Corporate travel sounds incredibly glamorous but in reality, it’s a mixed bag – the privilege of going to other countries on someone else’s time and the potential to turn colleagues into friends is often outweighed by the long hours, time away from loved ones or frustration.
As I was writing this, I became painfully aware of the middle-class privilege it shows, so don’t hate on me for this. However, most of us that travel with work have probably at some point been halfway across the world, lost a weekend to travel only to spend a week in a windowless conference centre that resembles one just a few miles from home and wondered, did I really need to be here in person? You think, oh at least I’ll get to see a different country, but the hours you work and the location of your trip mean breaking out of the 200 yards between the conference hotel and conference centre takes a concerted effort.
So, in 8 years of work travel what have I learned? How can you squeeze that bit of culture in and make the trip feel more worthwhile from a personal point of view as well as a professional? I need to thank my colleague Hailey Fishel (aka Tennessee Traveller) for her input here too, as a seasoned business traveller, Hailey has mastered it.
This post doesn’t cover working vacations as that isn’t really my style. It is however Kates and her guide is here.
1. Rethink your morning exercise routine
I love the gym as much as anyone, but a power walk can be just as good for cardio and it lets you see where you are. Plus if you’re in all-day meetings it’s a great setup and can put that jet lag to good use.
2. Check the local business etiquette
It’s really easy to go wrong by simply not asking.
For example, the dress code can vary significantly (especially as a woman – I had to buy new clothes to pitch in Abu Dhabi as my usual calf-length wrap dress just was not appropriate).
It is also important to know if a handshake is appropriate, how to handle a business card and how to engage in meetings – all of which vary vastly between countries. Another one that slips people up is how to address businessmen and women: in some countries it simply isn’t appropriate to use a first name – I remember a long conversation with a former colleague who had gone to school with Prince Harry and never addressed him using a title, he therefore couldn’t understand why a businessman needed to be called Mr.
3. Create a checklist before you travel
Packing for business travel is far more complex than for a holiday. To ensure you have all the technology, clothes and any gifts or handouts you need, a list is a must. Ok, this one won’t help see the country but it will reduce your stress. It will help you ensure you don’t forget your laptop (which is anxiety-inducing to say the least), your charger or that important notebook with critical information and all your preparation in it.
4. Ask the local team for tips
Usually your local team will arrange at least one evening out with you to show you a bit of the area. For the remaining time you’re there, get their advice. The restaurants they recommend, the run route, the park or the mall might not be the ones on Trip Advisor but you’ll have a much more authentic experience. Checking with your local team will also help you avoid the experience I had in Switzerland of booking travel that arrived where I was staying too late to get a meal (turns out, nothing is open by 8pm in St Gallen on a Monday evening).
5. Think before you spend
It can be tempting to go mad, especially if work has said that’s ok but in reality, spending as if it’s your own money is the best way to avoid an annoyed finance team and depending on your company processes, a hefty unwanted interest payment on your credit card.
6. Sign up for Avios and a hotel loyalty scheme
Let’s face it, if you can get some points towards your own holiday, why wouldn’t you?! An Avios AMEX is a must-have. For example, if you need to buy your flight and hotel and then expense it – you may as well get points or cash back for it.
7. Tag on a day or take an earlier/ later flight
Not everywhere you’re going with work will warrant an extra night, but even getting the early morning flight in place of the late-night one can give you an unexpected experience be it a meal, a quirky museum or a good walk or as I managed to with a later flight, the great mosque. It’s this principle that also let me see Darmstadt in Germany in 2023, and I LOVED it.
8. Save the phone numbers for your travel agent and IT teams
Trust me on this one, you never know when or why you’ll need it… two hotel rooms not one have been booked for you, and your credit card is liable for both? Flight cancelled and you need to get home? These poor people working a Sunday can quickly become your BFF. Equally, when you get to your hotel and you get the black screen of death on the laptop you are meant to present on, you’ll be glad you took this step.
9. Learn the main language you encounter
This may seem blindly obvious but if you find you’re going regularly to a particular country or region with a common language it will help you no end to learn a little. Just because your colleagues speak perfect English (for arguments sake), it doesn’t mean everyone who works at the office of the local train station will… so if you’re lost at Frankfurt Hbf or want to get into the local office, it is helpful to be able to understand a little of the local language.
10. Make an effort with your colleagues
It can be really tempting after a day in meetings to lock the hotel room door, put on Netflix and sit in your PJs, all under the guise of “checking your emails”. Doing this might save you an hour back home but you will miss out on so much. Some of the best work relationships I have or have ever had are due to saying yes to the after-dinner chat, drink or walk.
11. Make time for you
Business travel is exhausting, especially if you’re in a vastly different time zone to your usual team. I’ve done many a trip where I have essentially worked an additional half day each day because of the need to take a call, clear down emails or just review work being done by colleagues at home. Whatever it is that keeps you zen, stick to your boundaries and make time for it.
One of the best ways to make time for you is by exploring the local food. Here are some of the guides I’ve found or made to eating in business travel hot-spots:
12. Thank your colleagues who have stayed at home
There’s a good chance they’re a bit envious of your trip and they will have needed to pick up some extra work whilst you’re away. This means they’re unlikely to be open to you complaining about how exhausting business travel is! A bag of local goodies will always be welcome in the office, but in this hybrid world simply remembering to say thank you and acknowledging the impact on them goes a long way too.
13. Take a spare – in hand luggage
More disastrous than your luggage not making it to a holiday is your luggage not making it to a business trip. If you have hand luggage big enough, pack a spare top and a toothbrush.
Let’s face it, none of us wants to present to that top client in our travel clothes or want the stress of having to find somewhere to buy something before work begins.
So… what have I missed? What else should we know?
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