Business travel in the UK is mostly about time: getting the most out of a day away from the office without arriving frazzled. These ten habits help.
The UK is a small country, and most business trips are day trips or a night or two away. Trains, cars and the odd domestic flight get people from one city to another, and the hardest part is often the first and last few miles. Here is what experienced business travellers do to make it easier.
1. Avoid the peak trains
Monday mornings and Friday evenings are the busiest. Travel the evening before, or later in the morning, if the diary allows. Trains between the big cities can be packed at those times, with people standing in the aisles.
Peak fares are also the most expensive, and off-peak tickets can be much cheaper. If your meeting is at eleven, a slightly later train may cost far less. It can also be much more comfortable.
Book in advance where you can, as advance fares are often the best value. But check the conditions, as some tickets cannot be changed. For a trip that might change, a flexible ticket is worth the extra.
Reserve a seat if you can, and choose a quiet coach if you need to work. Many trains have power sockets and wifi, although the signal can be patchy. Download what you need before you travel.
2. Book the first mile and the last
The train is only part of the journey. Book the car from the station to the client ahead, especially in cities with short taxi queues. A long wait at the rank can make you late for a meeting after a punctual train.
At big stations, the taxi queue can be long at busy times, especially in the rain. At smaller stations, there may be no taxis at all. Booking ahead means a car is waiting when you arrive.
The same goes for the journey home. After a long day of meetings, the last thing you want is to hunt for a taxi. Book the car back to the station before you go.
With a booked car, your driver’s details are on your journey page before pickup, and the price is fixed. There is no meter running in traffic. You know exactly what the journey will cost.
3. Keep a car for multi-stop days
Three client visits across a region? A car and driver by the hour is often cheaper than it sounds and saves hours. See a roadshow day.
Days with several meetings in different places are hard to do by train and taxi, especially outside the big cities. Connections are poor, and you spend much of the day waiting. A car that stays with you solves that.
With a car by the hour, your driver waits between meetings, and you can leave your bags in the car. If a meeting runs over, the car is still there. If you need to add a stop, you can.
Compared with the cost of several taxis, or a hire car and parking, it can be good value. And the time you save is time you can spend working. For a team, it can be even better value.
4. Work in the back
A car door to door gives you a quiet space to take calls, which a busy train rarely does. You can prepare for your next meeting, catch up on emails or make calls in private. The journey becomes useful time.
On a busy train, confidential calls are almost impossible, and it can be hard to find a seat, let alone a table. In the back of a car, you have privacy and space. It is like a small, moving office.
Bring a charger and a battery pack, and download any documents you need in case the signal drops. Motorways and cities usually have good signal, but rural areas can be patchy. Plan your calls for the stretches where you know it is good.
Sometimes, the best use of a journey is to rest. After a long day, closing your eyes for half an hour can make a big difference. There is no rule that you must work.
5. Know the price before you go
A fixed-price booking means nothing to explain on the expense report. You know the cost before you travel, and it does not change. Finance teams like that.
Metered taxis can cost far more than expected when traffic is heavy. Some apps raise prices at busy times. A fixed price avoids both.
Knowing the price in advance also helps with budgets. If you are planning a trip for several people, you can work out the total before anyone travels. There are no surprises.
Charges such as airport parking fees are included in the quoted price unless we tell you otherwise before you book. The price you see is the price you pay. It is simple.
6. Put journeys on an account
A business account keeps travel off personal cards and records each journey against the right cost centre. Nobody has to pay out of their own pocket and wait to be paid back. Nobody has to file a claim.
For companies that travel regularly, an account saves a great deal of admin. Assistants can book for colleagues, and every journey is recorded. It is all in one place.
Accounts are set up with our team, not opened with a form, so they fit how your company works. We agree how your people book and how you are billed. There is one team to deal with.
If your company does not have an account yet, ask your office manager or finance team. They may be glad to hear of it. Read more about business accounts.
7. Pack for the weather, not the forecast
A compact umbrella earns its place in any bag. British weather can change quickly, and a sunny morning can turn into a wet afternoon. Arriving at a meeting soaked is not a good look.
A light raincoat that folds into a bag is useful too. Choose shoes you can walk in, as business trips often involve more walking than you expect. Station platforms, office car parks and city streets add up.
If you are staying overnight, pack light and use a small case you can carry on and off trains easily. A bag with wheels makes a big difference. Leave space for anything you pick up on the way.
Keep a spare shirt or top in your bag for long days. A small wash bag, a phone charger and some snacks help too. Experienced business travellers keep a bag ready packed.
8. Charge everything the night before
And carry a battery pack. Your phone is your ticket, your map, your diary and your way of reaching your driver. If it dies, the day becomes much harder.
Charge your laptop, your phone and your headphones before you go to bed. Put your chargers in your bag at the same time. It only takes a minute.
A battery pack is a lifesaver on long days, especially if you are using your phone for maps, calls and tickets. Choose one that can charge your phone at least once or twice. Keep it charged too.
Save your tickets, booking details and important documents to your phone so they are available without a signal. Take a screenshot of anything you might need. It can save a lot of stress.
9. Leave time around the big venues
Conference centres have their own traffic on event days. See the UK’s top conference venues. Thousands of people arrive at the same time in the morning and leave at the same time in the evening.
Roads, car parks and stations around the big venues can be very busy on event days. Taxis are in short supply at the end of the day. Allow extra time for arriving and leaving.
Book your car to and from the venue in advance, with a pickup point a short walk from the main entrance. Your driver’s details are on your journey page before pickup. That way, you can leave when you are ready.
If you are staying in a hotel near the venue, check how far it is and how you will get there. Some venue hotels are within walking distance, while others are not. It is worth knowing before you book.
10. Get the receipt straight away
Each ZeroLanes journey page shows the journey and what you paid, and we can issue an invoice for expenses. There is no need to keep paper receipts. Everything is in one place.
File your expenses as soon as you can after the trip, while the details are fresh. The longer you leave it, the harder it is to remember what each cost was for. Many companies have deadlines for claims.
Take photos of any paper receipts, such as for meals or parking, as soon as you get them. They are easy to lose. A photo on your phone is much safer.
If your company has a business account, journeys on the account do not need to be claimed at all. They are recorded against the account. That saves even more time.
Ride with ZeroLanes. A car booked ahead, at a price fixed before you confirm, with the driver and the car on your journey page before pickup. Talk to us about a business account.