By Elizabeth Millard

Everyone who's crisscrossed the world several times has a number of travel survival strategies that keep their energy up and their disruptions low. But even the occasional traveler can look like a pro by following a few simple rules.

Don't: stack a schedule so full that there's no downtime
One of the easiest ways to get sick during a business trip is by jam-packing a schedule with meetings that start before breakfast and don't end until late into the evening. It might seem the most efficient in terms of using travel time for networking and deal-making, but it'll leave little opportunity for going over notes or just relaxing. Experts have noted that proper amounts of sleep and non-work time help to boost concentration and alertness. So, take a break, and you'll end up doing better business.

Do: read up on a city before traveling
Having a rough idea of a city's character and nuances serves many purposes—not only does it help in navigating a public transportation system or finding a hotel near meeting areas, but it also provides a nice conversational opener for business talks. Asking a host about a particular area, or commenting on a recent local event shows an interest in the city, and starts a meeting on a friendly note.

Do: leave a copy of an itinerary with someone back home
Briefcases get lost, laptops can be stolen, and notes have a bad way of becoming indecipherable when coffee spills all over them. Imagine, for a moment, that everything carried along on a trip is suddenly rendered useless or goes missing. For many travelers, situations like this happen when they lose important documents, or forget phone or laptop chargers. To prevent a significant disruption to a business schedule, leave a detailed itinerary, complete with meeting times and locations, with someone who will be available at all times, such as a spouse or a colleague.

Don't: wait to confirm details until the last minute
Unless a trip has been hastily arranged, confirming all aspects of a trip at least a week in advance prevents nasty surprises, such as rental car changes, meeting time shifts, flight delays, and hotel overbooking. Some shifts can't be predicted, and happen after confirmations, but taking care of the small details before leaving will let you concentrate on your work—not on finding your confirmation numbers—when you arrive.

Do: be flexible with plans
Few trips ever go precisely as they're arranged, down to the smallest detail. People run late, and so do buses, trains, and airplanes. Mud gets splashed on new suits, restaurants lose reservations, executives get fired and replaced by new contacts. Being able to change plans quickly will reflect a sense of competency to those in your business network. For instance, turning the suit-splashed story into an anecdote instead of a complaint will show that you're the type of person with a positive attitude, who cares more about the business at hand than finding the nearest dry cleaner.