What Does The Man Have to Say About Business Travel?

If you don’t know who I mean by the man, I mean Big Brother - the U.S. Government.

The Man usually has a lot to say about business travel, particularly when the travel takes you overseas.

Lucky for us, there is a one-stop shop, so to speak, for all government related business travel issues. At this site you can get a plethora of information, including: preparing for your trip, travel warnings, emergency services, passports, visas, contacts, destination specific information, business support and contacts (where to get that work visa you may need) and the location of embassies. This site lists government foreign per-diem rates, which many businesses use as a guide to determine their per-diem rates. All good things to know.

If there is a particular destination you visit frequently, or is politically volatile, you can sign up for travel alerts to be sent to you via e-mail. It may be a good idea, and possible through this website, to register your itinerary for the country you are visiting.

I think this is all a little big brotherish, but the U.S. Embassy ended up being my best friend on a trip to Peru last year. It’s worth the few extra minutes to check out at least the destination warnings on the site if you’re traveling abroad.