Business travel checklist
·3 mins
Hello, I’m Kristof, a human being like you, and an easy to work with, friendly guy.
I've been a programmer, a consultant, CIO in startups, head of software development in government, and built two software companies.
Some days I’m coding Golang in the guts of a system and other days I'm wearing a suit to help clients with their DevOps practices.
Table of Contents
This list had been honed through years of business travel and saves me regularly; I hope that it will be useful for you too. Feel free to print it, or check off items here. – Kristof
Packing checklist #
Clothing #
- Shirts & undershirts (one / day + 1, more if hot climate)
- Socks (one pair / day + 1)
- Boxer briefs (one / day + 1)
- Sleeping gear (PJs or just add one more undershirt & boxers)
- Warm clothing (if cold climate)
Papers #
- Passport (or other ID, as needed)
- e-Visa printed (if needed)
- Plane / train ticket printed (or car papers)
- Hotel reservation printed (so you have the address without Internet)
- Vaccination certificates (COVID, yellow fever if needed)
Money #
- One dematerialized credit card (NFC in phone)
- One physical credit card (not all your cards, one is enough)
- Small local cash (enough for airport taxi, just in case)
- Cash to exchange (only if no trust in local ATMs. EUR/USD, only new notes)
Higiene and stuff (in transparent bag) #
- Medicines and/or vitamins
- Toothbrush & toothpaste
- Minimal shaving equipment (remember: no battery in checked luggage)
- Cleanser, moisturizer, etc (what you use)
- Mini shower gel for body & hair (most hotels have it nowadays)
- Travel-size perfume
- Hand sanitiser (in cabin luggage)
Tech accessories #
- Earbuds (I prefer in-ear for airplanes)
- Charger plug for phone(s) & notebook
- Charger cables for phone(s) & notebook
- Small power bank (but remember: no battery in checked luggage)
Business #
- Suit (trousers and jacket)
- Leather shoes
- Leather belt (if you use, same color as shoes)
- Ties (just pack one anyway, ok?)
- Cufflinks, tie pin, pocket squares, cravat (what you use)
- Business cards
- Gifts (if any)
TODOs #
The day before the trip #
- Check in online
- Print stuff (hotel booking, tickets, e-VISA)
- Software update notebook and phone(s)
- Sync music & films to phone / notebook / tablet
- Pack notebook (and charger)
- Pre-book taxi / arrange airport transfer
The morning of the trip #
- Disable home alarm clock :)
- Pack phone(s) (personal, company, whatever)
- Pack tablet (or book)
In the last possible minute, re-check #
- Phone(s)
- Sunglasses
- All packs (remember the count)
- Papers (passport, e-VISA, tickets, hotel, money)
If you're going to do sports #
Common for all sports #
- Towel (one more if there's a sauna)
- Shower gel (definitely body & hair)
- Small money
Swimming specific #
- Swimwear
- Swimming cap (sometimes it's required)
Martial arts specific #
- Workout shorts and t-shirt
- Knee pads
- Gum shield (or any other protection you use)
Gym specific #
- Workout shorts and t-shirt
Squash specific #
- Squash racket
- Shorts
- T-Shirt
- Squash shoes (white is expected)
- Socks
- Boxer briefs
- Squash ball
Iaido specific #
- Gi
- Hakama
- Obi
- Undershirt
- Knee pads
- Bokken / Iaito
- Sword oiling and cleaning kit (if using a steel iaito)