Short answer: For your first trip abroad, start with the passport, because it takes the longest: apply or renew months ahead, and make sure it stays valid well beyond your return date. Then check your destination’s entry rules, sort out a card that works abroad, plan how your phone will connect, buy the right plug adapter, and pack from a list. Do these in order and the last week before you fly is calm.
A first international trip can feel like a lot of paperwork, but most of it is one-time setup. Once you have a passport, a travel-friendly card and an adapter, every trip after this one gets easier. This checklist is written for US travelers, with the timeline first and the details below. Rules and processing times change, so we link to the official pages to check before you go.
The checklist at a glance
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 3 months or more before | Apply for or renew your passport; check its expiry date against your destination’s rules; look up visas and travel authorizations |
| 1–2 months before | Apply for any travel authorization or visa; get an International Driving Permit if you will drive; check your health insurance and any travel insurance |
| 2–4 weeks before | Tell your bank and card company; check foreign transaction fees; choose a phone plan or eSIM; buy plug adapters |
| The week before | Make copies of your documents; download offline maps and translation; build your packing list; save local emergency numbers |
| The day before | Charge everything; put passport, cards, adapter and charger in your carry-on; check in online |
1. Passport: start here, and start early
First passport: if you have never had a US passport, you must apply in person at a passport acceptance facility (many post offices and county clerks’ offices) using Form DS-11. You pay two fees: the application fee to the State Department and a separate acceptance fee to the facility. Bring proof of citizenship, a photo ID and a passport photo.
Renewing: online renewal is not available for first-time applicants, but if you already have an adult passport you may be able to renew online or by mail. The State Department’s online renewal page lists the conditions, including when your last passport was issued and that your details have not changed.
How long it takes: processing times change through the year. Routine service takes several weeks, expedited service costs extra and is faster, and the time your application spends in the mail is added on top of the processing time. Check the current figures on the State Department’s “Get Your Processing Time” page at travel.state.gov before you apply, and apply as soon as you know you are going. Summer trips are the classic trap: applications pile up in spring.
Book or card? You need a passport book to fly abroad. The cheaper passport card is not valid for international air travel; it only works for land and sea crossings from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and some Caribbean destinations.
Check the expiry date: many countries want your passport to be valid for some months after you arrive or leave. For the Schengen area (most of the European Union plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland), the State Department advises at least six months of validity, and your passport must be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave and have been issued within the last ten years. Our country guides list each destination’s rule in their entry section.
2. Entry rules: visas and travel authorizations
US passport holders can visit many countries for a short holiday without a visa, but “no visa” does not always mean “nothing to do”. A growing number of countries ask for an online travel authorization before you fly. A few examples for 2026–27:
- United Kingdom: visitors who do not need a visa, including US citizens, need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before they travel. It costs £20, is usually decided quickly, and allows multiple visits of up to six months over two years (or until your passport expires). Apply on the official UK ETA app or gov.uk, at least three working days ahead to be safe.
- Schengen area: the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully running at the Schengen external borders since 10 April 2026. On your first entry, border officers take your fingerprints and a photo, and the system records your entries and exits instead of passport stamps. It is free, and children under 12 are not fingerprinted. You can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- ETIAS: the EU’s separate online travel authorization, ETIAS, is not in operation yet. The EU says it will announce the start date several months before it launches, so check the official EU travel site (travel-europe.europa.eu) when you book, and never pay a third-party website for it.
Outside Europe, rules vary widely, from free visa-free stays to e-visas and visas on arrival. Use the official government website of the country you are visiting, and see the entry section of our guide for that country, for example our United Kingdom travel guide or Japan travel guide.
Driving abroad? Some countries require an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside your US license, and rental companies may ask for one. In the US, the State Department has authorized only two organizations to issue IDPs: the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA). Websites selling other “international licenses” are not valid.
3. Money: cards, cash and fees
- Tell your bank and card company where and when you are traveling, as the State Department’s traveler’s checklist recommends, so a foreign charge does not trigger a block. Many banks let you do this in their app.
- Check foreign transaction fees. Some cards add a fee to every purchase abroad; others charge none. If you travel often, a no-foreign-fee credit card and a debit card for cash withdrawals are a good pair.
- Pay in the local currency. When a card machine or ATM offers to charge you in US dollars, choose the local currency instead. The conversion offered at the terminal usually comes with a worse exchange rate.
- Carry a little cash for taxis, markets, tips and small cafés, and take two cards kept in different places, so losing one is not a problem.
To see what your dollars are worth before you go, use our Money exchange tool. For a sense of how expensive a country is for travelers, see Travel costs by country, and if tipping customs worry you, the tip calculator shows what is normal where you are going.
4. Phone and data
You have three main choices. Your US carrier’s international plan is the easiest: you keep your number, but it can be expensive per day. A travel eSIM, bought online before you leave, gives you local data at a lower price while your US number stays on the phone. A local SIM card from a shop at your destination is often cheapest for longer stays. For an eSIM or local SIM, your phone must be unlocked, so ask your carrier before you go.
Before you leave, download offline maps of the places you are visiting, a translation app and your airline’s app. Our phrase cards give you the polite basics (hello, thank you, how much, where is) in the local language. For more app ideas, see our guide to planning a trip with AI.
5. Plugs and power
US sockets are types A and B at 120 volts, and most of the world uses something different. According to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC):
- Most of continental Europe: type C and type F plugs (two round pins), 230 volts.
- United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus: type G (three rectangular pins), 230 volts.
- Japan: types A and B, the same shape as in the US, but at 100 volts.
An adapter only changes the plug shape; it does not change the voltage. Look at the label on each charger: most phone, tablet, laptop and camera chargers say “100–240V” and work anywhere with just an adapter. Hair dryers and straighteners are often 120V only and need a dual-voltage model. A compact universal adapter with USB ports covers most trips. Our plug adapter guide explains the European sockets in more detail.
6. Your packing list
First trips tend to be overpacked. Pack for a week even if you are going for two, and plan to do laundry. Our free packing list tool builds a checklist for your kind of trip, from city breaks to beach days and cool evenings. Whatever it suggests, these always go in your carry-on, not your checked bag:
- Passport, plus any visa or travel authorization confirmation
- Cards, some cash, and your driver’s license (and IDP if you will drive)
- Phone, charger, plug adapter and a small power bank
- Any medicines you take, in their original packaging, with a copy of the prescription
- A change of clothes, in case your bag arrives a day late
- Copies of your passport and bookings, on paper and on your phone
The State Department’s traveler’s checklist suggests making copies of your travel documents, keeping one set with you separate from the originals and leaving another with a trusted friend or relative at home. If your passport is lost, a copy makes the replacement much faster.
7. Health, insurance and Local Safety Info
Ask your health insurer what it covers outside the United States, and consider travel insurance that includes medical care and trip cancellation. For vaccines and health advice by destination, the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages are the official US source; see your doctor a few weeks before you travel if you need shots.
Before you land, open Local Safety Info for your destination. It shows the emergency numbers for that country and how to find help near you, so you have them before you need them. In the European Union, 112 is the emergency number in every country.
Where to go for a first trip
An easy first trip has good public transport, plenty of English spoken in tourist areas, and short distances. Many first-timers choose Western Europe: see our Portugal vs Spain comparison, or our Portugal, Ireland and United Kingdom guides. Closer to home, Mexico and Canada are short flights away. For ideas by season, see where to go in December.
Plan your trip
Once your passport is on its way, our free trip planner builds a day-by-day plan for your dates, travelers and budget from our guides. Then check the usual weather on your exact dates with the Destination weather tool, and turn it into a packing list with the packing list tool. All our free tools are on the tools page.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I apply for my first passport?
As early as you can, ideally a few months before you travel. Routine processing takes several weeks, mailing time comes on top, and times change through the year. Check the current figures on the State Department’s processing-times page at travel.state.gov, and pay for expedited service only if your trip is too close for routine processing.
Can I use a passport card to fly abroad?
No. The US passport card is not valid for international air travel. It works only for land and sea crossings from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and some Caribbean destinations. To fly anywhere abroad, you need a passport book.
How long does my passport need to be valid?
It depends on the country. For Europe’s Schengen area, your passport must be valid for at least three months after the day you leave and have been issued within the last ten years, and the State Department advises six months of validity. Many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America ask for six months. If yours expires within a year, renewing before you travel is the safe choice.
Do I need a plug adapter or a voltage converter?
Usually just an adapter. Most phone, laptop and camera chargers are labeled “100–240V” and handle the 230 volts used in Europe and the UK. Check the label on hair dryers and other heating appliances: if they say 120V only, leave them at home or buy a dual-voltage model.
Do Americans need an ETA or ETIAS for Europe?
For the United Kingdom, yes: US citizens need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation, which costs £20 and covers multiple visits over two years. For the Schengen area, ETIAS is not in operation yet; the EU will announce its start date several months ahead. You will, however, have your fingerprints and photo taken under the EU’s Entry/Exit System the first time you enter.