Would you believe it if we told you that business trips didn’t need to be a nightmare?
Whether or not you think it’s possible, you can turn your work travel into something that’s not only comfortable and manageable but something you might even look forward to.
With just a little forward thinking and planning ahead, you can have stress-free and fun work trips every single time. Here are four useful tips that you can use the next time your boss asks you to hit the road for a big meeting.
Get Settled
First and foremost, make sure that you are comfortable. Especially for longer trips, making sure that you have a comfortable space to act as a home base is absolutely crucial.
When you can unpack your suitcase and refrain from living out of a bag for days or even weeks at a time, you can feel a little more at ease. Some accommodation options will even allow you to cook some meals yourself if that’s something you’d want. You could look into a long-term rental apartment from DelSuites or similar companies in whichever area you’ll be working in.
Schedule Your Days Carefully
Another thing to be mindful of is how your schedule your work days. When you travel, it’s natural to want to try and cram as much useful work into your days as possible, but you have to remember to schedule meetings in a way that is respectful to your and others’ time.
Allow for time in between meetings so you’re not rushing around, and try to give yourself a regular lunch break every day too. Being overbooked and flustered will only add extra stress to your trip.
Use Your Down Time Well
Another thing to do is to take advantage of your time off. Even if you’re going to be busy working most of the time, there are still fun things to do on a work trip when you use your downtime wisely.
Use your lunch breaks to visit interesting new restaurants and coffee shops, take an hour or two to explore museums or parks after work, and try to meet up with any friends or family members who might be in the area. This can help you to wind down and find a little joy in your trips amidst the chaos.
Extend Your Trip
If you’d really like to explore the area you’re in, consider staying a few extra days. When you’re booking your trip, make use of websites like Travelocity to help you get flights and accommodation at great prices that will allow you to extend your trip by a day or even a few.
Putting in a day or two of leave or even staying the weekend at your own expense could be more affordable than booking a whole trip on your own since you can take advantage of the company-paid flights. By doing this, you can finish up with your work obligations and then really let go and relax for a few days afterward.