For people travelling from Stone and elsewhere in Staffordshire, a business trip to London can easily fall into a familiar routine.
Take the train down, check into a hotel near a major station, travel across the city for meetings, grab whatever food is nearby and return home tired.
After a few trips like that, London can begin to feel like somewhere you simply pass through. However, a few changes to how you plan the visit can make the experience much more enjoyable.
Stay close to where you are working
Choosing accommodation near your meetings can make one of the biggest differences to a London business trip.
If most of your appointments are in the City, stay in or around the City. If you are working in Canary Wharf, look for accommodation nearby. For a week divided between areas such as Shoreditch and King’s Cross, choose the location where you will spend the most time.
London’s public transport network makes it possible to cross the city, but travelling during the morning and evening rush hours can take a large chunk out of the day. Staying nearby leaves more time for breakfast, a walk or simply preparing for the day without feeling rushed.
For trips lasting more than a couple of nights, it may also be worth looking beyond a standard hotel room.
A serviced apartment in Canary Wharf, or the equivalent in the area where your meetings are taking place, may provide a kitchen, living space and laundry facilities. Being able to prepare your own breakfast, make coffee or spend an evening somewhere other than a hotel bed can make a longer work trip feel more comfortable.
Find a reliable local restaurant
It can be tempting to try somewhere different every evening, but that often means spending time scrolling through reviews and searching for somewhere suitable after a long working day.
Instead, find a good restaurant close to where you are staying. Should the food and atmosphere suit you, keep it in mind for another evening.
Having one reliable option removes another decision from the day, while still leaving room to explore somewhere different when you have the time and energy.
Areas including Bermondsey, Shoreditch and Canary Wharf have a wide choice of restaurants within walking distance of business districts and transport links.
Use the river at least once
Where the route works, consider replacing a Tube journey with a trip on Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, still widely referred to as the Thames Clipper.
The river bus connects destinations along the Thames, and passengers can use an Oyster or contactless payment card. River fares are separate from the usual Transport for London daily fare cap, so check the cost before travelling.
A journey between Greenwich and central London can provide views of Canary Wharf, the Tower of London, Tate Modern and other landmarks along the river.
It may not be the quickest or most practical choice for every meeting, but it offers a different way to see the capital without adding a separate sightseeing trip to your schedule.
Keep one evening free
London has a huge choice of theatre, live music, museums and galleries, but it is easy to spend every evening answering emails in your accommodation.
Before travelling, block out one evening and choose something you would genuinely enjoy.
Options could include a West End performance, a smaller live music venue or an evening visit to one of the major galleries.
The Official London Theatre Ticket Booth in Leicester Square, formerly known as TKTS, offers discounted and on-the-day tickets for a range of productions.
The National Gallery remains open until 9pm on Fridays, while Tate Modern is open until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. General admission to both galleries is free, although some exhibitions and events require paid tickets.
Opening hours and programmes can change, so check the venue’s website before setting out.
Booking something before the trip also makes you more likely to go. Treat the evening as another appointment in the diary, rather than something to decide after a tiring day.
Make the trip work for you
The difference between an exhausting business trip and one you enjoy often comes down to a few practical decisions.
Stay close to where you are working, choose accommodation that suits the length of the visit and find somewhere nearby where you are happy to eat. When the schedule allows, use the river or spend an evening seeing something beyond meeting rooms and railway stations.
The next time a London trip appears in the diary, it might feel less like an inconvenience and more like a welcome change of scene.
