10 Essential Travel Tips For Making Any Business Trip Bearable
As a business traveler, you become privy to airports and airplanes, hotels and packing – and all of the inconvenience in between. We get it, we’re business travelers ourselves and are always looking for new ways to make our travels better. We practice these 10 Essential and Practical travel tips every time we travel for business, and they make our trips hassle free and most importantly, bearable.
1. Pack For The Overhead-bin:
Thinking ahead is key when traveling for business. Especially when it comes to your luggage. If you want to avoid spending an extra hour at the luggage claim, I’d suggest packing for the overhead-bin. It’s a pretty straight forward concept, but people still get it wrong. They don’t always factor in a full flight, and limited carry-on space. Which is why taking two equal sized bags (instead of your usual roller bag) can make a world of difference. For example, one bag should be a size that will fit under your seat and the other should be flexible enough so it can fit into any odd space available between roller bags in the overhead bin.
2. Organize
Reducing stress, even a little bit, can make a world of difference when traveling for business. This means, organizing your carry-ons before you leave the house. Everything from your computer to charging cables should have a designated place.
3. Arrange For Things Ahead Of Time
There is nothing worse than getting to your hotel and having to pay thirty dollars a day for WiFi. Luckily, in today’s digital age you can arrange for alternative access ahead of time. Buy an international data plan for your mobile device so that when you get to your destination, you can use it as a hotspot for all of your working needs.
4. Bring Portable USB Chargers
Almost every airport is equipped with charging stations now but you’d be surprised at just how many people overlook using them while they’re waiting for their flight. That’s why bringing a portable USB charger or battery pack is an absolute must. There is nothing worse than getting stuck somewhere without a means of communication, especially when you’re on business. Most international hotels do not come equipped with electrical outlets, so a USB charger that connects to your laptop will suffice.
5. Create an in-flight routine
You won’t believe how many people I see rummaging through their bags before take off, looking for all the things they need for in-flight distraction. Packing a separate bag (one that fits in your carry on) is so much easier! Pull your small bag out of your carry on, and stow your carry on away in the overhead bin. Instead of frantically looking for those glasses, or earphones, you have everything you need in one place.
6. Keep with a Sleeping Pattern
If you’re flying a long overnight flight, it’s important to keep with your regular sleeping pattern. Before boarding perform your usual bedtime rituals like, brushing your teeth, putting on comfortable clothes etc.
7. Eat healthy
One of the downfalls of Travel is not being able to stick to your normal diet. Staying away from heavy foods, and even alcohol can be a huge factor in making your business travel more bearable.
8. Use a car service
Use a professional car service to chauffeur you to and from your hotel, business meetings and everywhere in between. SmartCars services over 500+ cities nationwide, so that you can request a ride from virtually anywhere.
9. Earphones and Headphones
With the increasing popularity of mobile entertainment devices, there is almost always something that you can plug into. Always have a set of earphones or headphones so that you can block out unwanted noise, and focus on entertaining yourself on long flights.
10. Get Carded
Traveling a lot can come with perks, if you know where to find them. Signing up for an airline affinity card can bring many stress-free benefits like priority boarding and free checked luggage. Not to mention, every time you fly, you rack up points towards more air miles (with certain cards).
Traveling for business is not always an easy (or fun) task but, with the help of these 10 Essential and Practical travel tips you can make your journey a little more bearable, and a lot less stressful.
Which Travel tips have you tried? Share with us in the comments below!