it's in date

It might sound simple but there is nothing that dampens your pre-holiday excitement quite like the realisation that you can’t find your passport or that it’s out of date. Checking your passport a couple of months in advance is something few of us would think about doing, yet it’s imperative you do – otherwise your holiday could be over before it’s even started.

To make sure you’re sorted, check the entry and passport requirements of the country you are visiting using the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s travel advice pages. For travel to most EU countries, plus Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, you should check both your passport’s issue date and expiry date. Your passport must have an issue date less than ten years before the date you arrive (if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, you may have had extra months added on which won’t count – the issue date is the part to pay attention to) and have an expiry date of at least three months’ validity after the day you leave.

Be aware that passport rules can vary by country so don’t assume anything. For travel to Turkey, as an example, your passport should have an expiry date of at least 150 days after the date you arrive and have at least one blank page. To enter Kenya, your passport must have an expiry date of at least six months after the date you arrive and at least two blank pages.

2. Check you have the essential documents for your trip

Whether this is entry visas or your driving licence, your boarding pass or hotel confirmation, get organised well in advance. Make sure you’ve saved tickets, passes and confirmations to your airline’s app, phone wallet or go old school and print them, keeping them together in a plastic folder. Be aware, though, that Ryanair has moved to paperless boarding passes.

It’s also helpful to compile a list of useful numbers – think emergency contact details if your mobile phone or debit or credit card is lost or stolen. Making a note of your passport number – or taking a photograph of it to store in your phone – is also important in case you were suddenly to find yourself without it.

3. Make sure you know your luggage allowances – even if you have flown recently

Overpacking and being stuck at the check-in desk with luggage that’s too heavy can really start your holiday off on the wrong foot.

In this situation, you’ll either have to try and disperse some of the weight by putting it into your hand luggage (if you have room) or pay extra. So, before you go, make sure you have weighed your case. You can buy handheld digital luggage scales for less than ten pounds.

If you do decide you’re going to need to take extra luggage, pre-book it in online in advance. All airlines have different rules so make sure you look at the fine print in their baggage policies or you may be hit with hefty excess baggage fees. Ryanair, as an example, charges a whopping £13 per kilo you go over your allowance.

4. And check hand luggage rules

We’re all used to the 100ml limit for liquids in hand luggage, which is still in place in most UK airports, but there are other items you shouldn’t carry in your hand luggage. These range from corkscrews and party poppers to golf clubs and hiking poles. There’s a full list of hand luggage restrictions on the Government’s website.

Manchester Airport revealed a list of items that its security officers confiscated in just one morning in July 2026. These included 24 packs of cosmetic products, seven drinks bottles, 12 pairs of scissors, ten toy guns, two loose chisels, a pair of pliers, two multipacks of yoghurts, a baseball bat and a leg massager.

It clarified that “Anything that is designed to look like a firearm, or could be disguised as one, cannot be carried in hand luggage. This includes items like toys – which could be painted or adapted to more closely resemble a real weapon.” Regarding food and drink it said: “Anything that can be sprayed, spread or poured at room temperature” should “be packed in containers with a capacity of under 100ml.”

5. Make your home secure

Nothing will snap you out of your post-holiday high like coming home to discover you’ve been broken into. Double and triple check doors and windows and make sure you cancel any milk or grocery deliveries. Ask a family member or a trusted neighbour to regularly check on the house and remove any post from behind your front door. It may also be worth considering investing in light timers.

Remember that if you were to suffer a break-in while you were on holiday and you had not secured your home properly, your insurance could be deemed invalid – so taking the time to do this really is important.

6. Check your route to the airport and pre-book a parking space

Before you travel to the airport, check online for any possible delays on the roads, your train route or other transport method and listen to traffic alerts on the radio while you’re driving there. Make sure you have planned your route and allow extra time in case of disruption.

If you are planning on parking your car at the airport, make sure you book in advance to get the best price. You can save up to 70% by being organised.

7. Take out travel insurance and get a GHIC if you are going to Europe

Travel insurance is a holiday essential as it can cover you financially against a number of things that could wrong while you’re away, from stolen possessions and medical bills to lost luggage. And the best time to buy travel insurance is as soon as you’ve booked your holiday. Why? Because it can cover you for cancellation in case something out of your control goes wrong in the run up to your trip such as redundancy or the death of a close family member.

To get the best possible deal on travel insurance and a policy to suit your needs, compare policies online.

Make sure you have an in-date GHIC card for travel to Europe, too. This will ensure that if you were to get ill while you were away, you would be entitled to either free or subsidised health care in the European Economic Area (EEA) at the same rate as a local resident. Some travel insurance policies require you to have a valid GHIC for travel to Europe too.

The GHIC has replaced the previous EHIC and is still free to apply for, so don’t be misled by websites which charge a fee. Just go to the NHS website where you will be able to apply for your free card.

While it’s important to have a GHIC, it isn’t a substitute for travel insurance.

8. Sort out your travel money

Leaving your travel money to the last minute is another mistake which could cost you. If you’re planning on taking currency, the cheapest rates will be found online, which you can either arrange for delivery or pick up. Find the best rates by comparing online on MoneySavingExpert’s TravelMoneyMax.

An alternative to cash is to get a prepaid card. This works on a pay-as-you-go method and you simply load a certain amount of money on to the card and then if you want to top up, you just go online or ring up. It’s a great way to budget, however some of these cards do come with hidden charges.

If you are planning on using your credit card while abroad, avoid huge charges by applying for a credit card that is specifically designed for overseas usage. For example, the Lloyds Ultra Visa credit card charges no fees or interest on overseas spending.

9. Sort out pet care

According to global data service company Statistica, six in ten UK households own at least one pet. If you’re one of them, don’t forget to organise care for the furry member of your family while you are away.

Ask friends, family or a trusted pet-sitter to look after your pet so you can sit back and relax while you’re away knowing that they are being looked after too.

10. Pre-book your car hire

If you are planning on hiring a car when you go on holiday, comparing and pre-booking is the key to save money. Our recent research revealed that booking 31 days in advance was the sweet spot to find the cheapest price.

Even if you’ve left it later than this, you should never leave booking until you arrive at the airport as, if you turn up on the day without a reservation, you could pay more than double the price of booking in advance and, in peak holiday periods, there may be no cars or little choice.

Please note: All prices and facts were correct at the time of updating (27 July 2026)