Top tips for affordable but stylish travelling

In fact, business trips account for a good 17 percent of all tourism in Europe. For those frequent flyers, The Local Austria has some tips on how to stay presentable and travel in style without breaking the bank.

Mix business with leisure

With briefcases more often thought of as ugly necessities than fashion accessories, luxury travel bag brand Travelteq have filled the gap by re-working the typical briefcase into a highly stylish but equally functional product. Owning one of these high-quality leather bags means it’s no longer necessary to have separate luggage for business and leisure trips, which is perfect for taking weekend breaks away that combine the two.

The briefcases are handmade from Florentine Vachetta leather and also include smart details like a compartment for an extra set of clothes. And because Travelteq sells directly to the end customer, missing out the middleman, they are far more affordable than your average Italian leather bags.

Photo: TravelTeq

Pack less!
While we’re speaking about extra sets of clothes, the simple and seemingly obvious tip of packing less is nevertheless a helpful one to remember. Any fashion-focused travel blogger will tell readers that staying stylish on a weekend city break does not necessarily mean paying for excess baggage nor splashing out a new holiday wardrobe.

Five items for three days is possible, if one is clever about it. Choose two staple pieces, plus two differentiating items and a plain sweater that works with anything and you’re away. If it is really too tough to cut down the holiday wardrobe, there is always the option of using vacuum-packed travel storage bags.

Photo: TravelTeq

Stay wrinkle free
For business travellers needing to stay presentable and meeting-ready there are a few ways of keeping shirts wrinkle free. Simply fold them up properly like they are presented in shops while packing them in a suitcase. Try putting layers of tissue between the fabric where it folds and then flatten out the folds with your hand to reduce the wrinkle effect.

Try to secure the clothes as firmly as possible in the bag using the available straps so they don’t move around. And finally, it is a good idea to carry a travel-size de-wrinkle spray in hand luggage, which makes it easier to neaten up when there is no iron to hand.

Keep gadgets to a minimum
With most of us owning several different entertainment products - e-book readers, tablets, laptops, MP3 players - it’s easy to start thinking one needs them to hand all of the time. Think about where it is possible to double up. Can the work presentation go on a tablet instead of a laptop? Or can books and music just be accessed on a smartphone?

Whichever product you prefer, don’t forget to style it up and protect it with a cover. This selection of affordable leather laptop, tablet and iPad covers from Travelteq are, just like their bags, suitable for both business and leisure trips.

Photo: TravelTeq

Prep your washbag
Buying a shampoo-conditioner-soap combo is a great way to save space in a washbag. For those not keen on skimping on quality, refillable cosmetic bottles like these are perfect for making up travel-sized portions of favourite shampoos and beauty products.

They also work for storing shaving cream and hair wax and only take a little preparation time. After they have been bought and filled up once, they can stay in the washbag ready for the next trip so in the end they save busy travellers lots of time.

This article was produced by The Local Austria and sponsored by Travelteq.