Pre-Trip: A Practical Checklist to Close the House & Pack
- Updated: 07/09/2024
- Janice
To remember key pre-trip to-dos, I created a close-the-house checklist to use and reuse before leaving for any travel. I love checklists because they minimize pre-trip pain by allowing me to embrace a state of autopilot instead of last-minute panic.
Table Of Contents
With kids to pack, lessons to reschedule, and a dog to shuttle to the pet sitter with all his special stuff—I find there is a lot of work to do before getting out the door for a trip. Most of it is not very fun. Using a checklist makes it easier.
And though I love to travel, I do not enjoy packing for trips, so I also included several items on the list to help prepare for packing. Find my “Close the House & Packing Prep” checklist below. Or click here to download the printable pdf.
Love simplifying your travel prep? So do I. Also, check out my universal travel packing list and custom itinerary template in four file formats. Both are free and downloadable via article links.
Use the list so you too can be reassured when you lock your door, set your alarm, and roll away with your suitcase, that you have remembered everything.
Pre-Trip Checklist: One Month Before
I separated the checklist into four sections—one month before the trip, one week before, one to two days before the trip, and the day of departure.
One month before:
- Create or update your trip packing list,
- If applicable: Confirm your kids’ clothes and shoes still fit.
- Order or purchase items needed.
- If applicable: Reconfirm pet sitter dates.
- If applicable: Plan for car maintenance (e.g., oil change, car wash, etc.) for a driving trip.
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Pre-Trip Checklist: One Week Before
One week before the trip, complete tasks that require a small amount of lead time.
One week before:
- If applicable: purchase more pet food (e.g., dog, cat, or fish food), if needed.
- If applicable: cancel or reschedule your kids’ activities and lessons taking place during the trip.
- Refill prescription medications you may need while traveling.
- Hold all regular deliveries, including mail, groceries, newspaper, etc.
- Confirm all ordered trip items have arrived.
- Let neighbors know you are leaving town. Ask them to water plants or collect packages, if needed.
Pre-Trip Checklist: One to Two Days Before
One to two days before the trip, give yourself time to complete the flurry of time-consuming pre-trip to-dos.
One to two days before:
- Finish laundry.
- Pack.
- Make digital and paper copies of important travel documents (e.g., IDs, credit cards, emergency contacts), particularly for international travel.
- Share your itinerary with friends or family.
- Get cash, including small bills for tipping.
- Get gas, if needed for a driving trip, or for travel to the airport.
- Pickup any final trip items needed.
- Book airport parking, if needed.
- Find and download apps, books, and media (e.g., movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc.) to use while traveling.
- Perform app and software updates for all devices.
- Charge all devices and backup batteries.
- Set vacation light timers.
- Check-in for your flight, if needed.
- Complete pre-trip travel documents, if needed for international travel.
- Enable or pay for a mobile data plan, if needed for international travel.
- Drop off your pet at the sitter (day before or day of, depending on departure time).
Pre-Trip Checklist: Day of Departure
Clean-up and shut the house down. Your last chance to get it all done and tie up loose ends.
Day of departure:
- If applicable: Contact the school if kids are missing classes.
- If applicable: Water plants.
- If applicable: Feed fish extended fish food.
- Run dishwasher.
- Reduce heat or air-conditioning to conserve and save on energy costs.
- Pull all street-facing shades, and ensure all windows are closed and locked.
- Tidy the kitchen—sweep and wipe down counters as necessary.
- Toss or freeze leftovers and other food that will spoil while you are gone.
- Empty all trash and compost.
- Unplug unnecessary appliances, including computers, as needed.
- If you would like the reassurance, take photos of your oven and stove in off position. Do the same for locked doors or windows.
- Set the alarm, lock the door, ensure car(s) are locked, and the garage door—if applicable—is shut. Have a great trip!
Takeaways
Depending on several factors, including your pets, your caregiving responsibilities, and your type of trip and its time of departure, your list may be slightly different. However—and hopefully—the information I provided above will help you minimize the hassle of leaving home, let you further enjoy your trip, and be assured you will be able to come home to things exactly as you left them!
Related Reading
To further simplify your packing and the getting-out-the-door stage of your vacation—pair this checklist with these related articles.
- Pack Faster & Better With This Universal Printable Packing List
- 25 Expert Packing Tips to Help You Travel Better
- Itinerary Template for a Trip: Free Downloadable Examples & More Resources
- 49 Things You Need to Do to Plan Your Best Trip (Free Travel Research & Planning Checklist)
- The Top Travel Apps I Use for Better Travel
- 5 Proven Ways to Simplify and Organize Your Travel Research
Additional Trip Planning Resources
To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below.
Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here.
Google Hotels. Use its “Where to stay” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.
Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.
Viator, Get Your Guide, & Airbnb Experiences. Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.
Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps. Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list.
AllTrails. Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.
Guide Along. 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour.
Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here. My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com.
Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks, and my free customizable travel itinerary template, downloadable in four file formats.
About the author: Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog, Gather and Go Travel. After attending the University of Michigan undergraduate business school and following a career in retail strategy and event management, she returned to focus on her first love—travel. Read her bio, learn how she became a blogger, and discover how to work with her. Sign up for her monthly Discovery Newsletter for travel recs and how-to’s. Or follow her on social media (@gatherandgotravel).
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Welcome to Gather and Go Travel, a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, a world traveler to 50+ countries, a travel writer/blogger, and a book lover. Learn more about me, read our story, and how to work with me. Get my latest updates, how-tos, and trip ideas in my monthly Discovery Newsletter.
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2 Responses
Thank you for reading, and I am glad it helped.
Such a mindblowing checklist. I have planned a family trip for the next month and this post has helped me a lot in packing all the essential stuff required during the trip. Thanks!!