Life in a suitcase: how to prepare for your overseas business meeting

For those entering the working world for the first time, the idea of travelling on business may sound rather appealing. Lots of exotic destinations, luxurious hotels, all-you-can-eat buffet breakfasts and crucially, it’s all at your employer’s expense.



But the reality of business travel isn’t quite so appealing. Early morning rises, several days or more away from home and spending all your spare time with the same colleagues you’ve spent your working day with can be tiring.



However, this is part and parcel of the corporate world for many people and with time, you learn how to prepare for your business trips abroad to alleviate as much of the stress as possible.



One of the golden rules of travel – whether it’s for business or leisure – is work out how much stuff you need to take and then halve it. Travelling light can make your life much easier.



If you’re on a short business trip, you can probably get away with wearing your main suit on the flight, which means all you really need is a small holdall with some toiletries, a couple of spare shirts and some casual wear.

Furthermore, travelling light means you can save a considerable amount of time both on departure and on arrival. Less time checking luggage in means more time in bed before your early morning flight, and with no baggage to collect at the other end, you can slip out of the airport with minimum fuss.



Early morning flights can also mean having to rise at the crack of dawn. And when you factor in travel time, queuing at the airport and circumventing the sometimes over-zealous airport security, an 8am flight from Heathrow Airport can mean a 3am or 4am rise, depending on where you live in London. That’s assuming, of course, you do live in London.



And given that public transport may be restricted in the small hours, it may be wiser and a lot less stressful if you make your way to the airport the evening before the flight. You can travel at a leisurely pace and stay at one of the many excellent hotels near Heathrow Airport .



This means more sleep, less stress and more time to consume a proper breakfast and get yourself some essentials for the flight, such as refreshments and magazines or newspapers. Ultimately, staying at an airport hotel means you can arrive for your overseas business meeting feeling fresh and ready for any challenge that comes your way.