The first step in business trip planning is understanding your company’s corporate travel policies, both for national and international travel. These will set the budgetary ground rules upon which you’ll build your trip plans.
Then, find the best deals on flights, car rental and accommodation. Use a service like Hotel Engine for cheap lodging and use your airlines’ websites to get quotes on car rentals. This will make it easy to plan your whole trip at the same time, reducing costs and making it more efficient.
Research the destination city. Learn about climatic conditions, current news on politics or social issues, and other important details about the city you’re going to visit. This is especially important if it’s an international destination. Also, study up on local culture and customs, including tipping etiquette, to avoid any embarrassing or potentially dangerous situations.
Align your boss’s preferences with the trip’s objectives and agenda. This will help you stay within the parameters of your company’s travel policy, and prevent any unnecessary expense surprises down the road.
Keep track of all expenses throughout your trip. This will help you get reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses, and it’ll help the company keep track of spending and identify areas to improve their budget. You may even want to consider using a tool that can generate expense reports automatically, which will save you both time and money. Then, you can relax and enjoy your business trip!