Working while traveling: Top 10 remote work tips for business travelers

Working while traveling is a major part of business trips—not to mention a major perk of working remotely—because it's vital to stay connected with clients and colleagues while on the move. For businesses, travel fosters crucial in-person connections. At the same time, traveling and working remotely comes with challenges, including its toll on productivity.

The bottom line? Switching time zones is tiring and often stressful. It makes it difficult to focus on work tasks, leading to lost productivity and more stress. Whether you’re a frequent business traveler or a digital nomad, try a few of our remote work tips below to stay on track.

The challenges of traveling and working remotely

Business travel opens doors to fresh opportunities, but when it’s constant, it can take a toll on your health. This starts in the air. Frequent flying may come with unwanted side effects like dehydration, fatigue, and jet lag, not to mention exposure to viruses.

According to a YouGov and NexTravel survey, over 20% of business travelers also reported negative mental health effects, including stress. The reasons? Disruption to sleep schedules, unexpected costs, and impact on work productivity were all mentioned by those surveyed.

On the other hand, a Booking.com for Business survey showed there can be lots of positives associated with business travel, including benefits to mental and physical health. Ultimately, understanding the impact of business travel on physical well-being and adopting proactive measures can ensure its benefits continue to outweigh the negatives.

That’s why it’s important to think about productivity before your business trip even begins. Staying productive becomes more difficult when you’re dealing with jet lag and issues like bad WiFi or missing luggage. Plus, some travelers feel anxious about traveling with colleagues they don’t know.

To make the most of work while traveling, it’s important to plan for these issues and minimize travel-related stress.

Why are business trips so tiring?

Have you ever returned from a business trip and felt like you needed to take some time off? You’re not alone. Traveling post-Covid comes with a whole new set of rules and regulations, increasing your mental load.

On top of that, there’s the obvious jet lag and pressure to perform while on the road, disrupted fitness routines, and occasional lack of healthy food options.

Of course, not everyone feels this way. Lots of people enjoy the personal development and change of landscape that come with business travel. Whether you fall on the positive or negative side of the debate, it’s undeniable that business trips impact your productivity.

How can you maximize productivity while traveling?

Planning is the secret to remote work productivity, no matter the destination.

This starts with research of the area. By mapping out the area around your hotel, conference center, or other meeting points, you’ll save time you’d spend on figuring out directions.

Beyond travel logistics, maximizing productivity with a daily schedule that works for you will maximize productivity. Keep yourself accountable with a prioritized to-do list and a live calendar to stay on top of important projects. While working on planes is certainly possible, you might want to block off travel days to mitigate stress and arrive at your destination feeling fresh, creative, and ready to go.  

How to be productive while traveling: Top 10 tips

Combining work and travel is a challenge, but with organization, planning, and a few handy tricks, you can pull it off. Here are our top ten tips for remote work productivity.

Remote work tips for better concentration

Finding it hard to focus in a different time zone? Here’s how to concentrate better with a productive, healthy mindset.

1. Use a to-do list. Jet lag leads to brain fuzz, so keep yourself on track with a to-do list. Ultimately, a significant part of learning how to concentrate on work is staying as organized as possible. That way, you won’t miss out on any important tasks, whether they’re work- or travel-related. This can be as simple as a running list on your smartphone notepad, or you could use one of the many to-do list apps out there, like Google Tasks or Microsoft To Do. Then, whenever you start to feel frazzled, take out your list to focus your thoughts.
2. Build rest into your schedule. When you’re wondering how to concentrate better during a work trip, the answer is usually to get some rest. Business trips are often packed with meetings and events – you feel pressured to make the most of every minute. But you can’t perform at your peak if you’re exhausted, so look at your agenda and pencil in time for rest. Grab some downtime whenever the opportunity presents itself, whether it’s at the airport lounge or during a lunch break in between meetings. When you can’t fit in a nap, a simple stroll around the block can recharge your batteries.
3. Set a routine and embrace chrono-working. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of late nights and eating at odd hours when you work while traveling. Over time, this leaves you feeling confused and a bit out of sorts. What does your daily routine look like? Do you have any little rituals? For example, you might start the day with a yoga session in your room before answering emails over coffee. Try to replicate your routines when traveling for work. One of the biggest perks of work travel is that it gives you the chance to tailor your schedule to your natural rhythms. Some of us concentrate more easily in the early morning hours, while others feel creative at night. Embrace the freedom of work while traveling and try chrono-working, or working according to your body clock.

Remote work tips for working on planes

Long-haul red-eye flights are best spent sleeping, but if you have a few extra hours, you can use this downtime to your advantage. Working on planes is easier than ever thanks to in-flight WiFi and power outlets.

1. Pay extra for WiFi. WiFi is a standard feature when you fly business class, and even in economy you can usually pay for access. If you want to spend your flight brainstorming on the company Slack channel, planning how to get to your first meeting of the day, or answering client emails, it’s well worth the extra cost. This saves you time when you land. One thing to note – be mindful of security when using any public WiFi service. Don’t send any company details or sensitive financial information unless you’re on a secure network.
2. Power up devices. Another great way to use your time in the air is by charging your devices. You can usually do this right next to your seat, but if not, you can invest in electronic accessories like a portable battery pack. Noise-canceling headphones also come in handy on flights when you need to focus.

Remote work tips for working in hotels

Even with a packed itinerary, you’re bound to spend some time in your hotel room. Maximize productivity when working in hotels by setting yourself up for success.

1. Organize your workspace. Whether you have your own room or are sharing one with a colleague, book accommodations that include adequate workspace. You should also take advantage of your hotel’s business center or lobby for additional workspace. If there isn’t any workspace available when you need to work from a hotel, create your own. Move furniture to create a dedicated work area, and ask for more lighting if needed.
2. Use the fitness facilities. The business center is a great amenity for working in hotels, but don’t forget about the other facilities. Take care of your physical and mental health by using the pool, sauna, and gym. A workout might just be what you need to power through jet lag and alleviate stress.

General remote work productivity tips

Many of the same productivity tips you’d use in the office work equally well remotely, with a few small tweaks.

1. Travel smarter with productivity apps. Business travel itinerary templates are old-fashioned – today’s travelers use virtual to-do lists, notepads, and alerts to save time and stay on schedule. Mapping apps, WiFi finders, business travel management apps, translators, and expense trackers can further improve productivity on the go. Cloud-based apps like Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365 enable remote work by letting you access documents from anywhere in the world – you can even collaborate with office-based colleagues in real time.
2. Plan for disruption. Lost luggage and canceled flights are some of the main causes of travel-related stress, but you can keep this to a minimum with planning. Keep essentials like keys, medication, and electronics in your carry-on bag, along with a change of clothes and toiletries in case you get stranded. Make sure you have a hard copy of your itineraries and use a corporate travel booking platform with built-in support.
3. Set expectations. Our final tip is to set work expectations before you depart. Share your schedule with team members so they’re aware of your travel days and don’t expect project delivery during these times. Set up out-of-office email replies and voicemails so clients know you’re away, and provide an alternate contact if necessary. That way when you get to the airport, you can really get the most out of your travel day, making it as productive and stress-free as possible.

What is the 1-3-5 rule of productivity?

A top productivity hack that works well when traveling for work is the 1-3-5 rule. It breaks down your daily workload into three categories – one major task, three medium or in-between tasks, and five small or minor tasks. You shouldn’t move on to any other tasks until these nine are completed. With a clear breakdown of your goals, you can work through everything on your 1-3-5 list in a day, helping you prioritize your time.

What is the ultimate productivity hack?

It may seem counterintuitive, but the ultimate productivity hack is to do less. Learning to say no to projects and tasks that waste your time is one of the most powerful ways to get ahead.

Before scheduling a meeting, think – is it necessary? Or could that time be spent better? When working while traveling, it’s easy to get in the mindset of always saying yes, which leads to an overflowing to-do list and burnout. You can still say yes to opportunities, but in a focused, mindful way.

How to make the most of a business trip

When it comes to opportunities and relationship-building, there’s nothing like in-person business travel. You can work more wisely while traveling by prioritizing tasks, using downtime, and sticking to your usual sleep and fitness routine.

By using dedicated corporate travel management platforms like Booking.com for Business, corporate travel managers and travelers alike can take a great deal of productivity-sapping stress out of the equation. Save time on the booking process by managing airlines, hotels, and car rentals from a single platform, all while storing employee itineraries in a one place. This also means when delays or cancellations happen, the company can locate staff and change bookings remotely for minimal stress all around.