If you’re traveling internationally, you may need to secure a visa before you leave. You may also need certain vaccinations, including anti-malarial medication. If traveling to a city at an elevation above 4,900 feet (1,500 meters), you may be susceptible to elevation sickness. Try to give yourself a few days to acclimate before doing anything strenuous and start drinking two to three liters of water each day to stay hydrated. If you’re traveling outside the country, find out if you can safely drink the tap water where you’ll be. If not, you’ll need to stick to bottled, purified water to stay healthy.
Start with the date and time you’re checking into and out of your hotel, then work your way through everything that you’ll be doing while you’re away on business. Don’t forget to keep track of your flight’s boarding and departure times so you know when you need to arrive at the airport. Highlight any work-related events on your schedule. That way your most important priorities won’t get lost in the shuffle.
When booking your flight, make sure that you use your sky miles account so that you can get points and rewards. You might even have enough sky miles already to cover the cost of your flight! When booking your hotel, see if you can use sky miles or get points towards a rewards program. You should also make note of your hotel’s policies on check-in, checkout, parking, and number of people per room. If you need a rental car, make sure that all the roads you’ll be driving will be safe with your rental car. Research if you need two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Look around with different rental car companies to see which has the best rate. Some credit cards also have rewards plans and perks for traveling. See if your credit card comes with any of these benefits.
Make sure that all your identification is valid and up-to-date well in advance, as it can take several weeks for new documents to be prepared.
Give yourself at least an extra 15 to 20 minutes if you’ll need to print out your ticket upon arrival at the airport. If you have a paper ticket, keep it someplace where you won’t lose it. You may want to store it with your ID or passport to ensure that you don’t misplace any of those documents. If you’re using a digital ticket, make sure you’ll have reception wherever you’re flying out of for the return trip. If you can’t pull it up on your phone, you’ll likely need to print out a paper copy at the airport.
Try to pack as light as possible. Bring enough dress clothes for the trip and one or two pairs of casual clothes for exploring the town. Confirm that your bag will fit in the overhead compartment or under your seat by checking the carry-on bag size restrictions with your chosen airline. Check the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website for any updates on prohibited items and packing suggestions to ensure your security check is as quick as possible.
Read up on the culture and customs of the people you’ll be doing business with. Talk to other colleagues or friends who have traveled to the country you’ll be doing business in. This can help you get a better sense of what’s acceptable and what isn’t. Be respectful at all times. Remember that you’re representing your business and possibly your culture, so you’ll need to be on your best behavior at all times.
Keep a backup copy of all your important information on your laptop or a USB flash drive. If you really want to cover all your bases, you can also print out hard copies of any important paperwork and keep those papers in a file with your travel documents.
If possible, give yourself a few days before you leave and start going to sleep and waking up at the times you will be waking/sleeping once you reach your destination. Being aware of the time difference has professional implications as well. You’ll need to ensure that you don’t miss any important meetings or deadlines on your trip.
Limit your caffeine and alcohol consumption, as both of these can leave you slightly dehydrated. Try to drink two to three liters of water each day, but remember that you’ll need more water if you’re very active or in a hot environment. [10] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
Aim to arrive around dinner time, then plan to stay up until about 10:00 pm in local time. When you get to your destination, avoid heavy meals. Instead, choose healthy snacks or a light meal that won’t weigh you down. [12] X Research source You will most likely be tired after traveling, so by getting in around dinner time and eating a light meal, you’ll start to get sleepy in time for a regular night’s rest.
Limit your exposure to bright screens, like laptops and cellphones, for at least a half hour before bed. Bright lights can reset your circadian rhythm, making it harder to sleep. [13] X Research source Get as much sunlight as you can in the morning and early afternoon. This will help you remain wakeful and energetic during the day. Try to get some light to vigorous exercise each day, but be aware of when you work out. Some people find that exercising too close to bedtime affects their ability to sleep. [14] X Research source Bring earplugs and a sleep mask to help ensure that you get restful sleep each night, no matter what kinds of distractions present themselves at your hotel.
