Soooo Elantris is by far my least favorite cosmere book. To me it seems like B. Sando Sanderson is still finding his voice and style. I did every other cosmere book and came back to Elantris when I had nothing else, sometime after the release of Words of Radiance.
You don't need to know anything from Elantis for any other book to make sense. There's some behind the scenes stuff in Elantis that is worth knowing for future speculation about where B. Money is going with it all. But it's also stuff that you probably won't understand without a second reading or having read a lot of other cosmere already.
I'd say read everything else you'd like to first and circle back when you are ready. Stormlight archive is my favorite. Aramcum Unbound is also one i keep coming back to - but be very careful of spoilers with that one!
Personally I think Warbreaker is way more essential than Elantris. And I think those are Brando Sando's weakest.
I met a good chunk of Europeans and Aussies while thru hiking on the AT a few years ago.
All of those folks did not have full accommodations booked in advance, that would have been impossible. They seemed to find that pretty normal and were not turned away.