Traveling for work can be an exhilarating experience. Whether you are attending a conference a sales meeting or consulting, traveling for work can be thrilling; however, there is an art to traveling for business. If you aren’t prepared, your business travel can be a drag. If you want your upcoming work trip to go smoothly, here are six need-to-know tips.

Never Check a Bag

Traveling light and efficiently is key for business travel. Even if your company covers the cost of checked bags, sitting around waiting for checked luggage will waste valuable time. Not to mention that having to cart around an unnecessary amount of excess weight will prove to be a major inconvenience. If you pack efficiently, one bag should be more than enough space.

Improve Your Packing Skills

If you are embarking on travel for work, you need to master packing. Make sure that you place your heaviest items on the bottom, use dry cleaning bags to avoid unnecessary wrinkles, and pack your toiletries in a separate small bag for a convenient and easy security experience. These small tips can make the world of difference in your travel experience.

Keep the Essentials Close

When you are on the road, you need to be able to maneuver quickly and efficiently. If you want to maximize your productivity, make sure that you keep your essentials close. Pack your laptop bag with your work essentials, a charger, and a supplemental power source. If you truly want to be ready for anything, pack some snacks and mints in case you run into any delays or emergencies on the go.

Don’t Rely Solely on Technology

Although technology has proven to be a game-changer for travel, if you want to avoid any unnecessary stress, don’t rely solely on it. While you can have your ticket and wallet on your digital devices, make sure that you also have hard copies. You never know when you’ll run into difficulties with devices, a lack of internet, or a dead battery.

Benefit From Frequent Flying

When you travel for business, you start to rack up miles and with loyalty programs, you can rack up rewards. If you travel for business, make sure that you know all of the benefits available to you.

Use Your Time Wisely

There is often more downtime than many people realize when traveling for business and you have the opportunity to optimize your downtime. Take this time to do some work, check in with family or just relax and read. Instead of scrolling through your phone aimlessly, use your travel time to do something worthwhile.

If you want to cruise through your business travel, use these tips and make the most of the experience.