Should I fly or take the train between European cities?

Take the train if the journey is under 5 hours. City-center to city-center travel is almost always faster by rail once you account for the 2-hour pre-flight airport arrival requirement.

How do I handle multi-currency expenses?

Use a corporate travel card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. Keep digital copies of all receipts in a folder synced to the cloud immediately after payment.

Planning an Efficient Multi-City Business Trip in Europe

Focus on high-speed rail connections between city centers to bypass airport security and transit times. Schedule your longest transit days for Sunday evenings or Monday mornings to maximize work productivity during the week.

Map your route by rail. Use 'Rome2Rio' or the 'DB Navigator' app to verify that your chosen cities are linked by high-speed rail (e.g., Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam). If travel time exceeds 4.5 hours by train, fly, but only if the flight is direct.
Book hub-and-spoke lodging. Stay within a 10-minute walk of the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof, Gare du Nord, etc.). This eliminates the need for taxis or local transit with luggage and allows for immediate departure upon arrival.
Optimize for business hours. Schedule meetings between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Use the early morning or evening hours for your transit between cities. Avoid mid-day travel, which breaks your productive work window.
Standardize your logistics. Choose one hotel chain (e.g., Marriott or Accor) and one airline alliance (e.g., Star Alliance) for the entire trip. This simplifies expense reporting and ensures you accumulate status points quickly.

Should I fly or take the train between European cities?: Take the train if the journey is under 5 hours. City-center to city-center travel is almost always faster by rail once you account for the 2-hour pre-flight airport arrival requirement.
How do I handle multi-currency expenses?: Use a corporate travel card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. Keep digital copies of all receipts in a folder synced to the cloud immediately after payment.