Got an overseas holiday coming up? Here are 10 tasks to tick off before you go

Brian from Mount Roskill

If you’ve got a walk down an air bridge coming up soon, you’ve probably got a checklist well underway. To make sure you haven’t missed anything, we’ve put together one, too. If you’ve forgotten to do any of these tasks, don’t worry – they’re all things we can help with.
1. Make sure your suitcase is travel worthy
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Don’t hold off getting out your suitcase until a couple of days before you leave. Check the wheels and zip are strong and you still remember the code for the lock. If it’s time to replace your old suitcase, we can help you find a good buy. You’ll find a range, from Kmart and The Warehouse cheapies right up to a pricey Samsonite, in our luggage test results.
2. Check your luggage limits
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This is especially important if you’re flying with multiple airlines. Check the allowed luggage dimensions to make sure you won’t have issues at the airport. Also keep in mind that, just because a bag is sold as a carry-on, it might exceed an airline’s size limits. We’ve noted if each of the small cases meet Air New Zealand and Jetstar criteria in our luggage test results.
3. Get ready to spend
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There are different ways of paying for things while you’re overseas. Our investigative writer Ruairi O’Shea has done the hard yards to assess all the options. His analysis makes it easy to see if you’d be better off with a debit card, credit card, travel card, cash or one of the new apps – Wise and Revolut. He’s even put together a handy summary of what he thinks you should do. You can read all about it in his article Travel money: the best cards to use overseas.
4. Check your travel insurance coverage
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Hopefully you’ve got travel insurance sorted – but have you read the policy yet? It’s a good idea to understand any limits listed in the fine print. That way you can decide if any holiday activities you’re planning are covered and if it’s OK to take certain valuables with you. If you do still need travel insurance, check out our travel insurance buying guide and policy comparison.
5. Keep an eye on things back home
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A security camera that connects to your WiFi network and sends you a notification when it detects motion can give you peace of mind while you’re away. There are 44 cameras, from brands including Ring and Arlo, in our security camera test results.
6. Know how you’ll use your phone
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If you go overseas without a plan for how you’ll keep using your phone, you could find yourself coming home to a big phone bill. You can find out about different roaming packs, local SIM cards and eSIMs and learn what Consumer staff members have done in our article How to keep using your phone overseas.
7. Get clued up on airport security
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Do you know where to pack that power bank or hearing aids charger? If you need to freshen up on the rules around what you can take in your carry-on and check-in, have a peruse of our airport security tips.
8. Consider paying for an extra bag
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If hitting the malls is going to be a big part of your trip, it could work out cheaper to plan ahead and prepay to take an extra bag. We’ve found it can be cheaper than paying the excess baggage fee when you show up to the airport with a heavy suitcase on the way home.
9. Do your duty-free research
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If you know you’ll be tempted by duty-free at the airport, now’s the time to do some research online. You might find the bottles of Pinot or perfume are cheaper back home or in the shops at your destination. We’ve shared our tips for making the most of duty-free shopping.
10. Consider tracking your luggage
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I recently found myself standing in an airport office with a bunch of other travelers whose luggage hadn’t shown up on the conveyer belt. We were all wishing we’d thought ahead and popped a tracker in our bags. At least that would have given us an idea of whether it was worth waiting around for them.
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