Your Pre-Flight Checklist
Before You Go
Here’s everything from this whole section, pulled into one simple list.
Think of this as the overview. A quick way to see the full picture and make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
Handle them in whatever order makes sense, most can be done in an afternoon or two before you fly.
Two things you truly can’t do at the last minute.
Your International Driving Permit must be gotten from AAA before you leave the US.
And your ETIAS travel authorization should be sorted before you fly. Handle these early.
Documents & Paperwork
- Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your trip
- Apply for your codice fiscale (at a consulate before you go, or plan to get it on arrival)
- Sort your ETIAS travel authorization (required for visa-exempt visitors like Americans, Canadians, and Australians)
- Get your International Driving Permit from AAA, if you'll drive
- Make photos and copies of every important document, and email them to yourself
Money
- Get a debit or credit card with no foreign transaction fees
- Set up a travel-money app like Wise or Revolut
- Tell your US bank and card companies you'll be in Italy
- Have a plan for euros (a bank ATM on arrival is usually best)
Your Phone
- Unlock your US phone (a quick call to your carrier)
- Decide what to do with your US line, pause it or park it (call your carrier)
- Install WhatsApp, and have your family and friends install it too
- Plan to pick up an Italian SIM once you arrive (you'll need your codice fiscale)
Health & Coverage
- Buy travel medical insurance for your stay
- Check the coverage amounts, and any visa health requirements
- Pack your prescriptions, with a doctor's note for anything important
- Make sure routine immunizations are up to date
Home & Life Logistics
- Sort your US mail, bills, and anything time-sensitive
- Arrange care for pets, plants, or the house if needed
- Set key bills to autopay so nothing lapses while you're away
- Leave your itinerary and contacts with someone you trust
Now, this is just the example version, so you can see the whole picture.
Your real checklist, the one you can actually check off, add to, and save as you go, lives in your own workspace in this app. It remembers your progress, so you can chip away at it over weeks and always see what’s left.
Open your checklist in Your Path ForwardOne step at a time. You’ve got this.