How to prepare for business travel to Europe

Expanding over three million square miles, it’s no wonder that Europe is one of the most visited continents in the world. Home to over forty countries and some of the most economically developed societies globally, the scope for business is colossal. Whether it’s the industrial nations of the UK or Germany, or the emerging markets Eastern side, the industry offerings and business trajectories are comparable to that of the world’s most advanced economies, in the US.

Like with any journey, travel to Europe for business takes planning and preparation. Here are some tips and useful things to keep in mind to ensure the most efficiency prior to and during departure.

Time zones and jet lag
It has to be expected that long-haul travel to Europe is going to encounter a time difference. From the US, time zone differences can range from as little as four hours (between London and New York) and as many as nine hours (between Berlin and Los Angeles). Acknowledging that business trips tend to be of a shorter timespan to leisure holidaying, it’s critical to ensure travelers prepare as much as possible for the unavoidable jet lag.

A seemingly obvious way to reduce the effects of jet lag at the early stages of a trip is to adopt a sleep schedule before departure. While logistically difficult, if sleep can be adapted up to a few days before traveling, it’s only going to be beneficial. Starting to adjust your body to the European time clock can increase the likelihood of feeling your best on arrival. Equally, it’s important to not be too harsh on yourself here. If it’s a business trip of high importance, it’s going to be good to recognise that routine will be disturbed to that at home. Lengthening a trip to just a day or two may be the best way to enable the most effective business.

Travelling to Europe
There are various ways to create the most seamless travel experience to Europe, at every step in the process. Overseas business should not result in team members declining meetings due to logistics, so it’s great to see the offerings of seamless corporate air travel companies. Ensuring a whole team can get across the world in one seamless booking, is essential in the digital age. So whether it’s a need to ensure the best cost, the best safety measures, or an account manager to understand the nature of the trip, it’s vital to realise this shouldn’t go through the same means of leisure travel bookings.

It’s expected that the physical travel for business will often be a long-haul flight, so comfort is key. If possible, allow yourself the time necessary when landing to freshen up before business begins; the most comfortable flight is not going to be in business wear! In the case a sleep schedule couldn’t be adopted on the days leading up to travel, it’s even more important to try and adapt on the plane. Sleep when your arrival destination would be and try to stay awake in their daylight hours.

Packing for Europe
Vastly dependent on the time of year, packing for Europe is of a similar process to other travel experiences. For shorter business trips, it could be likely that luggage allowance is lower, meaning more strategic packing should be considered. Alongside the evident electronic essentials needed for business, it will be helpful to discuss elements with your business team(s), such as clothing expectations. Consider the business wear first as this tends to be more substantial in size and weight. If travel is in the European summertime, country dependant, clothes will likely be lighter – this could be a consideration for the best time to book business travel to Europe.

Packing cubes can be ideal for bigger luggage spaces, allowing you to organise necessities compartmentally. This is also a great way to reduce and organise the amount of luggage each person on the team is taking, and therefore reduce the cost or allow for other team members to join.

Important documents
For any overseas travel, the organisation of documentation is non-negotiable. Passports and other specific VISAs needed for your arrival destination need to be at the forefront of any traveller’s mind when assessing the possibility of a business trip. Central European countries like France, Italy, and Spain generally don’t require a short-stay VISA, but there is specific information to be recognised on how long a short stay is classified. Other countries, like the UK, have their own VISA policies, so again important to know the specifics of where you’re heading.

Travel insurance is an often overlooked documentation for traveling, especially for shorter stays. Like with flight booking, it’s often advisable to research specific business travel insurance with your employer. Consider reliable expat insurance as a twenty-four-seven doctor whilst traveling! Health and safety should remain uncompromised even for the shortest of trips. Examination of the exact insurance needed for specific destinations and individual needs is key to ensuring the right cost for the right trip.

Getting around Europe
Similar to the US States, all European countries offer different public transport and travel methods. Some business trips may even end up multi-country when in Europe, especially considering the business parallels between some of the largest economically developed cities like London and Paris. Often the largest global companies will have headquarters across the most advanced cities, including those in Europe alongside New York, Los Angeles, and even within Oceana.

For movement within cities or cross country, research into the transport landscape of that place is key. For instance, the huge London underground rail network does not span across other UK cities such as Manchester. London to Paris can be easily reached via a, just over two hour, train journey and this can even be the same for other key cities like Amsterdam. Most of the largest cosmopolitan cities in Europe are home to either a tram or underground train network and these are most commonly the most cost-effective and quickest way to get around.

Summary
Research will always be the best way to get the most out of a location, but this becomes even more apparent when traveling for business. Europe’s business landscape is evergrowing and developing, so travel between here and the US is sure to only increase for companies, and become more interconnected as technology advances.

The article How to prepare for business travel to Europe first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.