There are some of those small things you sometimes need to remember to make your trip hassle-free; be it at the airport security, in the plane or even when you've reached your destination. Here are some of my pre-departure list-of-things-to-do before I leave for my trips.

Hope this helps in one way or another. :)

#1. DO YOUR RESEARCH

Don't be lazy to do research about your destination. There are a lot of things that you need to read about before embarking on your adventures. Since I always travel with my husband (Fizal), its easier to divide tasks because there's just the two of us. To be honest, I am the one that's always deciding on a destination just because I have my 'bucket list' of the places I wish to visit. I mean, come on, the world is such a beautiful place, why not wander? So since I chose the destination (Fizal doesn't really mind, he'll go anywhere I decide on, hehe), I tend to get more excited on doing the research on what's exciting, other attractions around the area, what activities to do, etc. On the other hand, Fizal does the more 'important' stuff like how to get to a certain destination, online purchasing, accommodation and transport bookings etc. 

When doing your research, always refer to a map of your destination. It makes planning so much easier when you get an idea of your journey flow and the budget you need if you're travelling to more than one place, and you need to know the means of transportation getting from one place to another.

Having a little note book or a journal to bring along is a good idea to get organised. List down all the little details like flight itinerary, accommodation address and booking references, train times, etc. This way, if you lose your printed items for any reason, and you don't have access to the internet, you can always use these information in your book.

(Image source: Google images)

#2. ALLOCATE BUDGET

Doing research prior your travel is especially important if you are travelling based on a certain amount of budget. I often set my budget and then look into accommodations, transportation costs, plan for activities, food and extras for souvenirs and emergencies, based on that budget only. Do a little bit of rough calculation just to make sure you don't underestimate or overestimate your budget for your trip. More often than not, we tend to spend a little bit more than what we had allocated, so always have that little bit of 'emergency' money. haha.

I wouldn't suggest you spend a lot on souvenirs as this will not only increase weight in your luggage but will always make you spend more too. I often buy just one or two things that I can put around my desk that'll remind me of the places I've been to. Other than that, the hundreds of photos taken is the living proof. hehe.

#3. ALWAYS READ REVIEWS

#5. SAVE YOUR LUGGAGE SOME SPACE

When packing, space is all we think about. We want to bring so many stuff with us and yet so little space to put them in. So try to travel light, because you'll be carrying your backpack on your back a lot on your trip!

• Always roll your clothes as tight as you can instead of folding them. This will save you a lot of space for more. 
• If travelling to cold countries, avoid bringing lots of jumpers. You'll end up wearing the same jacket anyway so people won't even notice that you're wearing different jumpers. Just bring a lot of inner layers to change into.Wear your heaviest/thickest piece of clothing to avoid filling your bag with these thick items. 
• Do not double pack with your partner (or whoever you're travelling with). For example, If he/she (usually she) is bringing an iron, you don't bring one and bring something else instead that could be of use to the both of you (or all of you). 
• Buy travel-bottle kit at your local store and transfer your bathroom essentials in the small bottles. Avoid bringing your whole big shampoo or shower gel bottle as this will cause your backpack to be very heavy.
• If you travel a lot, its wise to buy basic travel essentials that could save you a lot of space in your bag, such as travel towel (Micro Fibre - dries quickly, very lightweight, small and compact) and a perfume atomiser; it's small (only 5litre), lightweight, easy to use and you can just throw it in your handbag instead of carrying your fancy 100ml perfume bottle everywhere - which obviously contributes to extra weight!

Travalo: 5ml perfume atomiser

#6. GET ORGANISED

Sometimes, things get a little out of hand and we need to use the things in our bags immediately. So packing neatly and knowing where you've put things is a good start. Put small items in a small pouch bags to put in your handbag (e.g. earphone, lipbalm, hand lotion, pins/bobby pins, phone charger, etc.). You know you have to always put liquid items in a resealable grip seal bag as you go through the airport security, always prepare this at home and put these plastic bags on top of your luggage or backpack so that it'd be easier for you to pull out and put them on the trays at the airport. The same goes to electronic devices, make sure they are easy to grab to be put out for security checks.

#7. PREVENT PICK POCKETS

You don't really want to have to travel and be wary all the time about the many pick-pocket/thief stories you hear about people travelling. Though its true that in many tourist attractions or cities, there are those that try to take advantage of foreign visitors but its not impossible to try and prevent them from happening. Apart from being careful and always have your belongings in possession, you can buy a body wallet or a money belt that you can wear underneath your clothes to hide your cash, cards and passports. If you're bringing lots of cash, make sure to segregate your cash in a few different places (e.g. wallet, bags, left pocket, right pocket). This is so that if you get pick-pocketed, you won't suffer from losing all the cash that you have.

#8. PREPARE ALL ESSENTIAL DOCUMENTS

   I don't need to further explain this. Online check-in, print boarding passes, all transportation and hotel booking confirmations and passports.

#9. PRINT YOUR DESTINATION'S (CITY) MAP

Bare in mind, most of the time, we don't have internet data in foreign countries (unless you buy a local SIM Card) and we have to navigate around to find places or most importantly to get to the hotel on the day of arrival. So have a map prepared and learn your way to get to your hotel before you get access to the internet. Although most airports do have internet nowadays, but its always a bonus to be well prepared.

... apart from those, YOU'RE GOOD TO GO!