Top Tips for Stress-Free Business Travel

If you travel for business, you probably are a frequent rental car customer. That means you’re familiar with the ins and outs of renting a car, but if you’re new to business traveling, or just want to make it more seamless and comfortable, here are some tips.

• When you reserve a rental car, give yourself time upon pickup and drop-off. Even the most staffed agency can find themselves crowded if a lot of travelers arrive at once. In the event of a weather issue or something else out of control of the agency, a large amount of people may all be delayed in returning their car or will arrive on one shuttle bus, so it’s good to give yourself extra time just in case. Sometimes car availability can be impacted if customers have delayed flights and in turn, return their vehicles later than expected.
• Pack your most needed items in a backpack or briefcase. Not only does this help you conduct work without having to wrangle with a big suitcase in tight quarters, but you’ll have less downtime.
• Before you book your hotel room, inquire about wifi availability. Some hotels offer free wifi but you may find it too slow; have an alternate plan, like the location of a coffee shop or by the hour workspace.
• If you’re in need of printing capability, many hotels now have onsite office equipment; if not, they are still often able to help you print out a small document in the event of an emergency, so don’t be afraid to ask. Another good option is a scanning app for your phone, so you can scan in a document you may already have or sign something and email to a client or co-worker.
• Both iOS and Android offer apps that will help you sync your laptop to your tablet and phone, so you’ll never find yourself missing a document when you’re on the road.
• You’re probably a pro at packing, but one tip that helps everyone is to bring your own hangers with you. When packing your suits or dresses and want to avoid a garment bag, gently fold the clothing back and forth on top of itself, hanger last. Upon arrival at your hotel, you simply grab the pile of hangers and hang all at once. This also ensures you’ll have enough hangers without having to ask the hotel for extras. A stain removal stick or tube could be a lifesaver, along with a small container of wrinkle releaser.
• Don’t forget to pack your car charger! You never know when you’ll be stuck on the road longer than anticipated. Maybe even buy a spare to keep in your briefcase, along with a port that allows for you to plug in numerous devices at once. Many rental cars now offer a USB port for additional charging and phone access options. This is something else you can ask when you book your rental car reservation.
• Create a Dropbox account. Flash drives are wonderful for transporting and/or sharing files while traveling, but just in case of emergency — losing the drive, equipment failure, etc. — having your important files in a Dropbox allows you to access them from anywhere. Large accounts do have fees, but the free size limitation is often sufficient.
• Map out your destination, all the way down to parking. You may have to park offsite, meaning additional travel time (taxi, walking, etc.) to factor into your arrival and departure time.

Business travel doesn’t need to be stressful. Follow our tips and you’ll be able to focus on your business at hand!