Always have a piece of baggage ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Make sure that it includes a week’s worth of wardrobe, plus any essential toiletries you might need. Include a book or some form of entertainment for waiting in an airport. Some travel trips rear their ugly head quite quickly, and of course, you might just be running late the week before you travel.
Have emergency luggage on the standby at all times, just in case you need to grab and go.
You can save significant space by not lugging around full packages of toiletries in your baggage. Instead, get a number of contact lens cases and include single-use amounts of critical toiletries within them. You are not likely going to need a full tube of toothpaste on your trip, so include only the three or four allotments per day that you intend to be gone. Do not pack more than you actually need.
Run through your intended trip schedule and write down everything you will need for each function chronologically.
If you draw up your packing list in this way, you will quickly discover what is really essential for your trip and what things you just assume you need. If air travel is going to be part of your trip, try travelling only with a carry-on piece of luggage. This will mean adhering to all regulations and keeping up with current safety protocols for what is acceptable in onboard luggage. However, the freedom of movement and convenience afforded by not having a second piece of luggage to check in saves time, money and stress.
Keep your luggage organized.
If there are compartments, assign each one a category of item to pack into it. When you open your suitcase in two time zones, you will immediately know where your socks are and will not have to waste precious time and stress digging through your baggage looking for your cell phone recharger.
Make sure you pack a first aid kit.
The smallest of medical matters can become big inconveniences in faraway cities without your own car or knowledge of the neighbourhood. Just remember to check current airline and air traffic regulations if your only luggage is a carry-on, as first aid kits may have liquids or sharp items prohibited.
Block out time for recreation and relaxation.
At the very least this can give you time to recover from jet lag and get grounded and familiar with a new community before a meeting. Not only will you be rested up and in a good mood for an upcoming meeting, a chance to chat with locals might provide good ice-breaking material for meetings with local colleagues. If you arrive early somewhere to get used to the time shift, take advantage of the extra day to check out any local attractions. Travelling for your job can prove pretty stressful because you are both away from home and on the clock in a way. Keep in mind all that you have read here, and you can let your next work trip prove to actually be enjoyable as an experience.