How To Travel Overseas For Business For The First Time

Heading overseas for business is an exciting opportunity – and perhaps a nerve-wracking one if you’ve never jumped across the pond before. It can be difficult to know where to start if you’re new to long haul international travel. After all, you’re going so far away you’ll want to make sure you have everything in place before your plane leaves the ground.

From purchasing business travel insurance to packing like a pro, here are some tips to help you prepare for your first overseas international work trip.

Plan Ahead

Booking flights and planning the details as far in advance as you can will help you make the most of your itinerary, save money and reduce overall stress as you won’t have to worry about running around last minute trying to sort things out. Setting up your itinerary early will also give you the chance to create one that’s thorough – you can include specific destinations, dates and times. Not only will a detailed structure of your trip help keep your colleagues back home in the loop, you can easily see if you have any spare time available to meet up with a nearby client or business connection.

Correct Currency

They say money makes the world go ’round, and while we don’t know if this is true or not, we do know one thing: you’ll want to make sure your finances are sorted while you’re abroad. Don’t wait until the last minute to change any cash – doing so at the airport is going to be the costliest way. It’s far cheaper to get a prepaid corporate travel card – not to mention far easier to manage and keep track of your spending abroad.

Invest in Business Travel Insurance

While it’s true that most work trips go off without a hitch, it’s still a good idea to invest in business travel insurance just to give yourself peace of mind – after all, how are you supposed to focus on closing that big deal if you’re worried about your lost luggage, broken phone or paying unforeseen costs?

Pack Properly

Packing for a weeklong holiday in sun may require a large suitcase, but when travelling for work, it’s best to try to fit everything into a carry on. You’ll save time because you won’t have to wait around at baggage claim or worry about your luggage getting lost as you’ll have it on your person at all times. It’s also a good idea to bring backups of everything – plug adaptors, presentations, files – and pack them in separate locations just in case.

Going overseas on a company trip doesn’t need to be stressful. Pack properly, invest in business travel insurance, get the right currency and plan ahead, and you’ll breeze through your first voyage across the pond for work like a real expert.

Author Plate

Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of InsureMore, an award-winning team of specialists in single trip, annual and business travel insurance. The company offers great deals for various travel insurance policies, so clients can always rest assured that they’re fully protected no matter where they travel.