I have road SPDs and I can put them on and take them off with a hex key. I needed a pedal wrench (and a bike shop guy jumping up and down) to take them off the first time because they were so tight, but there's no need to have them fused on the pedals. He taught me to just put them on with the hex key (and grease).

Regarding the helmet it can be nice to buy one on the road, and to keep it as a souvenir. (It's always handy to have a spare helmet anyway.)

Enjoy the trip!