Business Travel Tips

How to Make Business Trips a Pleasure, not a Hassle

Whether you’re accustomed to business travel or new to the experience, there are plenty of ways you can maintain the excitement in the whole concept rather than it turning into a chore. With many high flyer positions listing ‘business travel’ as one of the requirements, it’s not always a pleasant experience. Saying goodbye to your families for days, or weeks, on end can be heart-breaking, so ensuring that the trip is as pleasant as possible will help you keep in high spirits.

Spending nights alone in hotel rooms and enduring endless hour’s mid-flight can be arduous; if you take heed of the following advice though, your future business trips may not be so bad. If you’re flying from London, check out Travelodge’s hotels in Gatwick airport where your hassle-free trip can really begin.

If you find yourself packing and unpacking over and over again in a short space of time, keep some of the traveling essentials separate, ready to go when you are. Some toiletries, such as shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste and a toothbrush, would be perfect to keep in your suitcase rather than having to faff on the day before your flight. Keep these items stocked up so that you never find yourself with empty bottles.

The need for a laptop or netbook is inevitable on a business trip – keeping on top of emails, documents and suchlike during the evenings is essential, not to mention the accessibility to Facebook and Netflix to pass the time. Wi-Fi pretty much comes as standard nowadays, and is a perfect way to stay in touch with friends and family so that you don’t feel like you’re missing out. Install Skype or similar for emotional video chats.

Frequent flying often means losing track of a healthy diet and lacking exercise, but it doesn’t have to be the way. While your gym membership will have to stay at home, there’s no reason why you can’t make the most of your free time. If the hotel you’re staying in has a gym, make use of it when you can. If not, use the stairs rather than the lift and do some simple exercises in your room.

Food-wise, eating healthy food in a restaurant is just as convenient as stopping at a fast food joint – choose wisely so that you don’t return home feeling sluggish and unhealthy. When it comes to restaurants and bars in the same city, vary your visits so that you try new things and keep your trip interesting. While you may have found an ideal eatery, one round the corner could be even better – step outside your comfort zone and enjoy a varied stay.

Traveling a day or two before you’re needed, if possible, gives you the chance to relax and prepare yourself for what lies ahead. There’s nothing worse than flying out on the morning before a conference or meeting – if time allows, give yourself a little leeway to reduce stress.

Ensure that your itinerary includes enough time, pre-flight, to help keep you nice and relaxed. Check out Travelodge’s hotels in Gatwick airport for accommodation the night before you fly for the ultimate in stress-free business travel.