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“Do you have any helpful info to help the ADD person plan and PACK for a trip? It’s hellish for me.”
Actually, I do!!
Many ADHDers have a love/hate relationship with travel and the holidays. Some love the adventure and novelty; others hate the disruption to their daily routine.
Even ADHDers who love going on trips can find the planning and preparation involved challenging. In order to have an enjoyable, stress free trip with minimal unexpected surprises, some planning and attention to details are helpful. Since both of those can be tricky when you are living with ADHD, I created a list to help you!
Use it to help you feel organized and ahead of the game. You can add or delete items to personalize the list for your needs.
When Your Trip Is Booked
1. Check Your Passport
Double check that your passport is valid and that it will be valid for at least another 6 months from the date you travel. Each country has slightly different rules, some ask for longer, so if in doubt do a quick Google search for your travel destination’s criteria.
2. Book Travel Insurance
Booking insurance doesn’t have an immediate reward or consequence, which is why it is a task that is easy to put off or never do when you have ADHD. When you are planning a trip, a goal is to have a safety net in place. Then, if unexpected events happen, it won’t become a crisis.
3. Book Health Insurance
Ditto for the Insurance
4. Pet Sitter
Make arrangements for your pets to be looked after while you are gone. Check with your sitter /neighbour/ kennels to make sure that they will be available when you are gone.
1 Month Before You Leave:
5. Home Deliveries
Cancel anything that is delivered to your home ( e.g. milk, newspaper) for the dates you will be gone.
6. Services
Cancel services you won’t need while you are away, such as a cleaning service.
Cancelling services 1 whole month before you leave might feel ‘too soon’. Pacing yourself like this means you don’t have lots of tasks in the last week. Plus service providers are happy as it allows them to adjust their schedules.
7. Your Bank
Telephone your bank and credit card company to let them know about your travel dates and destination. This will avoid your accounts being locked by unusual spending habits. Banks want to protect you against card theft. However, it is a hassle to have to resolve while you are away.
On the subject of money, getting local currency at the airport cash machine is usually the most economical. Also, it is one less thing to organize before you go.
8. Cell Phone
Call your cell phone company to find out what packages they offer for travel. This allows you to use your phone without the fear of getting any nasty surprises when the bill arrives.
9. Create A Master List
Start creating a master list of everything you need to take with you. Include items like clothes, shoes, toiletries, gifts etc.
10. Go Shopping
Using your master list as guide, go shopping and pick up any items you need but don’t currently own.
11. Create a Holiday Area
Reserve a shelf or a drawer to put all your new things. They will be easy to find when it’s time to pack.
7 Days Before You Go:
12. Trip to the pharmacy
Go to the pharmacy, and refill your prescriptions, including ADHD meds.
13. Printing
Print out all of your travel information, such as flight details, hotel reservations, train tickets, car hire information, etc. Include your reservations, confirmation numbers and contact telephone numbers. You can use your cell phone as a backup; however, when you have ADHD, the paper documents act as visual reminders and help keep you organized.
Put the printouts into a plastic sleeve. This keeps them safe and makes finding them easy. Keep the plastic sleeve in your carry-on luggage.
14. Pet Supplies
Stock up on pet food, cat litter or anything else your pet sitter will need.
15. Laundry
Wash all the clothes you are taking with you.
2 Days Before You Go
16. Start to Pack
Packing now will avoid frantic last minute packing. As you pop things into your suitcase, cross them off your master list so you don’t forget what is in your suitcase.
Night Before:
17. Empty Your Refrigerator
To avoid nasty smells when you get back, throw out anything with a short shelf life…milk, leftovers, vegetables etc.
18. Empty Garbage Cans
Ditto for the smells.
Before You Leave:
19. Kitchen Sink
Hand wash anything in the sink, like breakfast dishes, etc.
20. Turn Everything Off
Turn off computers, TV, radios and other electrical gadgets.
21. Lock Your Door
As you are leaving your home, be mindful as you are locking your front door. This mindfulness will help you to remember that your door is safely locked, which in turn will help prevent worrying thoughts about whether or not you locked the door throughout the trip.
When You Arrive at Your Destination:
22. Find a Safe Place
While you are away your house keys lose their significance, and they can get misplaced. Find a safe place for them (a zipped pocket etc) so you will know where they are when you get home.
Back Home:
23. Unpack Your Suitcase
Here is a super painless way to do it! Unpack your suitcase.
24. Next Time!
Write a note to yourself about anything you would do differently or that you want to remember for the next time you travel.
This will make planning and organizing your next trip even easier.
Bon voyage!!
What do you do to prepare for a trip? Leave a note in the comments below!
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Great list. Helpful for everyone!
I keep a running checklist which I use every year. If I think of something else, I add it. Every few years, I neaten up my list to make it more readable and organized.
That is such a great idea Janice!
Something I do, is to keep my list as a google doc, then I print it out before a trip and cross things off as I go. I like having the typed list because it looks neater than my hand writing!
This really made me smile, i do all this but what i also do is have alist of things i want to pack or shop for thats standard so all i do is add to the list and keep it on my notes on phone all year round. I also have a holiday email file so all emails are moved to the folder so i wont loose them and can also refer back to. i do the same for christmas presents and cards also.
What great ideas Alison!! so organized!
Great list, just wanted to add it’s worth checking if your medications are legal in the country you’re visiting. Most of the time it’s worthwhile to have a letter from your doctor to confirm they are.
Excellent point Catherine! Thank you for sharing it.
What a very thorough list! I really like the Create a Holiday Area. When adding notes afterwards, I mention what I wore between the in-laws and my family’s house so I won’t wear it again the following year (I tend to pick out the same favorites). details, details, details….
Wonderful idea Kathy!!! You could also take a photo (a mirror selfie) and check your photos on your phone to see what you wore when.
I learned a cool trick recently. Take a picture of your stove knobs before you leave. That way when you start to second guess whether you turned them all off or not, you can just look at the picture for proof instead of worrying yourself sick over it!
Hi Amanda! that is a REALLY cool trick!! What a brilliant idea! thanks for letting us know about it!
This is an awesome list. I once had to replace a passport 48 hours before a trip. Cost me a $$$$!
YAY!! So happy you like the list Michelle!! Thanks for sharing about your passport. Travel mistakes can be so costly and upsetting. Everyone feels it is only them that make this type of mistakes, that just isn’t true!!