After receiving a few great travel tips from Intel road warrior
Vlad Bogdanov, we asked some other frequent flyers at Intel for their best bits of travel advice. Here are a few of our favorite suggestions.
See and experience more by taking the train between nearby destinations.If your trip includes multiple destinations that are relatively nearby, consider traveling by rail instead of by air from one to the next. It’s often more economical—and it offers a unique experience and the chance to view the local landscape.
Tack on personal travel immediately before or after business travel.Sometimes you can save both yourself and your company a little money by planning some personal travel around your business travel. For example, if your business trip is taking you near a vacation destination, you can simply spring for the short (and much less expensive) trip to your vacation spot. That way, your company saves on the return trip—and you save on the way there. It’s a win-win!
Bring your own WiFi to stay connected.Keeping connected to your office email, calendar, and servers has become an essential part of the job. Make sure you have a reliable connection by traveling with your own hotspot. Many smartphones now include hotspot functionality. But if yours doesn’t, check with your company to see if they can loan you a mobile hotspot for use with your laptop. It sure beats relying on undependable airport or other public WiFi signals.
Give your bank a heads-up before you travel.Running up charges in places and for things you normally don’t is a great way to trigger the fraud alert systems of many banks. To prevent the hassle and frustration that come with suspended credit cards, simply notify your bank of your travel plans with a quick email or phone call beforehand.
Know your own body—and give it what it needs.If you’re the type of person who just needs a certain amount of sleep—or exercise, or food, or simple relaxation—in order to work effectively, then make sure to carve out that time for yourself. Business travel is only useful when your mind and body are capable of being productive.
Use a secure cloud sync service for anywhere, anytime access to your files.This is the easiest way to make sure your important documents are available to you while you’re out of town—and to make sure any new documents you gather or create while away travel back with you, even if your laptop gets lost or damaged. There’s nothing more frustrating than not having the documents you need available to you when and where you need them.
Alleviate jetlag by syncing to your new time zone before you travel.Don’t let jetlag ruin your productivity. Instead, adjust your schedule to sync up with your destination’s time zone a day or two before you travel. That way, you’ll be better prepared to hit the ground running once you arrive.
Do you have any favorite tips that make your business travel easier? If so, we'd love to hear from you.
