By Road, Rail, Sea or Sky: Expert Business Brains Give Their Top Travel Tips

Regardless of whether you are making your journey by rail, road, sea or sky, the range of travel options and scenarios that you need to consider can boggle the mind. It could also cost you more money that it should, especially if you don’t follow a few savvy travel tips.

Be sure to get a general idea of your country’s travel laws and regulations before you leave on a trip. For those travelling to or from Europe, it is helpful to get in touch with someone who explains what EU Regulation 261 is all about and what you can do when your flight is delayed or cancelled. If you’re looking for some essential business travel tips, here are what some seasoned travellers think you should know.

Get Packing

One aspect of travel where plenty of us struggle is what luggage to use and what to pack for your trip. Although you will obviously be influenced by the nature of your trip and the destination, when deciding what to pack, there are some other good bits of expert advice that are worth considering.

Try to find yourself one specific go-to piece of luggage that always seems to work whatever the trip and wherever you are headed. A roller bag that meets most airline requirements and is flexible enough to cope with what you need to take, will make life easier before you even start your journey.

Another good tip is to always pack less than you actually think you will need. A good way to do this would be to make a list of everything that you think you want to take with you, then cut that list in half.

Always smart and presentable

If you are travelling for business, you always want to try and ensure that you look as stylish and presentable as possible, but journeys can often take their toll on your clothes.

A good tip would be to think about packing clothes that are in dark colours, as they hide stains better if you have a mishap at some point, and creases don’t look as noticeable if you are wearer darker colours, which could allow you to stay smart and presentable, more than if you pick a cream coloured linen suit.

Tipping the scales

Investing in some digital luggage scales won’t cost very much to do, but it could end up saving you a lot more than that in airline fees, if your luggage is over the allowance.

Pack your luggage scales every time you head for the airport, as it only takes a moment to check your allowance, which can vary dramatically between airlines and countries, so that you don’t get caught with a hefty fee, that could easily have been avoided.

Get covered

It is sometimes tempting to take shortcuts on your travel insurance or even skip it completely, but that is a strategy that could easily come back to haunt you when things go wrong.

Anything can happen while you are travelling or staying overseas, so make sure that you arrange proper travel insurance that gives you good coverage for your medical expenses and you are covered for lost luggage or other scenarios that could derail your travel plans.

Staying on the subject of getting covered, don’t forget to check with your mobile phone provider as to what charges you might be facing when you use your phone abroad. Although there has been some action taken recently to reduce data roaming charges, it often works out better to pay for a roaming package before you go, so that you keep your costs down.

Get the inside track on upgrades

There is a way to greatly increase your chances of getting an upgrade on your economy flight ticket, and it is all about the booking code.

If you book an economy ticket with a Y or B code, it will mean that you have paid full fare, but it is the gateway to being able to request a complimentary upgrade, which you should get if there are spaces available on the flight.

Ask about the upgrade option when you book the flight and check with the airline shortly before you fly, to see if you can boost your comfort level for the flight, for the price of an economy ticket.

Stay connected

Another simple tip to remember before you set off on your journey, is to make sure that all of your devices like phones and laptops, are fully charged and ready to go.

You will need to take a charger and converter with you if you are away for more than a day or so, but having your phone and everything else ready to use without worrying about running out of power when you need it most, is a good way to avoid any unnecessary frustration.

Steven Allen is a UK based business traveller with more than a decade of experience contributing articles to numerous travel sites. He has a keen interest in consumer rights and is always looking for ways to improve customer service for airline passengers.