Coordinate business trips around the meetings

Combining appointments can reduce repeated travel, but only if the combined trip remains workable. Start with the business purpose and the people who genuinely need to be there. A crowded itinerary that saves one journey on paper may still create missed connections, rushed discussions or unnecessary overnight stays.

Confirm the fixed points first

For each appointment, record the address, required participants, start and realistic finish. Distinguish a confirmed meeting from a suggested slot. Ask whether an in-person visit is necessary and what needs to be completed on site. Do not add a speculative appointment simply to make a trip look more efficient.

If several meetings can be combined, agree their order before booking non-flexible travel. Check the time between actual doors, not just city centres. Allow for finding the building, security, equipment setup and a break. The person attending should be able to explain why the sequence is realistic.

Match the transport to the work

Compare the full journey for suitable transport options, including the final connection. Consider luggage, equipment and the need to work privately. Travel time should not automatically be treated as productive working time, especially where concentration or confidential conversations are required.

Read ticket and booking conditions before choosing a fare. Flexibility may matter when the finish is uncertain. If the company uses central business-travel arrangements, follow the approved booking and billing process. SBB's business information illustrates such organisational options; the applicable conditions still need to be checked for the company's own setup.

Give accommodation a practical role

Book an overnight stay because it supports the itinerary, not merely because two dates appear next to each other. Check arrival arrangements, the next morning's route and cancellation conditions. A less expensive room far from the appointments can introduce extra transfers and uncertainty.

Keep individual requirements, such as accessibility or suitable rest arrangements, within the planning discussion. Share necessary information with permission and only with those who need it.

Publish one useful itinerary internally

• Which appointments and travel bookings are confirmed?
• Where are the references and relevant contact details?
• Who can authorise a change or extra expense?
• What happens if a meeting is cancelled or overruns?

Give travellers access to the current version without circulating unnecessary personal data. Review the trip afterward: which combinations worked, where the buffer was insufficient and which visit could have been handled differently. Use those observations for the next plan rather than making a general rule that every nearby appointment must always be bundled.

Sources: SBB Business Customers: Instructions for sbb.ch/en/business.