No two trips are exactly the same -- change of plans is a constant and how you handle these varies according to your destination, who you are with, what time of year it is, and how prepared you are. Traveling efficiently is a skill that requires honing.
Because of my work, I often spend more than 10 days a month on the road. From extensive experience, research, and planning ahead, I have picked up a number of tricks and tools that can benefit business travelers and entrepreneurs interested in traveling more efficiently.
No matter how experienced a traveler is, there is always room to improve, due to travel technology, applications, and services that are constantly evolving. Here are a few tips to help you plan, pack, be efficient, and get down to business on your next trip:
Plan Like A Professional
Step 1: Book Your Flight - Nowadays, we are lucky to have so many websites and applications that help us with trip logistics. When searching for a flight, use Kayak.com or Skyscanner to find optimal flight itineraries and prices. Both of these sites identify different flight options from one destination to the next, making it easy for travelers to spot convenient times that fit into their schedules.
Step 2: Prepare to Cut the Line - As a frequent traveler, consolidating your travel to one or a handful of airlines can get you access to fast track flight check-in and sometimes priority security lines. Make sure not to overlook a program from US Customs and Border Protection called Global Entry,which expedites your return to the US by way of special queues for immigrations and customs. Global Entry also gives you access to TSA Pre-Check for fast domestic,security screenings. Your favorite airline might also cover the cost of your Global Entry application - don't forget to check! This is critical to frequent travelers because it allows us to pass quickly through security lines, freeing up time for productive endeavors.
Step 3: Find a Hotel - For an entrepreneur, time and location are everything. If you need to stay near city center, boutique hotels are typically the way to balance convenience with price. Check out Starwood's approach with their relatively new Design Hotels and Tribute Collection concepts where you get the best of boutique hotels paired with the ease of the big brand reservation system and loyalty program. For quick turnaround airport stays, I like Aloft or Moxy hotels. Start your hotel search by Googling "boutique hotel in XYZ" to browse through options. Try using TripAdvisor or HotelsCombined to compare prices, browse local options, and read reviews. If you're staying in the same place for more than three days, consider Airbnb. A little more trouble to check in and out, but it allows you to brew your fix of bulletproof coffee in the morning and take a walk in the city center in the evening.
Step 4: Use Ground Transportation Like a Local - In some airports, it can be a challenge to figure out where to catch a Lyft or Uber. Taxis can be efficient, but often tough on budgets -- and they don't always take the corporate credit card. If you're not running straight to a meeting, why not try something more rewarding? Where possible, I like to take a rail link from the airport to the hotel. It avoids traffic, saves money, and provides a local experience. My favorite recent local airport trip from Beijing Capital International Airport, I took the Express Railway to Dongzhimen, then a "chauffeured" tricycle from the train station to the hotel. The result was faster, cheaper, and a lot more fun than a taxi. Pro Tip: think twice about the tricycle in the winter. There are also a number of apps such as Moovit, that provide global bus schedules and subway maps in real-time to help you with local travel. And if you do decide to take a taxi, make sure to check fares first with TaxiFareFinder to make sure you don't get ripped off.
Step 5: Organize Itineraries - It's really important to have all your travel details consolidated in a single place. If you strive for a paperless life, it's critical to use a trip planning tool, such as TripIt. I've found this to be an essential tool during my trips, as it allows me to neatly synchronize my calendar. With TripIt, there is no longer a need to switch between travel apps or carry around stacks of paper with different itineraries.
Pack Like An Expert
Two words to live by-- pack lightly. Unless you're a banker, travel with simple outfits (save the cutting edge fashion for home). Pack jeans, non-iron dress shirts, polo shirts, wingtips, navy blazer and workout clothes. I get mine at Brooks Brothers, Hudson Jeans, Alden, Lacoste and the Adidas shop. Avoid packing food, batteries, and unneeded liquids - and don't stress if you forget something. Almost anywhere you go there is a place to buy necessities.
A good rule which I try to stick to is packing three of everything - three pairs of pants, three pairs of shoes (workout, casual, business), three shirts and always one sportcoat. Wear the sportcoat on the plane so that it doesn't get wrinkled or take up space in your bag.
It's important to have the right luggage for your trip. Avoid the expensive Italian leather in favor of modest black nylon. Why make your luggage a target for theft? When considering what luggage to bring, be sure to check the airline's on weight limits and size standards. Opt for carry-on luggage that fits in the overhead compartment, especially on international flights. This will give you flexibility to change flights and may save valuable time at the airport. It also eliminates the risk of losing luggage.
It's easy to forget that you can do laundry while you are away, which is a great solution for those trying to travel with less. If the hotel does not have laundry facilities, you can find US laundromats with resources like Findalaundry, an online laundromat directory. For international travel, try using Yelp to find locations abroad. On a recent trip I took to Copenhagen, I came across the Laundromat Cafe. This was a cool place to do laundry while exploring a local neighborhood and relaxing with a cup of coffee. Next time, I'm catching breakfast there!
Be Efficient On The Go
Sleep, Read or Work: I would avoid watching The Big Lebowsky for the 10th time while you're on the plane. Get some work done or catch up on your reading. If you're lucky enough to get that upgrade, open up the laptop and catch up on email -- but don't bother to buy the Wi-Fi. Responding to emails offline is a really efficient way to work without distraction. If you are traveling in economy use your smartphone to reply to emails in offline mode. If you're crossing continents, plan your sleep carefully -- immediately get onto the new time zone when you board the plane. If you will arrive in your new destination in the evening, make sure you sleep at the beginning of the flight and force yourself to stay awake toward the end of the flight.
Keep track of time: It's important to stay on top of changing time zones while traveling. Being aware of time differences helps you keep in touch with family at home and ensures that you don't fall behind on deadlines. Try a clock widget like World Clock Today if you have an iPhone or Dual Digit World Clock if you prefer Android. As a result of the time differences, you may receive incoming calls at inconvenient times. For this reason, I've found it helpful to use the Do Not Disturb feature, except for my alarm of course.
Stay in touch: Now that you're familiar with time differences, you can figure out the best time to communicate with loved ones at home or get to know the best tools to reach business partners while abroad. Here are three free options for international correspondence:
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WhatsApp is a cross-platform messaging app that eliminates the need to pay for SMS. In addition to basic messaging, WhatsApp users can create group chats and send one another unlimited images, video, and audio media messages. Just download WhatsApp and you can stay in touch no matter where your family or friends are.
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Meucci enables users to call anyone, anywhere for free without needing an internet connection. The app provides free GSM and VoIP group calling. Unlike other apps, Meucci works over both Wi-Fi and GSM so you can make calls even when there's poor connectivity. It also lets you call feature phones that don't even have the app.
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ringID is an all-in-one app for HD quality video calls, messaging, checking your social media newsfeed, music sharing/streaming, and more. The app works at low bandwidth, which is great for smoother connectivity experience while traveling.
Localize: Depending on where you are visiting, a language barrier may hinder fluid communication. For small translations, such as objects or simple commands, try using Google Translate. You can either type in the text you'd like translated, or point a camera at what you'd like translated to receive instant explanations on the fly. For longer translations, such as full conversations with locals or at business meetings, I'm looking forward to trying Pilot by Waverly Labs, a smart earpiece that translates between users speaking different languages.
Get Down To Business
Schedule: Balancing business and pleasure while traveling can be incredibly difficult. To deal with this, I have a simple philosophy: schedule at least three meetings, leave a time margin for unexpected delays, and do something fun. Traveling takes a lot of time, money, and effort, and you should never go anywhere unless you have minimum of three confirmed meetings to ensure a number of opportunities for success. Plan ahead and leave time for unexpected delays. This is a known tip for travelers, yet many people cut things too close and end up facing the consequences. Lastly, do a minimum of one fun activity. Gogobot is a great resource to find local events, recommended restaurants, and popular attractions.
Prioritize: Before leaving for your trip, don't put up an out of office (OOO) message. Use SaneBox to organize urgent emails and prioritize responses. People don't need to know you are out of the office if you are available to them. Only use OOO when you're truly unavailable.
Go Paperless: Remaining organized and going paperless while traveling for business will help you travel lighter and prevent you from losing things. Useful apps for business travelers to download in preparation for their trip include:
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Expensify App: This app helps you keep up with travel expenses so you can be reimbursed by your company once you return home. Simply take a photo of receipts in order to save them all to one convenient place. No need to carry around additional paper that could get lost and take up space.
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OneNote: This is Microsoft's multi-device cloud app for taking notes. With OneNote, it's possible to access notes digitally, across many devices, eliminating the need for paper and a pen all together.
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HelloSign: Signing documents on the road requires business travelers to print and physically carry contracts. HelloSign provides an easy to use virtual contracts service for business travelers.
Running a company demands a great deal of time and responsibility on any given day. Traveling for business creates additional hurdles to overcome, and day-to-day tasks are complicated by being in an unfamiliar place.
It is important for entrepreneurs to always be on the ball, whether it be at home or away. In most cases, they've mastered running a company while at home, but even while traveling entrepreneurs must be at the top of their game. With these simple tips and tools - they can be.