Travel Tips
Travel
Tips
If you're traveling to
attend a Green Sheet seminar or to meet a client, here are a few
savvy travelers' tips.
Before You
Go
Make copies of all the
credit, debit, and phone cards you will carry with you (as well as a
copy of your itinerary) and leave them with someone you trust. If
anything is lost or stolen, you will have all the information in one
place.
Pick up a map either
before you go or at a rental car desk. Even if you're not driving or
you're depending on someone else to chauffeur you around, you still
need to be familiar with your surroundings.
Put your WORK phone
number and address on your luggage tags. Besides adding security, if
your luggage is lost there's usually a better chance of the airline
reaching someone at a work number than a home number.
Bring a list of
important phone numbers and addresses with you. Don't assume the
number you need will be in information or a phone
book.
If parking at an airport
(especially long-term parking) write your parking location and
shuttle stop in a day planner that you carry with you. Searching for
your car in a dark parking lot is not the way to end a long day of
traveling.
Rental
Cars
If you plan to fly in
after 4PM, try reserving an economy car. Then hope they are out of
economy cars and have to bump you up to a mid-size for the economy
rate.
When the rental agent
asks about gas, you will be given three options: fill the tank
yourself, prepay based on the agency's rate, or return an empty tank
and incur a per gallon charge. Usually your best (cheapest) bet is to
fill the tank yourself.
Before you reserve a
car, check with your employer and your credit card company to find
out about insurance. You may be able to save the hefty insurance fee
charged by the rental company but be sure you are covered otherwise.
If not, it could cost you dearly.
If you are picking a car
up at the airport but you did not arrive on a plane, be sure and tell
the agent so you can avoid some of the airport taxes.
Accomodations
You may have noticed a
trend lately-hotel guests are receiving "free" cell phones with their
rooms. Beware, it's kind of like the mini-bar: It's free until you
open it. The actual phone may be free but the calls are
not.
Expenses
Travel with a day
planner with a pocket so you won't lose receipts. If you should lose
one, hand write a new one before you forget.
Record your mileage the
minute you get in your car so you won't have to guess. Make sure you
have a trip meter on your car.
With some planning,
business traveling actually can be fun!
[RETURN]