Since the lifting of all Covid restrictions in England, many people have found that they are now finally getting back to some sort of pre-pandemic normal with regard to business trips. If it’s been a while since you last left home for a work trip, you might find the tips below useful to remind you what to do!
Get organised
It may take you longer than you think to pack your suitcase for a work trip these days! Many of us used to have a ‘ready to go’ bag that we just added a few items to each time we went away, but that might have been gathering dust under your bed for 2 years. Make sure you leave yourself sufficient time to pack before your trip, and/or replenish your bag with all the things you need to make it serviceable again! You might like to create a list of all the items you need for your next trip to use again for future trips, saving you some time in the long run! Top tip – don’t forget your chargers!!
Check your travel plans
While Covid restrictions have lifted, the virus is still having an impact on scheduling, particularly on the trains. Downloading the Trainline App can help you to keep track of which services are actually running. There seems to have been a huge flurry of road improvement works appearing recently too, perhaps as councils attempt to catch up with a pandemic-related backlog, so taking the car may not provide any more reliable journey times! The Highways Agency has a useful app which can warn you of roadworks and accidents on your route. If you’re flying, remember to check the Covid requirements for the country that you’re going to, to avoid getting turned back before you’ve even begun – plenty of countries still have most or all of their restrictions in place.
Enjoy your creature comforts
Travel for work might seem like a bit of a hassle these days, but it can be an opportunity to enjoy some of the benefits you’ve forgotten all about. Pick up a fancy coffee and pastry on the way to the station, bring a book to read or download your favourite show or podcast, build in some time to visit the shops in the station or airport (remember Duty Free?!!), or buy a ridiculously overpriced gourmet sandwich for the journey. It’s the little things in life that give us the most pleasure, after all!
Plan for the disruption to your routine
We all had a major routine shift two years ago, but now most of us have settled into a new routine which for many of us gives us a better work-life balance. Work travel can suddenly mean that your gym routine goes out of the window, or your healthy eating plan is compromised, and if you’re travelling often this is the slippery slope back into bad habits! Preempt this by booking a hotel with a gym or pool, packing your running gear, and previewing menus and choosing your food ahead of time. You should also consider including the time you spend travelling as work time, so that you can claw back time to spend with friends and family to make up for the time you’ve been away. Depending on your company policy (or whether you’re the boss or not!) you may be able to take your train journey time back in lieu, or even your entire overnight stay, to make sure that your work and life stay balanced.
Renew or update your travel subscriptions
There are plenty of schemes designed to reward frequent work travellers. Maybe it’s worth you (re)joining an airport lounge club? Or at the other end of the spectrum, signing up for a Travelodge Business Account?! If travel is going to become more of a regular thing for you, then taking advantage of these kind of schemes will make the whole experience more bearable and could save you money in the long run.
Wherever you’re going for work, we’re here to support you. If you need advice on figures to present at a business meeting, on how to treat your travel, accommodation and subsistence costs for tax purposes, or just some recommendations for great places to visit on your travels, we’re here to help! If you go anywhere really fancy, don’t forget to take your ER Grove ‘Boring Bag’ and take a picture so that we can immortalise you in our newsletter!
