A good business trip packing list covers five things: your documents and cards, tech and chargers, clothes for each day plus one spare outfit, a small wash bag that meets airport liquids rules, and a day bag you can carry into meetings. For a short trip, all of it can fit in one carry-on case plus that day bag.
The single biggest time saver is packing your wash bag and charger kit once and leaving them packed between trips. Then the night before a trip, you only need to think about clothes and documents, which is where most of the stress comes from anyway.
Below is the checklist I'd use, grouped by where each thing goes. Copy it into your notes app or print it, tick things off, and you'll stop leaving the laptop charger on the hotel desk.
Documents, money and cards
- Passport or ID, checked for expiry well before you book
- Visa or travel authorisation if your destination needs one (check the official government site for that country)
- Boarding passes, saved to your phone and as a screenshot in case the app won't load
- Hotel and travel bookings, with confirmation numbers
- A payment card that works abroad, plus a backup card kept in a different bag
- Travel insurance details and the emergency number
- Your company's expense policy, so you know what you can claim
- Meeting addresses and contact numbers, written down somewhere offline
If things go wrong at the airport, keep every receipt and booking email. If you fly from the UK and your flight is late or cancelled, my guide to flight delay compensation in the UK explains what you might be able to claim.
Tech and chargers
- Laptop and its charger
- Phone charger and cable
- A power bank (most airlines want these in your hand luggage, not your hold bag, so check your airline's rules)
- Travel adaptor for the country you're visiting
- Headphones, ideally noise cancelling for the flight
- A short extension lead or multi-port charger, so one socket charges everything
- Presentation clicker and any adaptors you need to plug into a screen
- Important files downloaded for offline use, in case the hotel wifi lets you down
Clothes for a three-day trip
The trick is to pick one colour family and make everything work together. Then every top goes with every bottom, and you pack less.
- Two or three work outfits that mix and match
- One smart layer, like a jacket or blazer, worn on the plane to save space
- One pair of smart shoes that you can walk in, plus the pair you travel in
- Something comfortable for the evening or the hotel gym
- Underwear and socks for each day, plus one extra
- Sleepwear
- A light jumper or scarf for cold meeting rooms and planes
- One spare top in case of spills
Wash bag
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Shampoo and conditioner in small travel bottles, or solid bars
- Skincare and make-up in travel sizes
- Razor
- Any prescription medicine, in its original packaging, plus a copy of the prescription
- Painkillers and plasters
- Hairbrush, hair ties and a small mirror
The day bag for meetings
This is the bag you'll carry from the hotel to the office or event. It should look tidy and hold only what you need for the day.
- Laptop, charger and power bank
- Notebook and a pen that works
- Business cards, or a digital card on your phone
- Water bottle (empty it before security, fill it after)
- A snack, because meetings overrun
- Mints
- A small umbrella
- Any samples, brochures or printed proposals you promised to bring
Carry-on only: how to make it fit
Flying with hand luggage only saves time at both ends, and your bag can't get lost in the hold. It takes a bit of planning, though. Here's what helps:
- Check your airline's hand luggage size and weight limits before you pack, because they vary between airlines and between ticket types.
- Roll clothes rather than folding them, or use packing cubes to compress them.
- Wear your bulkiest items on the plane: jacket, heaviest shoes, jumper.
- Plan to rewear trousers or a skirt and change the top.
- Put heavy items like the laptop and chargers in your day bag, which usually counts as your personal item.
- Use the hotel's toiletries where you can, and leave full-size bottles at home.
- Leave the 'just in case' outfit behind. If you need something, you can almost always buy it there.
If you travel for longer stretches and like working from the road, I've written about slow travel and staying productive as a founder, which covers packing light for longer trips too.
Liquids and security
Liquids rules aren't the same everywhere. They differ by country and, increasingly, by airport, because some airports have newer scanners and others don't. So check before every trip rather than relying on what happened last time.
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- Flying from the US: the TSA uses its 3-1-1 rule for carry-on liquids. Each container must be 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, all of them must fit in one quart-sized bag, and each passenger gets one bag. Check the TSA website for the current details and exceptions, such as medicine.
- Flying from the UK: check your departure airport's website for its current liquids rule before you pack, because airports have been changing their screening at different times.
- Flying home: the rules at your return airport may be different from the ones at home. Check those too.
- Medicine and baby food: these often have separate rules. Carry them in hand luggage and check the guidance for your airports.
- Electronics: some airports still ask you to take laptops out of your bag. Pack it where you can reach it quickly.
A clear, resealable bag with all your liquids at the top of your case makes security quicker either way.
The night before
- Check in online and save your boarding pass to your phone
- Check the liquids rule for your departure airport
- Charge your laptop, phone, headphones and power bank
- Lay out tomorrow's travel outfit
- Check passport, cards and documents are in your day bag
- Download your files, boarding pass and maps for offline use
- Set an out-of-office message and tell your team when you'll be reachable
- Check the route and travel time to the airport, and set two alarms
If you're heading off for a longer work trip, it's worth setting up your business so it runs while you're away. I wrote about the systems I'd put in place before a three-week work trip, and the same thinking works for shorter trips.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pack for a three-day business trip?
Two or three work outfits that mix and match, one smart layer, smart shoes you can walk in, your laptop and chargers, a small wash bag, your documents, and a day bag for meetings. It should all fit in a carry-on case.
Can I take a business trip with carry-on only?
Yes, for most short trips. Check your airline's hand luggage limits, pick clothes in one colour family, wear your bulkiest items on the plane and keep liquids to travel sizes.
What is the TSA 3-1-1 rule?
It's the TSA rule for carry-on liquids in the US: containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less, all in one quart-sized bag, one bag per passenger. Check the TSA website for current details.
What's the liquids rule at UK airports?
It depends on the airport, because screening has been changing at different times. Check your departure airport's website for its current rule before you pack.
