STYLISH GENTLEMAN
Travelling
in
Style
By James Marwood
Be it for holiday or business, travel can be
stressful. Fun certainly, but being crammed
into a train or aeroplane or sitting in traffic is
never fun. Plane travel especially can be a
dehumanising and grueling experience.
However some preparation and thought
before you go can make all the difference. I
travel constantly for business, usually staying
in hotels over 200 nights a year and covering
many miles by plane, train and road.
Firstly, be careful to choose the right options
when booking or planning your trip.
Choosing to alter your travel time by a day or
two can mean a clearer road or less queuing,
as well as being less expensive. It can also
make a difference with hotels, both for
availability and for getting a quiet stay.
Before travelling I like to make sure I have a
summary travel document ready, ideally
stored in an online service like DropBox or
Google Docs with a paper version for when
network coverage is patchy or batteries run
low. I keep copies of all my travel and hotel
bookings as well as phone numbers for family,
my banks and for work. You only need to get
stuck once with a flat battery for this to pay
off.
Letting your bank, family and neighbours
know you’re travelling ahead of time is a good
idea as well. Many banks will block
transactions if you’re abroad unexpectedly
and it can be embarrassing trying to check
into a hotel with a credit card that won’t work.
Having family or friends to check on your
home and so simple things like put the bins
out can make returning much easier.
I always pack the night before I travel, and
since I travel so much I keep a second set of
essentials ready in my suitcase. Having a wash
bag packed with the bare essentials of razor
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