Passports, insurance, medication, booking confirmations... there's an awful lot to think about before you even leave the house.
I've recently been looking into the possibility of a Christmas trip to Disneyland Paris with Chloe - it's been a few years since we were last there.
We're not booked yet, but I've been doing some homework on costs, including travel insurance. And when you're travelling with someone who has fairly complex medical needs, finding suitable cover isn't necessarily straightforward.
I recently renewed my travel insurance through Freedom Travel Insurance and also got a quote for Chloe. They specialise in travel insurance for people with pre-existing medical conditions, and I find them really helpful and easy to deal with.
Of course, travel insurance is only one of the things to think about when planning a trip.
And whether you're heading abroad for Christmas, booking a summer holiday or visiting family for a few days, there's quite a lot to remember before you even start packing.
The paperwork that comes with going away
Passports are probably the obvious starting point. But have you checked when yours expires, and whether it meets the entry requirements for your destination?
Then there's travel insurance. Not just buying a policy, but knowing what it covers, what exclusions apply, and what you need to do if something goes wrong.
If you're travelling with someone who has pre-existing medical conditions, it's particularly important to make sure you've declared the relevant information accurately and understand the cover being offered.
And that's before we get to all the other things that come with a holiday.
Booking confirmations, accommodation details, travel tickets, car hire agreements, airport parking, emergency contact numbers...
Individually, none of these is especially complicated.
But there's a surprising amount of information involved in getting from your front door to your destination.
When you're responsible for someone else's care
For families like mine, there's another layer to travelling.
Alongside the usual holiday arrangements, I need to think about Chloe's medical information, medication, support needs and the details someone might ask for if she needed medical attention while we were away.
It's information I know well because I deal with it regularly.
But knowing something and being able to produce the right details when someone asks are two different things.
And the last place you want to be searching through emails or trying to remember a particular piece of information is when you're in an unfamiliar place, possibly without a reliable internet connection.
That applies to plenty of other situations too.
You might be travelling with an elderly parent, a child with additional needs or someone who takes regular medication.
Or you might simply want to know you've got the information you need if your luggage goes missing, your flight is cancelled or you have to contact your insurer.
What information is worth having with you?
Every trip is different, but there are a few things I'd suggest checking before you leave:
Travel insurance: Your policy, policy number, emergency assistance contact details and relevant cover information.
Passports and identification: Check validity and entry requirements, and keep accessible copies where appropriate.
Medical information: Details of relevant conditions, allergies, regular medication and important medical contacts.
Prescriptions and medication: Make sure you've got enough for your trip, and check whether you need supporting documentation to travel with particular medicines.
Bookings and confirmations: Transport, accommodation, transfers, car hire and anything else you've arranged.
Emergency contacts: People you might need to reach, both at home and while you're away.
Household information: Details for whoever is looking after your home, pets or anything else while you're gone.
There's also the information that doesn't necessarily come in the form of a document.
Where you've left the spare keys. Who's feeding the cat. Which neighbour has agreed to put the bins out. Where the stopcock is if there's a problem at home.
The sort of things that seem obvious when you're standing in your own kitchen, but are rather less obvious when someone phones you from hundreds of miles away.
Keeping everything together, even when you're offline
One of the reasons we built Doqit was because we wanted a better way of keeping track of all the important information we accumulate throughout our lives.
Not just documents, but dates, reminders, notes and all those details we need to be able to find again.
When it comes to travelling, having that information together makes a lot of sense.
You can keep your travel insurance policy, booking confirmations, medical details and other important information in Doqit, rather than having to remember which email account, folder or website contains what.
You can also add notes about things that aren't documents at all, including where something is kept or who to contact.
And there's a particularly useful feature when you're travelling.
You can securely save selected information offline to your device.
So if you're abroad, have no mobile signal or can't get online, you can still access the information you've chosen to make available offline, provided your device is working.
It's worth doing before you leave, rather than finding yourself needing something when you've already lost your internet connection.
A little preparation makes the holiday easier
I'm not suggesting everyone needs an elaborate system for going away for a weekend.
But the more people you're responsible for, and the more complicated the arrangements, the more valuable it becomes to have everything in one place.
And it's not just about what happens if something goes wrong.
It's about being able to enjoy your time away without constantly wondering whether you've forgotten something important.
As for Disneyland Paris, I'm still working through the costs and possibilities ... and the promises! But at least I've made a start on the paperwork.
So if you're planning a trip yourself, perhaps it's worth spending a few minutes checking the information you'll need before you leave.
After all, holidays are supposed to be a break from everyday life.
It would be nice if they could be a break from some of the admin too.
A quick note: I've mentioned Freedom Travel Insurance because I found them helpful when looking into cover for our family. This isn't a paid promotion, and neither I nor Doqit receives any commission.
Published 9th November 2026
About Doqit
Doqit is the system households rely on to make sure nothing gets missed.
Founded by Catherine Ann Reid and built from lived experience, Doqit brings important documents, information, deadlines and reminders together in one secure place.
From travel insurance and medical information to passports, household paperwork and everyday life admin, Doqit gives you one place to keep track of the details that matter, with the option to save selected information offline to your device.
Doqit. Nothing missed. Nothing lost.