09 June 2025
Traveling for business overseas is exciting, but it can be a challenge logistically. It’s a good chance to build relationships and represent your company and experience new cultures, but it also comes with its own set of hurdles in the form of cultural differences, time zones and unpredictable schedules. The key to mastering international business travel is in preparation, flexibility and a few tried and tested true habits.
For example, if you’re flying into Spain and heading straight to meetings, you might not have time to check in at your hotel. Plenty of travellers find solutions like luggage storage Madrid offers near stations or business districts. This makes it so much easier to stash your bags and jump into your work day knowing that the basics are sorted. Let’s go over 10 tips for overseas business travel.
- Plan for your time zones. One of the biggest productivity killers out there is jet lag. To soften the blow, start adjusting your internal clock a few days before your departure. If you’re moving East, try going to bed an hour earlier each night, and if going West, stay up a bit later. There are lots of apps that you can use on your phone’s world clock to plan your sleep schedule and your meetings. Once you’re on the plane, make sure that you eat and you sleep according to your destination’s time zone, not your departure cities. This helps you to arrive more aligned and more focused.
- Be smart with your packing and pack lightly. For shorter business trips, packing light is a huge advantage. If you can stick to your carry-on, it will save time at the airport and reduce the risk of lost luggage.Invest in versatile clothing that can mix and match wrinkle resistant materials and a compact shoe option that works for both meetings and dinners. Essential extras include travel size, grooming products, power adapters and a USB bank. Because you can never be too careful.
- Get to know the cultural norms. What’s perfectly normal for you and your country, maybe a deal breaker elsewhere, and you don’t want to offend anybody. From the handshake etiquette and business card protocol to how people approach punctuality and negotiations, cultural awareness can make or break a deal. Where you can do some light research on business customs in your destination country. Are formal titles important? Is small talk expected? Are there any behaviours you should avoid? It’s this little bit of research that can really go a long way to build respect and rapport.
- Get your travel documents organised in advance. You don’t want to just do the physical ones but the digital ones too. Ensuring that your passport is valid for at least six months but beyond your return date is important. If you need a visa, apply early and double check the requirements. Some countries need proof of onward travel or are printed itinerary. Keep a digital and physical copy of important documents such as your passport, visa, travel insurance, work authorization letters and your company’s contact info. This way you’re covered.
- Schedule everything strategically. International business trips will often come with tighter schedules. Be strategic with your time and avoid booking back-to-back meetings in case you’re going to be stuck in traffic. You need to give yourself the buffer time for delays and jet lag recovery. Prioritising the most critical engagements first and, if possible, scheduling more complex negotiations for your second day, is important. If your trip involves multiple cities, plan the route to minimise backtracking and time lost on transit.
- Check your tech before you go. You should never assume that the Wi-Fi will be good everywhere. Bring a mobile hotspot with you, or get an international SIM card or esim that works in your destination. Once you’ve done that, enable offline access for key documents and check that all your devices are updated and that your work files are backed up in the cloud. You should also check your video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Teams and Google Meet for updates and login at least once before your trip to avoid those annoying last minute glitches.
- Put your health first. Flying across time zones and eating unfamiliar food is not easy. Working long hours can also put your health at risk. Stay hydrated where you can and pack basic medications like pain relievers, sleep aids, antacids and any prescriptions. Moving around on long flights to reduce the risk of blood clots and stiffness can help you to feel good about yourself. You should also consider packing some healthy snacks for the road and try to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
- Stay connected, but securely. Business travel often involves accessing sensitive data on public networks. Using a virtual private network can help you to protect your connection when using hotel or airport Wi-Fi. Ideally you want to avoid accessing critical systems or logging into sensitive accounts without protection. Make sure that your devices are password protected and encrypted. Where you can use two factor authentication and alert your IT team about your travel plans in case of access issues or flagged logins.
- Be careful with expense tracking. Business travel meals expense reports, and the last thing that you want is a pile of crumpled receipts when you return. There are plenty of apps out there that allow you to log your receipts and expenses as you go. So snap a photo, enter the amount, and move on.
- Make some room to have some fun. Even when you’re travelling for work, squeezing in some leisure time is a great idea. It makes your trip more enjoyable and less exhausting. Taking early morning walks, dining at local restaurants, or visiting some landmarks during your free time in whichever country you’re visiting will help you to recharge and give you a better appreciation for the place that you’re in. If you’ve got a late flight after your last meeting, use your final hours to unwind somewhere comfortable.
