A holiday gives you something to look forward to – but there can be a lot to manage in the lead up. Between sorting documents, packing, organising travel money and making sure everything at home is taken care of, there’s plenty to remember.
This holiday checklist pulls it all together in one place. Work through each section at your own pace and you’ll be confident and prepared well before departure day.
Published: 8 June 2026
Checking your documents early is one of the most important steps on any holiday checklist. Issues with passports or visas can take some time to resolve, so it’s worth getting these sorted well ahead of your departure date.
Top tip: Take photos of all your key documents and save them somewhere accessible, like your email or cloud storage. If anything gets misplaced while you are away, you’ll have a backup to hand.
Sorting your travel money before you leave is one of the easiest ways to start your holiday well. It means you arrive prepared, avoid queuing at the airport, and give yourself the best chance of a good deal on the exchange rate.
A useful approach is to estimate your daily spend – covering meals, transport, tips, activities and incidentals – and multiply that by the number of days you will be away. It’s always sensible to have a little extra. Even in destinations that are largely card-friendly, local cash is often useful for markets, smaller restaurants, taxis and tipping.
Ordering currency a week or two before you travel gives you time to shop around for a good rate without pressure. Last-minute airport rates are never a good deal.
Bonus tip: use our Multi-currency Cash Passport Travel Money card for your spending. Using a travel money card can help you avoid foreign transaction fees that some bank cards may charge, which may help reduce overall spending while travelling.
Travel insurance is easy to overlook when you’re focused on the exciting parts of planning a trip. But having the right cover in place before you go means you know you’re protected if something unexpected happens.
A good travel insurance policy can cover medical treatment abroad, trip cancellation, lost or delayed baggage, and personal liability. It’s worth reading your policy summary carefully so you understand what is and isn’t included.
Top tip: We offer a range of travel insurance to suit different trips. Buying travel insurance in advance could help protect you from unexpected costs before you travel, and while you’re away.
A little prep at home means minor health issues don’t put a dampener on your trip. Pack your health essentials early so nothing gets forgotten at the last minute.
Top tip: NHS Inform offers destination-specific health guidance, including advice on vaccinations and health precautions. It’s a reliable first stop when you’re planning a trip.
The right tech can make travelling genuinely easier – from navigating unfamiliar streets to staying in touch with family back home. Run through this checklist before you pack your bags.
A solid packing list saves you from overpacking and makes sure you don’t arrive without the things you actually need. The essentials vary depending on your destination, but this travel essentials list covers the bases for most holidays.
For a beach holiday, the essentials list includes: swimwear, sun cream (pack more than you think you need), a wide-brimmed hat, UV-protective sunglasses, a light cover-up, flip flops, a beach bag and a reusable water bottle. If you‘re travelling with children, add swim nappies, UV sun suits and waterproof sun cream to your family holiday packing list.
For a winter break, layers are the key. Pack thermal underlayers, a warm coat, a waterproof outer layer, gloves, a hat and warm socks. Waterproof boots or sturdy shoes are worth the space in your suitcase.
Whatever your destination, this list of things to take on holiday applies to most travellers:
Top tip: For a family holiday packing list, it helps to write a separate list for each person and involve older children in packing their own bag. Getting everyone organised a few days before you leave makes departure day much calmer.
A few simple steps before you leave can give you peace of mind while you’re enjoying your holiday. None of these take long, but they are easy to forget when you are focused on packing and logistics.
If you have home insurance, it is worth checking your policy for any conditions that apply when your home is unoccupied for more than a certain number of days. For more practical guidance, check out our guide on keeping your home secure while you’re away.
Working through a holiday checklist a week or two before you travel means you can handle anything that needs attention calmly and without pressure. Run through each section, tick off what is done and note anything still to sort:
Whether you’re heading to Lisbon for a city break or the Algarve for a summer holiday, sorting your euros before you go means one less thing to do when you get there.
Buy your currency easily online. Or pick up in-store when you’re doing the weekly shop.
To learn more about taking cash abroad, take a look at our guide - Why you still need travel money abroad.
Exchange rates may vary during the day. Rates will vary whether you're buying in-store, online or over the phone. They'll also vary depending on whether you're buying cash or a pre-paid currency card.
We buy back most currencies we sell in most banknote values. Excludes closed currencies.
Buy Travel Money online or in-store and get a better rate with your Clubcard. Choose from up to 50 currencies in cash or add up to 22 currencies to a Multi-currency Cash Passport card.
Clubcard Prices are available on the sell rate of a currency and only for currencies in stock online on the day you buy. The Clubcard Price will be better than the standard rate advertised online.
When buying online, you must enter a valid Clubcard number to get the Clubcard Price rate. Exchange rates may vary depending on whether you’re buying in-store, online or over the phone.
Clubcard Prices apply to the sell rate on foreign currency notes. The Clubcard Price will be better than the standard rate advertised online. Clubcard data is captured by Travelex on behalf of Tesco Travel Money.
See our privacy policy to find out more.
We won’t charge you a card handling fee, no matter how you buy your travel money - whether it be in-store, online or over the phone.
However, your credit or debit card provider may charge fees for currency transactions - for example, cash advance or other fees. So, if you’re not sure, it’s best to check with them before you buy.
You can cancel a Click+Collect order any time before your collection date. We'll refund the full amount you paid in Pounds Sterling.
However, if you cancel less than 24 hours before your collection date, we'll charge you a £10 late cancellation fee and deduct this from your refund.
We can’t refund any fees charged by your card provider, so please contact them if you have any questions about that.
It couldn’t be simpler. Just pop into one of our in-store Travel Money Bureaux when you get home.
We buy back:
It doesn't matter where you bought your travel money - even if it wasn’t from us - we'll still buy it back.
Please note:
If you find a better exchange rate from another provider, we'll match it at a Travel Money Bureau in-store. As long as it’s:
Price Match only applies in-store on a like-for-like basis on sell transactions. It doesn’t apply to exchange rates advertised online or by phone.
This is not available in conjunction with any other offer. We reserve the right to check the rate you’ve found and the 3-mile distance from our store (using a standard route planning tool).
Tesco Travel Money is provided by Travelex.
Tesco Travel Money ordered in store is provided by Travelex Agency Services Limited. Registered No. 04621879. Tesco Travel Money ordered online or by telephone is provided by Travelex Currency Services Limited. Registered No. 03797356. Registered Office for both companies: Worldwide House, Thorpewood, Peterborough, PE3 6SB.
Multi-currency Cash Passport is issued by PrePay Technologies Limited pursuant to license by Mastercard® International. PrePay Technologies Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (FRN: 900010) for the issuing of electronic money and payment instruments. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.
Tesco Travel Insurance is arranged and administered by Rock Insurance Services Limited and underwritten by AWP P&C S.A.
