Travel and dealing with a new city is easier when done right. Here are a few accommodation and travel tips to smooth the way.
Being a busy business executive who periodically works from different regional offices as needed, it’s difficult to live a consistent kind of lifestyle. It might be a few months in New York, then a 4-month stint in luxurious corporate housing in the Boston area, and then somewhere else. If you’re the go-to person for solving operational problems, then business travel is a regular thing for you.
Travel and dealing with a new city are made easier when you do it right. Accordingly, here are a few accommodation and travel tips to smooth the way.
Set Yourself Up with Quality Accommodation
When arriving in a new city, you need a decent place to stay. Sure, if you’re only going there for a site visit or to attend a business expo, then a hotel will be fine. However, if you are staying for several months to oversee changes at a regional office or as a stepping stone to a promotion, then it’s best to plan to get comfortable. Living out of a suitcase is only suitable for short periods; after that, it just gets to be too disruptive to business life.
Take a look at the upmarket rental apartments in Boston offered by Blueground. The company approaches real estate a little differently – they want every renter to have a premium experience. As such, their well-located rentals come with comfy furniture and fittings, all the facilities you could want and are conveniently situated with access to the best attractions in their respective city. This choice is ideal for any executive looking for a no-fuss rental suitable.
Pack Dependent on Duration & Activity
We all have the tendency to overpack even for multi-day trips or ones that last a week. When traveling for a shorter duration, use only a carry-on if you can manage it. If you’re going for a longer time, get important items sent ahead to make your trip through the airport much smoother.
Have a ‘go pack’ of essentials in a packing cube or two that you can slot into your carry-on to cut out repeatedly hunting around for items when packing. This might include electronics chargers, mini toiletries including a toothbrush and toothpaste, and even a pack of business cards. When packing, ensure everything is within easy reach in case security needs to look at your bag.
When taking clothes for shorter trips, be sparing about what you’ll need. Use a suit carrier and plastic bags made for dress shirts to keep them clean and pressed. Also, don’t forget some casual attire and other footwear too.
Travel Smarter
Any amount of travel benefits from proper planning. Try some of these ideas:
- Use a rewards program with the airlines to get free airline miles or points towards discounted flights and other benefits.
- Look for a lounge program for executives. Most airlines offer them. They’re separate areas away from the throng of passengers which offer a place to relax, refresh, fuel up with some healthy food and get rehydrated. If you have layovers or an extended period before your flight, waiting in a private lounge is far more pleasant.
- Fly direct without multiple stops if you can. While any flight can get delayed, a delay on the first leg usually means missing the connecting flight. Even if the airline puts you up in a hotel and gets you on a flight the next day, it will likely mess up your business plans.
- Have some printouts of your airline ticket confirmation and planned itinerary. While it’s probably on your phone, some phones die unexpectedly, and a power-bank might let you down. Go analog to cover a worst-case scenario.
- Take advantage of travel programs that speed up check-ins. There’s Global Entry to get through security with shorter lines and the TSA usually has pre-approval programs too.
- Be sure to charge your electronics and power-banks before you fly. The journey might experience delays and you don’t want to miss an important business call.
Don’t Forget the Creature Comforts
A pair of noise-cancelling headphones or earphones for the plane is useful, but they’re helpful in a noisy hotel near the airport too. The newer earphones pack down smaller but aren’t as effective as the over-the-head variety.
Carry a pocket scale to check your bag’s weight to avoid delays at check-in and over limit charges the company won’t cover. Bring a pillow to avoid neck pain and an eye mask to help you sleep at different times of the day. The latter is very useful when arriving into a different time-zone with jet lag and trying to adjust. The last thing you need is to arrive at a meeting cranky because of lack of sleep or feeling out of sorts.
Photo by mentatdgt from Pexels
When traveling and working around the country, it’s exhausting if you don’t manage matters well. Planning ahead and setting yourself up for success are important to survive and succeed.
