Preparing for an international trip is one of my favorite parts of travel.

Long before the plane takes off, there’s a quiet season of anticipation—researching destinations, mapping out experiences, organizing details, and imagining the places you’re about to explore.

Over the years, after visiting 11 countries and 45 U.S. states, I’ve developed a travel planning routine that helps make every trip smoother, more organized, and far less stressful.

If you’re wondering how to prepare for an international trip, these are the exact steps I follow before leaving home.

1. Research Destinations and Hidden Places

Every trip begins with research. Lots and lots of research. Reading travel blogs, scouring Pinterest boards, reading travel books, travel guides, searching on Youtube etc. Making notes, saving and adding details to a Google Doc or notebook (sometimes both) to help keep everything organized and easty to locate the information when needed.

That information is later used to create a temporary/working itinerary that will adjust as plans get finalized, reservations are made and details are ironed out.

I love discovering the history, landscapes, and lesser-known places that make a destination unique. Discovering the hidden gems and unknown, tucked away less crowded spots is always a delight. Instead of only focusing on the most famous attractions, I also look for:

small villages
scenic viewpoints
historic landmarks
local cafés
nature trails

Some of the most memorable travel experiences happen in the unexpected places between major destinations. Many of my favorite locations have been the places we could blend in with the locals, sit and enjoy an unobstructed view, enjoy the quiet, the calm and peaceful surroundings without a huge crowd. These are the types of places I love to include in my itineraries and share with you so you’re able to experience similar moments on your travels.

2. Reserve Popular Attractions in Advance

Many popular European destinations now require timed-entry reservations. If they aren’t booked ahead you may be out of luck! Booking these in advance can save hours of waiting in lines, and ensures you have an entry to the location you really want to see. I’ve been to several very popular tours and seen people turned away at the door because they didn’t have a ticket/hadn’t pre-purchased a timed-entry slot. It’s so sad to see their dissappointment when they realize they won’t be getting in/able to visit that location. *For highly popular locations such as visiting the Roman Colosseum, Sistine Chapel tour, Venetian Doge Palace, Paris Eiffel Tower, Acropolis in Athens, tour of Buckingham Palace or the Tower of London, United States Capitol or White House tour, Classical Concert at Mirabell Palace in Salzburg or the Light of Creation show at Votivkirche in Vienna it is a must to pre-book/reserve your time slots.

Before my trip I review my itinerary and reserve tickets for any high-demand locations so everything runs smoothly once I arrive.

3. Download Offline Maps & Purchase and Esim

Navigation is one of the most important travel tools.

Before leaving home I download offline maps in
Google Maps/Google Earth/Apple Maps so I can still navigate if my phone signal disappears.

This is especially helpful in:

mountain regions
small towns
historic city centers with limited service

4. Plan My Travel Outfits

One of the best ways I avoid overpacking is by planning outfits in advance.

I create a small capsule wardrobe of versatile pieces and try on each outfit combination before the trip. I use the Sudoku method to help me weed out unnecessary items and determine which pieces I really need. This also allows me to see how many outfits I can create with a small selection of items.

Then I photograph the outfits and upload them into Whering, an app so I can easily reference them during the trip.

This system helps me pack lighter while still having outfits ready for different activities.

5. Prepare Travel Essentials

A few days before departure I gather all my essentials including:

Passport & photocopies (*keep one on you seperate from your passport & one copy at home. In case it is lost this makes it easier to get another one)
Chargers & charging cables
Power bank
Travel Adapter
Toiletries
Eye mask
Earplugs
Jet-lag tablets
Vitamins/Medicine
Travel documents
Carry-on essentials
Local currency
Credit Card without international fees
Travel insurance
E-Sim downloaded & ready to use
Snacks for long travel days
Small travel journal & pen
Download entertainment- books, movies/shows, music for travel days

Organizing everything ahead of time helps travel day feel calm and easy. Snag some of my essentials at the link below:

Travel Essentials

6. Prepare for Long Travel Days

European travel often means a lot of walking. Usually lots of stairs and uphill walking is involved.

It’s not unusual to reach 20,000+ steps in a single day while exploring historic cities or mountain villages.

Before my trip I start increasing my daily walking so my feet and legs are ready for long days of exploring. I also bring along a few packages of Dr. Scholl’s ‘Tired, Achy Feet’ foot mask booties for long/strenuous walking days. They’re lightweight to pack but quickly become my feet bff’s after a long day of exploring!

Dr. Scholl’s foot mask

7. Confirm Reservations and Travel Details

The final step in my travel preparation routine is confirming everything:

flights
accommodations
car rentals
tours or reservations

Taking a few minutes to double check these details prevents surprises later. I recommend creating an email folder to store all your confirmation emails, tickets, and reservations for easy access while traveling.

Why Travel Preparation Matters

Travel preparation doesn’t remove the spontaneity of adventure. Instead, it creates a foundation that allows you to travel more freely once you arrive.

When the details are organized ahead of time, it becomes easier to slow down, explore, and fully enjoy each moment. And for me, that’s what travel is really about. Tap the link below to access the full 14 day route for the Fairytale Europe: Germany & Austria Roadtrip.

14 day Roadtrip- Map of the highlights

Find a complete 14 day Fairytale Germany & Austria itinerary/Guide complete with dining recommendations, tours, photo stops and loaded with all the details you need to create your own fairytale escape in the romantic and picturesque villages of Germany and Austria here: https://stampsinmypassport.com/services/ and in the Services tab above. Select a complete guide with maps to every destination including walking tour/walking map as well.

✨ If you enjoyed this post, you might also love:

• How I avoid overpacking with a travel capsule wardrobe
• The travel essentials I never leave home without *Coming soon!

Avoid Overpacking

Travel has a beautiful way of reminding us how wide the world is and how much there is to discover. Until the next adventure, may your travels be filled with wonder and beautiful discoveries.

Warmly,

Krista