The complete business travel checklist

Any form of travel—be it for business or pleasure—relies on remembering a few essential items: tickets, hotel details, foreign currency, and, of course, passports. But for the modern business traveler, there’s more. A business travel checklist is a great way to guarantee both the travel and business go smoothly.

Here’s a checklist of key principles to follow from the perspective of both a business traveler and a business travel manager.

What to consider before creating a business travel checklist

1. Freedom to choose

Booking business travel these days is often done by reaching for a phone to find a cozy hotel that will provide easy access to important venues and attractions. Being constrained by the rules and regulations of traditional travel policies frustrates the modern business traveler. And this is for very good reason – they often know a more cost-effective route. An employee’s freedom to choose the best place to stay is fundamental to a successful business travel policy.

2. Opt for an open booking policy

Business travelers are often familiar with their travel needs and preferences. They may know the best hotels and most reasonably priced restaurants in the area. If they’re forced to follow rules that dictate specific locations and hotel chains, the optimal trip is unlikely.

There are a number of reasons business travelers want to book outside of a fixed travel booking policy, usually just to ensure convenience and the opportunity to travel efficiently.

3. Ensure access to a fast internet connection

In an age where the internet feels ever-present—whether at home, work, or walking the dog—fast connectivity is essential, particularly for business travelers. Being hampered by weak WiFi is akin to the hotel shower running out of hot water.

Thankfully, fast internet connections are now available at practically every stage of the travel experience (even if you’re 40,000 feet above the ground), but any that demand pricey fees should be avoided.

Consider these additional connectivity tips:

• If connectivity and roaming are expensive while traveling for business, purchase a local SIM card instead
• Download your documents and enable offline access so you can work without WiFi
• Consider traveling in first class, which usually has WiFi included

4. Make your business travel policy accessible

Business travel shouldn’t be hampered by policy and process – navigating endless red tape isn’t fun for anyone. If travel policies can be reconsidered or regarded more as guidelines rather than rules, modern travelers can continue with a better, faster way of booking. Try to remove red tape or at least keep it to a minimum when making your travel policy feasible and accessible.

5. Embrace the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) culture

The BYOD culture has given many IT managers multiple headaches, but employees’ desire to bring their own phones, tablets, and laptops to the workplace is just as prevalent in business travel.

Those heading to foreign shores to meet customers and attend conferences need to be empowered to use their own devices to book travel arrangements.

With technology moving so fast, few travel policies can keep up. If there’s a better way to book a business trip, the traveler probably has the device in hand.

Once you’ve established the key principles for your business travel checklist, here are some things to consider.

Apps, electronics, and devices checklist

Whether you’re bringing your own device or a laptop from your employer, it’s easy to forget to pack an important accessory, particularly when packing in a rush. To avoid that stressful dash to buy a charger or adapter upon arrival, we’ve laid out a checklist of essential electronic items for a seamless business travel experience:

1. Visit your IT department to make sure all your devices are good to go.
2. Pack a power bank.
3. Pack an adapter.
4. Pack your charger.
5. Pack an extension cord.
6. Pack noise-canceling headphones, if necessary.
7. Pack all laptop accessories like a mouse, keyboard, USB hub, and USB adapter.
8. Pack an eBook reader for downtime.
9. Make sure any updates are completed beforehand.
10. Check roaming rules for your phone and WiFi network (accessing a portable WiFi hotspot pre-trip is a clever way to make sure you can always find a decent internet connection).
11. Make sure all necessary apps are downloaded and ready to go. For information on the most up-to-date apps and information for business travel, see our article on the top apps for business travelers.

Business travel arrangements checklist

In terms of planning your trip, there are a few elements to consider before you go:

• Itinerary planning: Even if not in detail, try to plan at least part of your daily itinerary to give you peace of mind that you’ll be able to fit all necessary appointments and tasks into your timetable.
• Travel insurance: While insurance is one of the easiest things to forget, it’s important to protect yourself in case of an emergency. An annual policy that auto-renews is a great way to ensure you’re always protected.
• Bookings: Make sure all hotel, flight, and transportation arrangements are confirmed and that you have tickets ready, either printed out or on a fully charged phone.
• Notify colleagues and clients: Set an “out of office” message on your email if necessary, and make sure anyone important knows you may not be reachable.

Documents checklist (if applicable)

Before you start compiling the documents you’ll need, find a travel folder to keep everything in one place.

• Travel tickets and important booking information

• Business travel itinerary

• Frequent flyer card

• Passport and visa

• Driver’s license

• Proof/confirmation of your (business) travel insurance policy

• Business cards

• Work documents

• Foreign currency and debit/credit cards

Prepare for leaving (work arrangements)

• Make sure you have all presentations and documents you need on your devices.
• Check that your colleagues are aware of your whereabouts and that your OoO email settings are switched on.

Entertainment on-the-road checklist

• Download a few TV episodes, films, or music to listen to while traveling
• Pre-load your e-reader with reading material, or pack a book

A business travel health checklist

When traveling abroad, here are a few things to consider packing or preparing to make sure the trip goes well:

• Travel vaccinations (check if these are necessary for your destination well in advance)
• Any prescription medications you take (with prescriptions in case you have to show them to officials when traveling)
• Allergy medication
• Over-the-counter pain relief
• Hand sanitizer
• A small first aid kit (including bandages, antiseptic cream, etc.)
• Personal hygiene items (toothbrush, soap, etc.)
• Sunscreen
• Travel-size shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and any other cosmetics (if hotel products aren’t enough)
• Razor and shaving cream
• Contact lenses and solution
• Feminine hygiene products

For additional packing list help, check out our article with tips for packing for business trips.

Post-business travel trip essentials

Once you’ve returned from your trip, there are still things to consider to make sure you wrap up the business neatly. Use this checklist to make sure you’ve thought of everything:

1. Run a post-trip cybersecurity check-up on your devices. Once your trip is over, don’t hesitate to visit your IT department and ask them to check that your devices are healthy and haven’t been infected with malware. If so, they’ll know what to do to mitigate the impact of the cyberattack on the company and its clients.
2. Review your bank statements to check for any unusual activity before, during, or after your trip.
3. Exchange any foreign currency unless you’ll be returning to the destination soon.
4. Submit any travel expenses you might have.

How to create a business travel itinerary

Business travel can make for some hectic trips, which is why itineraries are key to ensuring a productive and successful schedule. Fundamental things to include are flight dates and times, hotel check-in info, transportation arrangements, business meetings, conferences, and other work-related appointments.

More seasoned travelers will also know to include time for themselves. Try to block out a window for wellness in your schedule, whether it’s an opportunity to exercise, relax with some sightseeing and shopping, or simply take a power nap.

An effective checklist for business travel is a great way to ensure that everything goes according to plan, guaranteeing a cost-effective trip and satisfaction for both employee and employer. With these key principles for the ultimate business travel checklist, you’ll be ready to go.