ALT-1 Careers how to Make the most of Globe Trotting Business Trips
Lucky globetrotters, make the most of your time abroad with these tips! Having lived, worked, and traveled abroad extensively, I've learned ways to make every day abroad count! My husband and I once took a quick train from the airport into Amsterdam while on a layover on our way to Madrid. We were only in Amsterdam for an afternoon, but we had lunch, walked most of the town center, and really got a feel for that beautiful city! Take advantage of your globetrotting job, as tiring as it might get at times, and see the world!
1. Stay in a hotel that is authentic and unique to the region instead of a generic chain hotel. In Europe, for example, many countries have hotels that are actually restored castles, monasteries, and more! It's an unforgettable experience to stay in a 14th century castle in Spain for the price you would pay for a night in a chain hotel. The facilities are exquisite in the Spanish parador system and their restaurants serve outstanding regional cuisine. There are similar very high quality traditional hotels in Portugal, Japan, and many other countries. A German gasthaus will be economical, very quaint, and far more authentic than a room at the Hilton!
2. Eat in locally owned and operated restaurants. Avoid the chain restaurants that you can find in virtually any country in the world. Ask the locals for suggestions and eat what is recommended to you! You may even receive a nice invitation to someone's home or favorite restaurant! Take advantage of your expense account to get to know the regional cuisine and restaurant scene instead of staying in your room with room service!
3. If possible, take your spouse or another loved one along! While you are in meetings and at conferences during the day, your partner can take advantage of the free time to get to know the city you are in! You can take advantage of the free room for your partner and will have a nice evening and weekend companion to share the sights with! A parent, a college-aged child, a best friend, a sibling, or even your spouse and younger children will appreciate this unique and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit another country.
4. Plan for the weekends. If you know you will have some free weekends, do your research ahead of time and carefully plan to visit the best sights that are within easy travel distance from your home base. Rent a car for extra freedom, but a train ride or bus ride can be interesting as well. Buy a map, plan out your days, and take full advantage of the free time. Do something that you could never do at home! You might even be able to extend your return by a week or so and really get to know the region.
5. Shop the local markets and small shops! Buy unique souvenirs and special gifts that don't just come from the airport duty-free shop. Authentic handcrafted items, local jewelry or special clothing, unique native toys, and other locally produced items will be long remembered, more than a bottle of perfume you could get at home!
Whatever you do, enjoy this special chance to get to know the world. As difficult and tiring as overseas travel for business can be, it can be rewarding and exhilarating with a little planning and some effort to get to know the local culture while you're there. Bringing along a loved one will make the trip twice as nice!
