We all know that sometimes business trips can be fairly boring, especially when traveling solo. Most business travelers’ trips consist of flying to a destination, grabbing a quick bite to eat, relaxing in the hotel room, attending meetings and conducting business, and then flying home. However, there are ways to spice up solo business travel and make it a little more exciting. Here are 7 ideas you can use to make your next business trip a little more enjoyable.
1). Do not over schedule yourself with meetings/appointments
If you can, resist the urge to over-schedule yourself. Jumping from meeting to meeting is stressful and exhausting. Arrange your schedule so that you have a break between meetings, even if it is just an hour. A benefit of traveling alone is that you can go where you want to go and don’t need to cater to anyone else. You would be surprised how refreshing it is to just sit down at a coffee shop and relax for an hour.
2). Plan at least one fun activity
Before you fly out, makes plans to to see the sights or go to an event that you will enjoy. If during the summer you are traveling to Boston and love the Red Sox, you can get tickets to a game. If you enjoy aquariums and are traveling to Baltimore, make sure to stop by the Baltimore Aquarium in the Inner Harbor. Having an activity planned beforehand will give you something to look forward to. If Metblogs.com has a portal for your destination city, look there for interesting, offbeat events.
3). Go to a nice restaurant
Don’t fall into the fast food trap. Take few minutes to check out the local restaurant scene. You never know when there might be a classic local joint or a fantastic Tibetian restaurant in town. Since you are alone, you don’t have to please anyone else with your choice. Some people feel a bit awkward dining alone. If that’s the case, you can dine at an off time when not many people will be at the restaurant. Yelp.com, and Twitter are the best tools for finding local gems.
Don’t forget that if you’re staying in one of our new hotels, we’ve got a full menu and good conversation at The Bistro, too.
4). Enjoy the night life
If you have some energy to spare at the end of the day, get out and take in the local night life. Depending on where you are, you may be able to catch some live music or theater nearby, or find a unique bar or club. The best way to find out what is going on at night is to ask your hotel concierge. Since the concierge lives and works in the area, he or she will be able to point you in the right direction.
5). Go to a local meetup or Tweetup
Twitter users are always tweeting about different gatherings in a variety of cities. Do some research on www.meetup.com or www.search.twitter.com to find out if there are any local events taking place nearby? Find one that interests you and check it out. Meetups are a great way to meet new people who share your interests, and these days there’s a meetup for every pursuit or hobby.
6). Go to the spa or get a massage
Why not take a trip to the spa on your next business trip? Get yourself a deep tissue massage to relieve all of the stress from the day’s meetings. A little pampering will help relax you and allow you to feel more refreshed.
7). Catch up with old friends
If you have friends residing in the area in which you are staying, grab a bite to eat with them. It is always nice to catch up with old friends that you rarely get to see. Even if you only have an hour long break between meetings, have your friend meet you at a nearby café to grab a quick bite to eat.
Traveling solo doesn’t have to be a burden. With a few minutes of research before you leave and a little bit of creativity while you’re away, you can make your business trip more than airports and meeting rooms.
Thanks for helping us keep Courtyard on the go.
