When preparing for a business event abroad there are lots of things to consider. Whilst your attention might quite rightly be focussed on the business event itself, it’s important to ensure that you have taken the travel element of the event into consideration too and have managed to get everything in place beforehand to guarantee a successful trip.
Currency
With handy kiosks at most airports it can be very tempting to leave your currency needs until the last minute and simply change your money as a last step before you board the aircraft. As usual there is a price to pay for convenience and this is no exception. With exchange rates being sometimes 15% more expensive at airports, it really does pay to plan ahead and purchase your currency from your bank or local Post Office in advance.
Baggage
Business travellers tend to lose a lot of room in their luggage to bulky suits and professional workwear and are likely to carry heavy paperwork onto the aircraft to read in preparation for their business event abroad.
Because of this it can be really beneficial to post business paraphernalia such as business cards, brochures, pens and other marketing material to the venue ahead of time to free up your baggage for the necessities. Not only will this make for a more comfortable travel day for the individual, it can save money for the company who could be hit with expensive airline baggage fees, and furthermore it’s easier to package the material in a more effective way meaning that it should all arrive on time and undamaged.
Health Travel Insurance
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We’re so used to free healthcare in the UK that many of us fail to consider the implications of having to use healthcare whilst abroad. As a business traveller you may be even less likely to think about this as you will be preoccupied with other things.
However it should be noted that International Health Insurance is as vital to you as your passport is when you travel. Just like you need a passport to get you home, if you are unfortunate enough to sustain an accident or illness whilst abroad, you may find that you need to rely on your international health insurance policy from a company like www.now-health.com/en/ to get you home too. With healthcare often costing thousands of pounds for minor ailments, it can be difficult to imagine the devastating financial consequences of a more serious event occurring abroad, such as catching a dangerous virus or having a heart attack. In fact it’s estimated that the cost to treat a broken leg in the USA could be as much as $35,000.
With airlines reluctant to allow sick or injured passengers to travel without a doctor’s note advocating good health, International Health Insurance really could stand between you and home. A good health insurance policy will certainly provide priceless peace of mind.
Visa
Another little thought about issue that has the potential to scupper your business event is a travel visa.
It’s so easy to forget about applying for visas when travelling and we often mistakenly assume that we’ll be able to enter a country without a visa if we’re only visiting temporarily. Whilst this is often true, many countries do require visas to be granted prior to travel and some have very specific rules for business travellers.
Currently we can travel to the EU visa free however some examples of countries that do not allow visa free travel for UK citizens are as follows:
United States of America – the USA requires the purchase of an ESTA prior to travel. These are usually quite simple to obtain and can be ordered online easily. Though you could theoretically order the day before travel, it’s best to allow plenty of time should you application be rejected.
China – Not only does China require all UK citizens to obtain a visa to enter their country, they also only accept applications in person and so this requires forward planning.
Australia – You may be surprised to know that even our Commonwealth Cousins do not permit entry without a visa.
This information is constantly changing and so it’s imperative that you take the time to research the need for a visa prior to committing to travel. It’s important to note that most airlines will not let you board if you do not have the correct travel documents.
It’s easy to see how some really important aspects of business travel can be forgotten when you’re preparing for a trip, however proper planning will prevent you from having a travel disaster and with most things being very simple to prepare, it really does pay to plan.
