Smart Ways You Can Save on Business Travel

BizBritain By BizBritain
over 7 years ago read
Smart Ways You Can Save on Business Travel

Regardless of your industry and your role, at some point in your career, you’ll be asked to travel. This might just be driving a few hours down the road to see a different branch or chat to a supplier, or it might mean flying to the other side of the world for a major event or launch. Plus, many more UK businesses are partnering and working with European companies, so nipping over to the continent a few times a month isn’t unheard of.

Either way, the costs can add up – especially if you already commute to work every day. However, you don’t need to feel lumbered with these extra costs. Commuting doesn’t have to be expensive, and nor does travelling for business.

By Car

If you commute or travel regularly for work, you’ll probably be doing the majority of it in a car. You might be lucky to work for a company who offers a company car scheme, in which case you should take full advantage of any fuel card discounts and allowances. American Express offers great perks with its business fuel cards, including collecting air miles. If you haven’t got an American Express card try the Allstar Fuel Card.

Aside from fuel, one of the most costly parts of driving for work is parking. Not only is it expensive, but it can be stressful too, especially if you don’t know the area. Luckily, there are companies like YourParkingSpace on hand to help, where you can hire or rent parking spaces for a much cheaper cost than public car parks.

Another way to reduce the costs of driving is to car share. You can use Liftshare to find a colleague who lives near you, you can share lifts, and save on petrol costs. It’ll also mean you can use any “two plus” lanes on your way to work, which can cut your travel time considerably if you live in a traffic-heavy area.

Finally, even if you can’t find anyone to share with you can use PetrolPrices.com to compare the cost of fuel in your local area.

By Train

Travelling by train can be a much less stressful way to go – but it’s normally far more expensive. If you’re travelling a long way, going by train means you can either sit and relax for the journey, or get some work done if you take a laptop. However, you then need to face the extortionate prices of standard train fares.

However, with a Trainline business account, for example, you don’t need to spend your own money. You’ll be linked directly to your company’s credit card, so you won’t have to wait to claim expenses. Plus, it’ll keep you organised and updated before and during the journey.

Likewise, doing something as simple as booking your tickets far in advance can help cut costs. Usually, you can save a fair amount by booking online a few weeks before you travel. You could also use train fare splitting apps too, to help you lower the cost of your fare.

By Plane

If you travel by plane for work events and meetings, you’ll probably know all the secrets already: not boarding until the queue goes; not rushing through security; not having to check in hold luggage. However, there are a few ways you can make it cheaper. From collecting air miles to using sites like SkyScanner, you can make flying as cheap as it is easy.