If you’ve ever had to pack for a business trip in Europe you know how limited your options for packing can be. Unlike a European holiday where you have the luxury of packing as much as you want, a business trip is more hectic so packing less can work massively in your favour, allowing you to be flexible and get down to business (literally!). While packing lightly and thoughtful can be tricky, our guide to planning for a business trip to Europe is there to make sure your trip goes off without a glitch.
European Health Insurance Card
Possibly one of the most underrated things people pack when going to Europe is a European Health Insurance Card. Applying for the card is easy and quick and makes you valid for receiving free or highly discounted healthcare while in a country that falls under the EEA for 5 years. If you have the old version of the card, called the E111, be sure to apply for an EHIC card renewal to save you from having to make massive pay-outs should you need to receive emergency care when in Europe.
Medication
Trying to focus in a meeting or finding the location of your next meeting isn’t easy if you’ve got a horrific headache looming. Make your life easy by being ready for any eventuality by packing some essential medications to see you through the most common ailments. Pack a small first aid kit with all the usual bits in it (plasters, aspirin etc.). Also make sure you take any prescription medications too. Forgetting those could sometimes mean a matter of life or death.
Travel Iron
Showing up with creased clothing is not a good look when you’re meeting clients and bosses overseas. As (sadly) not all hotels provide its guests with irons, investing in a travel iron could make the difference between looking like a scruff and looking buff. And if you’re worried about clothes smelling, pack a few drier sheets in with your clothes so that clothes smell fresher for longer.
Pocket Notebook and Pen
Being unprepared for a meeting is simply unprofessional and while tablets are fancy, they also have a habit of losing battery which means carrying a good old-fashioned notebook and pen are likely to get you much further in your business trip.
Travel Adaptor/ Extension Combo
It’s likely that your phone, laptop and tablet are going to be tagging along for the ride when it comes to business trips to taking a universal plug adaptor and an extension block is going to be your lifeline for the duration of your trip.
Bilingual Business Cards
Business cards should be the staple of every business trip, be it foreign or domestic. The problem with business cards is that you can’t always assume that everyone speaks English so your business card may require a little tweaking. If you’re travelling to Greece, for example, translating words into Greek will make your life and the recipients life much easier.
