Your passport is the most important travel document (apart from visas and ticket) for your trip. The crucial thing to keep in mind is to check the validity of your passport. The passport must be valid for atleast six months after your return date. Some countries follow this policy very strictly and would not allow you to enter their land if your passport is not valid for six months after the scheduled date of your departure/leaving from that country. Therefore it is very important to hold a valid passport (in terms of validity) and if the validity of your passport is about to expire, then you should complete all the formalities beforehand.
It is advisable that you must start the procedure of getting your passports renewed or if you have to make a fresh passport altogether atleast 3-5 months in advance to avoid any last minute hassles. This is to ensure that there are no hiccups relating to your journey with the point of view of your passport.
The other important aspect is that your valid passport serves as an identification proof in case you need to prove your identity in a foreign land. It is very important that you must take utmost care of your passport as it is the most important travel document that you are carrying. It is also advisable that one must take multiple copies of their passport.
In addition to this, it is best to verify and cross check the details on the passport with the details mentioned on your ticket. All details such as your first name, middle name and full name must be exactly same as mentioned on the passport. Do remember that in case there is even a slight discrepancy, you might be in trouble. Therefore all steps must be taken in order to avoid such kind of situation.