Many professionals—especially those later in their careers—grow tired of business travel. What once felt exciting and flattering early on (being chosen to represent the company, jetting off for meetings) can become exhausting. Constant travel can make you miss important things at home.
But it doesn’t have to be all bad. Blending business with personal travel can help you make the most of your time on the road. With a little planning, work trips can also be a chance to explore, recharge, and enjoy something new.
In fact, this trend has become so prevalent that new words have been invented to describe it: bleisure, bizcation, blended trip, and even the “mullet trip” (business in front + party in back). And while the words are new, this isn’t anything new – it has been one our core strategies to maximize our vacation time for over two decades.
Here are a few ideas to make the most of your trip by mixing business and personal travel.
Plan Vacation Days Around Work
One of our key travel strategies is to piggyback vacation onto business trips. In this way, your employer pays your airfare and you are only responsible for your extra meals and accommodations during your vacation time. This is probably the best thing you can do to mix business and pleasure because, essentially, your employer pays for part of your vacation!
If we have an international business trip, we usually try to squeeze an extra 4-7 days of sightseeing in. If it’s a domestic trip, we try to turn it into a long weekend getaway. Over the years, we’ve learned that nearly every destination has something worth seeing. So if you are going on a business trip, see what’s nearby that might be interesting to do for a few days.
Maximize Your Time
You can plan your flights to get a little extra time to explore a destination. Consider taking the first flight of the day or take a red-eye flight. These minor schedule adjustments can give you an extra few hours to do some extra sightseeing.
Since you don’t need an extra hotel night, there’s usually no incremental cost, and you still have a little time for yourself. As a bonus, these off-peak flights are usually cheaper for your company, so your boss or finance department will almost always approve it.
Engage in Your Hobbies
Even if you don’t extend your trip, you can still make time for a little fun. Try enjoying one of your favorite hobbies in a new setting—it’s a great way to unwind after a day of work and reconnect with what you love.
Take the opportunity to visit a craft brewery or try that world-famous restaurant that happens to be nearby. If you are a runner, use the time to log some miles in a new place. If you love photography, get out there and snap some shots of completely new scenery.
You can also use apps like MeetUp to find activities and events at your destination.
Know Your Company’s Expense Policy
Many companies have an expense policy that allows employees a modest stipend for leisure activities on business trips (it’s usually something like $5-20 per day).
This isn’t going to send you golfing or having a grand time at Disney, but you can use the credit to visit a museum, take in a film, hit up an open-mic night or comedy club, or do something cultural in your destination. If you have this benefit, use it!
Secure Approvals
Be upfront with your supervisor or manager about your intentions to add extra personal time onto a business trip. You don’t want anyone to question your judgement or actions, so it is best to be clear about what you’re doing. By being transparent, you’re also likely to build goodwill and have greater flexibility for future trips.
Leverage Travel Loyal Programs
Frequent flyer miles and hotel points are one of the biggest benefits of business travel, and you can use these rewards for personal trips. Make sure to sign up for all the programs you can. You never know where work might take you next, and having points in multiple programs can really pay off down the line. Of course, it’s always best if you can consolidate travel with a few providers to make it easier to build status and earn additional perks.
If you’re blending business with personal travel or bringing your spouse along, travel points can help offset the extra costs. Whether it’s flights, hotel stays, or upgrades, using your rewards can make adding family or extending your trip more enjoyable and affordable.
Maximize Credit Card Benefits
Some companies require all business purchases to be on their corporate card, while others let you use your personal card, at least for certain purchases like meals. If your company gives you the option, always use your personal card when you can.
Why? Because you’ll earn miles and travel rewards from your work trips, which you can later use for personal travel. It’s an easy way to make business travel work for you
Recognize Tax Implications
If you are in business for yourself or don’t work for a company, know the tax implications of mixing business and personal travel. You may incur tax obligations for your personal travel, or, you may face limits of what is tax deductible. Consult a tax professional or review IRS travel guidelines.
Lance Longwell is a travel writer and photographer who has published Travel Addicts since 2008, making it one of the oldest travel blogs. He is a life-long traveler, having visited all 50 of the United States by the time he graduated high school. Lance has continued his adventures by visiting 70 countries on 5 continents – all in search of the world’s perfect sausage. He’s a passionate foodie and enjoys hot springs and cultural oddities. When he’s not traveling (or writing about travel), you’ll find him photographing his hometown of Philadelphia.