I have been travelling a lot for business during the last three weeks: Boston for a conference, New York City for meetings, Florida for client work, and now St. Louis and Washington D.C. as part of my industry 
involvement and “giveback” work. A colleague suggested that I share my tips for managing business travel. Here goes:
You can work anywhere: To reduce flying time and to keep options open for client meetings, I will opt to do a multiple city flight, instead of round trips to be home for just one night. We can work anywhere, so why not work from a hotel room for a day? However, this year I missed Halloween with my grandkids which I regret. Will try to avoid that next year!
Travel logistics – I really dislike making flight reservations and sifting through the options. I rely on my administrative support staff to handle as much of my travel arrangements as possible. I know there are apps that you can use to track it all but I’ve yet to adopt them. Once everything is confirmed, having a one-page itinerary with all the info for the trip I need is an extremely helpful reference.
Planning for the weather – You might be dealing with a 30+ degree difference in the temperature when travelling to multiple cities. I watch my weather app a few days in advance and think about clothes that will work with the weather changes. Then figure out what kind of outerwear I need for the coolest temps.
Packing – There’s no question that men have it easier than women when it comes to what clothes to pack. Men have almost a uniform that serves them for a few days – sports coat, slacks and a couple shirts or just one suit and different ties. Women need to create their own simple interchangeable uniform. Think basics and know that black is your friend (dress, skirt, slacks, jacket). You can always change it up with accessories. Then there are the shoes – go for comfort and 1-2 pairs that work with everything.
Paper files – Organizing your work is as important as packing the right clothes. Having most everything you need online or on your laptop means a lot less paper to carry these days. But make sure you have what you need either electronically or on paper to keep things moving while you are travelling.
Time zones – It’s not that hard! Let your electronic devices do the adjustment for appointments so you don’t screw up the times as you go from one time zone to the next.
Maintaining healthy habits – Business dinners and events that include rich appetizers, bigger dinners than you are used to, and more than one glass of wine can wreak havoc on your diet. Moderation is important. And if you don’t want to make room in your suitcase for gym shoes and workout clothes for the gym at your hotel, just get out and go for a walk every day.
Downtime vs all work – I have learned over the years that I need a good novel to read once I finally shut down for the night. In a hotel room by yourself, it is too tempting to work right up until you brush your teeth and turn out the lights. But it can be hard to relax and fall asleep if there is no downtime between work and bed.
Get a good night’s sleep – A hotel room that feels stuffy, a bed that is too hard or too soft. It can be hard to sleep well when travelling. I haven’t figured this one out yet!
Wishing you all safe and productive travels when you are away on business. Would love to hear any tips you may have.
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Susan Hope on said:
Maintaining healthy habits is a must on any travels not only business. Wonderful reading and great tips.
Sue Schade on said:
Susan, good point! Thanks for the feedback.
Kelly Mathew on said:
Very useful tips, Ms Sue Schade. All the tips are an ideal one for all the business travelers. Not getting too much stress or messed up with the travel. Having some support staff for the travel logistics are some really useful tips for all the business travelers.
Sue Schade on said:
Kelly, thanks for the feedback. Travelling as I write…..no glamour in it. Following my tips!
Reinhart Rentals on said:
When I’m traveling with my kiddos, I visit the Dollar Store beforehand. I take a shoe bag (the key is you want an opaque bag you can’t see through) and I spend about $10 buying some toys for the kids. Every hour while in-flight I pull out one item for each child from the bag
Sue Schade on said:
Great idea for travelling with kids!
Robart St John on said:
These are the best travel tips I’ve discovered along the way. … I’ve just hit 5 years abroad and would absolutely agree with all of them. Thanks for sharing.
Sue Schade on said:
Robart, good to hear the travel tips were useful!
Michael Lee on said:
At work, I am starting a project that will require a lot more travel than I usually do. I am a bit of a health nut and have been worried about maintaining my habits during this project. I’ll take your advice to make sure to pack my workout clothes and I’ll set them out the night before so that I make sure to exercise in the morning.
Sue Schade on said:
Michael, I call that level of planning for workouts while travelling as “intentional” – good for you!
Radha Kuran on said:
Really helpful tips. Thank you so much for sharing
American Landmark Travel Destinations on said:
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Knowandask on said:
Good article you have shared.
Dean Phillips on said:
You offered a great recommendation when you said to keep a one-page itinerary with all of the info for your trip. My wife and I are going to be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary, and we want to take a trip to somewhere we have never been. Once we find a resort to stay at, we will be sure to write down all of our travel plans and itineraries while we are away.
Sue Schade on said:
Dean, glad that tip was useful!
Akshay Sharma on said:
Very informative article on travel. I have been reading your other posts. Thanks for such beautiful travel tip. Keep blogging. Thanks.
Sue Schade on said:
Akshay, glad you found it useful.
Marcus Coons on said:
I love your travel tips. It is important to keep them in mind to enjoy the ride. We want to travel a lot this year.
Tanisha Chatterjee on said:
Your tips for better travel made my travel the best of the lot!
Thanks for sharing.
cheers
Deepak Pandey on said:
Thanks for this amazing information. I had learned a lot from this.
Agen Togel Online Terpercaya on said:
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Naveen Choudhary on said:
Good article you have shared.
Komal Goyal on said:
thank you so much for sharing such valuable information . my dad was recently going on a business trip for the first time, and this list helped me calming him down and also was very helpful.
Kated on said:
Well Described the tips for better business travel.