Have you ever traveled for your job?

[susans]

How many of you have traveled for your job?  If so, how often and where have you gone?  Do you feel it is a perk or a pain to have to travel?

[gee4]

No I have never travelled on behalf of any company.  Quite often it sounds like a novelty but when I hear my colleagues say how tired they are tired or how fed up they are with hotels and airports etc, I don't envy them.  Nine times out of ten their meeting could have been carried out by video conference or a conference call.

Obviously those who travel internationally know that is part of their job when they accept, it and in return are paid a very good salary for doing so.

It's never been something I would want to do unless I had to check out the culture or nightlife on a sunny island somewhere!

[Cathy S]

Good morning

In my current post I travel occasionally for meetings (no over night stay), but have been fortunate that I also set the meeting schedule so can make sure it fits my other commitments.

I have attended a training day in London and opted to take the sleeper rather than flying and staying in hotels.  I am shortly due to attend a conference in SW England and that will involve 12 hour rail journeys - I am not looking forward to the being 'stuck in a tin can' aspect but just think how much reading I can get done without all the demands on my time from other people.

I wouldn't take a job that required frequent travel because I find it too disruptive to personal life, but occasionally it is nice.  One of the perks is that I get to book the travel so if I can get first class rail tickets for less than the standard class we are allowed I do!

Cathy

[Atlanta Z3]

I have traveled for previous positions - sales meetings, national conferences, etc.  My current position has light travel and I do have a lap top.  My dh is an airline employee, so I'm used to packing up and going.  I created a packing list which has made the process much less stressful.

[Katie G]

I attended a week-long training session this past fall, but that's about it.  

Unless, of course, you count the "courier" type errands I do when necessary.  Mostly to other local locations, but I once had to drive a proposal out to our state capitol to make a deadline.  (It was one of those Murphy's Law kind of things.)  Of course, I was reimbursed for mileage on my car which, at 120 miles each way, added up to a nice chunk of change and my boss told me to just get the thing delivered and then head back home -- don't bother with coming back to the office.  So I made a little money and ended up getting home about 2 hours early that day.  Nice.

My DH sometimes has to travel for his line of work and he doesn't particularly enjoy it.  Of course, he's not exactly traveling to particularly exciting places. After a while, one chain hotel and restaurant is no different than the next....

[laurafmcdermott]

I traveled to train for my current position, from the east coast to the west coast.  Other than that I don't travel on a regular basis, but I love to travel and would love a job that afforded me more frequent travel.

[queenbean]

In my last job I used to travel to the US for a week every year for a trade show event.  I attended as both a representative of the company and as the organiser of the event, as we always took a group of senior staff and important customers with us and had a very full itinerary.  I must say the US trip was incredibly hard work both in the planning and throughout the trip - anyone who thinks entertaining clients for a whole week isn't hard work doesn't know the half of it - but I loved every minute as I got to visit some great places.

QB

[spitfire78]

No real travel in my job.  The furthest I've been is to the main division for training (about 35 miles).

That suits me fine.  I'm a real homebody.  I guess a once in a while trip would be ok, but I would not be interested in a job that had a lot of traveling.

[misslynn]

Sounds like I'm the odd one here, I travel frequently for my job.  In fact, I have offices in two states (California and Minnesota).  Have also traveled to Seattle, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Boston and Dallas to name a few.  There are times when I'm traveling 2 weeks out of the month, though since the economy dropped they've cut down on travel dramatically.

I enjoy the travel, it's fun to see different locations and meet the people who work there.  The toughest travels are when I go two weeks with being in a different city each day (has happened several times).

[JessW]

The only travel I do nowadays is to take instructions to barrister's chambers, but he ho!.

Previously, I was sent on a day trip to Eindoven to deliver arbitration papers, which meant I had to travel to Heathrow airport for my flight at 7am, having only been asked to go the previous evening at 6pm.  Still, it was overtime plus expenses and a day away from the office.

Later in the same job i worked in Cork, Ireland for 6 weeks, travelling there on Monday early morning and going home late Friday evening.  I lived in a hotel on full pay, expenses and overtime and even managed to get a few days break for OH to come and visit while I was there!  

I love that sort of stuff - travel for work is great, but even better would be to go shopping for work using somebody else's money (I've done that too with several trips to Peter Jones!)

[peaches2160]

don't travel any more.  one reason I took this ob was because of travel.  My hubby does not like me traveling for business and out for a week at a time.  After all, it's who you come home to at the end of the day.  It is a strain.  I see my boss, traveling two - sometimes three times during weeks of the month.  It is a strain on them and the family.

[Chatham Lady]

Hi there

Yes I do travel occasionally in my current role - I've been to our UK head office a few times (1½ - 2 hour car ride) and I have to go to another branch about 40 mins away next month plus I have been to off-site training courses recently.  I just consider it part of my role now.  It can be a bit of a pain though as having 2 school age children plus a partner who travels alot himself on business I end up doing a lot of juggling, having to ask favours of other parents, family etc to cover the childcare for me.  I was supposed to be going to Geneva last month for 3 days but the trip was cancelled due to the credit crunch...

At my previous employers (and in my youth!!) I did a lot of conference admin - this took me around the UK, London and to the European continent - Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt and the Netherlands.  I enjoyed those days.  It was hard work.  However,  I did get to travel business class sometimes as the employer got a cheaper deal with the airline by doing a group booking.

[rose.winter1980]

I travel occasionally.  Mostly here in Britain but also occasionally overseas and usually only two or three times a year.  I've spent a couple of months in Italy, one month in Greece and shorter periods in France.  

Travel can be a bit of a pain as I don't like being away from family too long or living out of suitcases. I really don't like airports, check ins, collecting luggage (am always convinced my bag won't show up on the carousel) and all the security palaver.  Remembering to speak in the right language isn't always easy either!  My stint in Italy was great because I had a fabulous old apartment in the centre of Florence.  France was good, too, and I stayed in the Pyrenees so was able to indulge my passion for walking in mountains.  

Winter Rose

Laugh long, sing loud and dance when you get the chance

[bristolmary]

I travel at least twice a month for 3 days (2 overnighters) to our London office and I enjoy it. Yes the travel can be hard but it is balanced out by meeting up with colleagues from the London office who I would only see one day a year at our all staff meeting if I didn't. Work will pay for my travel which is first class on the train and my hotel including breakfast, lunch and evening meals. If I stay with a colleague work will pay for us to have a meal and drink up to £30 - if I do this I always stay with the same colleague so we go out and get a pizza each to cook in her over and then buy a few drinks and catch up on all our gossip.

I don't think I'd stay in this job if I couldn't travel and get out there.

My DH is a lorry driver so what ever travelling I have to do pales into insignificance compared to what he has to do each week!