• Photo ID for every traveller (original + a photocopy)
• Driving licence
• Vehicle registration papers
• Vehicle insurance — check it is still valid
• Emissions / roadworthiness certificate if your country requires one
• Electronic toll tag topped up
• Booking confirmations, printed and on a phone
• Itinerary with phone numbers, shared with someone at home

• Tyre pressure checked, including the spare
• Engine oil, coolant and screen wash topped up
• Jack, wheel spanner and warning triangle on board
• Jump leads or a jump-start pack
• Phone mount and car charger
• Offline maps downloaded for the whole route

• Some cash — card acceptance thins out on rural routes
• Agree upfront who pays for fuel and tolls
• Note the agreed rate if you have hired a car and driver

• Layers — mornings and nights get far colder than the forecast suggests
• Waterproof jacket
• Warm hat and gloves
• Shoes with real grip for wet stone and gravel
• Sunglasses — glare is stronger at altitude

• Motion sickness tablets — mountain roads are relentlessly winding
• Painkillers for headaches, which altitude makes more likely
• High-SPF sunscreen and lip balm
• Any regular prescriptions, plus a few spare days worth
• Rehydration sachets
• Blister plasters

• Power bank — cold drains phone batteries fast
• Torch or headlamp; power cuts are common
• Cash: card machines often fail on weak mountain signal
• Check whether your route needs a permit

• High-SPF sunscreen and after-sun
• Hat and sunglasses
• Swimwear and a quick-dry towel
• Flip-flops plus shoes you can walk in
• Dry bag for phones and documents
• Insect repellent for the evenings

• Check local flag warnings before swimming
• Agree a meeting point in case someone gets separated
• Waterproof phone pouch

• Passports valid for at least six months beyond your return
• Visas, or confirmation that none is needed
• Travel insurance policy number and emergency line
• Vaccination certificates if required
• Photocopies stored separately from the originals
• Copies saved to cloud storage you can reach from anywhere

• Tell your bank you are travelling so cards are not blocked
• Some local currency for arrival
• A second card kept somewhere separate
• eSIM or roaming plan sorted before departure
• Note the exchange rate so you can sanity-check prices

• Their medicines, with doses written down
• Snacks and water for the journey
• Entertainment for long stretches — downloaded, not streamed
• Spare clothes within easy reach, not buried in a bag
• Car seat or booster if needed
• A recent photo of each child in case you get separated

• Child-dose fever and pain medicine
• Thermometer
• Plasters and antiseptic

• Chargers for every device, plus a travel adapter
• Power bank
• Toiletries and any daily medication
• Reusable water bottle
• Small first-aid kit
• Laundry bag for worn clothes

• Share your itinerary with someone staying behind
• Check in for flights or trains
• Set an out-of-office if you need one
• Arrange pet, plant or post cover
• Bins out, windows shut, water off