Earlier today, I wrote about how to get started coordinating flights for your own business travel. When we think of business travel, many of us JUST think of flights and hotels. There are so many other requirements and options, however, depending on where you are traveling—trains, cars, and other sorts of accommodations—that can be part of your business travel repertoire too.
In order to make sure you have covered everything—think of your entire trip from start to finish. You want to make sure that you have a ride to the airport, from the airport and other transportation you may need while you are at your destination. Now, you do not have to rent a car every time you travel, you may be able to utilize hotel shuttles, walking and public transportation. I find when I travel internationally that it is so easy to get around most places that I need to for work without renting a car. It just takes finding out some of the basic transportation infrastructure before hand.
With the advent of the internet, so much of this can be done relatively easily if you know where to look. Make sure that you have all of your documents ready to enter and exit a country by checking out the State Department site which lists all the requirements. You will also want to investigate the currency used in the location you are traveling to and whether or not you will need to exchange currencies or travel with a credit card or traveler’s cheques. Whatever you can do in advance of your trip will help to make your actual business trip smoother.
Do not overlook train travel, buses and regional or local resources. Most of these have web sites with information and you can arrange all your travel in advance. Recently, when I took a business trip to Philadelphia, I then wanted to go into New York City to spend a few days with a relative. Instead of an expensive flight or car, I was able to find a regional train that took a couple hours but only cost a little more than $20.00. Doing your homework in advance will help you to save money and get all the details worked out so you can focus on business during your trip.
See Also: The TRAVEL Blog