An old adage suggests you should travel with half as many clothes and twice as much money. We've created this packing list from suggestions made by our travellers. While no two people are the same, consider it a starting point. Download checklist
Essentials
- Passport (check its expiry!) and Visas
- Tickets (particularly e-Tickets)
- Travel Insurance (of course!)
- Photocopies of 1, 2 and 3
- Itinerary (airline, train, bus, accommodation bookings etc.)
- Mobile Phone - even if you aren't going to use it as a phone, it's most likely also your contact list and is great to have in an emergency
- Address book and list of important contacts or numbers
- Pack, Backpack, suitcase ... something to pack everything in!
- Notebook
- Pens - lots of immigration forms to fill in
Clothing
- Boots
- Bra (sports and regular)
- Dress shirts
- Dresses
- Hat
- Handkerchief
- Jacket
- Jeans
- Light jacket
- Long sleeve shirts
- Raincoat
- Safety pins
- Sarong
- Scarf
- Sewing kit
- Shoes
- Shorts
- Ski or Sunglasses
- Ski clothes
- Skirts
- Sneakers
- Socks
- Suits
- Sweater or fleece
- Swimming gear
- T-shirts
- Thongs
- Trousers
- Underwear
Travel Insurance Essentials
- Passport (valid at least 6 months after return date as there are some countries that require this)
- Visa (you may need a specific visa depending on where you are travelling to. Some examples include digital nomad visas, tourist visas, and Schengen Visa). Make sure you check the visa requirements for all destinations you’re visiting and that you have the right paperwork ready before you get on the plane whenever it’s required.
- National ID card
- Valid Driver’s Licence and/or international drivers permit (if you are planning on driving or riding a scooter or motorcycle)
- Vaccination certificates (you will need to provide valid proof whether hard copy or digital if this is compulsory for your destination. Note: different countries require different vaccination certificates before entry)
- Medication certificate and prescription documents (if you have a pre-existing medical condition or you’re pregnant you may need to have prescription medication with you. If this is the case, make sure you have a letter from your doctor confirming you need to be bringing specific medication with you. If travelling with children or babies, ensure you plan ahead for any vaccinations they may need.
- Make copies of your original travel documents and keep receipts of any valuables you have purchased in case you need to make a claim.
Some handy travel insurance tips for your next trip:
- Some countries require travellers to have travel insurance that covers medical costs associated with treating COVID-19 and other diseases. You should consider purchasing travel insurance if you need adequate cover for you and your family. For example, you may need travel insurance cover for trip cancellation, medical emergencies, baggage and valuable theft or damage, natural disasters, trip delays and interruptions, just to name a few
- Always refer to the Australian Government’s Smartraveller website for current travel alerts affecting your chosen destinations before you buy a policy, before you leave Australia, and during your travels
- Make sure you correctly choose the right trip dates, age limit, and level of cover.
- Ensure all your destinations are covered
- Make sure you understand what a pre-existing medical condition is under our policies
- Some activities and sports may require an extra level of cover or may not be covered
- Make sure you clearly understand the benefit limits and the excess as per the level of cover you've selected
- Understand that there will be General Exclusions in your cover for things you won't be covered for under any circumstances
- If you’ve purchased a TID policy, we would advise that you print a hard copy of the Certificate of Insurance (COI) and have it with you when travelling. You can also have a digital copy of your COI document on your phone, laptop, or cloud storage
- If you are travelling with toddlers or babies, make sure you have copies of their birth certificates as proof of identity.
Toiletries
- Anti-bacterial cream
- Clothes line
- Comb or brush
- Contraceptives
- Contact lens equipment or glasses
- Cotton buds
- Dental floss
- Deodorant
- Fingernail clippers
- Lip balm
- Make-up
- Mirror
- Moisturiser (face and body)
- Nail clippers
- Razors
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Shaving cream
- Soap
- Sunscreen
- Tampons and pads
- Toothbrush, toothpaste
For Travel with Children
- Baby milk bottle
- Baby food
- Baby powder
- Baby Backpack
- Baby Wipes
- Bibs
- Birth certificate
- Changing mat
- Children's books
- Children's pain reliever (Panadol)
- Colouring books
- Crayons
- Doll
- Dummies / Pacifiers
- Extra clothes
- Food/snacks
- Formula
- Kid-friendly camera
- Nappies / Diapers (lots)
- Stroller
- Sun hat
- Toys
- Water Bottles
Useful Travel Accessories
- Batteries
- iPad or Kindle
- Water bottle
- Camera - plus spare flash cards, battery charger and spare batteries
- Combo or key locks
- Day pack or shoulder bag
- Plastic Cup
- Eating utensils
- Electrical adapter and plug converter
- Flashlight or torch - plus spare batteries
- Guidebook
- Inflatable travel pillow
- International driving license
- Mosquito net
- Padlock (not for your bags but for your room)
- Passport photos (spare ones)
- Photocopies of important documents in case they are stolen
- Pillow or pillowcase to stuff with clothes
- Plastic bags
- Sleeping bag & mat
- Swiss Army knife (Don't put it in your hand luggage as it will be confiscated)
- Towels - small and quick drying types are the best
- Travel alarm clock
- Universal sink plug
- Umbrella
- Wet wipes/Baby wipes - Fantastic for cleaning hands before eating
- Ziplock bags - The freezer ones are usually the best
First Aid Kit
- Band aids
- Compression bandages
- Diarrhoea tablets
- Gauzes
- Insect and/or mosquito repellent
- Iodine/hydrogen peroxide
- Prescription Medicines
- Motion sickness tablets
- Paracetemol
- Replacement/rehydration salts sachets
- Small scissors
- Tweezers
- Water purifying tablets
- Yellow Fever certificate or International Certificate of Vaccination
Money
- ATM card (Maestro or Cirrus logos on the back are most widely accepted)
- Cash in the local currency of your arrival destination
- Credit card (Visa or Mastercard are most widely accepted)
- Money belt (inside and hidden not outside your clothes)