Travel packing list

For a week or two away with flights and somewhere to stay. It starts with the things you can't replace when you get there, and you can change it for how warm it will be and who's coming.

The things you can't buy there

Almost anything else can be bought when you arrive. A passport with too little time left on it can't, and neither can your own medicines or a spare pair of glasses. They're at the top of the list for that reason.

Keep medicines in your hand luggage. Bags in the hold go missing, and they can take days to come back.

Hand luggage only

If you're travelling with one small bag, check your airline's size limit and your airport's rule for liquids, which isn't the same everywhere. Wear the heaviest shoes and jacket on the plane, and plan to wash clothes after a few days.

What's on the list

A week away, mild weather, flying

Papers and money

Passport: Check how long it has left. Some countries want six months from the day you arrive.
Visas or entry permits, if you need them: Look up each country you'll cross. Keep a copy offline.
Travel insurance details: The policy number and the emergency phone number, on your phone and on paper. Check it covers what you'll be doing.
Two bank cards, kept apart: If one is lost or blocked you still have the other.
Some cash: Not everywhere takes cards, and a card can be blocked just when you need it.
Tickets and bookings, saved offline: In case there's no signal when you need them.
Emergency contacts on paper: If your phone dies, you'll still have the numbers.

Bags

Suitcase or travel bag
Small day bag: For days out from where you're staying.

Clothes

Underwear × 7
Socks × 7
T-shirts or tops × 7
Trousers × 2
Shorts
Something smarter for an evening out
Something to sleep in
Fleece or warm jumper

Footwear

Comfortable shoes for walking: You'll walk more than you think. Wear them in before you go.

Sleeping

Earplugs: For thin walls and other people's snoring.
Eye mask

Food, water and cooking

Water bottles: Refill it as you go instead of buying bottled water.
Snacks: Something you'll still want to eat when you're tired.
Folding shopping bag

Washing and toiletries

Toothbrush and toothpaste
Toiletries: Small bottles. If you're flying with hand luggage, check your airport's rule for liquids.
Sun cream
Travel wash and a few pegs: This list assumes you'll wash clothes as you go.
Glasses or contact lenses, and spares: If you wear them. A spare pair saves a trip.
Period products: If you need them. They can be hard to find in remote places.

First aid and medicine

First aid kit: Plasters, a bandage, tape, painkillers and antiseptic wipes cover most things.
Blister plasters: Put one on at the first sore spot, before it turns into a blister.
Your medicines, plus a few days spare: In your hand luggage or day bag, never only in the hold.

Phone and electronics

Phone and charging cable
Power bank: Maps and photos drain a phone fast.
Plug adapter: If the sockets are different where you're going.
Phone data for abroad: Check what your plan charges abroad, or get an eSIM or a local SIM before you go. A local SIM needs an unlocked phone.
Headphones

Finding the way and safety

Offline maps on your phone: Download them before you go, while you have wifi.

Bits and pieces

A few zip bags: For wet things, receipts, and a phone in the rain.
Pen: For filling in forms.
Book or e-reader
Travel pillow

Questions people ask

What should I pack for a week's holiday?

Papers and money, your medicines, about seven days of underwear and socks, a few tops and two pairs of trousers or shorts, one warmer layer, comfortable shoes, and toiletries in small bottles. Add swimwear and sun cream if it's hot.

What do people forget most?

Phone chargers and plug adapters, medicines, sunglasses, and the travel insurance details. The list puts these near the top.

How do I pack light for a flight?

Pick clothes that go together, count on washing halfway through, and wear the bulkiest things on the plane. Toiletries in small bottles take up much less room.

Should I take cash?

A little. Cards work in most places, but small cafés, markets and taxis don't always take them, and a card can be blocked when you need it.

Can I make a list for the whole family?

Yes. Tick Children under Anything else and the list adds spare clothes, their medicines and things to keep them busy on the way. Add anything else they need to any group.

Can I use the same list next time?

Yes. Open the list, press More and choose Untick everything. Or make a copy and change the trip for somewhere hotter or colder.

Lists for other trips

The other tools

Gear list: Weigh your kit and your pack
GPX tools: Open, fix, join and convert route files
3D film of a route: Turn a GPX into a flyby film with your photos
All tools

We make Pebbls, an app that keeps a map and diary of a trip as it happens. You don't need it to use any of this.