How to Prepare for Your International Trip (Packing List Included)

We've both made every packing mistake imaginable over the years. Too many shoes. Not enough medicine. The wrong adapter for the wrong continent. A jacket for a trip to Southeast Asia in July (that one's still embarrassing).

So consider this our hard-won, no-fluff guide to preparing for an international trip, specifically the kind of immersive, cultural travel we love at PalaVidas.

Start earlier than you think you need to

Most travel stress comes from compressed timelines. The passport renewal you put off. The vaccine you needed six weeks of lead time for. The travel insurance you meant to compare but didn't.

Our general rule: as soon as a trip is booked, start a running list. Not to obsess over it, just to capture things as they come to mind. Then do a real planning session 8 weeks out, and a final check 2 weeks out.

Pro tip: Check your passport expiration now, even if your trip is months away. Many countries require 6 months of validity beyond your return date. Don't let a bureaucratic detail derail an otherwise perfect trip. Also, approval times for the US State Department are longer than ever.

Visas, vaccines & documentation

Every destination has different requirements, and they change. Don't rely on what your friend did two years ago. Go straight to the official embassy website for your destination, or use a current resource like the State Department's travel pages.

For health preparation, start with your doctor at least 6–8 weeks before departure. Some vaccines require multiple doses over several weeks. And make sure your travel insurance is in place before anything else, it's the one thing you hope you never need and genuinely can't afford to skip.

Pack once, edit twice

Lay everything out on your bed before it goes in the bag. Then take out a third of it. We're serious. You will not wear half of what you think you will, and you will be very glad you're not dragging a 30kg suitcase up four flights of stairs in a guesthouse with no elevator.

For most cultural travel, versatile, lightweight layers beat specific outfits every time. Neutral colors mix easily. Quick-dry fabric is your friend. And a good crossbody bag beats a backpack for day-to-day exploring.

The PalaVidas Packing List

Documents & Money

• Passport (6+ months validity)

• Printed & digital copies of passport

• Visa documentation (if required)

• Travel insurance card & policy

• Emergency contacts printed

• Debit card with no foreign fees

• Some local currency for arrival

• Credit card (Visa widely accepted)

  
  

Clothing

• 3–4 lightweight tops

• 2 bottoms (one dressier)

• 1 light layer / cardigan

• Comfortable walking shoes

• Sandals or slip-ons

• Temple-appropriate cover-up

• Swimwear

• Underwear + socks (7 days)

  
  

Health & Comfort

• Prescription medications (+ extra)

• Pain reliever / fever reducer

• Anti-diarrheal / upset stomach

• Antihistamine

• Band-aids & blister pads

• Sunscreen (high SPF)

• Insect repellent (DEET-based)

• Hand sanitizer

  
  

Tech & Gear

• Universal power adapter

• Portable charger / power bank

• Download offline maps (Maps.me)

• Headphones

• Lightweight day bag

• Small padlock for bags

• Packing cubes

• Reusable water bottle

  
  

Prepare your mind, not just your bag

The best thing you can do before an international trip, especially a culturally rich one, is arrive curious rather than certain. Read a little about local customs and etiquette. Learn five words in the local language (hello, thank you, please, delicious, and sorry will take you far). Arrive knowing that things will be different, and decided in advance to find that interesting rather than inconvenient.

That mindset shift, more than any piece of gear, is what separates a good trip from a great one.

A note on Thailand specifically: Remove shoes before entering temples and homes. Cover shoulders and knees at religious sites. Carry a light scarf in your bag for this, it doubles as a sun cover and takes up almost no space.

We hope this helps you feel ready. If you're preparing for our Thailand 2026 trip specifically, we'll send all Travel Club members a destination-specific prep guide closer to departure.