If you are planning a business travel with your colleagues, you should start your preparation early. From booking hotels and tickets to hiring limousine rental, you have to take a series of right steps at the right time in order to make your business trip a success. If you are travelling abroad, check your passport for expiry. Ideally, you should have at least six months until the document expires. Getting the required visa and work permits may an additional responsibility on you, in some cases. Here are some useful tips on how to plan a group business travel.

Set an objective for the trip

You should set a clear objective, depending on the purpose of your travel. For instance, if you are going on an informational trip on the company’s dime, you should allow more space for unplanned visits. On the other hand, if the aim of your business trip is to acquire new customers, you should devise a plan accordingly. It should be more time-bound with a definite itinerary. Also, make sure that all members of your group know the objective of the trip.

Share your itinerary

If you have an itinerary, consider sharing it with everyone in your group. This helps avoid confusion and keeps everyone on the same page. If there is any change in the itinerary, you should inform it to all members of the group.

Have a single point of contact

It is always a good idea to assign one person as the key point of contact. If someone needs to know or inform something related to the trip, they should contact only that one person in charge. The idea is to have all trip-related information concentrated at one point. It would be great if the person in charge uses any software or at least pen and paper to note down any changes in the trip. For instance, if someone wants to know about sightseeing tours, the person in charge should be able to tell them whether they are hiring limousine rental or minibus charter for the sightseeing tour.

Get enough cash

How much cash you should carry with you depends on where you are visiting. If you are visiting the US, you can easily pay using your credit card. However, more cash may be required in some other countries. Get all the necessary information about where to exchange the cash in a foreign land, beforehand.

Have emergency plans

You never know when an emergency strikes. When travelling with a group, you should be extra careful about taking enough guard against medical emergencies. If possible, get the medical history of all travellers and ask them to carry all prescription medicines with them. They may not get the same medicine in a foreign land. Having travel insurance is also a good idea.

Seek advice

There is nothing wrong in asking for help. If someone from your known circle had visited the place, consider seeking advice about how to book accommodation or airport transfers. Tell them in advance about your special requirements. For instance, you may want to hire limousine rental for hotel transfers.