Essentials for Planning a Business Trip

We are living in a digital world. Our communication works across all different places in the world. Even with different time zones business can be done. However, when it comes to closing a big deal or working on long-lasting business relationships, face-to-face interaction is unbeatable.  

Especially with the world slowly recovering from the corona crisis business trips are coming back to our lives. Are you organizing a business trip but are you a bit lost on where to start? Don’t worry! We combined the biggest essentials when it comes to planning a business trip.

Start early

When you are arranging the trip, the most important part is to start way in advance. Especially when you are flying to your destination it’s important to book the flights in time. The first step should always be to familiarize yourself with your company’s travel policy. Are there any parts that are unclear? Make sure to fix it and get your answers before you start booking things. 

When the ‘rules’ are set, it’s time to book your travel. This may involve traveling by air, rail, car hire, van hire (in Dutch: personenbus huren) or even a boat. Think about the journey from the office, to the final destination. Visualize the various steps of the trip from A to B. Consider details like how long it will take to move between airport and railway station, the time it takes to fill out paperwork at the vehicle hire company, and whether luggage storage might be useful. It’s smart to use comparison sites to find the right price. 

The right accommodation

When you prepare your trip, the perfect accommodation is an important part. Are you having a congress at a specific location? Then make sure to book a hotel that’s nearby, maybe even walking distance. Are you visiting multiple places? Then find a place in the middle. Because you are visiting for work, you want every minute off to be for relaxation. That’s why it’s best to make sure that driving to a hotel should not take more than 30 minutes. Do you need transportation from a location to the hotel or the other way around? Then check to see if your hotel offers vans. They usually have vans for up to nine people (in Dutch: 9 persoons bus huren) that you can rent, or use with a driver. 

Check if your company has preferred hotels. You might be able to get a good deal with the hotel too. 

Important documents

The one thing that can ruin your business trip, is when travel documents like passports are forgotten. Traveling between different countries requires a valid passport, travel tickets and sometimes even a visa. Make sure that you check this during your early preparations. Some embassies can take a little while to issue a visa, so you have to request it in time. 

Electronics

Don’t forget you’re going on a business trip. Does your work involve computers or other electronics? Make sure to find a secure way to take it with you or rent it at the spot. More important questions to ask yourself are if there is wifi you can use at any moment. Pack your adapters and see if you need a world adapter in the country you are visiting.

You now are ready to take on this business trip. Be prepared and don’t forget to have fun. Your colleagues will be very thankful. Goodluck!