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27 Business Travel Tips to Streamline Your Journey

Business travel is essential for many companies. In a survey by Deloitte , 53% of US companies said they expect their travel spend to exceed three-quarters of 2019 levels by the end of 2023, and these numbers are only getting better. 71% of US companies expect a full recovery in travel spend by the end of 2024.

In another study by Morgan Stanley Research , corporate travel budgets showed dramatic improvement, with 2023 budgets reaching 98% of 2019 levels, on average.

Need some business travel tips to help you navigate corporate travel? You’re in the right place!

27 Best Business Travel Tips

Whether you’re new to business travel or it’s been a while since you’ve traveled for work, you’re likely asking yourself, “What are the most important things to consider when planning a business trip?”

When traveling for business, you’ll need to consider things like the weather at your destination, accommodations, how to save money during your trip, how you can balance your daily work with your travel schedule, and so much more.

We’ve put together 27 tips for business travelers to help you on your journey, including some tips specific to international travel.

Whether you have a corporate travel management team to help streamline the process and venue sourcing on your behalf or you’re working alone on your travel plans, these business travel tips are for you!

1. Know Your Corporate Travel Policies

Every company has its policies, and you should know yours. This can include daily expense limits, means of travel allowed, expected etiquette and dress code, and more.

2. Familiarize Yourself with Your Destination

Whether you’re traveling domestically or abroad, you’ll want to know what to expect when you get there. Research things like expected weather, public transportation cost and availability, bliesure opportunities, and most importantly, cultural differences and customs.

3. Plan Your Essential Itinerary First

To avoid overbooking yourself, plan out your itinerary with essential meetings and activities first, then add in opportunities for fun activities and sightseeing. Everyone wants to enjoy their work trips, but if you plan too much for yourself, your work, sleep, and health can all suffer.

4. Budget for Unexpected Delays

When booking flights, rental cars, and appointments, make sure you budget for delays. If you plan a meeting too close to your arrival time and your flight is delayed, your entire schedule could be affected.

5. Explore Travel Membership Programs

Want a bit more bang for your buck? Find out whether your company already participates in airline rewards or hotel rewards programs. If not, sign up for them yourself! The more points you rack up, the more perks you get while traveling.

6. Choose Your Hotel Accommodations Wisely

When searching for hotel accommodations, you’re looking for more than the right price. In addition to pricing and member rewards, consider:

• Types of hotels
• Types of hotel rooms  
• Hotel room amenities
• Whether you’ll stay in a sustainable hotel
• Best hotel for business travelers
• Whether you can stay at an all-inclusive resort

7. Consider Travel at Your Destination

When you touch down, how will you be getting around? Rental car? Public transport? Rideshare apps? If you’re planning on a rental car, be sure you book early to lock in better prices and ensure there are cars available for your selected dates.

8. Ensure Your Travel Documents Are in Order

If you’re traveling domestically in the US, ensure you have an unexpired ID with you, including either a license or passport. For now, any state license will suffice, but by May 7, 2025, all domestic travelers will require a REAL ID to travel.

*Note: The deadline for obtaining a REAL ID was previously 2023, but that deadline has been pushed back. Still, if you need to renew your license any time soon, it’s a good idea to switch to a REAL ID so you’re prepared for the change.

9. Print Files in Advance

If you have presentation files, meeting files, or other documents you’ll need printed, don’t assume you’ll have access to a printer when you get to your destination – print it in advance.

10. Back Up Your Technology and Documents

Losing a phone, laptop, credit card, or ID can make things exceptionally difficult. Make photocopies of your IDs and bank cards, and back up your technology using the cloud or an external hard drive.

11. Charge Your Devices

An obvious yet forgettable one – make sure your tech is charged before your trip!

12. Download Useful Apps

Your phone can be your best friend when traveling. Before you leave, download your event app , local maps in case of poor service, translation apps, and travel apps like Uber and Lyft.

13. Pack Light – Don’t Check a Bag

For your own sake, only bring the essentials in your carry-on and personal item. Skip the extra pair of shoes (and the long checked baggage line), and consider what you really need for your trip.

Check out the packing list at the end of this post to help!

14. Check In at Home

If you’re not checking a bag, there’s no reason to wait in line at the airport to check in. You can do it all online, including choosing your seat and downloading a digital boarding pass to your phone.

15. Confirm Your Reservations

To ensure you’re all set for your trip and have no surprises waiting for you, confirm everything in advance. We’re talking flight status, transportation to the airport, hotel reservation, rental car, meetings, etc.

16. Pack with Airport Security in Mind

Travel safety and TSA are no joke. Even if you skip the check-in lines, security can take forever – especially if you’re unprepared. Here are a few airport security tips for business travelers:

• Budget about 45 minutes to get through security.
• Check the size of your liquids! Any liquids you pack in your carry-on or personal item must be 3.4 ounces or less and fit into one clear, quart-sized bag.
• Organize your bags so everything you need to remove for security is in the same place. Be sure you only have to open one bag and that you can easily remove what you need to and get it back in your bag once you’re through security.
• Read the signs! Depending on the airport and security line, you may not need to remove your shoes or anything from your bags. In others, you’ll need to remove everything – shoes, belts, tech, food, liquids, etc. Know what’s expected so you can move through the line quickly.

17. Follow Business Travel Etiquette

Beginning with your travel attire, you’ll want to be sure you’re following business travel etiquette. You reflect your company, so if you should be dressed up – especially if you’re flying business class – make sure you are, and follow all corporate travel policies.

18. Prioritize Expense Management

Whether you’re swiping your own credit card or a corporate card, make sure every expense is documented. Expense management is critical at every stage, from booking flights and rental cars to paying for meals during your stay.

Track your expenses and save all your receipts so you can account for all expenses and the reason for each purchase. Consider taking pictures of all receipts or uploading them to a third-party app so you don’t have to worry about losing them and missing out on being reimbursed.

19. Focus on Boosting Your Productivity

Maximizing productivity during travel should be a huge priority for corporate travelers. To boost your productivity, try these time management strategies for business trips:

• Use your hotel business center to improve focus.
• Book meetings in advance so you can plan your working time around them.
• Schedule breaks in your itinerary to avoid burnout.
• If you have time to work while traveling, do it – you never know when your on-site activities will get in the way of work.
• Stay connected with your team – the more you keep in touch, the more accountable you’ll be.
• Identify quiet areas on site where you can work during your downtime without having to return to your hotel or room.

20. Plan Networking Opportunities in Advance

Networking can take up a big chunk of time, whether it’s a networking meet and greet or a one-on-one meeting. Plan these networking opportunities in advance so they’re built into your schedule and you can plan around them.

21. Try Stress Reduction Techniques

Stress takes many forms, but especially for business travelers, there’s a lot to stress over. To make things easier on yourself, try these stress reduction techniques:

• Plan ahead – the more details you’ve planned in advance, the less you’ll have to worry about while you travel.
• Practice meditation and deep breathing to keep calm during stressful situations.
• Stay hydrated! Dehydration can lead to fatigue and stress – not to mention headaches and illness – so keep the water flowing.
• Stretch, exercise, and get your blood pumping. Exercise is a great stress reliever!
• Sleep, and take breaks. Your body and mind will thank you.

22. Leave Room for Swag!

If you’re attending an event where you can expect to pick up some swag, or you plan to do a little shopping in your downtime, make sure you have room in your luggage to take it all back with you!

Additional Tips for International Business Travel

Traveling to a foreign country? Here are a few tips specific to international business travel.

23. Research International Travel Requirements

When traveling abroad, make sure you know the requirements for entry and visiting. Research visas, laws and regulations, valid identification, and requirements for renting a vehicle (some countries require international driving permits ).

24. Learn Some Key Phrases

If you’re traveling to a country where English is not the primary language, make sure you have a few basic phrases down so you can make your way around.

• Hello / Goodbye
• Do you speak English?
• Please / Thank you
• Where is the bathroom / train station / airport?
• Where is “name of your venue?”
• Can I have the check, please?

25. Ensure You Have Phone and Internet Access

Need phone and internet access abroad? If this isn’t supplied by your company, you’ll need to research your own phone/internet plan to make sure you have service while traveling.

26. Study the Cultural Customs

Don’t be a fish out of water. Before you pack for your trip, research acceptable attire, cultural activities and events happening during your stay, customs to participate in, polite behaviors, greetings, hand gestures to avoid, and more.

27. Bring a Credit Card with No International Fees

Converting currency or withdrawing funds at the airport aren’t always the cheapest options. To avoid fees and the hassle of withdrawing cash (if you’re in an area where cash isn’t preferred), consider getting a credit card with no international transaction fees.

Essential Items to Pack for Business Travel

What are the essential items every business traveler should pack? That can depend on the nature of your business, where you’re headed, how long you’re staying, and many other factors.

That said, there are a few packing essentials for business trips that just about everyone needs when traveling for work. Here’s a general packing list to help you get started:

The real challenge of packing the right clothing for your business trip isn’t in choosing what you’ll wear – it’s in making sure you’re not under or overpacking. Here’s what you should consider when packing your business clothing:

• Pack items that are versatile: Bring clothing you can wear both during the day and in the evening for more formal dinners and events. That way, you’re only wearing one outfit per day.
• Bring more tops than bottoms: Pants and skirts can easily be worn more than once, but you’ll need a clean shirt or dress for every day of your trip. Try to mix and match multiple tops with one pair of bottoms to help save space in your suitcase.
• Be prepared to dress up: If there’s a fancy banquet or networking event on the agenda, make sure you have something dressier to wear for this event. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need an entirely different outfit – it could mean bringing jewelry or a dinner jacket to spiff up your daywear.
• Pack 1-2 pairs of shoes: Weather permitting, you only need one comfortable pair of dress shoes and one pair of casual shoes for your downtime. Of course, if you’re traveling somewhere with rain or snow, you’ll need weatherproof shoes. Perhaps those could double as your casual pair!
• Don’t forget the basics: Pack one pair of socks and underwear for each day of your trip, and don’t forget pajamas!
• Company clothing: If you have company swag or a uniform you’re meant to be showing off during your trip, make sure it’s in the bag!
• Specialty clothing items: Consider whether you’ll need workout clothing, swimwear, a special outfit for an event, etc. Check out your itinerary and see what kind of downtime you’ll have and whether any events or activities you’ll be attending require specific attire.

*Hot Packing Tip: If you haven’t heard, rolling your clothes is all the rage – and for good reason! Fold your clothes along the seams, then roll them. This will save you space in your suitcase and cut down on iron/steaming time once you get to your destination.

Business Essentials

• Laptop or tablet and charger
• Phones and chargers (including personal and business)
• Headphones or earbuds
• Adapters/converters (for international travel)
• Notepad and pen (even in the digital age, these still come in handy!)
• Business cards (or have your digital business card link ready to share)
• Printed business files (see tip #9)
• Comfortable business bag (laptop bag, purse)
• Passport or ID for legal travel to/from your destination
• Copy of itinerary , including car rental and hotel reservation details , in case your technology is lost or loses battery
• Boarding pass (this can be digital)
• Photocopies of critical documents and resources (see tip #10)

Personal Items

• Purse and/or wallet (limit yourself to one functional purse)
• Glasses/contacts
• Refillable water bottle
• Jewelry and watch
• All-weather items (hat, sunglasses, umbrella, waterproof shoes)
• Entertainment (download podcasts, books, TV shows, and movies to your devices so you can enjoy them when you don’t have internet access)
• Sleep essentials (ear plugs, eye mask, neck pillow)

Personal Hygiene Items

• Toothbrush and paste
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Brush or comb
• Lotion, skincare products, and sunscreen
• Makeup and styling products
• Hand steamer
• Essential medications
• Emergency kit (include band-aids, pain relievers, cold and sinus medication, etc.)

*Note: While you might find some of these items at your hotel, they aren’t guaranteed. Check with your hotel before packing to see which of these items you should bring yourself.

Need a bit more help planning your trip? Check out more great business travel tips here !

Hope Salvatori

Hope is a Senior Content Marketing Associate who has been with Cvent for more than two years. She has 8 years of experience producing content for corporations, small businesses, associations, nonprofits, and universities. As a content professional, she has created content for a wide range of industries, including meetings and events, government and defense, education, health, and more.

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40+ Expert Business Travel Tips for a Smooth Business Trip

This article was originally published on our site Nomad Paradise. As part of a rebrand, we are publishing all our travel packing and tips content in one place for you to enjoy - The Travel Method. For world cuisine and recipes, you can keep visiting Nomad Paradise.

Business travel is a necessity. Whether you’re an intern or a CEO, the world of work is global. But where those traveling for leisure can afford the luxury of slipping into bed after a long flight, business travelers simply cannot. Important meetings will not be rescheduled because you made it in at 2 a.m. Conferences still expect you to speak, no matter how tired you are.

But in today’s age, business travel does not have to derail you. As travel has evolved, so have our methods of dealing with it. With the input of seventeen professionals who frequently travel for work, we’ve compiled a must-read list of over forty essential tips to help make your next work trip run smoothly.

Booking Tips

1. Dress for upgrades.  

Katherine Rothman, CEO of  KMR Communications , says it’s much easier to get upgrades when you board a plane or arrive at a hotel if you’re dressed smartly and look the part.

2. Always make sure you have an assigned seat. 

Katherine also says it is much harder for an airline to ‘bump’ you with an assigned seat, which could potentially be disastrous for your business trip.

3. Scan your accommodation’s Twitter posts. 

Nick Gray, founder of  Museum Hack , says it’s wise to scan your hotel’s Twitter posts before arriving. Many hotels run social media promotions that allow you to feel like a VIP without spending like one.

For example, sometimes, Kimpton Hotels post a social password on their Twitter account. When you say the social password at check-in, you’ll get a surprise, which could include a free bottle of wine, parking, a coffee mug, drinks at the bar, a room upgrade, dining vouchers, a hot chocolate kit, or an in-room movie.

4. Book your flight in incognito mode on your browser. 

Founder of  Talk Travel , Saurabh Jindal, always books flights through a new incognito window. Incognito mode does not store cookies (served by the website) on your system. Thus, it cannot track you.

Therefore, the website you are booking through cannot raise the price, which could be triggered when a user searches for the same thing more than once.

5. Check fares with Skiplagged.  

David Pike, founder of the  New York Trolley Company and advisor for startups at Founder Institute, always checks the Skiplagged app before booking. It shows you hidden fares to cities by missing the second leg of a flight.

For example, if you want to fly from New York to Nashville, Skipplagged might find a cheaper flight from New York to Chicago with a layover in Nashville. You wouldn’t board the second flight, hence saving money. You won’t, however, be able to check a bag.

Packing Tips

6. Pack as light as possible. 

Everything In Its Place  founder Eileen Roth packs skirts and dresses, as they are thinner than slacks. Blouses are also a good choice, as they are thinner than sweaters. Less weight means you can pack more.

If it’s cooler in conference rooms, add a sweater and suit jacket in a basic black to top off the outfit and change that every other day.

7. Wear the only pairs of shoes you bring. 

Frequent traveler Carmella says if you do, your shoes should be waterproof, airport-sensible, and business-appropriate everywhere from Canada down to Texas. Short black leather boots with the lowest heel are a sensible choice.

8. Even with TSA precheck, liquids are a gamble.  

Between reusable water bottles, mouth rinse bites, and solid shampoo bars, there is no need to carry liquids. Pare down the toiletries and replace them with dry products.

9. Leave your designer luggage at home.  

If you are traveling abroad, as much as you might treasure your designer luggage, leave it at home, says Katherine Rothman. Why advertise to thieves that you have money or make yourself more noticeable? This is not a time you want to stand out.

10. Keep a pre-packed travel bag at home. 

Emily Mandagie, photographer and one half of travel blog  The Mandagies , has a dedicated business travel bag on hand, pre-packed with travel essentials before any trip. Although you’ll need to pack certain things on-demand, like clothes and shoes, some items like toiletries, cosmetics, and other travel products will generally stay the same. This way, you can unpack quickly after a trip and repack, knowing you have exactly what you need for the next trip cycle.

These pre-packed items include a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, lotion, and even a small container of shampoo and conditioner. When it comes to tech, Emily will also stow away a phone charger, extra batteries, and headphones.

Time-Saving Tips

11. Book non-stop flights.

Katherine Rothman recommends that you try booking non-stop flights whenever possible, even if it costs more.

If you are on a business trip where you may be meeting with prospective clients or partners, saving yourself the stress of potentially missing your layover if the flight is delayed pays off in the long run.

12. Sign up for TSA pre-check .

If you’re a United cardmember, you can have global reentry and TSA precheck reimbursed, Carmella says. Skip lines and rack up miles!

13. Utilize ‘priority luggage.’ 

This means your luggage will be the first to come off the plane. When you check your bags outside, you can usually tip $5.00 and say, “will you ticket me for priority baggage” and 99% of the time it works – people just don’t know it can be done. Katherine Rothman has used this time-saving technique many times.

14. Save all appointments (including addresses, names, and phone numbers) on your agenda. 

Local Insiders  founder, Silke Wolf, says this will save you time and make your trip so much more worry-free. The same applies to the information you need to prepare for your appointments.

To travel light and paper-free, save all documents to a specific folder on your Google Drive. (Don’t forget to make it available offline). This way, you’ll stay organized, and you can access all the information you need on the go.

Pre-Flight Tips

15. Before leaving, download important maps offline. 

Make sure directions, itineraries, and maps are downloaded to your phone offline, along with some music and podcasts for potentially bad service areas and the plane ride.

16. Take photos of receipts with an app. 

Alternatively, save the photos of receipts to Google Drive. Being prepared pays off when you least expect, as you never know when you’ll need to show proof of purchase.

17. Keep a Xerox copy of your passport.  

Katherine recommends keeping a copy of your passport in a separate place from your actual passport. If you lose your passport, this makes things much easier.

18. Never board a plane without two bottles of water and snacks.

Katherine also recommends buying two bottles of water and snacks before boarding the plane. You never know when your plane can be held on the ground for hours or diverted to another airport, and the airline crew may run out of food and drinks or not be allowed to serve.

19. Get organized with a list. 

Monica Kang, founder of  Innovators Box,  says that when you travel for work, you have to think about your dress code, what you bring, and, in her case, also a lot of materials she uses for workshops. It’s not fun when you bring the wrong outfit or not enough materials.

Monica recommends piling a list of things you want to bring in a room at home over a few days. That way, when you pack things last minute, you already have the core things you need to take with you readily available and won’t have a chance of forgetting them.

20. Don’t plan too much.

Silke points out that planning too many activities is one of the biggest mistakes business travelers make. Always consider travel times. And add some extra time in between meetings to accommodate factors beyond your control (traffic jams, late arrivals, etc.).

This will make your business travels so much more relaxed as you won’t have to rush around to be on time. This will give you peace of mind.

Essential Gear

21. Buy a lightweight suitcase.

Carmella says to find a lightweight, durable suitcase. Keep it extra small to fit in an overhead compartment on the express planes. If you have to check luggage, you can’t change flights to get home faster or to avoid bad weather.

Many flight attendants seem to use TravelPro, but there are also other quality brands on the market.

22. Use a 4-wheel carry-on case.

Management consultant Layton Cox says he lives and dies with three travel bags. The first is a simple four-wheel hard-case carry-on. In a perfect world, don’t get black. Everyone has black.

It also doesn’t have to be a huge brand name. Ninety percent of your clients will never see your luggage. He also suggests you find a bag with cloth or leather around the zippers, as the plastic and rubber tend to break after a while.

23. Use a briefcase with a slide.

Layton says the second bag every business traveler needs is a simple briefcase that fits over the handles of your carry-on. If you get a normal briefcase that does not fit over the handles of your carry-on, it becomes nearly impossible to operate your cell phone as you walk through the airport since both your hands are busy.

Make sure it has a laptop pocket. Your client will see this briefcase, so get black or brown leather. Nothing else.

24. Buy an anti-theft backpack.

If you’re worried about expensive and essential items being stolen, such as your trusted laptop, an anti-theft backpack is definitely worth looking into.

25. Travel with an electronics holder.

Layton’s third and final bag he always travels with is a simple electronics holder. It can be a packing cube filled with electronics and cords or a simple wallet-esque item that can hold a cellphone charger, headphones, and various other cords.

By having just one item with all of your electronics in it, you don’t have to worry if you packed your charger or that HDMI converter, as it’s always in the bag.

26. Use a rolling computer bag.

Eileen suggests that if you carry a laptop, you should use a rolling computer bag to carry papers, files, conference info/workbook, a pad of paper, and even snacks.

You probably will have extra room to add your makeup, hairbrush, and maybe a third pair of shoes or an extra purse.

27. Pack a travel adapter.

Victoria Thompson, Social Media Manager at Haystack Digital, says to always plan ahead and have a spare adaptor depending on which country you are visiting.

This will save you time and money in the long run, as adaptors at the airport always cost a fortune.

28. Bring a travel pillow.

Victoria also says packing items that are going to help you sleep is a must. Invest in a travel pillow that will help you sleep either in the hotel or on the airplane.

29. Use packing envelopes.

Nifty garment folders can help keep blouses, shirts, skirts, and slacks more wrinkle-free than trying to roll things or pack them in packing bags. Instead, use packing bags only for underwear and sleepwear.

30. Travel with a micro-router.

Team Building CEO, Michael Alexis, says the most useful item he travels with is a micro-router. You can connect a router to a wifi connection, for example, at a hotel or on a flight or cruise, and then connect all of your other devices to the router.

This setup has two major benefits. First, in cases where you pay for a connection, you only need one connection to service several devices. Secondly, you save time. Once set up, your devices connect to the router automatically, so you are entering login information only once.

Programs & Loyalty Schemes

31. Get a Rewards Credit Card.

Nicole Sutherland, travel photographer and writer at  Eat Live Travel Drink,  recommends the American Express Platinum. This gives her access to a bevy of perks that include airport lounges around the world, including their own private Centurion ones, Priority Pass, and Delta lounges.

32. Companion Pass Hack on Southwest Airlines. 

Nicole also recommends applying for both the Southwest Airlines personal and business cards if you run a small business. Each card gives you bonus miles when you spend a certain amount of money.

And, if you earn a certain number of miles in a year, you earn the companion pass, allowing a companion to fly free with you every time.

33. Get TSA Pre-Check, Clear, and Global Entry. 

Dave Pike says TSA Pre-Check, Clear, and Global Entry can save you hours every time you fly. The $85-$110 investment is well worth it and is deductible if your employer requires it.

34. Score free upgrades using airline loyalty programs. 

Torben Lonne, diving enthusiast and founder of  Dive In,  says one of his favorite travel hacks is getting a free upgrade to business class. Your chances are lower than scoring a last-minute seat change in the same class, but it’s still possible.

If you have air miles or loyalty points with your preferred airline, this increases your chances of getting upgraded to business class in the event of an overbooking. The passenger with the highest loyalty points gets automatically upgraded when this happens.

If there are more overbookings on the same flight, they will choose the passenger with the second most loyalty points and move down the list accordingly.

35. Get a co-working space membership.  

Upflex  CEO and co-founder, Christophe Garnier, says the last thing you want to think about is being confined to a coffee shop or hotel room for work.

When it comes to business travel hacks, the ability to easily find and book a good co-working space is paramount. It will help you save time and money while making local connections and making you more productive.

This is why co-working booking platforms are becoming business travelers’ new best friend – they aggregate available workspaces from around the world and let professionals book them on an as-needed basis.

In-Flight and Transport Tips

36. Make your final seat selection at the last moment.  

Torben recommends waiting until the last moment before making your final seat selection. You can do this through your smartphone via the web or the airline’s app and guarantee a window seat with a little patience.

Every flight has cancellations and last-minute seat changes, so all you need to do is wait until 30 minutes before boarding to book your final seat.

This is perfect when you’re stuck with a bad seat from when you booked the flight initially as a zero-cost ‘upgrade.’

37. Book your parking beforehand.

Head of Digital Marketing at YourParkingSpace , Gregory Golinski, says one of the worst challenges faced by business travelers is finding a parking space. You don’t want to be late for a meeting with a client because you’ve been circling around for an hour looking for a parking space.

He suggests pre-booking a parking space via online parking marketplaces such as Spothero in the US, YourParkingSpace in the UK, or Parkhound in Australia.

These platforms can help you book a private driveway or garage in advance so that you don’t have to look for a parking space for hours and can be on time. This can help you save time, money, and your sanity while on a business trip.

Safety Tips

38. If you are a woman traveling alone, ask for a room closer to the elevator in your hotel.

A safety tip for solo female travelers from Katherine is that you book a hotel room closer to the elevator. This way, you are not walking through long hallway mazes at night.

39. Make sure you get enough sleep and downtime.

Monica is extra mindful of where she spends her time, how much she sleeps, and what she eats. If she’s booking her time to meet other people and socialize, she will be too tired to deliver her work.

She also recommends downloading a few shows to binge-watch to decompress and rest. At the end of the day, if you show up feeling tired to do your work, why would they want to invite you back?

40. Be careful with the hotel wifi.

Ben Sadeghipour of Hackerone says it’s so easy to make fake wifi networks to track everything you’re doing online. At a hotel, you might see “Hotel Wifi” and “Hotel Free Wifi” and not know which one to pick.

Pick wrong, and a criminal will be able to track when you’re on their network or out of your hotel room. Also, never trust something that requires software to be installed. This is a sure sign of malicious activity.

41. Don’t post your boarding pass on social media.

Even if you cross out the numbers, you’re still at risk. There’s information hidden in QR codes that can be used to steal your personal data.

42. Be wary of public charging stations.

Public charging stations are a godsend when you are constantly on the go or your flight is canceled. However, anyone can steal information from your phone via USB. Always make sure you bring your own charger to plug into outlets or use a USB data blocker.

Essential Business Travel Tips Summary

No matter how important or time-sensitive your business trip may be, don’t let the stresses and strains of travel get in the way of your success. Use these expert tips from successful business travelers to plan a trip that runs smoothly, allowing you to deliver your world-class presentation or land that lucrative client.

We’d love to continue adding to this list. If you have a little-known expert tip, feel free to reach out to us and share your words of wisdom.

You Might Also Like to Read

• My Favorite Packing Tips and Hacks

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Author: Dale

Dale Johnson is a content creator from the UK. He has traveled full-time for over three years and to over 30 countries and writes on a number of travel-themed topics, including travel packing tips and the latest gear.

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10 essential tips for the first time business traveler

Heading off on your first business trip and not sure how to prepare?

From packing like a pro to working and adapting to the local time — we've got the top business travel tips to help you master it all! These travel tips will help you save time and avoid the most common issues. Just sit back, relax and keep reading to get ready for the first of many business trips.

1. Pack like a pro

Start with proper carry-on luggage and take the time to pack light. Packing cubes and internal pockets can make all the difference for business travel. Bypass the lineups and head straight to your destination – you're on a roll! Read our packing personalities tips to find out which packing personality  you are.

Here are a few key tips for carry-on luggage:

• Good quality materials
• Lightweight
• Easy to maneuver (4 spin wheels are the best!)
• Security lock

2. Papers, please

As a first-time business traveler, you might be nervous about forgetting important documents. Let's do a quick review. For international travel, you need a current passport with at least six months until expiry.

And there's more. Do you need a visa or other authorizations? Do you have the correct type of visa for business travel? Starting in 2025, US passport holders traveling to Europe will need to apply for visa authorization through the European Travel Information and Authorization System ( ETIAS ).

There are many potential paperwork disasters on business trips, but lucky for you, your dedicated agent knows it all.

Check out the Traveler Resource Hub for more helpful information on travel visas.

3. Is your business travel covered?

Before you take to the skies, check business travel insurance off your to-do list. Whether it's a short trip or a long one, on a first business trip, we want to make sure you're covered.

Money may not buy happiness, but it can get you an annual policy – saving you time, money and many headaches later. One last thing: don't forget to scope out the risk landscape of your destination to make sure it's in policy. Questions? Your dedicated Travel Consultant is in the wings.

Ask about business travel insurance coverage for trip interruption and emergency medical treatment. Corporate Traveler offers a range of insurance products both for single-trip and multi-trip annual plans. Contact your Travel Manager for more information . 

4. Level up your airport experience

Airline lounges can reduce the stress of flying and lift you out of the chaos and noise of the main concourse. Step into peace and quiet, showers, healthy snacks and drinks for free (hello, morning mimosa!).

Business Class fares generally include lounge access, but some are available for a fee. Credit card rewards programs can also give you access to airport lounges. There is no better place to be if you're riding out flight delays or prepping for important business meetings.

If you're on a business trip during a busy time of year, this guide to airport survival for the holidays shares the top airport tips.

5. Going the distance

The carry-on bag is stowed and you're settling in. If you're on a business trip to a different time zone, try to eat and sleep during the flight based on the local time zone you're heading to. Body clocks are hard to reset, and it's better if you can start the transition mid-air.

While sleeping in Economy Class can be a challenge, earplugs and noise-canceling headphones may help. If your business meeting is crucial, upgrading to a Business Class fare could be the thing you need if your travel policy allows.  

For long-haul trips, make sure your member numbers are locked and loaded so you can maximize loyalty programs . Once you land, eat a meal, stay hydrated and move around a bit to beat jet lag.

6. Take advantage of tech

Apps exist for almost everything, and they can make your first business trip more relaxed, too. Keeping all of your travel itinerary together, finding a place for dinner, or translation apps are all at your fingertips.

We've selected the 9 best travel apps to help you plan ahead and stay organized while traveling. Get travel tips from other travelers and locals too!

7. Always ask about amenities

Global travel is a huge industry, and many operators are adopting sustainability programs. Small changes can make a big difference, especially on business trips.

It's now common for certain services and supplies to be on request at business travel hotels as part of efforts to reduce waste. Daily housekeeping, razors, lotions, and other amenities are still available, but they might not be stocked in the hotel room by default. Pack light and ask what's available when you check in.

What's the strangest perk we've seen? A full set of gym clothes and shoes to borrow while staying at a hotel.

8. Counting costs

A greasy burger or room service? Should you use a limousine, take a taxi, or use public transportation? Check with the boss before you travel on what counts as travel expenses rather than return to a chilly reception and a bill you have to pay.

Hold onto all your receipts and make a note on them if they're low on details, like a taxi ride.

9. Work smart and stay refreshed

It's easy to go from meetings to drinks to dinner to bed and repeat. It's important you keep a check on your mental and physical health while you travel. Jet lag can sneak up on you. The first day, you feel fine, and then, to your surprise, you wake up at 4 am every day. 

With the rising trend of digital nomads, business travelers have come up with new ways to find balance while on the road. A physical change of scenery can help.

Instead of working in the evening in your hotel room, why not answer emails in the lobby or patio of the hotel? Set a clear divide between work and travel, then your mind will be clearer, and you'll look and feel fresher.

10. Flawless first impressions

When you travel on business trips, you're representing your company and yourself. And your country. But a few travel tips can help you make a good impression. Know the local laws, be courteous and tip when needed.

Pro travel tip: watch what you eat and drink on a business trip. It may be fun to experiment on the deep fried delights from a street food vendor but why take the risk? Stick to bottled water in some destinations and avoid ice if you can.

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Introduction

Traveling for business is an all-encompassing enterprise these days, for the road warriors and novice business travelers alike. Many, without travel policies to work off, are on their own. That’s a good thing, because it means more opportunities to personalize your trips— but this can also be quite daunting.

Consider this your all-encompassing guide to help make business travel seamless and stress-free, from what apps and podcasts to download and shoes to wear, to what to do during downtime at the airport, how to make your hotel room feel more like home, and much more.

Read on to make the most of your next business trip, and don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest news and stories from BusinessTravel.com

What Type Of Business Traveler Are You?

The Planner

Planners like to have their itineraries locked in place, but they should add flexibility when applicable. Your coworkers will appreciate it, and it could give you peace of mind should your all-important plans change. 

The Worrier

Worrier need not be a negative label, especially if you offset your travel anxiety with structured plans. Worriers should outline clear, easy goals to hit and map out what they can and can’t control. Talk to the planners and road warriors for more advice. 

The Homebody

Homebodies should do their best to mimic home settings on the road: Unpack right away, bring trinkets, and pack your own coffee. While travel may never be your thing entirely, the more you can personalize it to match your home preferences, the more you’ll enjoy it. 

Young professionals are ambitious, but they like guidance. If you’re a rookie, poll your colleagues with more travel experience to get their thoughts on nailing a business trip. You’ll be thankful and will build confidence to tackle the next one on your own. 

The Road Warrior

Adding a few tricks—such as finding off-the-beaten-path restaurants or traversing the city by bike or scooter—can break up the monotony of travel for even the most weary road warriors.

For a more in-depth breakdown of business traveler types, check out What Kind Of Business Traveler Are You?

Before You Depart, Do These Three Things

1. set goals.

Everything from unpacking luggage to reading an article specific to your industry can make you feel productive on a trip, so it’s a good practice to write these goals down—no matter how small—and cross them off as you complete them. 

2. Map Your Preferences

Plan a business trip around your preferences to create an environment you’re comfortable working in on the road. From hotel amenities, to rental car choice, to flight times, there’s flexibility at almost every stop of business travel. 

3. Have A Packing Plan

Packing efficiently isn’t just about fitting everything into a carry-on or including the right - sized toiletries. It’s about optimizing the space to help you get the most out of your business trip.

Learn more about these helpful pre-trip protocols. Read 3 Quick Tips To Prepare For Your Next Business Trip

No Business Travel Policy? No Problem

1. stick to one itinerary.

Being productive on the road starts with organization. Either manually or with the aid of an app, keep the details of your trip in one place. This way, when you want to know the check-out time for the hotel in reference to your departing flight, you can do so with one touch rather than two or three. 

2. Build Points That Work For You

Unbridled business travelers should explore loyalty programs that work best for them. You will find you can use your travel for work to subsidize your personal vacations. Beyond credit cards and hotels, Uber, Lyft and Airbnb all now have business offerings. 

3. Never Collect Receipts Again

There are plenty of apps on the market with both free and subscription offerings for keeping track of business travel expenses . Two apps for expensing business travel stand out in the field: Expensify and Zoho. While keeping physical receipts is still a good practice, these make tracking expenses a breeze. 

4. Plan & Debrief

Planning meetings, especially those that take place away from the office, can go a long way in easing the burden of traveling, while setting clear goals for the trip. When you return, debrief with your colleagues and chart your likes and dislikes to build up a reference for future travels.

Take a deeper dive into how to better organize your next business trip with this useful checklist: Best Practices For Managing Business Travel Without A Travel Policy

Podcasts That’ll Make You Smarter For Your Next Business Trip

Masters of scale with reid hoffman.

By presenting his theories and bringing on experts to discuss — and often challenge — them , entrepreneur Rich Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, levels himself with his audience. You’ll take away business advice and hear firsthand that there’s always more to learn.

• Where You Can Get It: Apple Podcasts | Google Play Music

Planet Money by NPR

What’s going on in the economy? How does it affect your business? Stay up-to-date with these quick-hit episodes that cover current events or offer retrospectives on some of the most transformative economic events in world history.

• Where You Can Get It: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

The EntreLeadership Podcast

Educational and inspirational, the EntreLeadership Podcast will leave you thinking— in a good way . Take in the lessons and apply them to your everyday life. There’s more than just business here. 

TED Talks Daily

These are tailor-made for the business traveler. Have a short layover? Want to learn as you pack? Need a soundtrack for your morning hotel routine? Throw on an episode of TED Talks Daily and learn on the fly. 

Stuff You Should Know

Well, the “should” can be misleading. Should you really know how a Ouija b oard works? Probably not, but now you’re curious, and you can find out on a spooky episode of this podcast. It’s the podcast made to defeat awkward silences. 

Ologies with Alie Ward

The name says it all. Alie Ward takes a comedic approach to all the ologies, the studies of whatever you can think of. L earn about vexillology (flags), saurology (lizards), or acarology (ticks), and share the info with whomever will listen.

Learn more about these incredible podcasts, and where you can get them, with this helpful guide: 12 Must-Listen Podcasts For Your Next Business Trip

There’s An App For That

Business travelers often need to adjust on the fly in unfamiliar territories. Useful apps, therefore, play a crucial role in their work lives. Here are some common problems for business travelers and apps that provide solutions.

“I’d like to find a lounge at an airport”

Check out LoungeBuddy , which enables you to see what lounges you have access to. If you have an American Express card, you can purchase time at participating lounges as well. 

• Availability:   Apple
• Cost:   Free

“Can public transportation get me to my destination?”

Download Transit , an app that charts public transportation and suggests routes in 104 cities across the United States. 

• Availability:   Apple   |   Android

“I need to track my expenses, but I don’t want to bring home receipts”

Road warriors will find Expensify indispensable. Take pictures of your receipts and upload the details. It also includes integration with popular accounting programs. Expensify was named “The Best Business Travel App” by Business Insider . 

• Cost:   Free (Limited) | Subscriptions: Starting at $4.99/month

“I’d like to maintain my health routine on the road ”

With HabitMinder , you can set three fitness goals (with the free version) and track your progress hitting them each day. Goals include physical activities, like walking and stretching, to good habits, like hydrating and eating healthy. 

• Cost:   Free | Premium Subscription: $.99/month

Ready for more recommendations? Check out 14 Apps To Consider Before Your Next Business Trip

Versatile Shoes You Need (That Fit Your Budget)

A shoe that’s made for walking and looks good with every outfit is essential for business travelers. Here are four styles to check out, all less than $150.

Sperry Authentic Original 

Easy to slip on? Check. Formal look with a casual feel? Check. Great in indoor and outdoor settings? Check. The Sperry Authentic Original expands any business traveler’s wardrobe. Get a pair and thank us later. 

Nike SB Zoom Bruin 

The Nike SB Zoom Bruin combines the comfort and cool of skate shoes with the look of something a little more formal. You’ll feel good rocking them with board shorts or jeans and a blazer. The smaller swoosh hints at the balance the sneaker giant has found with its skateboarding collection: undoubtedly Nike but a little more understated. 

Rothy’s The Point

A shoe that comes in 23 colors is always green. That’s because the company makes one of its signature models from 100% recycled plastic bottles. It’s a 21st-century concept that you’ll love: a great looking shoe that helps the environment. 

Dr. Scholl’s

In an ironic twist, not many people associate a company built on comfort with having a great selection of shoes. But here we are. Dr. Scholl’s has a number of offerings that fit the casually formal description with the Freestep Laceup Sneaker (for men and women) standing out. 

Discover more incredible footwear for your next business excursion with this in-depth guide: 12 Shoes Business Travelers Will Love

Airport Tips For The Business Traveler

1. time is of the essence.

Stick to carry-on luggage. Sign up for TSA Pre-Check. Check in online rather than at the airport. And, if you don’t have TSA Pre-Check, know which security lines tend to be the longest, especially in airports where you can walk between terminals once cleared.  

2. Count Your Steps

Staying active in the airport is relatively easy for any traveler: choose the stairs over the escalator; skip all moving walkways; if time permits, walk the length of the terminal or explore other areas of the airport.

3. Whet Your Appetite

If time constraints limit your ability to explore a city’s food and drink scene, don’t worry. More and more airports are bringing local favorites — chains and dives alike — to their terminals, allowing travelers to get their fill on the go. 

4. Flag Down That Taxi

While Uber and Lyft offer business plans, they aren’t always the most reliable transportation options to save on time. From airports, taxis are often the most efficient in this regard.

For a more comprehensive breakdown of essential airport tips, check out 5 Airport Tips For Business Travelers

Make Your Hotel Feel Like Home

1. make use of the dressers & closet.

You’ll feel organized from the start, setting the tone for the rest of your trip. Plus, getting your clothes out of your luggage early will help keep them from wrinkling and may save you time with the iron. 

2. Brew Your Own Cup Of Joe

Nothing will make you feel at home like the smell of your favorite coffee brewing early in the morning. The routine will put your day in motion while making you feel accomplished. A bonus: Should you adventure out to sample local brews, you’ll have something to measure new flavors against. 

3. That’s Your Desk Now

Organizing your clothes is one important step to making your hotel feel like home. Organizing your work materials is another. By plugging in your laptop at the desk, you’ll have a ready-made workspace to turn to should you retire to your room with tasks still left to complete. 

4. Block Out The Noise, Literally

Sleeping on the road in a bustling town isn’t the easiest thing. While companies like Bose produce wireless sleepbuds that play soothing sounds, you can get a similar effect by listening to sleep-aid stations on Spotify or Pandora. Learn to set the sleep timer on your phone: In the clock app, set a timer and change “When Timer Ends” to “Stop Playing.”

Learn more useful advice on how to make your hotel room match the comforts of home with this in-depth post: 7 Hotel Tips For The Business Traveler

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Business Travel: The Beginner’s Guide

June 12, 2019

by Rob Browne

In a world where it has become as easy as a quick few taps on smartphone to book a trip across the world, business travel is more widespread and accessible than ever before.

Are you a recent graduate or new employee looking for an introduction to business travel? This article provides an overview of the field as a whole as well as a guide to traveling for work and managing your business travel expenses .

What is business travel? A step-by-step business trip guide

Research from Statista shows that business travel contributes almost $1.3 trillion to the global economy in a single year, making it one of the world’s largest economic industries. Further research highlights only upward trends in the amount that is spent on business travel as well.

This research reflects an increasingly intertwined global economy. With the speed at which businesses on opposite sides of the world can interact over the internet and travel to meet with each other, employees are operating in a space where location is fluid and business interests can converge across state, national, and continental lines.

Thus, business travel is a vital part of many companies’ lifebloods. In this article, we’ll explore the four temporal components of a business trip and use them as a lens through which to discuss business travel.

Booking business travel

Oftentimes, the dates and general logistics of your business trip are determined by the wants and needs of the client(s) you visit on the trip. If possible, it’s always best to book as far in advance as you can to plan on being out of office. Of course this won’t always be the case, as business trips occasionally arise on short notice if a client needs a quick turnaround time on a particular task that requires a visit.

Booking a business trip is not the same as browsing the internet for the best deals on a family vacation . The online booking platform (OBT) that you use for securing your transportation and hotel depends on your company’s internal travel policy.

Some companies require their employees to book through a specific brand of travel management software  or using a travel management company . A key motivator for companies to use travel management software is that it makes it easier to ensure that employees comply with corporate travel policies. These policies include which airfare class employees are allowed to book, which hotel star class they can stay in, and the class of rental car they can use.

For others, booking your business trip may be a similar experience to booking a trip outside of work, as some companies tolerate open market bookings.

The rigidity with which you’ll be dealing with in terms of booking compliance is dependent upon your company’s travel policy and budget. In most cases, you’ll be looking at a range of mid-tier flight and hotel options that best fit your needs in terms of schedule and distance from the site where you’ll conduct most of your business.

Preparing for the trip

Business trips are often short and have a singular purpose. Get to your destination, meet with the people you need to meet with, and go home. Because of the high energy level required for such a focused itinerary, you’ll want to make sure that you are well-rested going into the trip.

After arriving at your destination, there may not be time to catch a nap  before heading to your first meeting, so you’ll want to ensure that you are able to operate at peak performance as soon as you arrive.

Travel with your important items in your carry-on bag just in case anything happens to your checked luggage. Almost everything you bring on a business trip should be essential to your work, and with a short turnaround between arrival and meetings, you can’t risk not having item X, Y, Z..

On the trip

While on your trip, optimize for everything you can. Outside of any business-related commitments, you’ll want to make sure you have as much time as you need for your work. If there is a particular company policy regarding a daily per diem, or allowance, for meals or transportation, you’ll also need to keep that in mind.

If your trip is to a destination with a lot to see outside business hours or a place where you have friends or family, you can also check with your company’s travel policy regarding bleisure travel. Bleisure, a combination of “business” and “leisure,” means adding a few days onto the beginning or end of your trip to enjoy the opportunity to spend some time not only inside an office.

After the trip

The most important part of finishing a business trip is gathering your expenses and filing an expense report. Between flights, hotels, other transportation, and food, you likely spend a decent amount of money and would like your expenses to be approved and reimbursed as quickly as possible.

Having your expenses approved and reimbursed is typically an easy process, especially if your company uses a form of expense management software .

It’s a trip!

Traveling for work may seem daunting, but thinking about your trip in terms of these four segments will help you succeed at all points of your trip. If your job allows you the opportunity  to spend time outside of your office, enjoy it—and maybe spend time in some exciting destinations along the way.

Rob is a former content associate at G2. Originally from New Jersey, he previously worked at an NYC-based business travel startup. (he/him/his)

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A beginner’s guide to business travel

Heading on a business trip, before you leave, check your company's travel policy, look up loyalty programs, stay up to date with disruptions, install useful apps, during your trip, keep your receipts, work on your wellbeing, after your trip, get ready for reimbursement, looking after a team of corporate travelers, before travelers depart, empower employees to book their itineraries, travelperk integrated travel policies, go the extra mile for executive travelers, cut your carbon, while travelers are on the road, ensure traveler safety, after travelers return, check in with your travelers, review travel receipts.

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Business Traveler Tips & Advice, Corporate Traveler Guide

Tips for business travelers.

When it comes to traveling for business, it's all about preparation. Most trips will go smoothly, but without the proper planning, things might not always go to plan!

For some individuals, business travel can mean traveling around your local area, but for others this involves going global, and doing business internationally in other countries. No matter where you're going though, there are plenty of business travel tips you can take from experienced and seasoned business travelers to help make your journey run smoothly.

Travel Insurance for Business Trips

This might sound obvious, but you really don't want to travel without having a comprehensive travel insurance policy for peace of mind. This is especially important to cover medical costs when overseas since the bills can be extremely high.

You should double check with your insurance provider to find out if it covers you for business travel - many policies do - but you should always make sure. You might also find that the company you work for also covers you under a corporate travel insurance policy, but you shouldn't presume, so again, double check with your travel team or human resources department to make sure domestic and international travel are covered.

Packing tips: Carry On Bags & Traveling Light

When you're traveling for business and need to take a flight, try to travel with just a carry-on bag. This will save time and you'll avoid waiting by the carousel for checked baggage. This is especially doable on short business trips abroad when you only need to take the essentials and can pack light.

For longer trips, you might not be able to avoid checking in baggage, and if that's the case, remember to carry all valuables and essentials in your carry-on luggage.

Planning ahead by having your travel essentials packed in advance is also a great idea. So have phone chargers and power adapters pre-packed to save you a lot of time, effort and reduce the chance of forgetting to bring them with you.

Admin in Advance

If you're going to be traveling by air, you should check-in from home before you get to the airport to avoid the queues. You might even have the added bonus of choosing seats beforehand.

Keeping your boarding pass on your phone or printing it out at home is also a great way to save some time and energy.

You should also book any rental cars in advance. Those queues can be long enough even without the hassle of having to go through the whole process at the destination!

Bring The Travel Essentials

When you’re rushing out the door for a business trip it's easy to forget some of the travel essentials you'll need to take with you.

Forgetting to take your laptop charger on a business trip is a slip of the mind many of us have fallen victim to. This is one of the things that should be at the top of the list. It's becoming much easier to charge your cell phone but, of course you actually need to remember to have your cable and power adapter with you in the first place! So, create a list of things you'll need before you pack so you can cross reference it when you're organizing your travel bag.

Remember, if you're traveling by air internationally, the liquids and toiletries you carry need to be under a certain size (100ml) and contained in a transparent plastic bag with a zip closure. These toiletries can be expensive to buy at the airport, but you can buy them in advance, and once you have the containers there's nothing to stop you refilling them so you can use them again.

Try to pack in advance if you can and don't leave things until the last minute before you're about to jump in your cab to the airport. Rushing around trying to hit a departure deadline is a sure way to forget something essential. With that in mind, always leave for the airport or your destination in good time. If possible, check for any traffic problems well ahead of time. Often you can find updates on social media where people are posting about localized issues and problems.

Once in a while the unexpected can happen, and these things can't always be avoided. However, a bit of pre-trip planning and researching your destination can often result in you avoiding awkward and frustrating circumstances. The last thing you want is to cancel meetings because you've missed a flight, or had to re-arrange your transport.

Book Direct Flights When Possible

One of the biggest time consumers is when you have to take multiple flights to a single destination. Of course, it isn't always possible to book a nonstop flight to every location, but you should when it's an option so you can avoid wasted time and long layovers.

Travel time can take up a lot of your day, especially when it involves long flights through different time zones. Having to sit in a terminal building for hours or having to book a hotel room for an overnight stay can add a lot of time to your travels and direct flights are the answer to these problems.

There are other benefits from booking direct flights - not only does it save both time and money, it's also better for the environment. This can be helpful if the business you're working for has committed to reducing their carbon emissions. It can be impossible to avoid flying for business, but small tweaks like having a direct flight policy can make a really big difference.

Reward Programs & Lounges for Frequent Business Travelers

When it comes to a company's travel arrangements some businesses see the benefits of letting their representatives travel business class. Often one of the perks of this travel upgrade is that you get access to airport lounges if there’s extra time before your flight. This kind of lounge access can be valuable, because you're able to sit and work in a quiet environment and have access to a range of refreshments. When traveling long haul this is a welcome added bonus and can help you feel more refreshed. Plus, you should get access to essentials such as decent free wi-fi that can make working easier at the airport if you are stuck there with a delay.

Even if the travel policy of the business you work for is to book you economy travel, that doesn't mean you can't get access to business lounges at airports. One great travel hack for the frequent flyer is that there are a number of schemes available that you can sign-up to and pay for this additional privilege. If you travel for work all the time, whilst you might have to pay the fees yourself as an individual, you can get the benefits of the lounge, when you travel.

Another time saver for U.S. citizens, that can come with additional benefits is to sign up for TSA pre-check or Global Entry, which can even be included in a travel credit card’s perks. This is a service that allows you to go through the security screening process in a much quicker fashion, by not having to show or remove things like shoes, belts, laptops etc. This not only saves time, but also reduces the general hassle of going through security. Even better - by signing up for this service, you can also get loyalty program benefits with certain airlines. So, a double bonus for travelers and well worth signing up for before your next business trip.

How to Avoid Jet Lag

If you've previously been on a long-haul trip to a business meeting and experienced the dreaded jet lag, then you'll know it can have a negative impact on your working day. While it isn't possible to completely avoid jet lag, there are a number of ways and techniques that you can do and try to reduce its effects so that the next time you are on a work trip, you turn up refreshed and ready to go.

When you're traveling, there are a couple of things that can be useful to take with you that don't take up much space in your hand-luggage - earplugs and a sleep mask. It can be difficult to fall asleep on an overnight flight, or in a different bed, and these two items can make a lot of difference. They can also help you combat jet lag by increasing the likelihood you'll fall asleep.

One of the best ways to combat jet lag, is to try to adjust to your new time zone as fast as possible. So, once you board your plane, change the time on your watch and digital devices to the local time at your destination. Once you've adjusted the time, try to adapt your routine to the new time and sleep whether it's evening or night-time.

There are a few things that are known to make jet lag worse - caffeine and alcohol. It's a good idea to avoid those two in-flight drinks as the fresher you feel, the less likely you'll feel any jet lag symptoms. Drinking plenty of water and choosing healthy snacks also helps keep the jet lag to a minimum.

Keeping Yourself Safe When Traveling

It's also a good idea to do some research about the place you are visiting if you've never been there before. Check to see if there's a phone app available for a local map and services, which many major cities have. For example, you can get a subway map of New York on your phone that's available offline. This can really help you find your way around the city if you're unfamiliar with it. Many cities have a similar app or travel guide to the local area that's very useful for travelers.

If you've got a spare credit card, it's worth keeping it separate from your other personal or business cards and documents, so you have a backup and access to emergency money.

Finding out where your local embassy is, is another good idea, again in case you lose your travel documents or need their services for any reason.

Briefing yourself with the local customs and etiquette is worth investing some time in, so that you don't offend someone unintentionally.

You should also find out if there are certain areas and locations close to where you are going which you should avoid. You can research local scams, and issues that travelers commonly face when traveling to a certain location.

For most cities and countries, there are things you should be aware of and watch out for. Certain scams that occur in a city are easily avoided if you know about them. For example- avoiding unauthorized and unlicensed taxi services and sticking with the official, licensed operators always makes sense when traveling in an unfamiliar area.

The good news is that if your company has a travel management program with a travel policy in place, often these can help keep you safe and out of harm’s way. These services can help you on a number of levels - from informing you directly about problems in your location that you need to be aware of, only booking you hotels and accommodation that's of high quality and in a good area, and giving you the means to contact help, if necessary, when you need it.

Travel Management Solutions

If you're keen to make your business travel run as smooth as possible, and do all you can to avoid any bumps in the road (figuratively and literally!), Egencia's travel management solutions are an ideal way to improve all aspects of your corporate travel program and establish successful business trips.

Speak to one of our team and learn more about we can help your business take travel management to the next level..

Looking for better business travel solutions? Get in touch with us.

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147 Business Travel Tips – the ultimate list of road warrior tips & tricks

The ultimate list of Business Travel Tips contains 147 (yes, you read that right) practical and useful business travel tips / frequent traveler tips to help you fo work travel smoother, more efficiently, and smarter. As a frequent business traveler myself, I’ve made many travel mistakes over the years. Along the way, I’ve learned a good deal about how to minimize business travel discomfort and maximize your enjoyment while traveling for work.

Because, let’s face it, traveling for business isn’t always fun (see my post on 9 Crazy Myths of Business Travel: Debunked! ).

In fact, many times it’s not .

You are zipping from one meeting to the next, stuck in an airline terminal waiting for your delayed flight, sleeping in an uncomfortable bed (although it’s usually a nice bed with some great sheets ), missing your family and eating crappy food. That’s right, business travel can be brutal at times.

That is – if you don’t know what you’re doing .

With the business travel tips listed here, you can exponentially improve your life on the road. So, fasten your seat-belt low and tight across your waist, stow your luggage, put your tray tables up and start learning how to travel smarter on your next business trip.

• By the way, if you’ve landed here and you have no idea what “business travel” is, head over to my section that defines it for you: Business Travel Defined .
• Also, just a quick note, if you are a first time business traveler staring down the barrel of your first work trip you might want to start here with 11 Tips to Crush your First Business Trip .
• NEW : Finally…we’ve updated this post with the latest travel advice and tips for traveling in a world facing a pandemic

PS, if you are not a business traveler – that’s ok . Many of the tips for work travel actually apply to leisure travelers too …so keep on reading!

Let’s get into ’em!

Business Travel Tips – the ultimate list of business travel advice

This list of business travel tips is loosely organized based on the linear flow of your travel experience. In other words, from booking, to packing, to flying, hotel, etc.

Tips are not necessarily provided in order or importance and are divided into the following categories for easier consumption (you can click on the headings below to jump directly to those tips, if you’d like):

• Booking Travel
• Packing & Luggage Tips

Travel Gear & Tech Tips

• Getting To/From and Through the Airport
• On the Plane – Flying Tips

Healthy Business Travel Tips

• Safety & Security
• NEW : COVID-19 Travel Tips & Advice
• Tips for eating on the road
• Enjoying & Surviving your trip
• Rental Cars

Loyalty Program Tips

• Apparel tips

As you are reading, pay attention for those “must know” business travel tips. I’ve identified them like this:

[ Must Know Business Travel Tips! ]

For gender specific tips, I’ve highlighted them like this:

[ Female-Specific Business Travel Tips! ]

[ Male-Specific Business Travel Tips! ]

Lastly, I’ve summarized the “must know” Business Travel Tips at the very end of this article for easier consumption!

Ok, already…let’s get into the business travel tips and tricks.

Business Travel Tips and Tricks for Booking Business Travel

Every successful business trip starts with booking your travel. By following the business travel tips in this section, you can lay the foundation for a more successful and smoother trip by making good booking choices.

1. Stick with a single Airline, Hotel, and Rental Car company . [ Must Know Business Travel Tips! ] Whenever possible, always consolidate your travel providers into as few as possible. This will allow you to build loyalty and status faster, and earn points quicker.

With status, you will start to qualify for upgrades, point bonuses and other perks that will make your business trip much smoother!

2. Book direct flights. Layovers are the enemy. They add extra time to your trip – extending the day longer than it often needs to be.

Where possible, book direct flights to improve your travel efficiency and get their quicker. Booking direct also minimizes the chances of you missing a connection and getting stuck in the airport.

3. Skip the redeye. The redeye flight might seem like a great option and often it’s a cheaper flight. However, that cheaper price comes with strings.

You will likely be far more tired when you arrive. For business travel you need to be on your A-game and a redeye will likely make that more difficult, especially if you are susceptible to jet lag.

Trust me…this is one of the business travel tips that if you listen to my advice….you and your body will thank me! 🙂

4. Book morning / mid-day flights to mitigate travel delays. Booking the last flight of the day can become problematic if they are any days. Miss that flight and you are staying the night at the airport which is never fun.

Sometimes it cannot be avoided, but whenever possible, book flights earlier in the day to give you some “space” in case your flight schedule blows up.

5. Be careful with layover times. It’s not always possible to avoid layovers. For example, if you live near a regional airport (instead of a major hub), you will likely have to connect somewhere.

Or, if you are traveling TO a regional airport (e.g. someplace like Grand Rapids, Michigan), a connection is likely required. When you do book connecting flights, pay special attention to the layover times.

Too long of a layover means hours and hours of airport boredom and stretches the travel day out longer than you really want it.

Too short of a layover means any little hiccup with your preceding flight might cause you to miss your connecting flight. Then you are stuck at the airport hoping to catch another later flight.

Also, do your homework on the airport itself that you are connecting in. Some airports make connecting easy. Others can mean a lengthy trek between terminals.

Take Detroit (DTW) as an example. If you are connecting to a regional flight (say State College, PA) you have to make a long trek to their commuter terminal. Make sure to allow enough time for the walk.

6. Use SeatGuru.com to pick the best seat on the plane. Picking the best seat on the plane can greatly improve your travel experience. Get stuck with a middle seat or next to a lavatory and your trip just got a whole lot worse. Exit rows are usually great, bulkhead seats can be nice (but not always).

SeatGuru.com allows you to search for the best seats on many different planes. You can find out the plane you are flying (e.g. 737) when you are booking the flight.

7. Do your research on the best hotel to stay at in proximity to your destination (e.g. customer site) while being safe. Don’t simply pick the cheapest hotel in your general area. Find hotels that are close to your final destination and that meet your standards.

Research the area’s safety, too. If your customer’s site is in the ghetto, maybe a longer commute in the morning is the safer way to go.

8. Consider staying close to the airport for those early morning flights home. Don’t be afraid to switch hotels the night before your early morning flight back home.

Staying closer to the airport for that 5:45am flight will give you a few extra minutes of sleep and reduce any goof-ups you might have from that early morning delirium.

9. Learn the unique characteristics and idiosyncrasies of different airports including different times of year, busy / off seasons, etc

There’s a golden rule for business travelers. You can fly TO Philly or FROM Philly, but never THROUGH Philly . That is, unless you want to get stuck in the airport under flight delays and have your flight go to crap.

Many airports have their own unique nuances – many of which are based on time of year, etc.

For example, pretty much any Florida airport in the summer is going to be insane. Disney World travelers, cruise ship travelers, etc. They are always slammed. Lost of kids and lots of irritated and tired parents.

Fly through Dallas in the summer? Expect thunderstorms and potential delays.

Fly through Phoenix during Monsoon season? You might get to see a haboob .

Make sure to learn the unique ins and outs of the airports you are flying to and adjust accordingly (like never to fly to FL…like ever). 🙂

Packing & Luggage Tips for Business Travelers

Getting the right luggage and then packing it correctly is a critical step in the success of your work trip. Here are some packing tips that will aid you in getting this phase of your travel right!

1. Pack light (and well) . [ Must Know Business Travel Tips! ] Fight the temptation to over pack. You need far less than you think you do. Packing light is an important business travel tip.

Over packing might mean you have to check your bag. Or it might mean you carry more than you need – and dragging extra weight around isn’t good for your body (you will be tired enough).

Get anal about your packing list. If you can reuse a pair of jeans, do so. Skip the extra pair.

Packing light is really more of a mindset than anything. You have to be ruthless about deciding to place something in your bag. Only pack the essentials.

2. Never check your bag . [ Must Know Business Travel Tips! ] If you like waiting in line to check your bag, waiting at the baggage claim to retrieve your bag and risking the change it will get lost, keep checking your bag.

The first rule of business travel is NEVER CHECK YOUR BAG .

There are very few reasons why the business traveler will need to check your bag. Perhaps its for an extended trip (e.g. >1wk) or you are packing tools that are best checked. Or maybe your traveling with someone unique like a firearm .

Aside from those very few reasons, no self-respecting business traveler is checking their bags – and you shouldn’t either.

Read my detailed comparison on checking a bag instead of carrying it on.

3. Invest in good luggage ! If you plan to be on the road, traveling for work, on a regular basis, you are going to need quality luggage. It might be tempting to scrimp and go with something cheap.

But don’t . Trust me .

A cheaper suitcase might seem ok – but it won’t have the lasting durability needed for someone tossing their bag into an overhead bin and jostling it through an airport every week.

Nor will it have the features that serious business traveler’s need. Like a garment bag. Or maybe a built in USB charging port.

Some luggage brands that tend to make great quality luggage are: TravelPro and Briggs & Riley . Always check the reviews of the luggage before you buy it.

I highly recommend the TravelPro Crew 11 21″ Carryon Suitcase . It’s what I am presently using and it’s the single best piece of luggage I’ve ever owned. You can read my review of it, here . Or read why I think it’s the best suitcase under 150.00 .

4. Get a 4-wheel roller or spinner suitcase

For many years I had a traditional 2-wheeled carry on suitcase and I honestly did not know any better. I saw people in the airport with the 4-wheel spinners, but I figured it could not be that much better.

I was so wrong.

Having now switched to a 4-Wheel Spinner (the TravelPro Crew 11 21″ ), I will never go back .

No longer do I have the added strain from the weight of the suitcase on my forearm as I lean the bag forward and pull it behind me.

Aside from it occasionally wanting to wander off, I love it. I also will set my backpack on top it and roll them both ever so easily. Again, less strain on the body. The nice thing about a spinner is that you can always lean it if you have to as sometimes is necessary on an uphill carpeted jet bridge.

5. Get a good backpack! [ Must Know Business Travel Tips! ] Skip the roller briefcase from day’s past. Have you ever tried wheeling a laptop briefcase through the streets of New York? Or stacked your wheeled briefcase on top of your carry on only to have it wobble and topple over?

Investing in a quality business traveler backpack will improve your travel experience in a big way. Make sure to get one that has a good pocket for your laptop.

I personally use the Ogio Metro Backpack and I highly recommend it (although I’ve recently starting using a KnackPack which has proved very interesting). You can read my product review of the Ogio Metro Backpack here .

Many times I will skip the carry on luggage altogether and simply use my backpack – thus allowing me to travel that much more efficiently and lighter. It is amazing how light you can really travel if you work at it.

One less bag to stow in the overhead bin = a little less worry when you forgot to check in on time.

The only downside is having to lug your backpack around instead of resting it on a suitcase most of the time but that is a small price to pay.

Pack smart and light, and travel more smoothly!

Consider investing in Packing Cubes too …although they are not for me they do have a place in the world

6. Mark & Label your luggage . Make sure you label your luggage (even your carry on). Most of us have black luggage and they can start to look the same. If, god-forbid, you are checking your bag, you definitely need to label your bag.

Consider a brightly colored travel strap to more clearly identify your bag (especially important if you’ve checked a bag).

7. Roll your clothes to minimize wrinkling and fit more in the suitcase. Roll your clothes to minimize wrinkling and fit more in the suitcase.

Do it. Live it. Love it .

This is an old trick I learned from the Marine Corps. You can keep the creases out of clothes and typically fit more into your bag. I made this switch years ago and never looked back.

8. Pack your clothes in sets then layer it in your suitcase for daily access. Pack your clothes in a set (e.g. pants, socks, undershirt, etc) then layer it in your suitcase for easy daily access.

Some people like to fully unpack their suitcase and use that dresser they provide you. I only do that if I am staying greater than one week.

Instead, I pack my clothes by day (or at least the pants and shirts anyway – I can tuck my socks, underwear and undershirts around things to get more storage).

Then I can save a little time by leaving everything in the bag and pull it out as needed and in order.

9. Place a dryer sheet in your suitcase to reduce static (and improve smell!). This is a fun little trick that works pretty well. Simply add a dryer sheet to your suitcase somewhere between a few layers.

This will reduce odors (especially important if you traveling with dirty clothes on your way back) and it will reduce annoying static which is never fun.

10. Use a garment bag for pants and shirts – and leave them on the hangar . As a business traveler you are likely wearing business or business casual attire. That means slacks, suit jackets, dress shirts, etc.

Leave your clothes on the hangar, place them in a garment bag and then carefully fold the garment bag into your suitcase.

The benefit of this business travel tip is that it allows you to easily hang ALL of your dress clothes up in the hotel closet and minimizes some of the wrinkles. Now you don’t have to hang up 3 pairs of slacks, shirts and ties.

11. Leave the dry cleaning bags on to reduce wrinkles . If wrinkles are the bane of your existence, there’s an extra step you can take to reduce wrinkles. Simply leave the dry cleaning bag on them before you place them in your suitcase.

12. Wear your suit jacket on the plane instead of packing it . Suit jackets can take up a lot of space in your carry on bag – perhaps even causing you to briefly think about checking your bag (don’t do it!).

Instead, wear your suit jacket on the plane with you (even if you are wearing jeans…it still looks good). Then hang the jacket up when you board plane (if you got the upgrade) and if you didn’t get the upgrade, carefully fold it and store it up in the overhead bin on top of your suitcase.

This will also reduce the chances of serious wrinkles which you might get from stuffing it into your suitcase.

You can always use Weather.com to check on current conditions .

15. When it’s cold don’t pack your winter coat in your bag – this conserves space In the winter you need to bring an extra heavy coat. Get a nice one for sure, but also, don’t pack it. Wear it.

Carry it or wear it from your home airport, then store it in the overhead bin or have the flight attendant hang it. It will keep you from having to use the larger suitcase!

16. Get your travel toiletries in bulk ! If you are going to be traveling on a regular basis you will be going through your toiletries pretty quickly. A tube of travel toothpaste can set you back $1.25 in some cases, where buying a FULL tube of normal toothpaste might only cost you $2.95 or something.

Buy it on Amazon.com, in bulk and save yourself some significant money! You might be interested in this article on buying travel toiletries in bulk .

Can you bring deodorant on a plane? How about Tweezers ? A Razor ? We got you covered in this series of “What Can I bring on the Plane?”

17. On the night before your return flight pack your suitcase . This will save you a few precious moments in the morning before your flight or as you get ready for your last meeting that morning before heading to the airport.

Always get organized the night before when NOT under any stress or pressure. This will help ensure smoother sailing on the day of your return flight home.

18. Have some spare case (small bills too) Most of our business travel life can be dealt w/ via electronic transaction, but having a few bucks is handy. Tipping the shuttle driver or as a backup in case you lose your card. I try to carry about $40.00 with at least five dollars in singles.

19. Bring your passport as a backup form of ID. Nothing sucks worse than losing your ID.

Typically your Drivers License is all you need, but bring your passport as a backup form of ID in the event you need it. If traveling internationally, always make copies of key ID and store them in different pieces of luggage.

20. Store a backup credit card in your carry-on bag. In case you lose your wallet, you will have some form of payment, plus if you followed the previous business travel tip, you will have an extra form of ID.

21. Consider a laptop/purse combo bag. [ Female-Specific Business Travel Tips! ] If you want to look stylish AND still be able to lug your laptop around, skip the backpack and get a fashionable laptop travel purse . The UtoteBag Women 15.6 Inch Laptop Purse/Tote , below, might be the functional and stylish accessory your wardrobe needs!

If you are looking for inspiration on what books to get while traveling look no further that my article The 47 Best Travel Books of all Time – Ultimate List of Books to Read while Traveling for inspiration!

You need some good travel gear and tech! Here’s a great list of business travel tips for finding and using the best travel gear and travel tech!

1. Get some good noise canceling headphones (and a backup set)! [ Must Know Business Travel Tips! ] The serious business traveler needs to own a quality part of noise canceling headphones! Preferably something wireless. It will help drown out the hum of the jet engines and make binge watching your favorite Netflix show more enjoyable!

If you have a champagne budget, you can’t go wrong with Bose or Beats headphones .

If you are looking for something more affordable, the FX-Viktaria’s are not bad. You can read my product review of the FX-Vitkaria’s here .

Pro-tip: bring a backup set of wired headphones in the event your break your primary set (or they run out of juice).

2. Bring a multi-plug adapter / surge protector. This is a little less important these days w/ everything being USB chargeable, and the extra power bars you bring, plus all of the plugs you now see at airports and hotels.

But it is not a bad idea to find something just in case you have to compete for a spot or you are staying in an old Hampton Inn hasn’t been modernized for the business traveler.

Note: if you are traveling international, make sure you find the right connectors for the power standards at your final destination .

3. Use mobile boarding passes. I seldom use paper boarding passes anymore. The tech is much improved from a few years ago and has yet to fail me recently (last 4 years). The TSA checker is pretty good, but the Southwest boarding pass scanner is a little finicky IMO. Could be better.

Still no need to go find a printer and have something else to carry. Go mobile baby.

4. Keep your stuff charged. Rule #2 of the business traveler handbook is A-B-C. Always Be Charging. At the airport terminal before your flight, the customer’s site during the presentation, the rental car, wherever…always be charging!

5. Get a portable power charger. Because there are few things more frustrating than your phone dying make sure to invest in a good backup power charger…something portable.

I personally always use something from Anker :

6. Make sure your phone has a case. You will be in-transit a lot. Tossing stuff into overhead bins, walking from gate to gate, in and out of cars, etc. You WILL drop your phone. Make sure it is protected. Maybe you can get away w/out a case at home, but no way no how here on the road .

7. Use Facetime or Google Hangouts or Skype to keep in touch with loved ones at home. Most of us have some loved ones at home. I have 4 kids and wife and only while only 2 of my kids are still at home, I miss them all terribly. I always text my wife where I am at w/ my trip (e.g. Made it to the AP or Hotel), and I try to use Google Hangouts w/ the wife and kids a few times each trip.

It is a great way to stay connected to home.

Document your experience on social media for fun.

8. Download your content ahead of time to skip the Internet fee on the plane. [ Must Know Business Travel Tips! ] Some airlines (like Delta) charge an ungodly amount of money for Internet access on a plane and while Southwest is a bit cheaper, it’s still $$. I prefer to download a few shows, movies or books on my Kindle app using my home or hotel Internet and skip the fees. Plan ahead!

For me, this business travel tip has been a game changer and helps make the trip go a LOT faster.

For more tips on what to do on a work trip (alone!) check out this link

9. Prebuild good playlists for your Spotify app. Whatever app you use for music, prebuild a few good travel lists. I have lists for sleeping, for calm/de-stressing, for workouts and for pump-up times. Sometimes I will actually bring a small portable travel speaker (like the Oontz Angle 3 ) with me to get better sound in the room.

10. Don’t bring a face mask. You look stupid. Face/Eye masks are lame. You and I both know you are NOT going to sleep on that plane and you look like a goofball. Skip the eye masks and save the room in your bag!

Or something more traditional:

12. Bring your own conditioner and hair products. [ Female-Specific Business Travel Tips! ] The hair products in hotel rooms are notoriously tiny and likely not what you need to get your hair on point each morning. Instead, bring your own (within TSA rules, of course) and if necessary get some travel size toiletries containers like these:

13. Get an AC-vent mounted magnetic phone mount for your rental car. Many states now have hands-free laws and since you probably don’t know where you are going you are likely using your phone’s GPS navigation system. However, since it is not YOUR car…just a rental…your phone is probably sliding under the seat on every turn.

Fix that! Get a removable, AC-Vent mounted magnetic cell phone stand. It will easily attach to your rental car’s AC and allow you to keep your eyes on the road!

You can read my product review on the Wizgear Phone Mount here .

14. Bring some wet wipes . Travel size, of course. Tray tables are disgusting. Use the wipes to clean it off before you drop your phone onto it.

In the category of bonus business travel tips and tricks : you never know when the sandpaper toilet paper in the airplane lav isn’t going to cut it. You can also use them to wipe the hotel remote control down.

15. Install and use your loyalty apps. Every airline, hotel and rental car company has an app now. Some are better than others, but most seem to have your boarding pass sorted out and provide update on flights, etc. You can use them to check in, select your, even to unlock your hotel room if you really want to avoid people.

16. Take pictures of your receipts (or better yet use an App to track them). Keeping track of receipts while traveling for work can be a nightmare. I That is why I recommend using an app to store them. Personally, I use the Concur expense reporting app because it ties into my corporate system, but there are many other apps that help you track your expenses.

At a minimum, take a picture with your phone camera of any receipts you get (unless you already get an electronic copy).

17. Stay on top of your expense reports! It is easy to get behind on expense reports if you are not careful. And once your behind it is you that is footing that credit card bill not your company.

Make expense reporting part of your routine .

I often will start them on my trip and finish them on the very first full business day I have back in the office.

18. Use apps like Tripit to integrate w/ your calendar. I like Tripit because it loads all of my flight and hotel information right onto my calendar. No need to go hunting for emails or printing itineraries out. The address of my hotel, the phone number, the next flight, etc. It is all there for me right from my calendar.

19. Get travel size Lint roller. It is likely you will have less lint to deal with on the road than you do at home, but a small travel sized lint roller is a nice addition to your travel kit.

20. Bring a travel size sewing kit . If you pop a button on your shirt or need to fix a stitch, having a travel sewing kit handy can be incredibly useful. I usually don’t bring the scissors and instead simply use a pair of toenail clippers to snip any pieces of thread.

21. Bring a small eyeglass screwdriver . You never know when something will fall apart especially if you have glasses. I always carry a small tool with me. Something that will not geet flagged by TSA as the next terrorist threat.

Something like the Wallet Ninja , perhaps.

22. Bring Backup eye-ware. I wear glasses and there’s few things more frustrating them losing or breaking your glasses while on a trip. I used to bring an actual backup pair of glasses in a hard case. However, now I have switched to a pair of disposable contacts which is a much smaller load to carry.

Business Travel Tips for Getting To/From and Through the Airport

Getting in and out of the airport has the potential to be a real hassle. But that is only if you don’t know what you are doing. Here are some business travel tips focused on getting you to the airport, through security and on your plane.

Then, flip it around for your return home.

1. Get your parking situation sorted out . Parking your personal car at the airport can be an expensive and time consuming process. If you park too close, you pay an arm and leg. Too far, and you add way too much shuttle time to you trip (on both ends).

Do your research for your home airport and make sure you find a good happy medium.

The first few times you use a lot, keep track of the time to/from the garage on the shuttle and then adjust your future trips to that schedule or select a different parking lot.

Better yet, if you can find an airport lot that is not too expensive but still close enough to walk you’ve hit the jackpot! For example, Ontario airport (in California) has an option exactly like this. Check out my article on the Ontario Airport Parking options if you are a local.

2. Take a picture of your parking spot and the phone # to your shuttle company – keep it handy . I actually enter the phone # for my parking lot shuttle right into my phone contacts, but taking a picture is fine too.

If you are the forgetful type or going on a very long trip (or, like me, spend so much time traveling they all blur together and it is hard to remember where you parked you car because you are there so often!), take a picture of your parking location.

3. Get really good at the security checkpoint process . [ Must Know Business Travel Tips! ] This is one of the most important business travel tips I share! If you have ever seen the moving Up in the Air with George Clooney (I love this movie) you will get a good sense of how some of us business travelers see the security checkpoint line and some ideas even on how to get through it quickly.

Here are some things I do :

• First, make sure you know the rules (e.g. 3:1:1 rule for liquids , or electronics rules, etc).
• Get TSA Precheck if you can
• I take my belt off, store my wallet, 2nd phone, etc in my backpack BEFORE I enter the line.
• My pockets are empty except for my ID and Phone w/ Boarding pass on it.
• After getting the green light from the TSA agent I drop my ID and phone into my backpack.
• As I approach the bins I will unzip my laptop bag early for easy removal.
• BONUS Business Travel Tip: Some airports make me take my belt off, some don’t. So I just take it off now.
• My shoes are not slip off, but they do slip off quickly w/ no untying. Easy on and off.
• I always grab two bins. It is all I need. One for my laptop, one for my shoes. If you need more than that…you might want to reevaluate your packing list.
• I stack the bins on top of each while on the table. Latptop bottom, shoes top
• I keep my backpack and luggage OFF the table until the last minute . I figure,save the space for everyone else, and easier it is easier than trying to push everything along while you wait for the belt to catch it.
• I also try to pick the lines that have more business travelers in it. This is common sense. If you’ve ever been stuck behind a family who hasn’t traveled in 9 years, or college students who have no clue what is going on, you learn to seek out the pros. This doesn’t always work, because sometimes you get just get screwed.
• BONUS Business Travel Tip : I am a bit of a germaphobe. So, I never stand on the yellow footprints outside the xray machine. I stand to the side of them. My little silent protest if you will, but also…yucky sweaty feet.
• On the other side of the line, depending on the pace of the scanner I will either start putting some of my stuff back together at the belt or pick everything up and get the heck out there making room for others.
• There is usually a bench or something nearby for you to put your life back together again.

For more details on getting through airport security check out how to get through security faster . As a reminder here are the TSA Rules for Traveling with food

4. Get TSA Precheck . [ Must Know Business Travel Tips! ] The security checkpoint process can be a daunting and time consuming proposition. However, the Homeland Security department has provided a golden opportunity for travelers that are willing to go through a background check and get fingerprinted.

Once you get approved with TSA Precheck you can use an entirely different security line, one that is often shorter.

You will not have to remove your shoes or laptop during the screening process.

For a mere $85.00 (for five years!) and the minor inconvenience of a background check and fingerprinting you can optimize your travel experience in a BIG way. IMO, our government is leaving money on the table as I would pay 3 times that for the convenience.

Follow this link to learn how to sign up for TSA Precheck .

5. Get Global Entry when doing international travel . The US Customs and Border patrol has a similar program to TSA Precheck known as Global Entry. This program allows approved travelers to more easily re-enter the United States after international travel.

By getting pre-cleared you can save significant amounts of time getting back into the United States after an international trip. And by significant, I mean meaningful amounts of time! LOL. It’s a huge and when you sign up for Global Entry you get TSA Precheck too. Bam.

Here’s how to get Global Entry. (and if you are military, you may qualify for various free military benefits including TSA PreCheck .)

6. Learn the airports . Each airport has it’s own idiosyncrasies. Some airports have smoother security checkpoints. Others not so much.

Some airports have the ticket counter and security lines on the same floor. Others require you to take escalators up/down.

When connecting through an airport, try to figure out how much you really have to get from one gate to another. Larger airports may require you to take a train or walk for a long distance to get to your gate.

Over time you will start to get familiar with airports you frequent and this will give you an edge up over the huddled masses struggling to get from place to another.

7. Learn the boarding system for your airline and then try to board as early as you can . Each airline has their own unique airplane boarding process and it’s important you learn your airlines process and policies (and how you can use your status to travel hack your way to better seating and placement options for your carry ons).

For example, Southwest Airlines boards their planes using a letter-based grouping system . Passengers check in no earlier than 24 hours before their flight and receive a number and letter combination (like A23 or B14). Passengers line up in groups of five, loosely in order and board when your group is called. It’s open seating on Southwest so you get pick your seat.

This means the higher your letter and number the better seat you are likely to get. An “A” boarding pass is far more valuable than a B or C boarding pass. Get a C Boarding pass? You are almost guaranteed to get a middle seat. But status, or things like early bird check-in can help mitigate that.

Delta has their own unique process too as do United , American, etc. Make sure you learn how it works, and how varying levels of status might improve your boarding position.

8. When riding shuttles (like between terminals or to the baggage claim) go to the front of the shuttle car to board. By boarding towards the front you can debark the shuttle ahead of everyone else and move that must faster not having to wade between hordes of slow travelers.

9. When riding a shuttle bus (like to the rental car facility) try to sit near an exit and your luggage. This will allow you to get off a little quicker and not have to wait for other travelers struggling with their luggage.

Infographic – Pin Me!

On the Plane – Some Flying Tips for Business Travelers

Once you get on the plane, it’s time to relax. Or at least it should be. Here are some travel tips and tricks for business travelers once you get on the plane.

1. Say howdy to flight attendants as you board. Be kind. Make a point to greet the flight attendant – even if it’s early. You can make a funny comment if “super chipper you” is not present. In addition to simply being a nice human being, acknowledging the FAs could score you an extra drink or something along those lines.

This is one of those secret business travel tips that has a big payoff. When you think about it, it’s kinda obvious, but I am surprised how many people are just rude. And then shocked when THEY get treated like crap on the plane.

2. Find your seat, stow your bags, and get out of the aisle as fast as possible. The rest of us business travelers thank you for getting out the way so the rest of us can board! Make an effort to stow your gear and get out of the aisle as quickly as possible.

Common mistakes travelers make include not being ready. They are a hot mess getting on the plane with gear in different bags, overstuffed bags, and more.

Or they are just oblivious to the fact they are holding things up.

Don’t be that person. Get prepared, have a system and employ it.

3. Don’t use the bathroom during the boarding process. Go before you get on the plane! Trying to fight your way through the herd of boarding passengers is senseless. Go before you get on the plane, or wait until the seat belt sign is turned off.

4. Stow your bags as close to you as possible – preferably above you. Never stow them behind you. By stowing your bags behind your seat you are absolutely 100% guaranteeing a frustrating deplaning experience. You will have to swim upstream to get y our bags adding additional wasted time.

The one exception to this is obviously those cases when you have boarded so late you are pretty much screwed on overhead bin space.

5. It’s ok to stow both of your bags up above if you are tall/big. If you are small…not so much. This business travel tip typically causes a fair amount of discussion. There are good arguments on both sides of the table here, but for my money, if you are tall, it’s perfectly fine to stick both of your bags in the overhead bin.

If you are short, stick your smaller bag (e.g. laptop bag, purse, etc) under the seat in front of you)

6. Don’t stick your bag under YOUR seat – it’s for the passenger BEHIND you. It is surprising how often this rule gets violated – especially for folks sitting in the front row (aka bulkhead row). The area beneath your seat is not for you. It’s for the passenger behind you and their feet or their bag.

Don’t be the goofball that stows your stuff under your seat.

7. Learn the boarding process for your airline For your airline, make sure you research the nuances of it’s boarding process and then adapt your routine to follow. This is one of those business travel tips that will definitely make your travel more enjoyable.

8. If you are boarding early (before many other passengers) life will be easier. Whenever possible board as early as you can. The early you board the more likely you will be able to get adequate overhead bin space for that bag you didn’t check!

Boarding late? It’s going to be tough to find a spot near your seat to stash your bag.

9. If you are boarding later (after MANY other passengers have boarded) it’s time to get creative. Occasionally, as a business traveler you might find yourself boarding late in the process. This doesn’t happen all that often (given our status we usually board early), but from time to time it does happen. Maybe you switched to an earlier flight or booked something last minute, or were delayed an moved to a later flight.

Whatever the reason, it does happen. And when it does it may be time to get a little creative with finding spots for stowing your bags.

When boarding late, take the first open bin you find – even if it’s not directly over or near your seat. There may not be free bin space near your seat! Of course, make sure it’s at least in front of your seat – never stow your bags behind your seat.

10. If you are flying Southwest, use these travel tips to get the best seat Southwest has it’s own unique boarding and seating process. I’ve written an entire article on picking the best seats for Southwest . Check it out for some great tips!

11. Grab your headphones, snack and book/iPad – but keep most of your stuff in your backpack. No need to fully unpack everything from your backpack. Just grab the essentials and quickly sit down. Usually it’s just your headphones (hopefully already out and on your person) and maybe a snack.

Leave the rest in your bag. If you do need them standing up to get them will give your back a break!

12. Embrace the wonders of the takeoff nap. The takeoff nap is a wonderful business travel tip. Those first few minutes when your tired body hits the seat upon boarding until the flight hits 10,000 feet are glorious. I regularly use the takeoff nap to recharge my engines!

13. Skip the sleep mask. Never wear a sleep mask for your eyes on a plane. You look dumb.

And who are you kidding anyway? You and I both know you are not going to get any real sleep on that plane.

14. Use your travel pillow (but no need to bring it on every flight). Travel pillows are the rage these days and they’ve made a lot of improvements in the technology. For longer flights, bring a good travel pillow, like the Trtl , below or the Trtl Plus . No need, though, to bring it on every flight because it might just take up extra space.

On international flights, definitely bring it.

15. Remember, there are no more blankets on most flights. Most airlines don’t offer blankets anymore as part of their cost savings exercise. Honestly, you really don’t need one.

You can usually find one on international flights, and first or business class. If you do find yourself a bit cold, use your jacket and save the space in your luggage. Or invest in a travel blanket designed for easy storage.

16. Get water from the flight attendant instead of soda or alcohol. Flying is a great time to hydrate without filling your bladder up to the brim with a gallon of water. Top yourself off with a glass of water from the flight attendant and skip the booze.

Staying hydrated helps your body fight jetlag. Alcohol does the opposite.

You might be interested in: How to get over jet lag while you travel

17. Keep your stuff charged. Always. Be. Charging.

Establish a charging routine. Charge your stuff the night before your trip and even in the car on the way to the airport. In fact, charge whenever you can – including on the flight if need be using your portable USB power charger (like the Anker PowerCore 10000 – check price ). Check out my review of the Anker PCore1k .

Nothing more frustrating than your phone dying in the middle of Better Call Saul as you are flying over Oklahoma.

18. Use the bathroom that’s farthest away from you seat – and use the walking time to stretch your body out. This is really more of a business travel hack than a business travel tip. Using the lavatory that is farthest away from your seat gives your body a little time in a different position. Loosen those muscles up on the walk!

19. Don’t recline your seat (unless you are in the middle seat) . I hate it when people recline their seat backs. I have long legs and it means my knees are getting squished. As a general rule I don’t recline my seats as a courtesy to the travelers behind me.

Some exceptions, of course, are if you are in the middle seat, where all bets are off, or if you are in first or business class where there’s usually plenty of room.

20. Get up and stretch periodically. On longer flights this is important. Get up, walk to the back or front of the plane and back to your seat a few times. Stretch your body out along the way. I often will do this in the galley at the back of the flight (if it’s not too crowded).

21. Use the lavatory in your class of ticket. In other words, the first class lav is for first class ticket holders, not you. Stay within your class of purchase and avoid getting embarrassed when the flight attendant send you back to your cattle car, head hanging in shame.

You might be interested in checking out our travel memes for some great laughs!

Click here to laugh your arse off!

Or if you are interested in purchasing one of those comfortable hotel mattresses you slept on check out our article 11 Best Hotel Beds

Ok…let’s get back to the business travel tips and tricks!

NEW: COVID-19 Business Travel Tips & Advice

In the face of the arguably the world’s worst pandemic, the face of travel has changed since early 2020. Now, travel of all sorts – be it business or leisure – looks different in many ways. We felt it necessary to add a section that specifically highlights some of the current COVID-19 Travel Tips & Advice business travelers might need when traveling in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

While business travel has slowed to a crawl, it is still occurring and it continues to slowly increase. It may be years before business travel fully returns to the pre-COVID levels, but the business traveler will continue to exist. There’s just a few things to keep in mind:

• Face Masks Required. Pretty much everywhere you travel these days a face mask is either required or makes sense. Most airports, airlines and hotels now require face masks or face coverings when traveling. Some, like United or Delta , might ban you from using their services if you fail to comply. Bottom line: you need to buy and wear a face mask when traveling .
• Hand Sanitizer, Wipes and a healthy dose of germaphobia doesn’t hurt . Nowadays, bringing hand sanitizer with you on a business trip is a must. Clorox wipes and a general sense of awareness of where germs can live, touching your face, washing your hands more rigorously, etc, are now worth seriously considering on every single business trip.
• Cancellation policies are pretty lax right now . These days, travel providers need the business and as such, they are pretty loose with cancellation policies. If you’ve not traveled for work in a while, brush up on your hotel, airline or rental car policies – you may be able to leverage them to you or your company’s advantage.

Check back for more coronavirus business travel tips as we continue to update this section with the latest ideas, advice and suggestions on traveling for work during a pandemic.

The business traveler is faced with the very real challenge of staying healthy while you travel. It can be a difficult proposition – especially with your body being exposed to many different germs, exhaustion and unhealthy food. But you can take some important steps to try to stay healthy while you travel.

Here are some recommended steps, and for more read my article The 7 Habits of the Healthy Business Traveler: How to Stay Healthy While Traveling for Business .

1. Bring your workout gear (and actually workout…). Throw your workout shoes and some workout shorts (or yoga pants if you are a gal) in your bag. Working out while you travel is CRITICAL to staying healthy on the road.

And if you bring your gear…actually use it! Make a point of it.

In fact, here is the most essential workout gear you need to get the most out of your trip

2. Workout BEFORE dinner. The Healthy Business Traveler works out before dinner. This travel tip is something I have employed religiously and it has done more than anything to keep my health in check when I travel for business. By setting a firm rule that when the day is done you are going to get a workout in before you go out to eat with the customer or your colleagues is a game changer.

Here’s why. The chances of you working out when you get back from dinner is next to nil. After a few glasses of wine and a steak, it isn’t going to happen. Get it in before dinner! Plus you will find you will have less of an appetite and be more inclined to make smarter menu choices.

3. Pack a healthy snack (and skip the airport snacks). You gotta eat. Sometimes you get snacky. Rather than eating something unhealthy like a Twix bar or spending $7.00 for something at the airport, pack a healthy snack with you.

Here are some ideas on healthy snacks to bring with you while you travel: 9 Healthy Travel Snacks

4. Hydrate your body (but not so much you have to go to the bathroom 9 times on the plane). Aside from gorging on delicious meals, this is the hardest tip for me to follow because I don’t like water. Frankly, it’s boring. And in my family, the men are always going to the bathroom and I hate running to the lavatory multiple times on the plane or in a customer meeting.

So, I tend to not follow this advice as much as I should. I try to make up for it by hitting water hard the night before a flight, and getting after it pretty heavy at my hotel at night.

According to According to OneMedical.com , staying hydrated has multiple benefits including: removing toxins from your body, improving cardiovascular health, keeping your body cool, making your skin supple (translation: less wrinkles) and more

Greatist notes that regular water consumption may promote weight loss, improves mood, fights fatigue and much more. In fact, I have not found anyone who thinks drinking water is a bad idea.

Besides, if you’ve had a kidney stone in the middle of the night stuck in a Nashville Hilton like I have, well, it’s agonizing. You don’t want it. Trust me on that. Had I drank more water I likely could have prevented that unpleasant experience.

You might consider getting a travel water bottle that you can easily fill up on the other side of the airport security lane:

Check out my review of the Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle

5. “Go” whenever you can, but especially before flights and on layovers. In the military we often follow a few key rules: Eat when can, sleep when you can, and go when you can. You never know when you might have the chance again.

You can employ these precepts on your business trips – and this is especially true with regard to bathroom use. Always go when you can and definitely before you get on a flight.

For example, you might encounter turbulence which means the seat belt sign stays on longer than your poor bladder can endure. It can make a flight excruciating.

6. Build a medical kit (or at least some band-aids, pain relievers, and Cold Medicine, cough drops). Build a medical kit (or at least some ban-daids, pain relievers, and Cold Medicine, cough drops).You never know what will hit you while traveling. You are tired, in a different time zone, around other people in a confined metal tube, etc. My go to kit is (preferably in travel quantities):

• Pain Relievers: Aleve, and Tylenol PM (to help get to sleep if needed – only if needed)
• Kleenex/Tissue
• Cough Drops
• Claritin D Allergy Pills
• Vitamins (which, btw, you CAN take with you)
• Something for the tummy, not much is worse than a stomach issue on a plane
• Any meds I may be on at the time

7. Bring some hand sanitizer! While traveling for work you will encounter numerous surfaces that have yucky germs all over them – just waiting to infect you. Tray tables, lavatory bathroom handles, hotel remote controls, seat belts and more.

Avoid the plague by bringing a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer (check price) with you and using it liberally!

8. Stretch regularly. Maybe even do some yoga! While traveling your body gets into some kinked up positions. Make sure to take time to stretch it. Maybe it’s on the plane, or maybe just in your hotel room in the morning.

I prefer to do some yoga stretches in the mornings in the comfort of my  hotel room.

Your body will thank you!

9. Skip the escalator and especially the people movers. Burn a few extra calories by taking the stairs or walking next to the people movers if you have the time. I make it fun by trying to race-walk someone who is on the people mover. Of course, the people mover can be a lifesaver when you are hustling to catch a flight.

10. Train your body to not care what time zone it is in Seasoned business travelers will be less effected by jet lag. This is because we are simply used to being in multiple time zones and having to be “up” for customers or colleagues. It doesn’t always work (sometimes you are just dog tired), but with practice and training you can start to tune your body to be less dependent on the actual time zone it is in or coming from.

If you are struggling with Jet lag, read my article on how to get over jet lag when you travel .

Hotel Tips for Business Travelers

I’ve written extensively on hotel tips and I would encourage you to check out the following articles for more information:

• 9 Hotel Safety Tips You Need to Know
• 10 Great Hilton Honors Hotels Hacks You Need to Know
• 31 Amazing Hotel Hacks Travel Pros Use all the Time
• Best Hotel Sheets
• Best Hotel Beds

But here are a few hotel tips for business travelers that will get you pointed in the right direction:

1. Get to know the staff (if you are staying there for a long time or multiple visits). Get to know the staff (if you are staying there for a long time or multiple visits).I stayed in a single hotel in Sacramento 3 days a week for 4 months. 2x a month in NYC for almost 2 years and lately 1x a month for a year now in Nashville.

The staff got to know me and started to do things like leave extras in my room (beyond my status stuff) or welcome me warmly when I arrive.

2. Use the Hotel’s HDMI cable. Most modern hotels have HD cables/tvs. Instead of watching your favorite Netflix show on the small window of your cell phone or tablet, connect your laptop to the TV via the HDMI cable and enjoy the latest episode of Peaky Blinders in full color!

If need be bring your own HDMI cable !

3. Take advantage of late check in / out. With status you likely get the ability to do a late check in (e.g. at 1am after you finally arrive from 3 hours of flight delays at Midway airport). If you don’t have status you will need to call the hotel and inform them that you will be checking in late.

4. Know what you are entitled too w/ your status. You’ve earned the status. So use it!

Make sure you understand what you are (and are not) entitled too. For example, as a Hilton Diamond Member I get free waters, snacks and access to Executive Lounge (among other things).

If the clerk forgets something, gently remind them (no need to lord it over them, of course).

Get what’s yours!

5. Ask for the upgrade! Doesn’t always work but every once in a while you can get an upgraded room, car or even a boarding positions. This happens more when you have status with the company but it also helps if you are nice and at least ask. Give it a try.

6. Be nice to the staff! Sometimes you might get a free upgrade too. Or at the very least, when your hotel room shower doesn’t work the desk clerk might actually work with you get you a new room instead of telling you to suck it up. Be nice, show interest. Smile.

7. Use the hotel’s lotion if you forget aftershave or shave cream if you forgot yours. [ Male-Specific Business Travel Tips! ] Even the savviest business travelers forget or lose stuff. One business travel tip I’ve learned is that, in a pinch, I can use the hotel room’s lotion or even shampoo as crude shaving cream and of course the lotion works as an ok aftershave!

The downside is you will smell like lilac butterflies (or whatever crappy flavor their lotion is) all day. LOL

* Update : A female reader informed me that this travel trick applies to women too…so there you go!

8. The hotel usually has replacement toiletries. Almost all hotels will give you a replacement toothbrush or toothpaste if you forget yours. You won’t get deodorant or anything more serious like that, but it’s a nice to remember they got your back!

Safety & Security Tips for Business Travel

Occasionally travel can be a little unsafe. Here are some business travels tips to stay safe and secure on the road!

1. Keep your computer’s firewall on when using the public Internet. No real explanation needed for this one. Networks are not safe. You should know that by now. If want more depth on this business travel tip, you can jump over to my post 7 Cyber Security Travel Tips, Don’t get hacked on your business trip !

2. Keep your antivirus software up to date and be careful what sites you visit . I probably don’t need to explain this one. Just do it.

3. Flip the door latch in your hotel room. I can’t tell you how many times this has paid off. From another traveler who was given a key to my room by the front desk, to the cleaning crew, you never know when someone will burst into your room. Also,it is a good idea from a safety perspective.

4. Glance at the alternate exit plan for the hotel. Glance at the alternate exit plan for the hotel.Just about every hotel has a sign on the inside of the door that shows the emergency exit route. Believe it or not, I have actually been rousted out of my room at 3am because the hotel was on fire.

You will be one step ahead and if you really need it (e.g. 9/11 scenario) it could save your life. Also, grab your backpack on the way out (but skip the suitcase).

5. Put the do not disturb sign on the door when you leave the hotel room. I use this trick when I don’t want the staff in my room when I head down for breakfast or out for a beer.

Obviously if you want them to clean the room, take the sign down. If I go out for a beer I am usually leaving my laptop in the room. No need to make it easier on the staff. The illusion that someone is room might be enough to deter them.

6. Turn the TV on when you are not in the room. This business travel safety tip can be used in conjunction with the preceding tip. By leaving the TV on (and the do not disturb sign on the door) potential intruders are likely going to find an easier room to rob.

Unless they are Chinese hit men and you are their target.

7. Don’t leave valuables in your suitcase (and if you do, make it hard to get at). Generally, I don’t travel w/ too much stuff of value, but occasionally I have to leave my laptop in the hotel or something like that.

When I do, I employ a little trick I think works (although I have no idea). In addition to burying it beneath a stack of clothes and zipping it up and sticking the suitcase in the closet, I throw a pair of underwear on top of it.

Gross right. I figure they aren’t touching it. #LevelUp

8. Take your tooth brush with you during the day – don’t leave it in the hotel room. I’ve heard horror stories about maids jacking with people’s toothbrushes. I don’t know if this is actually true, but I’m not taking any chances.

I always bring my toothbrush (and toothpaste) with me each day.

Bonus: I can brush my teeth after lunch!

9. Carry a personal safety alarm . [ Female-Specific Business Travel Tips! ] This is another business travel tip shared with me by a fellow female traveler. She noted that sometimes you need to feel safe or be safe. Having the ability to trigger a siren on a key chain is comforting.

Better yet, learn Krav Maga .

* Update : I was informed by a female reader that this applies to men as well. Although, I’ve had several other female readers suggest that’s not the case. I give us. If you feel unsafe, maybe this travel tip or trick will help you…

For more travel safety tips check out 9 Travel Safety Tips to help you stay safe on your next trip

Tips for Eating on the Road

You gotta eat! Here are some business travel tips for eating while on the road.

1. Skip the chain restaurants and eat local. The thought of another Applebee’s meal makes me nauseous. Besides, there are so many good local restaurants. Find something local and non-chainy.

Not only will you support small businesses, but you might have a better dining experience. Often the hotel clerk can point you to something good. Or ask the customer!

2. Don’t forget to eat healthy . Nuff said.

Ok, I will say one more thing. One the hardest things to do on the road is to consistently eat healthy. This didn’t make the top 10 list of “must know” business travel tips, but perhaps it ought to: make an effort to eat healthy! If you need some suggestions on healthy travel snacks check out my article 9 Healthy Travel Snacks to eat smarter on the road .

3. Use Yelp to pick a good restaurant . Yelp is a great tool to try to find reputable restaurants while you are traveling. Use it liberally!

4. Better yet, go shopping for food (especially if you are on an extended stay). For longer stays I may shop for food at the local grocery store in my destination town. It saves money, and you can eat a little healthier – usually.

It also helps if you have a hotel that has a kitchen!

5. Eat at a nice (expensive) restaurant for lunch . Without blowing your daily per diem you may be able to sample some of the nicer restaurants in an area by visiting them for lunch (instead of dinner) where you can find a cheaper version of some of their favorites.

Get your Instagrammable experience for less $$.

Enjoying (and surviving) your Business Trip

To get the most out of your trip employ some of the following business travel tips designed to increase enjoyment…and survival.

1. Learn the history of the area you are visiting . Learn the history of the area you are visiting (e.g. Wiki Minot, ND).I was briefly a history major in college and I grew up literally reading encyclopedias. Regardless, I always try and learn a little bit about where I am staying at (check out my guide to Salem Oregon which also includes a brief history lesson on the town).

I once visited Minot, ND. Pretty cool little town w/ some interesting history. It might give you something to talk about w/ the customer or impress your colleagues with your vast knowledge. And you might be able to squeeze in a quick visit to some cool American attraction that you’d never otherwise see.

At the very least it’s something to do in the Hotel room besides watching John Oliver on HBO. This is one of my favorite business travel tips! I hope it is for you to.

2. See if you can squeeze in a quick visit to the major tourist attraction . Of all of the business travel tips, this is probably my absolute favorite! Seeing the sights while you travel for work is often hard to do because on business travel you are rushing from one place to the next.

Still, there are times when you can squeeze something in. For example, I visited a cavern when I was working in Sierra Vista, AZ w/ a colleague for a month.

I’ve toured a lighthouse during a long drive up the Oregon coast. Visited NYC attractions during long stints in the City (like a Yannkees game). Went to the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial and the 9/11 Memorial. The Foodies among us are always on the search for the great food places.

You are THERE so you might as well try to see some of this great country.

3. Take the long way back to the airport / Maybe even get lost on purpose! I love this business travel tip. If time permits I will try to take a different or longer way back to the airport so I can see more of the area I am visiting.

In many cases (again, if time permits) I will intentionally turn my GPS off and allow for the possibility I get lost! You can read my entire article on this unique business travel tip here: My favorite Travel Hack Don’t Use your GPS and Get Lost!

4. Figure out where you are going the next day and map out your route and arrival times . Figure out where you are going the next day and map out your route and arrival times.I always put my destination address in Google Maps the night before to see how long I need to travel.

Then I add a little buffer time, perhaps adjust for traffic if needed and then start setting up my alarms.

No one likes late people.

5. Have a good routine and stick to it . It’s probably the Marine in me, but this is one of those business travel tips that just came naturally to me.

Personally, I always unpack immediately after I get to the Hotel Room. I hang my clothes. Iron the next day’s clothes (usually just a shirt, as my pants are always wrinkle free) and lay out the rest of my stuff (socks, etc).

I also set my toiletries out and on especially early mornings I go so far as to lay the towel out on the floor next to the tub, physically move the shampoo into the shower, hang my towel next to the shower, and get the coffee pretty close to ready.

I will even lay out my Allergy pill and partially open it (sigh..anal much??). Usually, I in a different time zone, and know I will be running on fumes in the morning.

Those extra few seconds seem to add up and give me a little buffer if I am running slow.

6. Set 2 alarms for the morning . Set 2 alarms for the morning.I always set two alarms for the next morning. Usually 15 minutes apart. This is especially important if you are dealing w/ a big time zone swing (e.g. West Coast to East Coast).

7. Never use the hotel alarm clock . It’s likely not the right time, and often is not worth learning how to use.

8. Allocate time to warm your car up and scrape the ice off your windows in colder destinations . When in colder climates expect some ice / frost on the windows and that you will need to warm you car up for a few minutes. Allow time in your morning schedule for this and don’t be late because you’ve never scraped ice off a window before!

9. Consider joining your airline airport club system . These can be a little pricey, but with airline status you can often get discounted rates (or even gratis). The lounges are nice places to briefly relax before a flight, or snag a quick meal.

But where they come in really handy is when your day turns the crap and you are stuck with a serious delay. They can be a little haven for you while you weather out whatever the business travel gods through at you.

10. Document your experience on social media for fun (or start a blog!) . You are traveling, and it can be fun or at least seem to be fun to other people. Might as well upload a pic to Instagram or Facebook and tell everyone where you are.

You will see some funny stuff while you travel for business so take a pic! I am on social media w/ a bunch of other business travelers and we always post our itinerary using the airport codes and see if we can figure out where they are. (SNA to ATL to MSY anyone!?!)

11. Stay even-keeled and realistic . [ Must Know Business Travel Tips! ] Travel can suck sometimes. You will have delays, you will be tired, you will get stuck in a middle seat sometimes.

The hotel bed will suck, the lady in the hotel room next to you is enjoying the pleasures of matrimony all night, etc, etc. Sometimes there is nothing you can do. There are things beyond your control.

So just roll w/ it.

I’ve been stuck in a middle seat for 6 hours on the way back from JFK. It sucks, for sure.

But it doesn’t last forever .

I’ve also done that same flight in first class. You win some you lose some. No need to lose your ever-loving mind because you had to store your backpack under your seat for the flight back from SLC to SAN. Remember, nothing lasts forever.

Rental Car Tips

If you travel for work, you will likely spend a decent time in rental cars. While each rental car company has their own unique elements (don’t even get me started on Avis..ugh…they are terrible), for the most part they operate the same.

Reserve a car. Pick up car. Use Car. Gas up car. Return car.

Rinse and repeat.

Here are a few business travel tips to make your car rental experience a little better.

1. Skip the rental car if you can (and use Uber or Lyft). The first rental car tip is to avoid them when you can! Many times the cost of a taxi or Uber will be cheaper than renting a car for multiple days. Make sure you do the math on this though (and if applicable, factor in parking!).

Additionally, in bigger cities, renting a car is likely going to result in hassles the whole way. Hassles like finding parking (and cheap parking at that).

Whenever attending a big city it’s likely a Taxi or Lyft is going to be your best option.

Sign up for Lyft Ridesharing and get $5.00 off your first ride

2. Skip the rental car insurance. [ Saving money business travel tips! ] Rental car insurance is a scam. No other way to say it.

If you are on a work trip there’s about a 99% chance your company’s insurance policies will cover any damage to the vehicle. Many companies prohibit their employees from getting the insurance (and they should!)

Even if you are renting it for personal use, you likely don’t need it. Your current car insurance company (for your personal vehicle) will likely cover you and many credit card companies oddly have some coverage here.

Check your insurance company, credit card company and company travel policy for all the details.

3. Sign up for the rental car rewards program. Oddly, many business travelers don’t sign up for the rental car rewards program. While they may get approved to rent a car, they don’t go the extra step of getting fully on-boarded into the system.

Check out all of our rental car hacks

Renting a car can be a smooth process or a real hassle. By signing up for the rental car rewards program you can check in/out quicker, earn free rentals, and occasionally receive special offers.

4. Return the rental car the night before your flight home. This business travel tip falls under the category of saving time and reducing hassle. If you have an early flight the next morning (you know, one of those 6am flights), return your rental car the night before and take the hotel shuttle in the morning (or an Uber).

Of course, this only works if you are actually staying near the hotel. But, it can save you the hassle of dealing with getting a car back in, riding in a rental car shuttle, etc.

5. Always gas up your rental before you return it. Rental car companies are more than happy to fill up your gas tank for you when you return it – “saving you time.” But not saving you money!

The gimmick here is that they are going to charge you for a full tank of gas – regardless of how full your car’s gas tank actually is. Only used 1 quarter of your tank? Pay for a full tank.

Skip the idiot charge and fill it up yourself before you return it.

6. Download the Rental Car Company’s Mobile App. Most rental car companies now have a mobile app. It can be used, in many cases to find the vehicle you are renting (thus skipping the rental car counter and saving you time.

It can also be used to reschedule or change a reservation. Occasionally, I will use it mid-trip to book a car when originally I thought I didn’t need one.

Lastly, it will likely provide easy access to support and roadside assistance numbers which could helpful if you get stuck somewhere with a flat tire or dead battery.

7. Make sure you know if the rental car facility is on-airport or off-airport . This is important as it can mean the difference between needing to RUN to catch your flight or taking a casual stroll.

Many airports utilize off-airport rental car facilities. Anywhere from a 5 – 20 minute ride in a shuttle to get your car (and it’s the same for the return). Keep this in mind as you plan your rental car return times.

8. Use your credit card to scrape ice off the window of your rental car if you don’t have an ice scraper Rental car companies that serve cold weather destinations will almost always include an ice scraper in the rental car during winter months.

But occasionally they don’t or it’s simply not there.

One option is to use one from the hotel front desk (many have one for this exact purpose). You could borrow one from a colleague or a random stranger.

But, a trick that works ok is to simply use your credit card (or Costco card…).

Usually you will have to turn your car on and start defrosting it to get it a little loose, but it works like a charm – aside from it taking longer and being a bit messy.

1. Get the best credit card you can to maximize your points . It is likely you are getting reimbursed by your company and travel is expensive. That means some serious dollars are going through someone’s credit card.

If you can, use your personal credit card and start racking up the points.

It might be easier to use a completely separate card for this, so you can track your expenses. Use the points to get cash back, free vacations, and more.

I prefer the Southwest Chase Card and the Delta Amex, but there are lots of great credit cards out there that offer various rewards.

I also use my cards for personal expenses (like the water bill) to maximize points. We took a week-long trip to Hawaii (5-person family at the time) and the only thing I had to pay for was 2 rental car days, food, and entertainment.

And we got upgraded to a SWEET suite!

2. Actually sign up for the loyalty programs! As was mentioned much earlier in this article, try to stick with a single airline, hotel and rental car brand so you can earn status and points quicker. But don’t forget to actually sign up for the loyalty rewards program!

For example, Hilton (my chosen hotel) has their Hilton Honors program. It’s easy to sign up for and there are MANY benefits to those who earn status. You can read all about them in my article on the Hilton Honors Rewards Program a fresh look .

And for some bonus Hilton Hacks, check out my article 10 Great Hilton Honors Hotels Hacks You Need to Know .

3. Even if you are not flying on you preferred airline provider – sign up for hte loyalty program. I am a Southwest Airlines guy through and through. Occasionally Delta . But if I have to fly say United ever, I still maintain a United loyalty account.

If I have to travel United I will be sure to earn some points which I may be able to transfer somewhere else. Make sure to sign up for any of the loyalty programs for the providers you use regardless of frequency of use. You might be missing out on some points!

By the way, you might be interested in The Mileage Run a Frequent Flyer Travel Hack You Need to Know!

Apparel tips and tricks for business travelers

You want to find that balance between looking professional and being comfortable. Here are a few business travel tips under the category of apparel for business travelers.

1. Get comfortable shoes (and maybe orthotics) . The business traveler will be on his/her feet a significant amount of time. Your feet will be barking as you lug your bags through the airport after standing in a trade show booth all day.

Take the time to find comfortable shoes that work for YOUR feet.

I have larger, wider feet so finding good shoes is a challenge. But once I find a pair…I usually get a few pairs to have in case they are discontinued.

I also starting using Orthotics a few years ago and that has been an absolute game changer for me. The brand I currently use is made by Archmolds (check price) and they are superb!

2. Buy wrinkle free clothes. I hate ironing. Seriously. I really hate it. I did a ton of it in the USMC and came to despise it. But with the life a business traveler it is hard not to do it sometimes.

That said, I try to buy wrinkle free clothing whenever possible. I have personally found that wrinkle free dress shirts are hard to find (polos are no biggie) so I still have to iron them in many cases.

3. Use the “shower trick” to dewrinkle your clothes (and avoid the iron). [ Must Know Business Travel Tips! ] If you do have some minor wrinkles, shut the bathroom door, hang the pants or jacket on the back of the door and start the shower and steam up the room.

This trick works WONDERS. 10 minutes of a steaming shower and the wrinkles will fall right off your favorite slacks.

4. Dress Comfortable. Some folks suggest you should dress nice. Maybe it’s for the mental confidence boost it gives you. Power suit!

But I disagree. Instead, dress comfortably .

On my outbound flights I am often not meeting w/ anyone until the next day. I usually wear jeans and polo shirt.

On the return flight I am usually leaving a customer site or office and am in business gear. I will often change into jeans after I get through security. Sorry, comfort outweighs image.

But don’t be a homeless looking bum, either!

Of all the business travel tips this is one that tends to cause a lot of discussion. What do you say?

5. Get a reversible belt [ Male-Specific Business Travel Tips! ] In the spirit of packing light, invest in a reversible belt (see price) (black on one side, brown on the other). It’s one less belt to carry with you!

6. Get a Navy Blue Blazer [ Male-Specific Business Travel Tips! ] Every man should own a Navy Blue Sport Coat/Blazer. This allows you to quickly toggle from casual to business casual in no time. This is a great travel accessory / clothing item to add to your travel kit.

The Rest: a catch-all of tips when you travel for business

1. Skip the airport souvenir shop. Shop local instead. Airport souvenir shops are notoriously expensive! Ever paid $3.50 for a candy bar? That’s an airport gift shop price!

Occasionally, I like to bring something home for my kids (not every trip or they’d be spoiled). To save money I will try to visit a local Wal-Mart or other similar store and buy something local there (like a I Heart NYC shirt or something).

2. Be nice to the staff! (airline, shuttle drivers, hotel desk clerks, etc). As a general rule being nice will get you a lot farther while traveling. Could be an upgrade to a bigger room. Maybe a nicer car.

I can’t tell you how many times simply being nice has paid off.

Additionally, by being nice you might actually have an interesting conversation and/or meet some fascinating people.

#Don’tBeAnAHole

3. Tip the shuttle drivers, etc. [ A “be kind” business travel tip! ] Driving a shuttle or portering your bags is not a high paying job. Tips are important to these folks. Tip when appropriate and go big when exceptional.

$2.00 for a carry-on, $5.00 for a big bag. But, if the don’t lift the bags, you are under no obligation to tip – nor should you.

Oh…and add a thank you.

4. Share your wisdom w/ the younger travelers. I took my first business trip to Phoenix on a Southwest flight. My second trip was to Oklahoma and my checked bag got lost.

I could have used some business travel tips back then! Share your wisdom with your fellow travelers, colleagues, newbies and more.

In fact, leave us a comment below – what are some of your business travel tips?

Summary of the [ Must Know Business Travel Tips ]

For easy consumption, I’ve summarized the business travel tips that you absolutely must know (and follow):

• Stick with a single Airline, Hotel, and Rental Car company .
• Pack light (and well) .
• Never check your bag .
• Get a Good Backpack
• Get some good noise canceling headphones (and a backup set)!
• Download your content ahead of time to skip the Internet fee on the plane.
• Get TSA Precheck .
• Get really good at the security checkpoint process .
• Use the “shower trick” to de-wrinkle your clothes and avoid the iron
• Stay even-keeled and realistic .

There you have it…the top 10 business travel tips that every savvy traveler needs to know.

Agree? Disagree? What would you add to the list? What business travel tip did we miss?

Business Travel Tips – closing arguments

This concludes the massive list of business travel tips. While it’s possible you already knew about some of these business travel tips I hope that some of the travel tips and hacks we’ve shared will be game changers for you on your next work trip!

If you are looking for business travel news check out our Travel News Section

Join the conversation by leaving us a comment below. And, don’t forget to follow us on social media including Twitter , Instagram and Facebook . We want to hear all about your next work trip!

By the way, if you are interested in more business travel tips and travel advice, you might like these great articles:

• 27 Amazing Hotel Pillows the Best Hotel Pillows You can Buy
• Best Travel Purse
• Zoom Backgrounds
• Things to do when stuck at home
• 53 Amazing Gifts for Business Travelers in the 2020 Gift Guide for Travelers
• 9 Healthy Travel Snacks to eat smarter on the road
• 11 Best Hotel Beds and where to buy that Hotel Mattress you Love
• Ultimate Bitcoin Travel Directory : How and where to use crypto for travel
• 101 Travel Hacks for the Business Traveler
• 26 Must Have Travel Gadgets & Gear to add to your travel kit
• 9 Travel Safety Tips to help you stay safe on your next trip
• The Best Travel Gifts for Her
• The Ultimate List of the Best Travel Blogs
• TSA Food Rules
• What is the best business travel backpack ?
• Best Travel Drone – compare and contrast the top rated drones for travel
• Top Travel Pillows
• Anker PowerCore 20100 Review
• Why Frequent Travelers should buy their Travel Size Toiletries in Bulk!
• TSA Drone Policy – do they have one?

Pin these for later:

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Jeremy Ballou is the editor of the CBoardingGroup.com and a long-time writer in both the travel and tech industry. Most days he's in thinking about travel or writing about it.

Travel Tip Tuesday #39 – Bring ear plugs…but ditch the eye mask

Fun travel advice: don’t use your gps…and get lost on your next trip, you may also like, demon dentist freaks out and removes clothes at..., five days in slovenia: a guide to the..., can i fly with an expired license, what is a redress number and do i..., how to make your bed like a hotel..., how to stop your ears from hurting on..., the traveler’s first aid kit: how savvy business..., 11 tips on traveling with your boss –..., 23 jobs with travel: the ultimate list of..., deal alert: rockland wheeled underseat carry-on 72% off, 16 comments.

Wow you gathered so many tips and covered all aspects that are really important. I always carry a power bank – it could be a real life savers sometimes.

Not everyone will agree on all these. I disagree with the 4 wheel spinner suitcase. I travel a lot and have found that the spinners work really well if….you don’t have to roll them outside much. Many times I find myself in the snow, a cobblestone street, rain, gravel parking lots, etc. So a good 2 wheel suitcase will far outperform in those situations. Also if you do pick the spinner do it for the right reasons and pick a good quality suitcase like the one you mention. The cheap or off brand spinners won’t hold up and don’t roll good. Also if you are using a spinner to roll down the airplane aisle it shouldn’t be because your suitcase is too heavy for you to handle. I also disagree with reclining your seat. You shouldn’t really do this at all on daytime short haul flights in economy. Doing this in the middle seat is the worst because you are reclining into another person in a middle seat where they have no room to move already!

I have a spinner and it’s great on smooth or even smoothish surfaces. As you say, when the surface is rough a two wheel works better. That’s when I pull it on two wheels.

Problem solved

Exactly what I do!

This is some really good information about traveling for business. I liked that you pointed out that you should bring a multi-plug adapter. That does seem like a good thing to do if you are traveling to a different country that could have a different electrical grid.

This is a very enlightening and thorough post. I appreciate the tips!

So true! There was so much info on this post. Red eye flights were always an issue for us haha

Thanks for sharing this awesome list. Keep posting more in the future.

Definitely the best post on travel tips in the web, thank you!

My tip is to plan your wardrobe for your trip in the same color family. I used to travel weekly and one week would be blue suit/pants/skirts, next week black, following week brown. This cuts down on the number of shoes you need to bring. I could usually get away with one pair of dress shoes for the week.

This is really great advice Lisa! Thanks for sharing.

The video perfectly shows problem faced by frequent air travelers. I appreciate you shared the list of business travel tips. Quite useful

Whenever I visit your website I enjoy reading your content because of the good articles.

Usually, my company books me a flight, hotel, etc. for my business trips but these tips are helpful in any case. Also, I recommend traveling with a backpack if your business trip is 2-3 days 🙂

I found this article is very helpful for travelers. It gave me an idea of what useful things I can pack to make my traveling experience more enjoyable. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing advice here.

It is very easy to explain the difference between heading and heading in this blog. Thanks for sharing. JetBlue Airways reports that you can check in online and print boarding passes up to 24 hours before Departure.

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22 Business Travel Tips for Frequent Corporate Travelers

If you’re frequently on the road for work, use these tips to make the most of your time away from home.

Business Travel Packing Tips

1. Use only carry on bags. Lugging a large suitcase through a foreign city or having your luggage lost before your destination is no way to start a business trip. Pack light to keep all your belongings in your allotted carry on bags.

2. Keep essentials packed between trips. Having extra toiletries, chargers, office supplies, and business cards already in your bag can save you time each time you travel.

3. Pack dress shirts in plastic garment bags. The plastic bags your dry cleaning is delivered in can help keep shirts from wrinkling in your suitcase.

4. Include casual clothes, not just suits. Having business-appropriate clothing is important. However, you’ll likely have time to explore your surroundings on foot and have a casual dinner one night. Packing gym clothes is also important.

5. Pack with security checkpoints in mind. Depending on where you’re traveling to, you will have to follow various security protocols. Your liquids and electronics should be easily accessible.

6. Invest in good luggage and accessories. A suitcase that is easy to pack and maneuver is worth the investment. A small digital scale that fits in a side pocket can help you avoid costly charges for a suitcase over the airline’s weight limit.

7. Pack items that help you sleep. Prioritize a pillow, headphones, or eye mask to help you sleep while at a hotel or on the plane. A good night of sleep is more important than a fourth pair of shoes.

8. Products like packing cubes can help you stay organized so you can easily find items when you need them. Each cube can hold a day’s outfits or contain a particular type of garment like evening wear or swim gear for that nighttime dip in the pool. Cubes can also keep dirty clothes sequestered from clean ones and make packing the morning of departure less chaotic!

Tips for Smooth Business Travel

9. Join rewards programs. Take advantage of your corporate travel to gain points or miles on your airline, hotel, or travel credit card of choice. You should also choose a credit card without foreign transaction fees.

10. Charge electronics before you fly. Your phone, laptop, and tablet should all have plenty of battery to help you pass time productively in the airport and on your flight. You won’t need to fight for an outlet at your gate either.

11. Use programs that speed up your travel. Check in to your flights online and print your boarding pass before heading to the airport. Apply for TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry to gain access to faster-moving security and customs around the world.

12. Book non-stop flights. Layovers lengthen trips. A two-or three-hour stop mid-trip can mean spending an extra day on the road, waking up earlier than necessary, or having a suitcase that didn’t make the same transfer you did.

13. Pay for an airport lounge membership. Most airlines provide lounges with plenty of food, outlets, and quiet space for a reasonable cost. Spend your time waiting for your flight away from the hustle and bustle of everyone waiting for your flight.

14. Print important confirmation numbers. While no one likes to think about losing their phone, it is possible to run out of battery just as you need your boarding pass or confirmation number. Print your itinerary and keep a copy in each of your bags.

15. Find (or pack) healthy food. Travel is hard on your body, and you need to continue to do your job well on the road. Packing or buying healthy snacks will help you stay well while traveling.

16. Use a travel management company (TMC). TMCs can help your company save money and optimize business trip itineraries. They can also simplify expensing and other forms of record-keeping required by business travelers.

Tips for More Business Travel Fun

17. Combine business and leisure. Add a few personal days to the beginning or end of a business trip to make it a “bleisure” trip! Bleisure trips are cost-effective and can help you be at your best personally and professionally!

18. Make more time for fun. Business trips can be stressful, especially when there are multiple locations or venues to visit. Plan ahead or use a travel management company to optimize itineraries. Renting a car instead of using ride sharing apps or waiting for cabs can save a lot of time and money.

19. Skip the hotel gym but don’t skip working out! Instead of staying on hotel grounds, use your daily jog as an opportunity to explore your surroundings. Research which areas of a location are safest and consider sticking to public areas like parks. Let family members or coworkers know you plan on venturing out on your own.

20. Find workspaces that double as leisure spaces. Hotels are converting rooms into WFH spaces complete with thoughtful amenities to accommodate the remote work revolution. Perks could include discounted meals and relaxing surroundings like poolside cabanas.

21. Avoid jet lag. Jet lag can really throw a wrench in your trip, especially when traveling internationally. Trying a melatonin supplement or any one of these tips can help you overcome jet lag and better enjoy your downtime.

22. Explore your hobby. Expand your horizons by researching what connections your destination has to your favorite hobby. Maybe there’s a museum dedicated to your hobby’s history or a unique retail store devoted to selling hobby-related products and services.

Want to Learn More?

Contact our dedicated corporate travel experts by filling out the form below or calling 1-877-357-4471.

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50 Easy Business Travel Tips To Help Make Work Travel Less Stressful

The challenge with business travel is packing light but being prepared for unexpected situations. Here are some simple business travel tips for Millennials and Gen Z professionals that will help make your life easier on the road.

Let’s be honest, business travel sucks. In addition to our business travel responsibilities, we are also usually remotely managing our regular projects. It’s a delicate balance and whatever you can do to make your travel experience easier will help reduce stress and maintain your mental health.

Older generations, like Gen X, already have decades of business travel experience. But many Millennials and Gen Z are new to business travel and have the added handicap of missing several years during the COVID lockdowns.

Here are some simple business travel tips that will help make your life easier on the road. This article separates tips into preparation, packing, flying, and lodging. Please jump to a specific section for additional info if it’s more relevant for you.

• Planning Your Business Trip
• Booking Travel
• Packing Your Bags
• At The Airport
• On Your Flight
• At The Hotel

BUSINESS TRIP PLANNING

Before you pack your bags and go to the airport, here are some simple tips to help you with your business travel planning.

Research Your Destination Before Departure

• Do some research on your hotel and the surrounding area before your trip. That way you have a better idea of what to expect when you arrive.

How far away is the airport from your hotel and the client’s office? Will you be traveling between locations during rush hour? Does your hotel have a business center? What nearby bars and restaurants have the best Yelp reviews?

If a client puts you on the spot and asks you what’s a good place nearby to go for dinner, will you have a response? Unless you have a better option, you might end up eating at a crappy restaurant choice for Gen Z , like Applebees .

What if you boss makes last minute changes to the agenda and asks you to reprint them before the meeting? Where’s the closest printer?

A little Googling before your trip will give you a head start upon arrival.

Make Sure That Your National Identity Documents Are Up-to-Date

• Check the expiration dates on both your driver’s license and passport and create calendar reminders for you to get them renewed before they expire.

All passengers traveling within the United States are required by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to have a valid ID. Documents such as a driver’s license from your home state will likely be fine for travel within the U.S., but if you’re traveling internationally, make sure to check with DHS for specific requirements for your nationality. 

it is important to ensure that your national identity documents are up-to-date in order to avoid any potential issues at the airport. Renewing government issued IDs can take a long time (7-10 weeks) and trying to rush this process can be an expensive and frustrating ordeal that isn’t always successful. Deal with it now, not later. 

Invest In A Professional Business Travel Suitcase

• Your luggage is an important part of your professional business image. Don’t take old beaten up Boomer suitcases on business travel trips. Invest in a professional business travel suitcase.

The suitcase that you use for business travel, probably shouldn’t be the same bag that you take on PTO. Vacations can get a little crazy, especially if you have kids, and a sticky(Amazon link) suitcase covered in Pokemon stickers isn’t ideal to take on your next business trip.

These are the main features that you want in a business travel suitcase: four swivel wheels, compact, durable, and professional looking.

• Wheels: Avoid suitcases with only 2 wheels. Suitcases with 4 swivel wheels are much easier to maneuver, especially with one hand.
• Durable: Hard shell suitcases are easier to clean and are water-resistant. This will help protect your belonging in case of spills or rainy days. 
• Compact: Size matters too. Your suitcase should fit easily in overhead luggage bins. Approved carry on luggage sizes vary by airline, but in the United States, most airlines want overhead bags to be 22″ x 14″ x 9″ inches or smaller.
• Style: You never know when you might have to bring your bag along with you to a conference or client meeting. A old beat-up or unprofessional looking bag (i.e. pink animal prints ) might be embarrassing.

You can find nice(Amazon link) hardshell carry on suitcase for about $80-$150 at Amazon .

Personalize Your Suitcase

• Many suitcases look similar. Add unique element to your suitcase to help it stand out and avoid confusion.

What’s the most popular color suitcase? Black. Avoid suitcase confusion by adding elements that make your stand out. Adding a ribbon to the handle, a colored strap, or a cool(Amazon link) luggage tag can help your bag look unique.

Download An App To Track Travel Expenses

• Instead of dealing with expense receipts after your trip, use a tracking app to log your business travel expenses as they happen.

One of the worst parts of business travel, is doing expense reports for your manager. It’s almost impossible to remember related expense details several days or even weeks later. But there are several smartphone apps, like Expensify , that make logging travel expenses easy.

The next time you need to log a travel receipt, just take a photo of it. Expensify will use OCR (optical character recognition) technology to convert your photo into text data and add your receipt to an expense report. The best part, it’s free for most users. Talk to your manager and sign up to see if you qualify for the free plan.

Sign Up For Known Traveler Programs That Reduce Your Time In Security Lines

• Don’t waste time in airport security lines if you don’t have to. Programs like TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and CLEAR will save you time and stress at the airport.

Your time is valuable, especially while traveling for business. So, do yourself a favor and sign up for both CLEAR (try CLEAR for free for 2 months) and TSA PreCheck . And if you do a lot of global business travel, then you’ll want Global Entry too. Less time in line equals more time to focus on your business trip responsibilities.

Both the CLEAR and TSA PreCheck travel program memberships allow you to skip to the front of airport security lines and avoid idiots like this guy . They also don’t require you to take off your shoes or remove your laptop from your bag. And Global Entry is a must have for anyone traveling on International business trips. Customs lines at major airports can sometimes be 1+ hours long.

The TSA line at SFO today was no joke. Thank you @Clear and @AmericanExpress ! Instead of the 45+ minute line made it through in less than five! Worth every penny. pic.twitter.com/8u9eQyJu41 — Kevin Feliciano (@unknownshortkid) July 31, 2022

Using both CLEAR and TSA PreCheck, in most cases, I can get through airport security in 5 minutes or less, even when there are long security lines. 

PRO-TIP: After you sign up for TSA PreCheck, don’t forget to add your Known Traveler Number (KTN) to your airline profiles! Otherwise it won’t automatically get added to your airline tickets.

Use A VPN To Protect Your Data Communications

• Use a VPN to help protect your data communications when connecting to unfamiliar and untrusted WiFi networks. 

WiFi hacking is a major problem, especially while traveling. The free WiFi network at the airport or your hotel might really be a hacker spoofing a network and trying to steal your password .

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) will run your Internet traffic through additional security, protect your identity , and even block ads. There are a variety of VPN services to choose from. Some of the more popular options include PIA VPN ($39) and Nord VPN ($99) . My personal favorite is PIA VPN because it offers a smartphone app, desktop app, and a browser plugin. But you should evaluate several different VPNs and choose the right one for your needs.

Join Travel Rewards Programs

• Take advantage of your corporate travel by earning rewards points that you can use for personal travel and vacations. 

Every flight, hotel stay, and rental car reservation is an opportunity for you to earn rewards points. But most companies don’t bother collecting rewards points for themselves. This is an opportunity for you to personally collect these unclaimed rewards… if you have an account.

Some of the most popular travel rewards programs include Hilton HHonors , Hertz Gold , Marriott Rewards , United Airlines MileagePlus , and Delta SkyMiles . But almost every hotel, car rental company and airline has a rewards program. 

Once you know your business travel itinerary, create rewards accounts and then connect your travel reservations so you earn points.

And even if your business travel activity isn’t enough to earn enough points to redeem, rewards members often get valuable perks. For example, some rental car companies let members skip the line, check-in on their app, walk right up to their car, and drive away.

Fly Using The Same Airline

Try to use the same airline whenever you can. When you are flying with the same airline, you typically depart and arrive at the same terminal. Not only will you already know your way around the airport, you’ll also be able to estimate how long it will take to park, check in, and reach the departure lounge.

Flying on the same airline also means more rewards points!

Sign Up For An Airport Lounge Membership

• From light meals to quiet work areas, airport lounges offer a variety of advantages to business travelers that can make business travel a much more pleasurable experience.

Major airlines, like Delta , American , and United , have VIP airport lounges around the world. These lounges have a variety of advantages to business travelers, including complimentary food and drinks, fast Wi-Fi access, and quiet private work spaces.

Typical airport lounge benefits include:

• Flight and travel assistance
• Drinks including water, soda, juice as well as beer, wine, and spirits
• Healthy food and snacks
• High-speed Wi-Fi
• Comfortable seating and private work areas
• Changing rooms

Many airport lounges even have showers. One time after getting caught in the rain after black tie event, I was able to shower and change in the Delta Lounge at LAX before boarding my redeye flight back to New York City. Without this perk, I probably would have changed out of my dress in a dirty airport bathroom stall and flown back home sweaty, damp, and feeling gross.

The only downside to joining an airport lounge is price. Most companies don’t consider airport lounge membership to be a covered business expense. But if you find yourself booking business travel more than twice a month, an airport lounge membership makes a lot of sense, even if you have to pay for it personally.

• Lounge Memberships: Individual airline lounge memberships typically cost between $50-$100 per month. Memberships are also often bundled with premier airline credit cards, like the the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card.
• Airport Lounge Day Pass: Some airport lounges allow you to purchase a day pass. For about ~$40, you can get access to a lounge for the day. However, some airlines, like Delta, discontinued day pass access during COVID.
• 3rd Party Lounge Memberships: If you find yourself mostly traveling on a single airline, then you can probably just get by with one lounge membership. For example, regular travel on Delta between Seattle and Salt Lake City will give you access to the Delta Sky Clubs in both cities. But if your travel is more random, then consider buying a lounge membership through a 3rd party. This will give you access to a variety of airport lounges including Delta, American, United, and even independent options. 

Are airline lounges worth it? The amenities that they offer are incredible and makes business travel a much more pleasant experience. However, the membership fee can be expensive, especially if you are paying for it yourself. Also keep in mind that the COVID pandemic temporarily shut down some lounge locations. Definitely do your homework. If there isn’t a lounge at your home airport, then you might want to reconsider. And, if you do choose to get a lounge member, it probably makes sense to sign up for a qualifying credit card that will help you earn you miles and airline status.

Create An Out Of Office Message Before Your Business Trip

• Avoid confusion at the office by communicating your travel schedule and emergency contact info in an automated out of the office email message.

When you’re traveling for business, it’s important to have an out of office message scheduled. This will help your coworkers get in touch with you and manage what gets delegated to others while you’re gone.

Here are some tips on how to create an out of office message: 

• Decide what kind of message you want to send. You can say something like “Hey everyone, I’ll be out of town for a few days but please don’t hesitate to reach me if there’s anything you need.” or “I’m on a business trip and won’t have access to email. Please contact XYZ instead while I’m away.” 
• Draft your message ahead of time. 
• You can also include the date and time that your messages will be sent so people know when they should expect replies.
• Schedule your out-of-office messages to only send while you are away.
• Consider adding a touch of humor to your out of office messages . OOO messages are usually very dry and boring, but some people like to use them as an opportunity to get creative.

BUSINESS TRAVEL BOOKING TIPS

Before you finalize your travel plans, consider these helpful tips business travel tips.

Always Take The Earlier Flight

• Book the earlier flight option when possible. Earlier flights are usually less likely to experience delays related to airspace congestion or late aircraft.

Delayed flights are like dominos. Once one flight gets delayed, it can start a chain reaction throughout the system. So whenever possible, book a morning flight. This will help decrease your delayed flight risk.

Pro Tip: Arriving earlier to your destination might get you there before check-in time. Contact the front desk in advance and request an early hotel check-in. 

Tuesday Afternoons Are The Cheapest Time To Book A Flight

• If you need to reduce travel expenses, the best time to book a flight is on Tuesday afternoon. Why do flight prices go down on Tuesday? Good question. That’s the day airlines automatically adjust their competitive pricing.

On Tuesday mornings, each airline looks at what competitors are charging for routes, and then adjusts its fares accordingly. By the afternoon, they’ve settled on a price that is most competitive. This is why Tuesday afternoon is the cheapest time to buy a plane ticket.

Reduce Your Travel Risk: Fly Direct When Possible, And Avoid Booking Connecting Flights In Airports With Separated Terminals

• Always try to fly direct whenever possible. But if you can’t book a direct flight, then make sure you avoid airports known for delays or that have separated terminals.

The less connections in your travel itinerary the better. Not only do layovers lengthen trips, every flight connection creates an additional risk for flight delays and lost luggage. But if you must book a travel connection, then these are the airports that you should avoid.

The Worst Cities For An Airport Connection:

There are two types of large airport designs: single-big-terminal hubs and remote terminals. Large airports with separated terminal buildings and bad internal transportation systems, can sometimes take you up to an hour to travel from gate to gate for your connecting flight.

The U.S. airports that are the hardest to internally navigate are Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (CHI), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Newark (EWR), Houston (IAH), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), and Salt Lake City (SLC).

Sadly, Salt Lake City is new to this list. Salt Lake City’s airport went through a major re-haul during COVID, for the worse. HOK, the airport’s architects, focused on aesthetics and not functionality. Terminals A and B are connected by a ludicrously long underground walkway that doesn’t include a monorail transportation system. Walking between terminals is a marathon and can take 30+ minutes, essentially guaranteeing that you’ll miss any tight flight connections between terminals. HOK gets a big fat F for their functionally design score.

Airports With The Most Delays:

Besides schlepping gate to gate, you should also consider the average flight delays at your connecting airports. Tight connections are already risky, but at these airports, it might be mission impossible.

BUSINESS TRAVEL PACKING TIPS

Business travel tips for what to pack (and not to pack) on your next work trip.

Only Travel With A Carry On Bag

• Pack light, pack smart. Fit everything that you need into one easy to maneuver carry on bag.

The biggest tip that I can offer new business travels is: only pack one carry on bag for your trip. Although it may be tempting to bring a larger suitcase, try to limit yourself to one carry on bag. Traveling with only one carry on bag will save you money from checked bag fees, minimize the risk of lost luggage, and be easier to maneuver through the airport.

I once went on an international work trip to the United Kingdom from California with a coworker who brought two extra large suitcases. Let’s call her Brenda for the purposes of this story. Brenda’s strategy to prevent the airline from losing her bag, was redundancy. Since we were going for a week long trip, she packed a second identical bag with another week’s worth of clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc. It was ridiculous. And since she was an over-packer, these twin suitcases were definitely not carry on size. Oh, no. They were giant extra-large suitcases.

Well, the airline did not lose Brenda’s bags. We landed in London and then had to travel from Heathrow Airport to Liverpool after briefly touring some office space near Paddington station. The trip required us to take four different trains with short connecting walks at each station. 

Similar to the New York City subway system, the London Underground is a series of turnstiles, staircases, narrow passageways, and also very crowded. Unlike Brenda, the rest of our group, male and female, only packed a single carry on bag each. Navigating the Underground was tricky but doable with our smaller carry on bags. However, Brenda was a mess. She was wearing high heels and was unable to pull both her giant suitcases herself. We also had to assemble as a group to help carry her suitcases up and down stairs. It was a disaster. By the time we got to Liverpool , none of us even wanted to look at her.

Don’t be a Brenda. Pack light. Only bring a carry on with you on business trips.

Keep Travel Essentials Pre-Packed

• Keep essentials items pre-packed and in your suitcase between trips. 

Having items like toiletries, chargers, office supplies, and business cards already packed in your bag can help you save time each time you travel. 

I recommend that you create a separate set of toiletries only meant for business trips. This way, you’ll be able to replace any items that run out on your trip, and won’t have to worry about stocking up at home.

Pack Sleep Items That Will Help You Get A Good Night’s Sleep On Your Business Trip

• Bring any essential sleep items (eye mask, earplugs, etc.) that you need to get a good night’s sleep.

Travel can take its toll on your body – both physically and mentally. And the last thing that you want on your work trip is to be too tired to function.

Everyone’s sleep needs are different. So, try to prepare for unusual situations when traveling. Do you need a dark room? Bring an eye mask. Do cotton pillowcases dry out your hair? Bring a silk pillowcase. Are you a light sleeper? Bring earplugs.

Unfortunately, not all of the guests at your hotel will be quiet business travelers looking to get a good night’s sleep. Your hotel neighbors could include anyone from a wedding party to a couple having a loud fight (or sex ). 

Turn on the AC or you room fan to help create some additional white noise if you have too. And don’t be afraid to call the front desk if it’s too unbearable. 

I once made the mistake of booking a unique Airbnb across the street from a music venue during SXSW . Although I was there for the music festival, I still needed to get some sleep. I’m glad I packed earplugs.

Security Friendly Packing: Use Clear Ziploc Bags To Organize The Items Inside Your Personal Item Bag

• Pack with airport security checks in mind. Organizing your personal bag items in clear bags can help you find things faster and reduce delays during security screenings.

Organize you carry on items into similar piles (i.e. snacks, makeup, charging cables, toiletries) and place each pile into a separate Ziploc bag. This will allow security agents to look inside the bags instead of digging through your stuff.

Not only will doing this help speed up the next time you are selected for a random TSA security screening and body scan , but it will also help you find things faster.

Don’t Pack Prohibited Items!

• Don’t pack any prohibited items in your suitcase or carry on luggage!

It always amazes me how often people try to bring knives, guns and other prohibited items through airport security. They have body scanners, metal detectors, and chemical tests. Why even try?!

Unless you want to miss your flight and hang out in a security holding area, don’t pack any items that are on the TSA’s prohibited item. This includes things like scissors, razors, aerosols, fireworks, liquids, and weapons, among others.

So, if your client gave you a rare Samurai sword as a gift, don’t try to bring it through security as a carry on item.

Use Dry Cleaner Bags To Prevent Your Dress Clothes From Getting Wrinkled

• Pack your dress clothes in plastic dry cleaner bags to prevent wrinkling.

Ironing sucks. No one wants to iron at home, let alone in a hotel room. Plus, all irons are different and no one wants to burn their clothes while a strange iron while on a work trip.

Here’s a cool trick: Pack all of your dress clothes using individual dry cleaner bags on hangers. Then collectively put them into a garment bag that can be folded neatly into your suitcase. Doing this will prevent your clothes from getting wrinkled and save you having to iron at the hotel.

Roll Your Clothes

• Roll, don’t fold, when packing clothes inside your suitcase. Rolling your clothes helps save space and prevent wrinkles. 

Rolling is another packing trick that will help prevent your clothes from wrinkling. It also helps save space inside your suitcase.

Just roll your clothes and before you put them inside your luggage. It’s that easy. This space saving packing trick works great for camping trips too.

Plan Modular Outfits That Can Help You Recover From A Wardrobe Malfunction

• Whenever possible, plan modular outfits that you can mix and match in case of a wardrobe emergency.

What happens if you split your pants or someone spills food on your shirt? Can you reconfigure your outfits to get through the rest of the business trip? Try to pack pants, jackets, skirts, and shirt combos that work interchangeably with each other. 

Have A Shoe Strategy That Limits How Many Shoes You Need To Pack

• Shoes are heavy and bulky. Whenever possible, try to reduce the amount of shoes that you bring with you on business trips.

Over packing shoes is another rookie business trip mistake. For shorter trips, try to pack only two to three pairs of shoes. One pair of dress shoes and one pair of casual shoes. And if your hotel has a pool or beach, then you might want to pack a pair of flip-flops too. But that’s probably it. 

• Ladies: Choose black heels or boots, and then black flats.
• Guys: Black shoes or brown shoes. Only pick one. Then a pair of casual shoes.

Don’t forget to use the space inside your shoes for packing. Everything from rolled up belts to socks can get stuffed inside the shoes in your suitcase.

Only Bring One Coat

• Coats are bulky. Don’t bring more than one coat on a business trip and carry it instead of packing it inside your bag.

It doesn’t make sense to bring more than one coat on a business trip. Coats take up too much space in your bag, so if at all possible, build all of your outfits around a single coat. Carry the coat with you and place it in the overhead luggage bin during your trip.

Pack Heavy Items At The Bottom Of Your Suitcase By The Wheels

• Improve stability by packing all heavy items at the base of your suitcase by the wheels.

To keep your suitcase from becoming top-heavy and falling over, place heavier items at the base by the wheels. This will help to stabilize the bag when it is upright and stop items packed inside your bag from being squished.

Pack Extra Bags For Dirty Clothes And Shoes

• Pack a few extra plastic bags or sacks for dirty clothes and shoes. It will help keep the rest of the items in your suitcase clean.

At the end of your trip, you will be returning home with with a variety of dirty clothes and shoes. Pack a few extra plastic bags to keep dirty items separated from the rest of your stuff.

If you forget to pack extra plastic bags, your hotel room might have a plastic dry cleaning bag in the closet. Also look under the plastic liners inside garage cans. The cleaning staff will often leave an entire roll of clean garage bags in the bottom of the garbage can.

Pack Healthy Snacks

• Always keep a few light healthy snacks, like granola bars, in your bag in case of an emergency.

There’s nothing worse than arriving at your final destination late at night and finding out that you have zero food options available. Airport restaurants start slowing shutting down after dinner, and not all hotels have late night food options.

Pack a few healthy snacks in your luggage. They will tase really good at 2 AM after a long day of unexpected delays.

Pack Lounge Clothes Or A Casual Outfit

• Plan a casual outfit to wear while inside your room or while exploring your surrounding area.

When you return to your room after a long day of meetings, what do you plan on wearing for the rest of the night? Your work clothes, or just sit around in your boxers or panties ? What if you need to walk down the hall to the ice machine or run an errand down the street? 

Business attire is important, but you’ll likely have time to explore your surroundings on foot. Pack a casual outfit for lounging around the hotel or walking around the immediate area. 

Pack Basic Medicines For Your Trip

• Basic medicines to treat everything from headaches to diarrhea should be in packed in your toiletry kit.

When traveling for business, it’s a good idea to be prepared for everything from a hangover to muscle pain and diarrhea . You don’t need to bring a full box or bottle of medicine, only a few doses. Just remember to replenish them after your trip.

Bring A Reusable Water Bottle (Or Reuse An Empty One)

• Bring an empty water bottle that you can refill after you go through airport security.

It’s okay to bring a water bottle through airport security, as long as it’s empty. Once you’re inside the terminal, fill it up at a water station. Not only is it better for the environment, but it will save you money too. 

You can also reuse a plastic water bottle that you recently purchased. Just save the empty bottle and refill it later at a water station. 

Bring Gifts For Your Hosts Or Clients

• Consider packing a few small but unique gifts for your hosts or clients.

Bearing gifts shows consideration and helps to build relationships. Local coffee, chocolates, or souvenirs are affordable and unique gift ideas that won’t take up too much space in your luggage.

Charge Your Electronics Before Your Trip

• Part of your packing routine should include charging all electronics. Laptops, headphones, etc. 

Your phone, laptop and tablet should all have a full battery charge to help you pass the time productively while you’re at the airport and on your flight. Do it in advance so you won’t need to fight for an outlet at the departure gate. Also, consider these helpful settings tweaks that will make your iPhone battery last longer .

Download Movies & TV Shows The Night Before Your Trip

• Don’t forget to download a selection of video content to watch during your journey.

All major streaming apps, including Netflix , HBO Max , Paramount+ , and Disney+ , have videos that you can download for offline viewing. Download this content at home before your trip, not while on the runway before takeoff or using throttled airport WiFi. Even with a high-speed WiFi connection at home/work, it still might take 10+ minutes to download this content to your phone or laptop.

Pack A Book

• Always pack a small book in case your batteries die or you just need some non-screen time. 

Even if you aren’t a regular book reader, there are plenty of situations where a book can be a valuable part of your business travel kit. What if your battery dies on the flight? Or you get an eyestrain headache from screen fatigue? When planning for your next corporate trip, make sure to include a book to keep you entertained.

Hide An Apple AirTag Inside Your Bag

• An Apple AirTag is a cheap and easy way to track the location of your bag(s).

Don’t rely on the airlines to tell you where your bags are. The(Amazon link) Apple AirTag (~$30 each) is a small and affordable tracking device that you can easily slip inside you suitcase, laptop bag, backpack, purse, etc.

Even if your suitcase isn’t lost, the AirTag still has its advantages. While everyone else is crowded around the luggage carousel hawkishly looking for their suitcases, you can just grab a seat and wait until you get a proximity alert from your AirTag.

AT THE AIRPORT

Here are some business travel tips for your time at the airport.

Take A Photo Of Your Parking Spot At The Airport

• If you are parking you car at the airport, then take a photo of your parking spot on your smartphone.

One time I forgot where I parked. It was extra embarrassing because another employee was with me. We spent about 45 minutes walking around the Salt Lake City Airport’s parking garage after the Sundance Film Festival trying to find my car.

After that experience, I started logging where I parked using various apps, reminders, and even calendar appointments. But what I’ve found to be even easier and more effective, is simply taking a picture of your car that includes a location marker. After your trip, just scroll through your phone for the photo to remind yourself where you parked.

Also, if you have location services enabled on your smartphone, the exact GPS location of your car should be stored with the photo making it possible to find your car even without any visible landmarks or identifiers.

Put An AirTag Inside Your Car

• Put an Apple AirTag inside your car. It will help you find your parked car or recover it in case it gets stolen or towed.

An Apple AirTag is a small wireless Bluetooth device that can be used to track the location and movement of anything it’s attached to. Hide one inside your car. That way if you forget where you parked or if your car got towed or stolen, the AirTag will help you find it faster than the Police .

Never Check A Bag, Unless Absolutely Necessary

• Don’t check a bag… unless absolutely necessary. Business trips are usually short enough that you should be able to pack what you need in a smaller carry on bag.

Lost luggage sucks, especially while you’re on a business trip. That outfit that you were planning on wearing during your business presentation tomorrow, might not make your connecting flight. To reduce your risk of lost luggage, you shouldn’t check a bag on your flight. Try to fit what you need into one carry on-sized suitcase.

However, sometimes you have no choice and have to check a bag. I’ve had to travel with corporate gifts and marketing materials that required me to check bags before. In that case, only pack what you absolutely need for the next 24 hours in your carry on bag. Then put the rest into your checked bag. This might include toiletries, clothes, and whatever business materials that you might need for the next day. That way if your luggage does get lost, you will at least have a day to sort it out with the airline.

Make Backup Paper Print Outs Of Your Final Travel Documents And Confirmation Numbers

• Print out your travel itinerary and keep a copy in each bag. It is important to always have a back-up plan in place in case you lose your smartphone or it runs out of battery. 

The first thing I do when I enter an airport is walk up to an airline kiosk and print my boarding pass. I usually board my flight using the digital boarding pass on my phone, but I always like to have a printed backup copy. Here’s why:

I once had a coworker miss their connecting flight because the battery on his phone died. We were late and rushing to the gate for our flight. But when he took out his phone to scan his boarding pass, his phone was dead. There wasn’t enough time to remedy the situation before take off and he missed the flight.

Stick Together Whenever Possible To Reduce Coordination Efforts And Corporate Travel Expenses

• If you are traveling with coworkers, then try to stick together. This reduces confusion, coordination efforts, and can limit expenses.

Even if you are using an add to help track expenses, like Expensify, filling out expense reports still sucks. Depending on your corporate policy, usually the more senior member of the company will pay for meals, Uber cars, etc., but not always. The more expenses that you put on your corporate card, the longer it will take for you to file your report after your trip.

But if you are traveling with a group, then take turns covering shared expenses. From meals to taxi rides, there are plenty of expenses that you can take turns paying for if you stick together.

Use A Cord Or Strap To Leash Your Bags To You And Help Prevent Luggage Theft

• Attach a small cord or strap to your luggage to help prevent it from getting stolen.

Even with all of the extra security these days, airports are still popular targets for thieves. 

To help prevent my bag from rolling away without me, I use a small black strap to leash it to me. But you can use a ribbon or strap or anything similar. Thieves won’t realize that you’ve connected yourself to your bag and you’ll get alerted when you feel your bag move. 

This can come in handy if you need to take a nap in the terminal or have to sit at an airport barstool with your bag parked behind you.If someone tries to walk away with your bag, you’ll feel it tug against your body.

Never Use Public USB Chargers Unless You Have A USB Data Blocker

• Use a USB data blocker when charging to protect your smartphone from hackers.

From airports to coffee shops, there are public USB charging stations everywhere. But did you know that hackers can access your phone’s data through your changing cable? It’s a hacking technique called juice jacking.

One simple way to protect your smartphone from juice jacking is by using a USB Data Blocker . These small devices are the same size as a USB thumb drive and allow charging power to reach your phone while blocking any data access at the same time. 

ON THE FLIGHT

The following section of business travel tips will help you after you board your flight.

Dress In Layers And Be Prepared For Both Hot And Cold Airplanes

• When flying, dress in layers that are easy to add or remove as needed. Button down shirts and light jackets that unzip in the front work best. They are easier to put on and take off.

I made the mistake once of wearing a sweater on a flight once. It was winter and it was freezing outside, but not on my flight. The plane was hot and I was sweating like crazy. But I couldn’t take off my sweater because I was only wearing a bra underneath. 

I also like to pack a hoodie sweatshirt or at least a wool hat for overnight and International flights. A cold night flight can make sleeping difficult or even make you sick.

Invest In A Good Pair Of Over-Ear Active Noise-Cancellation Headphones

• Sitting near chatty people or noisy babies on a plane can make flying a miserable experience. 

But a pair of over-ear active noise-cancellation headphones can be a lifesaver. Active noise-cancellation technology uses microphones to observe the sounds that are around you and then cancel them out. With an average price tag of $200+ they can be an expensive part of your travel gear, but 100% worth it.

Turn on, tune out, and enjoy a movie or get some work done on your laptop.

Here are a few popular brand names to search for:

Get A Portable USB Battery Pack

• Always travel with a small portable battery to charge your phone during your flight.

It’s a lot more common that it used to be, but not all aircraft have USB charging ports at every seat. This is especially true for budget airlines. A portable USB battery charger is a smart investment and will pay for itself the first time you really need it.

AT THE HOTEL

Here are some travel tips to help you at the hotel.

Always Book Hotel Rooms With Two Beds, So You Have An Extra Staging Area

• Even when traveling alone, book a room with two beds. The extra surface space on the extra bed will create a flat staging area for you stuff and help prevent you from losing items.

I once dated someone who liked to completely move in to a hotel room. She would take all of her clothes out of her suitcase and then put them in the dresser drawers in our hotel room. Inevitably, she would accidentally leave things behind all of the time.

Instead, don’t spread out when you unpack. Try to centrally unpack and keep most of your stuff in one spot. For example, even when traveling alone, I will still book a hotel room with two beds. I sleep in one bed and use the second bed for organizing my belongings. 

A bed is a big flat surface with enough room to layout everything from your garment bag to your electronics. Then keep everything else in your suitcase. This way you won’t have to worry about leaving anything behind and be able to see all of your belonging at once.

When Checking In To Your Hotel, Ask The Front Desk For A Quiet Room

• Tell the hotel that you are a business traveler and communicate your room preferences at check-in.

Don’t be shy about telling the hotel staff that your reason for staying at the hotel is business travel. Business travelers are important customer segment to the hotel industry because they are less seasonal, more predictable, and frequently return to the same location creating repeat business.

Ask for things that will make your hotel stay better. Perks like early check-in, late checkout, access to meeting rooms, free WiFi, and especially a quiet room. 

Most vacation travelers ask for a view, but when traveling for business, you should prioritize peace and quiet. You may be too busy to enjoy the view anyway. Request a room away from noisy areas like elevators, large groups (weddings, family reunions, etc.), or any high traffic areas like the fitness center. Higher levels are usually better too, and will put you above street noise and headlights.

Wipe Down Your Hotel Room With An Antibacterial Wipe

• Always clean all touchable items in your hotel room with an antibacterial wipe.

One of the first things that I do when I walk into my hotel room, is wipe everything down with antibacterial wipes. This includes all light switches, knobs, handles, buttons, and the toilet seat and remote control.

I want anything that I plan on touching sanitized. I did this pre-COVID too. Hotel remote controls are especially gross to me.  For some reason, I always think the previous guest was scratching their private parts while watching TV like Al Bundy from(Amazon link) Married With Children .

Use Hotel Lotion To Shine Your Shoes When You Don’t Have Access To Shoe Polish

• In an emergency, hotel lotion can be used as a shoe polish substitute.

Have you ever needed to polish your dress shoes on a business trip? If you’re stuck in a hotel room without shoe polish, just grab a tissue and the little bottle of moisturizing lotion. After all, leather is just skin, right?

Do a small test first before committing to a full shoe shine. Most shoes will be fine, but try this trick at your own risk. Dab a little bit of the lotion on the tissue and apply it to a small section of leather. Different types of leather may react differently.

If everything looks good after the test, then continue gently applying small dabs of lotion to your shoes. Then gently rub the lotion on using a tissue or rag. With a little care, your shoes should start to show a shine.

Just to be clear, this isn’t a long term care solution. After your business trip, you should continue using real shoe polish and not random bottles or lotion.

Limit Social Media Location Sharing While Traveling

• Don’t broadcast that you’re out of town on business. Savvy criminals can use this information against you.

It can be hard to resist posting the perfect TikTok or Instagram post, especially while you’re traveling and seeing so many new things. But you should think twice before posting.

Both thieves and predators have been know to stalk social media for clues on when victims might be out of town. While you are sharing photos of fancy business dinners in Spain, thieves might use it as an opportunity to rob you. And if you left your family behind for a business trip, do you really want to announce that you are out of town and that they are home alone without you?

One compromise is to use social platforms like BeReal that only share info with a small group of friends and not the public.

Simple Business Travel Tips That Will Save You Time, Money, And Frustration

The challenge with business travel is packing light but being prepared for unexpected situations. Hopefully these simple business travel tips for Millennials and Gen Z professionals will help make your life easier on the road.

For reference, use these links below to jump back to a section of the business travel management tips covered in this article:

I’m a dog owner that loves poetry, vampires, mountain biking, and cosplay. I’m open to ideas and still trying to figure my SFO life out one blog post at a time. LF ISO SWF GSOH SI DDF.

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Dec 6, 2023 at 3:38 PM

these are great tips! i recently used the dry cleaning bag tip and it worked perfectly. thanks so much!!

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19 Business Travel Tips for Frequent Corporate Travelers

Whether it’s been a while since you’ve engaged in corporate travel or you’re a first-timer, you might benefit from these business travel tips.

With the rise of video conferencing and other technological tools that help us to connect from afar, it’s easy to assume that traveling for work is a thing of the past. That’s certainly not the case! There are many reasons that people still need to make their way to remote offices and distant locations to get the job done. Whether it’s been a while since you’ve engaged in corporate travel or you’re a first-timer, you might fit from some business travel tips.

Gather the Team Together for a Scavenger Hunt

If your company is holding an annual conference or training event, consider a team-building event customized by the experts at Let’s Roam! We offer over 20 team-building activities , including virtual and hybrid events for those unable to engage in business travel. Contact us today to find out how we can help you plan effective exercises just for you and your crew!

Things to Do Before You Leave Home

Whether you’re a frequent traveler or you’re about to embark on your first-ever business trip, you should do a few things before you leave home. It’s never a good idea to travel for work without making arrangements in advance. If you travel on a whim without making any preparations, you may end up missing critical meetings, leaving something vital at home, or without a place to stay.

Book with Familiar Providers

Whenever possible, book reservations with airlines, rental car companies, and hotels that you’ve frequented before. By doing so, you’ll be familiar with how things work and the level of service you can expect. For example, you’ll know the terminal you’ll depart from and return to if you make reservations for your next business trip with your usual airline.

If you read travel blogs, you might be advised to bundle all your travel plans with one service provider, such as Expedia, Travelocity, or Priceline. While that can streamline the reservation process, it’s also a risky endeavor if you need to change your plans down the line. Even if you’re successful at changing your plans, you may end up paying a premium or you might not get a full refund if you shorten your stay or return your rented vehicle early.

Sign Up for Rewards Programs

Like your local yogurt store might give you a punch card that will entitle you to a free dessert after you collect ten punches for verified purchases, businesses in the hospitality industry often have loyalty programs that enable frequent business travelers to accumulate points they can later redeem for savings. You don’t have to travel often for these programs to benefit you.

Signing up for rewards programs is somewhat akin to offering future business to a provider. When you’re a member of loyalty programs, you may enjoy some perks like an upgraded seat, hotel room, or vehicle even if your rewards balance is zero because the provider wants you to use its services again down the line. In other words, providers may try to woo you with free upgrades to get you to book with them again.

Members of rewards programs often enjoy more conveniences, too. A rental car company may deliver your rented vehicle to you if you’re a member of its loyalty program, for example, while non-members may have to take the dreaded shuttle ride over to the company’s hub to get their automobiles.

Follow Your Company’s Travel Guidelines

Depending on the business you work for, your company may have a travel policy. If your organization has such a policy, make sure you make arrangements that are in keeping with those guidelines. The travel policy may require you to use a travel credit card instead of your own personal credit card if you want to be reimbursed for expenses incurred during your work trip. You may only receive a limited stipend for meals, too.

A typical travel policy varies from one company to another. Even frequent business travelers should review their company’s travel guidelines regularly to ensure they remain in compliance and won’t have to come out-of-pocket for non-reimbursable expenses unexpectedly.

Store Customer Service Numbers in Your Phone

As you firm up your travel plans, make sure you store the relevant customer service numbers in your phone. Having those numbers handy will be a big help if your plans get disrupted or you’re dissatisfied with the service you receive for any reason.

One of the best travel hacks you’ll ever receive is to follow your providers on social media. By following your airline, rental company, and hotel on social media, you won’t miss out on any promotions they offer. Some hotels share exclusive passwords on their social pages. If you use the designated password when you check-in, you may be privy to free perks, such as:

• In-room movie
• Hot chocolate kit
• Bottle of wine
• Preferred parking
• Drink or meal vouchers
• Room upgrades

Depending on the carrier or hotel you book with, you may be able to solve customer service issues on social media, too. If you tweet at an airline because you missed a connection or got bumped, you may be able to resolve the issue on Twitter and avoid waiting in line at a kiosk with the rest of the weary masses.

Dress Smartly

How you dress on the day you travel matters. If you dress professionally, it’ll make it more likely that you’ll receive preferential treatment and perks that can make your trip markedly more pleasant than it would be otherwise.

In addition to dressing well to possibly enjoy some benefits, you should dress with the TSA security check in mind. To make getting through security less of a hassle for you and everyone in line behind you, don’t wear a belt or metal accessories except for your wedding ring. Don’t forget to wear slip-on shoes so you can remove them and put them back on quickly without causing a traffic jam that will prevent you from winning any popularity contests.

Even if you book a direct flight, which is always a good idea to avoid oft-wasteful layovers, you may still wind up spending time in the airport lounge. Pick an outfit that will allow you to fit in during this travel time rather than making you stand out for all the wrong reasons.

Remember, there’s always a chance that you’ll run into one of your peers, competitors, or clients before you reach your destination. Always dress to impress with practicality and comfort driving your clothing choices.

Reserve Select Toiletries for Travel

You don’t need to be a frequent flyer to know that there are few things worse than arriving at a destination for a business meeting only to discover that you forgot your deodorant, conditioner, or favorite toothpaste at home. Having your preferred toiletries on-hand can be the difference between a successful work trip and one that literally stinks.

To ensure you’re comfortable during your trip, grab a small tote and fill it with all the toiletries you’ll need whenever you travel. Don’t use the items in that tote unless you’re traveling and replenish your supplies as they run out so you won’t have to rush around at the last minute before your next business trip.

Do you absolutely, positively need a certain item that you know you can’t travel with like a particular razor or aerosol spray? If so, consider ordering what you need from Amazon and having it shipped directly to your hotel before you arrive on-site. Be sure to alert the hotel about your package so the staff will know to keep an eye out for it and have it waiting for you in your assigned room.

Stick with Carry-On Luggage

Unless you’re going to be away from home for months at a time, you should do your level best to pack light. When you pack light, you’ll be able to avoid having to check bags, which can save you money and prevent delays waiting for stowed luggage to make its way to the baggage terminal.

Check with your airline to see how big your carry-on bag can be. Carry-on luggage is normally smaller than suitcases that are stored under a plane’s seating area, so start thinking in the realm of backpacks. As you pack, make sure you include an extra set of clothing among your things in case something spills on you during your flight.

You should also put essential items where you can access them easily. Rather than stuffing them at the bottom of your carry-on bag’s main compartment, put them in a separate pocket that you can lock.

If you’re traveling with a laptop, you’ll need to remove the device from your bag as you go through the TSA security checkpoint. Keep that in mind while you pack so you don’t bury your computer and charger underneath delicate items you’d prefer the public not to see, such as your underwear.

Are you going to pack clothing that needs to be wrinkle-free when you arrive at your destination? You may want to bypass your carry-on and stow them in a suit bag. Alternatively, you may want to wear the outfit on your travel day to keep it as wrinkle-free as possible.

If you don’t want to wear your good outfit on the plane and you’re required to check a suit bag, roll your clothes to keep wrinkles at bay. In addition to preventing wrinkles, rolling your clothes will enable you to fit more in your carry-on.

Pack Healthy Snacks

Too often, a business trip involves irregular mealtimes and unhealthy food choices. Even when you’re traveling in business class or first class, your meal options may only include processed foods that are devoid of taste and substantive nutrition.

You can avoid allowing yourself to get sucked into a food coma by preparing some delicious and nutritious snacks for long flights before you leave home. If your trip requires international travel, you can bypass a hassle at customs by ordering healthy snacks from Amazon and having them sent to your hotel.

Register for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry

Do thoughts of having to go through airport security turn your smile into a frown? If that’s the case, know you’re not alone. Luckily, you can turn your frown upside down by signing up for TSA PreCheck. Created by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, TSA PreCheck allows registered travelers to sidestep certain security measures to expedite the airport screening process.

If international travel is a must for you, it might be wiser for you to sign up for Global Entry. This program also hastens the screening process, and it enables you to get through U.S. Customs faster when you re-enter the United States as well.

Both programs charge a modest fee for a five-year membership. If you find the cost of membership off-putting, contact your travel credit card provider to see if the bank offers a credit you can apply to cover the cost of registering in one or both programs.

What to Do During Your Business Travel

While business travel is different today than it was just a few years ago thanks to changes thrust upon the world as the result of the pandemic, some basic rules will always apply. One of those rules is to be courteous and compliant with an airline’s requirements. If, for example, your carrier requires passengers to wear a mask, do it, making sure you cover both your nose and mouth.

Everyone is tired of wearing masks, not just you. There is no point in giving an airline attendant grief because you don’t want to mask up. Similarly, it’s not your responsibility to chastise someone for not wearing a facial covering. Although you may think you’re being helpful, instructing someone to put a mask on can cause problems for airline attendants and other passengers, so let the professionals handle non-compliant travelers.

Another timeless “rule” of traveling is to familiarize yourself with the dos and don’ts of airline travel . Being familiar with these guidelines and adhering to them will ensure you’re viewed as a best-in-class passenger, which is definitely the reputation you want to have as a business traveler.

Book Your Seat at the Last Minute

Cancellations and seat changes are the norm for most flights. With this in mind, wait until about 30 minutes before takeoff to book your seat. By waiting until your flight is just about ready to board, you can increase the odds that you’ll reserve the best seat currently available. In other words, waiting to book your seat is kind of like giving yourself an upgraded seat in many cases.

Drink Water Instead of Booze

A lot of leisure and business travelers consider an airplane ride to be a great time to indulge in an adult beverage, two, or more. You should resist the temptation to do the same, especially if you need to get right down to business when you land.

Even if you’ll have a few hours to yourself when you reach your destination, you should still refrain from drinking during your travel time. Staying hydrated is a must if you want to avoid jet lag, so skip the booze and drink bottled water instead.

Sitting for long periods of time can negatively influence your circulation and it can result in neck or back pain. To keep your blood flowing and avoid a painful back or neck, stretch periodically during your flight. Be careful to not infringe on anyone else’s space when you stretch unless you like getting dirty looks and being on the receiving end of wisecracks.

Set Yourself Up for Success During Layovers

If you have to change planes during your business trip, use the time between flights to set yourself up for success. Connect to the secure Wi-Fi in the airport lounge and get caught up on work communications like emails. Check industry news outlets for any breaking news so you’ll be up to date when you arrive at your final destination. Doing these things is particularly important if you have to walk into a business meeting shortly after your next plane lands.

Once you’re caught up with work, use your cellphone to download some music, movies, or television shows. Once they’re downloaded to your device, you’ll be able to watch and listen to the programs even if you end up having to spend some extra time in a space that doesn’t have a Wi-Fi connection.

Are you planning to catch some shuteye during your connecting flight? Visit one of the airport’s retailers to look for things that can facilitate sleep, such as an eye mask and some quality earplugs. Resist buying a travel pillow or anything else that’s too bulky to fit into your carry-on. Adding bulk or too much weight to your carry-on is the last thing you want to do during a stopover.

Like staying hydrated can help you avoid jet lag, so can exercise. If you have some free time between flights, consider booking a training session for the morning or early afternoon on the day you’ll arrive at your destination to offset the effects of jet lag. Refrain from scheduling a workout in the evening or the session may negatively affect your ability to adapt to a different time zone and a new schedule.

Keep Your Boarding Pass to Yourself

Whenever you’re on a work trip, keep your boarding pass private. Even if you use a Sharpie to block out the numbers on the pass, people can still steal personal data if you share pictures of your pass on social media. The QR code on your pass contains sensitive information. If that information makes it into the wrong hands, it could compromise your identity and even your safety.

Use Your Own Charger

Many airports and hotel business centers have public charging stations. While public charging stations are convenient, they’re also dangerous. That’s because people can swipe information like your credit card number from your electronic devices via USB. To keep your information safe, bring your own charger or use a USB data blocker if you have no choice but to use a public charging station.

Save Your Receipts

Does your employer reimburse you for the expenses you incur during a business trip? Do you itemize your federal taxes? In either case, you should save all your receipts. It’s also wise to use your cellphone to take pictures of your receipts as you get them in case you lose the paper receipts.

Steps to Take After Business Travel

You may think the work is done when you return home after a business trip, but that’s normally not the case. There are still a few things you’ll need to take care of.

Report Your Expenses ASAP

It’s easy to put off completing an expense report, but you shouldn’t. Fill out your expense report as soon as you can while your expenses are still fresh in your mind. You’ll be more likely to notice discrepancies or missing charges if you complete your expense report sooner rather than later. Also, you’ll get your money back that much faster.

Send Thank You Notes or Emails

At the earliest opportunity, you should send thank-you notes or emails to everyone you met with during your trip. Although emails are quicker, handwritten thank you notes are often perceived as more thoughtful and personal.

Connect with Family and Friends

When you return from a business trip, especially a prolonged one, prioritize reconnecting with your friends and family members. Planning a virtual game night with Let’s Roam is one simple way you can reconnect with loved ones no matter where they’re located.

Frequently Asked Questions

Avoid falling prey to rookie mistakes, like going rogue, booking the cheapest flight or hotel, and not tying up loose ends at the office. These business travel tips should keep you on track!

There are many things to remember when traveling on business . For starters, re-read your company’s travel policies, try to tie things up at the office before you leave, and travel as lightly as possible.

Follow business travel tips from the experts! Adhere to your company’s travel policies, save your receipts, stick with carry-on luggage, if you can, and stay connected with loved ones !

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Business Travel 101: Tips For Your First Time Traveling For Work

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Traveling for work seems glamorous on the surface.

You’ve got free flights, time out of the office, and your company is paying for (almost) everything.

Who wouldn’t want that?

But anyone who’s actually taken a business trip knows there’s another side to this coin. Between the red-eye flights, working remotely , and juggling back-to-back meetings and events – it’s exhausting.

Well, it can be.

The savviest business travelers know the importance of time management, efficient packing, and trip planning that allows you to squeeze in some exploration without missing a single meeting (all while still getting enough sleep).

If you’re a first-time business traveler, here’s how you can still bring your A-game and see more of the world at the same time!

RELATED: How to Prevent Burnout When Traveling for Work: 5 Tips

Tips for Your First Time Traveling For Work

Know Your Company’s Travel Policy Like The Back of Your Hand

The secret weapon in your business travel toolkit? Memorizing your company’s travel policy.

Why? Well, for two important reasons:

• If you’re clueless about what is allowed, you could be leaving some serious business travel perks on the table.
• If you’re clueless about what isn’t allowed, you might have an unexpected deduction on your paycheck next month.

Before your first work trip, take the time to review your company’s travel policy word for word and note anything crucial that you’ll need to remember as you begin to pack your bags. 

By the time you’re done familiarizing yourself with your policy, you should know things like:

• Your per diem for travel days (i.e., do you get a flat amount for expenses, or a unique budget per item, like breakfasts, lunches, dinners by yourself or with clients, and transportation?).
• Whether or not you need receipts (physical or a scanned copy) for purchases.
• What expenses are up for reimbursement (e.g., will your company cover your visa application fee? Your rental car? Your checked bag?) 
• The deadlines for submitting expense reports.
• How much can you spend per night on a hotel room? Does it need to be a specific hotel or hotel chain? Can you use an alternative accommodation like Airbnb or VRBO?
• Can you use your frequent flyer number to collect flight miles? Does it need to be a specific airline?
• Can you use your own credit card or is there a company card?

What happens if your company’s travel policy isn’t super clear on the above? Set up some time with HR and/or your boss to go over these details and address any lingering questions you might have.

Doing so will help prevent any surprise expenses before, during, and after a work trip.

Tip: Use an app like Mint.com to track all your expenses and take pictures of every single receipt you get as soon as you’re handed it, just in case you lose any!

RELATED: How to Ask Your Boss for More Vacation Time (The Right Way)

Book The Right Hotel

Booking a hotel room seems pretty basic, right?

Hop onto a site like Booking.com , put in your budget range, select the “I’m traveling for work” box (which allows you to filter for key amenities like free wifi or included breakfast), and you’re done.

Well… it’s not that easy .

When traveling for work to a new city, other factors that you can’t always control come into play.

First of all, you might be limited to a specific hotel or hotel chain your company has a negotiated agreement and special rate with, which means you won’t have a choice as to where you stay. However, if your company doesn’t have a specific hotel requirement, you have to make sure to familiarize yourself with the city and the surroundings using Google Maps. The worst thing you could do is accidentally choose a hotel far away or in an unsafe neighborhood. 

To avoid this, figure out where your meetings or work obligations will be, and try your best to book a hotel room as close as possible to it.

You might have to pay more for a hotel with a convenient location, which will no doubt save you travel time and the stress of navigating a new city. But keep in mind that more expensive accommodations should be discussed with your company in case they fall outside of the suggested hotel budget listed in their travel policy.

What if you’re not the one booking your hotel room? Speak to the person in charge of corporate travel at your company and give them a list of your preferences, such as:

• Walking/driving distance to the location(s) you need to visit for work
• Amenities like reliable wifi, secure parking, a business center, etc.
• Desired neighborhood preferences
• Hotel policy and procedure for booking with a card that is not in your name

Related: Where Traveling for Work Meets Actually Enjoying Yourself – How Cambria Hotels Cater to Business Travelers

Give Yourself Enough Time for the Unexpected

Whether you’re traveling for work or pleasure, you need to expect the unexpected.

• Flights can get canceled or delayed.
• Traffic delays can prevent you from getting to a meeting on time.
• The airline could lose your bags in transit.

While these scenarios may be out of your control, you can give yourself a bit more breathing room to react and recover by doing these things:

• Instead of flying into the city the same day as your meeting, fly in the night before.
• If you’ve booked a red-eye flight, try to give yourself enough time to catch up on sleep before your first meeting.
• Driving to your meeting? Give yourself a bit more time in case traffic is bad or parking is difficult.
• Book a direct flight whenever possible. It will help you avoid missing connections and get you to your destination more quickly.

By following these tips, you’ll arrive on time, feel fully rested, and be stress-free so you can perform at your best!

Plan Your Sightseeing AFTER Important Meetings

If you’re a long-time reader, you’ll know I’m all about maximizing my work trips by using them to help me explore more of the world.

While work travel isn’t a vacation, if you’re smart with your time and plan ahead, you can squeeze in a weekend trip or quick adventure by simply extending your business trip by an extra day or two.

The trick here is to always plan your sightseeing after your meetings or when the conference you’re attending has ended. Give yourself the time to solely focus on your work so you can show up and be 100% focused on the tasks at hand.

Then, when work is over, reward yourself!

Book that NYC food tour of your dreams. Go on a short hike up Ensign Peak in Salt Lake City , or spend an afternoon wandering around the Desert Botanical Garden in Tempe, Arizona.

Just don’t go too crazy with your itinerary. Give yourself ample time to explore without rushing, and keep your sight-seeing goals reasonable, because exploring after work trips usually doesn’t leave you with as much time as if you were just going on vacation.

I promise if you dial back a bit, you’ll enjoy the whole experience more, and you’ll have some time to reset before you’re back at work.

And who knows? You could stumble onto a gem you didn’t know about and would have missed if you stuck to a super rigid itinerary.

RELATED: 9 Tips for Working While Traveling and Staying Productive

Don’t Ditch Your Healthy Eating & Workout Habits

When you travel, it’s easy to accidentally skip a meal here or there with all the running around, or order a super decadent meal because it’s quick and easy (and you’re likely not paying for it).

While indulging in fast food and networking cocktails is all fine and well (and often comes with the territory of entertaining clients and attending events), moderation is key – especially if you’re on the go often!

As a business traveler, you need to fuel your body with things that will make you feel good and maintain your energy levels whenever possible. If you don’t, you might feel sluggish in meetings, and your motivation will plummet before the end of the day, making it hard to concentrate and do your job.

Here are my tips for staying healthy while on the road:

• Don’t skip breakfast. You need to give your body enough energy to last throughout the day, and breakfast is especially important if you’re normally a breakfast eater when you’re home. When ordering your meal, choose something like granola and yogurt, or eggs and turkey bacon, instead of a pastry. Sugary treats don’t give you long-term energy, and you’ll crash from your high before it’s time for lunch.
• Stay hydrated. I always travel with a reusable water bottle, and I bring it wherever I go throughout the day. Lots of conference setups will typically have water refill stations anyway, and you can feel good about skipping the unnecessary plastic if you’ve already brought your own.
• Keep snacks in your bag. Not all airline food is great, and some meetings mentally drain you before lunchtime. Keep a few snacks like protein bars in your bag to munch on throughout your business trip. It will keep you satiated and stop you from spending money on overpriced airport food.
• Research nearby cafes and restaurants. You’re less likely to opt for some Taco Bell if you have a list of healthy eating options at your fingertips. Before your work trip, spend some time researching nearby eateries with healthier menu options for lunches and dinners on the days you don’t have work commitments.
• Try not to skip workouts. Before you start the day, a solid workout can clear your mind, help you sleep better, and keep your fitness goals on track. If your hotel comes with a gym, use it. If it doesn’t, log onto YouTube or turn to pretty much any online bodyweight-only workout program.

Related: 5 Workout Ideas That Can Be Done At Home or On the Road

Pace Yourself at Work Events

When you’re having after-work drinks in a new city, it’s tempting to have more than one.

That’s totally cool, but remember – alcohol and a good night’s rest don’t mix.

It’s long been said that the effects of alcohol significantly reduce the quality of sleep and the amount of time spent in REM.

REM is a mentally restorative type of sleep, and when you’re traveling for work, you want to maximize your time there as much as possible.

I know when I’m away on a business trip, my days are usually packed with back-to-back meetings. The only way I can get through those days is by having a good 7-hour sleep and keeping my night outs short and to a minimum.

If your meetings are out of the way though, by all means, treat yourself on the last night in a new city!

Packing for Business Travel Tips

To end things off, here are some quick packing tips to always keep in mind as a corporate traveler:

• Try to stick to carry on only when possible
• Invest in a sharp-looking purse or tote that can be used both for travel and for meetings
• Pack any items you need to help you fall asleep faster (eye masks, melatonin, earplugs, etc.)
• Pack clothes that don’t wrinkle easily
• Use garment bags to help keep items wrinkle-free, and shoe bags to avoid accidentally dirtying your clothes
• Bring back-ups of important meeting resources (have copies of your presentation on a USB or Google Drive, pack extra business cards, etc)

Business Travel FAQ

• Can I deduct my business travel expenses? Yes, you can. However, you need to check with your employer or whoever helps you with your taxes to confirm what is and isn’t covered.
• What business jobs allow you to travel? In most industries, sales reps and client-facing contributors usually travel the most to attend client meetings and build up relationships. But, all kinds of career paths can have travel perks. Marketers often attend conferences and set up events, specialists in various fields have their annual trade shows, and consultants often hop on planes to visit their customers in person. Looking for something more remote with added travel flexibility? Consider one of these 18 careers that you can do 100% remotely from anywhere in the world. 
• What is good business travel etiquette? Good business travel etiquette is observing and practicing cultural and social norms and representing your personal brand and your company’s with poise wherever you go. It also includes the same principles you’d follow when in the office – showing up on time, preparing your notes, dressing appropriately, and treating your colleagues with respect. 
• What is business travel accident insurance? Business travel insurance is a plan that protects employees who travel for work domestically or internationally. It usually covers occupational and non-occupational accidents and health cover while traveling on company business. Consult your travel policy or ask your employer if this will be available to you when you travel.

If you’ve traveled for work, what are your top tips for first-time business travelers? If you haven’t, tell me below where you’re headed!

Read This Next:

• How to Find a Coworking Space You’ll Love
• 9 Tips for Working While Traveling and Staying Productive
• Where Traveling for Work Meets Actually Enjoying Yourself: How Cambria Hotels Cater to Business Travelers
• How to Prevent Burnout When Traveling for Work: 5 Tips
• 6 Tips For Embracing the Work From Home Lifestyle
• How to Stay in the Zone When You Work From Home

Pin For Later:

Hey there! I’m Rachel, a travel writer and a full-time advertising / marketing expert. In 2019, I traveled more than 25 times while working 9 to 5, and since then I’ve committed myself to living a more adventurous life, even if it means bringing my laptop along for the ride. Are you hungry to travel more, but overwhelmed with how to juggle work and play? You’ve come to the right place!

Recent Adventures:

Top Woman-Owned Travel Companies That Should Be on Your Radar

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• Updated on: July 22, 2021

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5 Tips for Your First Time Flying Business Class

I f you have your first flight in business class coming up, you're probably excited. I know I was -- and still am, every time. It's one of those travel upgrades that never gets old.

You also probably want to make the most of that business-class ticket. They don't come cheap, after all, whether you pay in cash or miles you earned using travel credit cards . Here are a few simple tips that can help you have a great time on your flight.

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1. Pick your seat and meal in advance

You'll be able to choose these ahead of your flight on the airline's website. Make sure you pick a seat as soon as you can, especially if you're flying with someone else. There are often a limited number of seats together in the business-class cabin. It's nice to have your travel partner right next to you, not on the other side of the cabin.

I'd recommend using SeatGuru to help choose a seat. Select the "Seat Maps" option, and then plug in the airline, date, and flight number. You'll see a seat map of your flight with info on which seats, if any, you may want to avoid.

More : Our picks for the best credit cards

You can also pick your meal on the airline's website. You should definitely do this if you have any dietary restrictions, but it's a good idea even if you don't. Airlines sometimes run out of certain meals. By requesting yours in advance, you can ensure you get the one you want.

2. Use the priority lanes

As a business-class passenger, you'll have access to the following priority lanes:

• Priority check-in: If you need to check bags or forget to check in online, you can use this as you check in at the airport.
• Priority security: You'll still go through the same security check as everyone else (unless you have TSA PreCheck ). But you can go through a shorter line to get there.
• Priority boarding: Your boarding group will be one of the first ones called, and there's normally a separate lane you can use.

3. Visit the airline's lounge

A business-class ticket normally includes airport lounge access . Lounges are a comfortable place to wait for your flight, and they help you get into luxury travel mode. Try to make it to the airport with some time to spare, so you don't need to rush and can visit the lounge.

You can find the location of the lounge you'll have access to on the airline's website. You can also ask at the check-in desk when you're at the airport.

Learn about the amenities the lounge offers online so you know what to expect. For example, for my last few red-eye flights, I've been able to visit a lounge with showers beforehand. I always take advantage so I can freshen up and change clothes before the flight.

4. Dress comfortably

It's called business class, but that doesn't mean you need to be in business or business-casual attire. Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing. One of the benefits of business class is how much easier sleeping is, so I wear clothes I don't mind wearing to sleep.

Some airlines provide pajamas for business-class passengers, although this is far more common in first class. Many of them provide soft socks in their business-class amenity kits, so you can keep your feet comfortable. And in case you were wondering, it's perfectly fine to take off your shoes when you're on the plane. Get yourself as comfortable as possible to enjoy the trip and get some rest.

5. Ask the flight attendants if you need anything

Don't be shy or worry that you're going to be a bother. Flight attendants are usually happy to help. If you're not sure how something works at your seat, ask them to show you. If you'd like a snack or another drink, there's most likely plenty available.

You can use the flight attendant call button for this. While flight attendants on U.S. flights sometimes say the call button is for emergencies, it's typically used for service requests on long-haul international flights. Just try not to use it in the middle of a meal service.

Business class is a fantastic way to travel. It's certainly harder on your finances , but there are often deals available, and it's also much more affordable if you pay in credit card miles. While you'll probably enjoy yourself no matter what, following these tips can help you get the most out of the experience.

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Want to see the next total solar eclipse in 2026? An expert recommends booking travel now.

• 2026 will be Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years.
• Travelers worldwide will likely head to Spain, Iceland, and Greenland for the event.
• A hotel expert encouraged travelers to start planning and booking their trips now.

It'll be two decades before the next total solar eclipse hits the US .

Another option: hop on a plane to Europe and turn the 2026 total solar eclipse into a viewing vacation.

Eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler at GreatAmericanEclipse.com told Space.com that up to 3.7 million people likely traveled for the solar eclipse on Monday.

HotelPlanner's chief communication officer, Philip Ballard, told Business Insider that the eclipse was a major revenue generator for many cities. For places like Austin, Texas, and Rochester, New York, it could have created $1 billion in revenue, Vox reported.

"I would say the total solar eclipse has become a global phenomenon," Ballard said.

Ballard added that the next solar eclipse , which will pass through Iceland, Greenland, and Spain on August 12, 2026, could result in similar tourism and revenue influxes.

And if travelers are considering a trip to Europe for the solar eclipse, Ballard recommends planning your trip now.

Determine your eclipse viewing destination

According to Space.com , 2026 will be Europe's first total solar eclipse in 27 years. Its path will go through Greenland, parts of western Iceland, and northern Spain.

Choosing where to watch the eclipse will be a tough and important decision for travelers.

Iceland and Greenland have some positives. These regions will experience longer totality times, so viewers can watch the eclipse longer. Plus, the sun will be higher in the sky, so finding a spot to watch the eclipse will be less challenging, Space.com reported.

The downside is that these regions are more likely to be cloudy, according to the outlet.

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While parts of Spain are likely to offer clearer skies, the eclipse's timing will be shorter and closer to the horizon, which means travelers will need to plan and track down a viewing location with unobstructed views of the western horizon, Space.com reported.

Regardless of the destination, according to the outlet, one bonus is that the strongest meteor shower in the Northern Hemisphere will happen the following night, so travelers can pack two events into one trip.

Book flights and hotels far in advance

Ballard encouraged people to book their hotels in their destination of choice as far in advance as possible.

"You should start looking now and booking hotels now because those cities in the path are already going to be at peak season," Ballard said.

Ballard said it's similar to when a Super Bowl city is determined or a Taylor Swift tour date is announced — you immediately see spikes in bookings. He predicts hotel occupancy rates will hit near-record highs, and room prices may double around the solar eclipse date.

Ballard's general rule of thumb is to book international travel at least three months in advance, but since this is such an anticipated event, booking earlier is smart. His advice is to start discussing plans with friends and family. If you decide on a destination, book a refundable room to keep your options open if plans change.

Regarding purchasing a plane ticket, a study from Expedia states that international travel's sweet spot is at least six months in advance.

According to Expedia, travelers who book six months in advance save an average of 10% more than travelers booking within two months or less.

Skip the hassle of planning altogether and book a solar eclipse tour

Another option is to let a tour operator do the work for you. A handful of tour companies have seen the increased interest in the solar eclipse and launched tours designed around the event.

These tours will have predetermined locations to view the eclipse, hotel blocks reserved, and itineraries highlighting both the region and the eclipse.

However, these can sell out quickly. For example, Space and Telescope created an 11-day tour of Spain around viewing the 2026 solar eclipse. The tour has already sold out as of Wednesday, and the waitlist is full.

Other operators, such as Wilderness Travel and Eclipse Traveler, have similar itineraries for the total eclipse in 2026.

Watch: A small Australian town was treated to a rare hybrid solar eclipse

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Road Trips: How to Plan an Accessible Getaway

By Syren Nagakyrie

Planning an accessible road trip is getting a little easier for people with disabilities. There are more resources created by and for the disability community, and the tourism industry is starting to recognize the value of accessible travel. As a disabled, chronically ill, neurodivergent person, I take road trips every year and have learned some tips and tricks along the way.

Renting a vehicle

Most major car companies offer adaptive driving devices for their vehicles at no additional cost. Enterprise , for example, offers hand controls, left foot accelerators, pedal extenders and spinner knobs to facilitate steering. Budget can provide hand controls, spinner knobs, a panoramic mirror, swivel seats and transfer boards. Be prepared to request adaptive devices at least three business days in advance.

For a wheelchair-accessible van with a ramp or a lift, rent from a mobility company like BraunAbility , one of the largest builders of wheelchair-accessible vans in the country, with rentals at many locations. MobilityWorks , an accessible-vehicle and adaptive-equipment dealer, has rental locations in 34 states. AccessibleGO , which offers a one-stop shop for adapted rental cars and wheelchair-accessible vans, has agreements with 100 wheelchair van rental locations nationwide; request a quote on their website. For accessibleGO’s rental cars, you can request hand controls and a spinner knob at checkout.

Route planning

You can use Google Maps, Waze and MapQuest for initial accessibility research using photos and street view. Google Maps provides directions for some wheelchair-accessible pedestrian and transit routes.

Sites such as Roadtrippers and Furkot can plot an entire itinerary. While these websites are not disability specific, they are invaluable tools. (Roadtrippers does have a wheelchair-accessible check box in the search function.) You can filter by types of destinations such as national parks or museums, and search for hotels and campgrounds. Furkot allows you to input how long you want to drive each day, whether you want to travel on Interstate highways or take more scenic roads. The app will determine the best route and length of time between stops, and suggest where to stay overnight.

Finding lodging

While hotels and other accommodations are required to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, many hotels do not meet all accessibility needs. Most of the booking sites list hotels with accessible rooms for those with mobility, hearing and vision needs, but this information is not always verified. Do additional research on review sites and look for photos. Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton and Fairmont hotels offer allergy-friendly and scent-free rooms in some locations. Call the hotel to verify accessibility and to make sure a specific room is reserved for you.

Vacation rentals are typically not required to be A.D.A. compliant, but some do provide accessibility information. Airbnb recently rolled out an adapted category with accessibility search features and homes that have been scanned for accessibility. Review photos and contact the host for more information. Some hosts will make accommodations, such as changing the cleaning supplies or shifting furniture, but document your request using the in-app messaging system so that customer service can help if you run into issues.

Wheel the World is an accessible travel agency offering bookings at over 3,000 verified accessible hotels in the United States. The hotels have been reviewed in person by trained assessors; only those that meet the criteria are listed. Sign up as a disabled traveler or a companion and complete a personal profile that includes options for a variety of disabilities and accessibility needs. The site will provide listings that match your profile with partial, adequate and outstanding match options.

Food and medication

There are a variety of options to keep food or medication cold while traveling. Electric coolers can plug into your vehicle’s 12-volt outlet, but pay attention to the type of cooling mechanism — the less expensive versions are usually thermoelectric and will cool only to about 30 degrees below ambient temperature (if it is 70 degrees in the car, it will cool to 40 degrees). Compressor coolers are more expensive but maintain normal refrigerated temperatures.

Many hotels provide mini-refrigerators. When you know you will be stopping somewhere with a fridge almost every night, layer large ice packs and supplies in a cooler, then top them with another insulating layer like a cooling bag. This keeps everything cold for a couple of days at a time.

It’s also a good idea to travel with a single-burner cooktop — electric to use inside, or propane to use at rest areas and campgrounds — and a camp mess kit so that you can safely cook meals.

Some of the best apps to find food, restaurants and grocery stores that accommodate dietary needs are Fig for allergy-specific options, Happy Cow for vegan-friendly options and Find Me Gluten Free for celiac-safe spots. Add your favorite options to the route-planning app so that you know where to stop.

Finding activities

In addition to the apps mentioned in the route-planning section, state and local tourism organizations are good sources for accessible destinations.

National parks and monuments, which are required to meet federal accessibility guidelines, typically have visitor centers and recreation sites with accessible features. Each park website has information, as well as programs and services within the park. While accessibility varies, you can usually find information on wheelchair-accessible trails and campsites, tactile and audio features, assistive listening devices, and American Sign Language interpreters.

At state parks, accessibility features may not be consistent, but you can usually find some information on each park’s website.

Apps like AllTrails list wheelchair-friendly trails across the country, but the information may not be verified, so contact the park or land manager for verification. Among the parks with notable accessible trails are Redwood National and State Parks, North Cascades National Park, Badlands National Park, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park .

Syren Nagakyrie, the founder of the nonprofit Disabled Hikers and the author of “The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western Washington and Oregon” and “The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Northern California,” among other guidebooks, leads group hikes and conducts assessments throughout the United States.

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

2024 Guide to HMRC Mileage Rates for Businesses

Dealing with HMRC mileage rates can be tricky, but it doesn't have to be a headache.   

If you're looking for a simpler way to manage business travel expenses and stay on top of compliance , we've got some insights that can help.   

We'll be covering:

• What are the HMRC Mileage Rates?
• What is the HMRC Mileage Allowance?
• When Can Employees Claim Business Mileage from Home?
• What is Travel Allowance in the UK?
• What are HMRC Fuel Advisory Rates?
• HMRC Mileage Rates for Electric Cars
• Taxation of HMRC Mileage Rates
• How to Apply the HMRC Business Mileage Rates: A Guide for Employers
• Keeping a Mileage Log for HMRC Compliance

Let's make managing travel expenses easier together.  

What are the HMRC Mileage Rates?  

The HMRC sets specific mileage rates for individuals using their personal vehicles for business purposes. These rates are designed to simplify calculating travel expenses for employers and employees, ensuring fair compensation for business use of a personal car.  

Breakdown of HMRC Mileage Rates  

Cars & vans : For the first 10,000 miles in a tax year, the rate is 45 pence per mile. Once you exceed this threshold, the rate drops to 25 pence for each additional mile.  

Motorcycles : A consistent rate of 24 pence per mile applies, irrespective of the distance travelled within the tax year.  

Bicycles : Cyclists can claim 20 pence per mile for business miles travelled.  

The HMRC 10,000 Mile Threshold  

The initial 10,000 miles are considered to bear a higher cost, accounting for the vehicle's depreciation, maintenance, and running costs.  

The rate reduction beyond 10,000 miles acknowledges the supposed decrease in these costs as the vehicle ages and accumulates mileage.  

What do HMRC Mileage Rates Cover?   

The HMRC mileage rates are meticulously calculated to cover all expenses associated with using a personal vehicle for business purposes.  

This includes, but is not limited to:   

Maintenance  

Insurance costs  

The intention is to offer a straightforward, fair mechanism for employees to be reimbursed without having to detail every individual cost incurred.  

What is the HMRC Mileage Allowance?  

The HMRC mileage allowance is a rate set by HMRC that allows businesses in the UK to reimburse employees for the use of their personal vehicles for business purposes.   

The primary goal of the mileage allowance is to provide a tax-free threshold for mileage reimbursement, ensuring that employees are compensated for the business use of their vehicles without incurring additional tax liabilities.  

Tax Implications of Mileage Allowances for Employers & Employees  

The HMRC mileage allowance is designed with tax efficiency in mind.   

Reimbursements made at or below the HMRC-approved rates are not subject to tax or National Insurance contributions. This applies to both employers and employees, making it a tax-efficient way to handle business travel expenses .  

For Employers:  

Reimbursements within the HMRC rates do not incur additional tax liabilities.  

Payments above the HMRC rates must be reported, and the excess is subject to tax and National Insurance contributions.  

For Employees:  

Receiving mileage allowance at or below the HMRC rates does not affect taxable income.  

If reimbursements are below the HMRC rates, employees can claim Mileage Allowance Relief on their tax return for the difference.  

When Can Employees Claim Business Mileage from Home?  

The HMRC guidelines allow employees to claim mileage for travel from their home to a temporary workplace or for specific business journeys that aren't part of their regular commute.   

The key criteria for these claims under the HMRC mileage rates include:  

Temporary workplace visits : If you’re travelling to a location for a limited duration or for a temporary purpose, this can qualify as a claimable business journey.  

Distinct business journeys : Travelling from home directly to meet clients, attend business meetings at different locations, or carry out site visits are examples of claimable business mileage.  

Regular Commute vs Business Travel: The Difference  

Regular commute : This is travel between your home and your permanent place of work. These journeys are not claimable under HMRC mileage rates because they’re considered as non-business travel.  

Business travel : This encompasses any travel that is solely for business purposes, excluding your normal commute. It's these journeys that the HMRC mileage rates aim to cover, ensuring employees are reimbursed for the additional costs incurred.  

Claiming Your Business Mileage  

For employees looking to claim their business mileage , here's a simplified process:  

Document your journeys. Keep a detailed log of your business journeys, including dates, destinations, and miles travelled. Documentation is key to substantiating your claims.  

Calculate your mileage. Use the current HMRC mileage rates to calculate your total claim amount. Remember, the rates differ depending on the vehicle used and the number of business miles covered.  

Submit your claim. Provide your documented journey log and calculated mileage to your employer. Employers typically have a process in place for these reimbursements.  

For employers:  

Ensure clarity around what constitutes claimable business mileage and communicate this effectively to your team to streamline the reimbursement process.   

Offer support and guidance on how to log and claim business mileage. This will not only ensure compliance with HMRC guidelines but also foster a transparent and supportive work environment.  

What is Travel Allowance in the UK?  

Travel allowance encompasses a broader spectrum of work-related travel expenses than mileage allowance. While mileage allowance specifically covers the costs of using a personal vehicle for business purposes, travel allowance can include various other travel-related expenses.  

Travel Allowance vs Mileage Allowance: The Difference  

Mileage allowance : Directly related to the use of a personal vehicle for business journeys, calculated using the HMRC mileage rates. It's designed to cover vehicle-related costs such as fuel, maintenance, and depreciation.  

Travel allowance : Encompasses a wider range of employee travel expenses incurred due to business activities. This can include public transport fares, accommodation costs, and meals during business travel, in addition to mileage costs when using public or alternative modes of transport.  

Criteria for Claiming Travel Allowances  

To claim travel allowances effectively, understanding the criteria set by HMRC is essential. Claims must be for expenses wholly, exclusively, and necessarily incurred in the performance of the duties of employment.   

Key criteria include:  

Temporary work locations : Travel expenses to and from temporary work locations can qualify for travel allowance claims.  

Necessary overnight stays : Costs incurred during necessary overnight business trips, including accommodation and meals, are claimable.  

Public transport usage : Expenses related to business travel via public transport, including trains, buses, and taxis, fall under travel allowance.  

What is Included in the Travel Allowance UK?  

Transport costs : Train tickets, bus fares, taxi receipts, and airline tickets for business-related travel.  

Accommodation : Hotel or other lodging expenses when overnight stays are required for business purposes.  

Meals and subsistence : Reasonable costs for meals during business travel, subject to HMRC guidelines.  

Incidental expenses : Minor costs associated with business travel, such as internet charges at a hotel.  

Both employers and employees need to keep detailed records and receipts for all travel expenses claimed under the travel allowance.

This not only ensures compliance with HMRC regulations but also facilitates a smooth reimbursement process.  

What are HMRC Fuel Advisory Rates?  

HMRC Fuel Advisory Rates are guidelines set for the reimbursement of fuel expenses incurred during business travel in company cars and vans. These rates are designed to:  

Reimburse employees for business travel in their company vehicles.  

Allow employees to repay the cost of fuel used for private travel in company vehicles.  

It’s important to note that these rates should not be used in circumstances other than those specified above.  

How are Fuel Advisory Rates Calculated?  

The process of calculating these rates is both systematic and reflective of current market conditions.

Here’s how HMRC determines the advisory fuel rates:  

Quarterly reviews : HMRC reviews the rates quarterly, considering the latest fuel prices and vehicle efficiency data.  

Fuel prices : The latest prices for petrol, diesel, and LPG are obtained from reliable sources, including the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Automobile Association.  

Vehicle efficiency : Average miles per gallon (MPG) figures are derived from manufacturer data and adjusted for annual sales to businesses. For LPG vehicles, the MPG used is 20% lower than for petrol due to lower energy density.  

Electric vehicles : The advisory rate for electric cars is calculated using electricity price data and car electrical consumption rates, ensuring a fair assessment of electric vehicle running costs.  

Note : You can calculate employee car and fuel benefits using HMRC’s calculator .  

Applying the HMRC Fuel Advisory Rates  

Employers can apply these rates in two key scenarios:  

Reimbursing employees : If the mileage rate paid to employees does not exceed the advisory fuel rates based on the engine size and fuel type of the company car, there’s no taxable profit or National Insurance contribution due.  

Employees repaying for private travel : Correct recording and repayment of private travel mileage at these rates or higher ensure there’s no fuel benefit charge.  

Key Points for Employers & Employees:  

Employers have the flexibility to use their own rates if their vehicles are more fuel-efficient or if the cost of business travel is higher than the guideline rates, provided they can justify the higher cost per mile.  

Employees must accurately record all private travel mileage and use the correct rate to calculate repayments for fuel used for private travel.  

HMRC Mileage Rates for Electric Cars  

Electric vehicles (EVs) offer a unique set of advantages and challenges when it comes to business travel. Recognising this, HMRC provides specific mileage rates for electric cars, distinct from those for petrol, diesel, or hybrid vehicles.   

These rates are designed to account for the cost of electricity used for business travel, rather than fuel consumption, offering a fair and equitable means of reimbursement for EV users.  

Impact of Electric Cars on Business Travel Expenses & Reimbursements  

The adoption of electric vehicles can significantly alter the landscape of corporate travel expenses :  

Cost-effectiveness : Generally, electric cars are cheaper to "fuel" compared to traditional petrol or diesel vehicles, potentially reducing overall travel expenses.  

Environmental benefits : Encouraging the use of EVs aligns with corporate sustainability goals , reducing the carbon footprint associated with business travel.  

Tax incentives : Utilising HMRC’s mileage rates for electric cars can also offer tax benefits, aligning financial incentives with eco-friendly practices.  

What is the HMRC Mileage Rate for Electric Cars?  

As of 1 March 2024, the HMRC mileage rate for fully electric cars is set at 9 pence per mile .   

This rate provides a simple way for businesses and employees to calculate reimbursements for business travel using electric vehicles, ensuring that drivers are compensated for the electricity cost of their journeys.  

Note : This rate is subject to periodic reviews by HMRC, reflecting changes in electricity costs and the evolving efficiency of electric vehicles. Make sure to stay updated with the latest rates to ensure compliance and maximise the benefits of integrating electric vehicles into your fleets.  

Taxation of HMRC Mileage Rates  

The HMRC mileage rates are designed to simplify the reimbursement process for business travel, providing a tax-efficient framework for compensating employees. But, are HMRC mileage rates taxable?   

The answer hinges on adherence to the prescribed rates and the purpose of the journeys:  

Non-taxable allowances : Mileage allowances paid at or below the HMRC-approved rates for business travel are not considered taxable income. These rates are calculated to cover the vehicle's operating costs, and reimbursements within these limits do not require tax payments from the employee.  

Excess payments : Should an employer choose to reimburse at a rate higher than the HMRC-specified mileage rates without justifying the increased expense, the excess amount could be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions as it is considered earnings.  

Employer Reporting Obligations  

Employers play a crucial role in ensuring the tax efficiency of mileage reimbursements:  

P11D forms : When providing mileage allowances, employers must report any amounts that exceed the approved HMRC mileage rates on the employee's P11D form . This form details benefits and expenses that have not been subject to PAYE tax.  

PAYE Settlement Agreements : In some cases, employers may opt to cover the tax on excess mileage payments through a PAYE Settlement Agreement (PSA) . This agreement allows the employer to make one annual payment to HMRC covering all taxes due on minor, irregular, or impracticable employee expenses or benefits, including mileage rate excesses.  

Are HMRC Mileage Rates Taxable?   

As long as mileage allowances do not exceed the prescribed rates for the actual business miles travelled, they remain tax-free.   

This approach incentivises the accurate recording and reporting of business travel, aligning employee reimbursements with actual travel costs without additional tax burdens.  

How to Apply the HMRC Business Mileage Rates: A Guide for Employers  

Understanding how to apply HMRC mileage rates correctly not only aligns with legal requirements but also supports fair and transparent compensation for employees using their personal vehicles for work .   

Step 1: Understand the Rates  

Familiarise yourself with the current HMRC mileage rates for cars, vans, motorcycles, and bicycles.

These rates are designed to cover the cost of using personal vehicles for business purposes, including fuel, maintenance, and wear and tear.  

Step 2: Establish a Policy  

Develop a clear corporate expense policy on business mileage that includes how and when mileage can be claimed, the documentation required for claims, and how the HMRC mileage rates will be applied within your organisation.  

Need help building your expense policy? Use our free expenses policy template .

Step 3: Educate Your Team  

Ensure that all employees understand the policy, the importance of accurate mileage tracking, and how to submit mileage claims.

Clear communication prevents misunderstandings and promotes compliance.  

Step 4: Implement Mileage Tracking  

Encourage employees to keep detailed logs of their business mileage.

Whether through manual logs or digital tools, accurate records are crucial for compliance and reimbursement.  

Step 5: Verify & Calculate Reimbursements  

Review submitted mileage logs for accuracy and calculate reimbursements using the HMRC mileage rates.

Ensure that claims are justified and fall within the guidelines provided by HMRC.  

Step 6: Process Reimbursements  

Timely process mileage expense claims, providing reimbursements through payroll or as a separate payment, according to your business practices.  

Keeping a Mileage Log for HMRC Compliance  

Let's break down why keeping a detailed mileage log is crucial and how digital tools can make this task simpler and more reliable:  

The Benefits of Keeping Detailed Mileage Logs  

Ensuring tax compliance : Precise mileage logs are your safeguard against tax issues. They serve as solid evidence that supports your travel expense claims according to HMRC mileage rates, ensuring you stay on the right side of tax laws.  

Guaranteeing correct reimbursements : For both individuals and businesses, accurate logs mean accurate reimbursements. No guesswork involved - every mile travelled for business is accounted for and compensated correctly.  

Preparedness for audits : Should HMRC inquire further into your travel claims, a comprehensive mileage log provides a clear, detailed account of your business journeys, proving that your claims are justified and compliant.  

How Technology Simplifies Mileage Tracking  

Gone are the days of pen and paper logs - technology offers a streamlined, error-minimising approach to mileage tracking .  

One standout solution is ExpenseIn , an expense management solution that embodies efficiency and compliance in mileage tracking.  

Why Choose ExpenseIn for Your Mileage Tracking Needs?  

Automated journey tracking : Utilise GPS technology to automatically record your trips' start and end points, ensuring every business mile is accurately captured without manual input.  

HMRC-compliant mileage logs : Generate logs that meet HMRC's strict requirements, detailing every aspect of your business travel, from dates and distances to the purpose of each journey.  

Ease of use and integration : With user-friendly interfaces and compatibility with various financial systems, tools like ExpenseIn make mileage logging accessible and straightforward, no matter where you are.  

Moving to a digital mileage log system is not just about compliance; it's about embracing a solution that offers clarity, convenience, and confidence in every mile you log for business.  

Ready to transform how you track mileage? Take the first step with ExpenseIn. Book a demo today and discover how our tool can simplify your mileage logging, ensure HMRC compliance, and save you time and money.  

Explore our faster, simpler and smarter approach to expense management.

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