2027 eclipse travel checklist

6–12 months before

• Choose your target region and at least one alternative region.
• Book accommodation with flexibility where possible.
• Check passport validity, entry requirements and current government travel advice.
• Decide whether you need a rental car or another independent mobility option.

1–3 months before

• Buy compliant eclipse glasses from a reputable source.
• Prepare any camera/telescope solar filters and test them before travel.
• Save offline maps and multiple candidate viewing zones.
• Confirm fuel/charging, road access, parking and heat-management needs.

7–14 days before

• Begin comparing forecast patterns across Plan A, B and C.
• Check local event restrictions, temporary road closures and access rules.
• Do not cancel flexibility too early based on one forecast run.

24–72 hours before

• Choose the most promising reachable area, not the prettiest tourist location.
• Confirm that your exact coordinates remain inside totality.
• Download screenshots/maps in case mobile networks become congested.

Eclipse morning

• Leave earlier than a normal journey would require.
• Carry water, shade, charged batteries and offline navigation.
• Keep solar viewers on through all partial phases; ordinary sunglasses are not safe solar filters.
• Be ready to abandon a marginal site for the safer, clearer backup.