Corporate travel can come with its own unique set of ups and downs. However, to ensure that you have the most rewarding experience possible whilst travelling for business, read on for a list of five tips on how to stay healthy and happy whilst working away from home.

1. Pack as little as you can

As a rule of thumb, always pack light. Wear your bulkiest items onto the plane, pick one pair of suitable shoes (if possible) and try to fit everything into your carry-on luggage. Not only will you save yourself hours of waiting to collect your bag, you will never experience the horror of the airline losing your belongings.

2. Safeguard your health

When you’re spending most of your year on a plane between meetings, you have to prioritise your health. Ensure you always have a basic first aid kit with aspirin and plasters and leave yourself room to recover from jetlag and eat well. Rather than splurging on luxurious fatty foods on the company account, your body will thank you more for swapping to healthy meals and lots of water. Taking advantage of the hotel gym is also a great way to stay fit after long hauls.

3. Utilise all available technology

Although there are a whole host of travel management companies able to help you streamline the corporate travel process (check out http://www.co-operativetm.co.uk/ for more details) try to take care of as many details as you can first hand. Check in at the airport early for good seats, take snaps of your expense receipts in case of loss, have maps of your destinations saved to your Smartphone and take an adapter that will work in your host country.

4. Be careful with money

Although of course, general advice would always be to save where possible, don’t sacrifice at the cost of your own comfort and well-being. Taking a taxi to the airport rather than relying on public transport will save your nerves while upgrading to a seat with more leg room on a long haul flight is money well spent. Simple steps like using a credit card where possible to get the benefit of insurance and always knowing roughly how much a taxi should cost you before you get in are good habits to get into.

5. Cash in on loyalty

Whether you are using hotels, airlines or rental cars, pick a brand and stay loyal. It sounds like a hassle but this is the single thing most likely to boost your enjoyment of travelling. Membership to a particular chain is likely to see you receive a range of great perks including everything from free Wi-Fi to a first class upgrade.