The start and end of a business trip can often be the most stressful part of the journey. We look at how to make it a better experience.

You’ve caught the same early flight 100 times and you know the drill – pack light, make sure you have enough time for a shot of caffeine in the lounge, board early to stow your hand luggage, then sit back and relax for take off. But what about the two hours before that moment? Being at the airport is easy – how you get there is another matter.

Carolyn Pearson, CEO of Maiden Voyage, an inclusive business travel consultancy, agrees the first part of the trip is stressful: “The first mile I’m thinking what have I forgotten? I’m constantly checking my bag and thinking of a Plan B.” Ground transport is a part of the business trip that is reliant on the traveller making the right decision for themselves, and their company, when they are stressed, tired, and in the case of the last mile, probably in an unfamiliar place. What could possibly go wrong?

The first dilemma is which mode of transport to take. Do you jump in an Uber, order a local cab, book a chauffeur, catch a train, drive yourself, take the Tube or try out an e-scooter? And what drives this decision? Speed, cost, safety, ease, sustainability, or perhaps company travel policy?Understanding ground transport options at an unfamiliar destination is a familiar pain point. Business travellers may face language barriers, different travel systems and tricky payment options.

According to a recent Business Traveller survey, 40 per cent of travellers would take the fastest option, while company travel policy was way down on the list at just 7 per cent. The survey also showed that 16 per cent of respondents chose transport depending on their knowledge of the destination, while 13 per cent said it depended on the time of day.

Pearson says: “My choice [of transport] would depend on the destination and time of day. If I was going to Lagos, for example, it would be the safest and most expensive – presuming more money means safer.”

George Haysom, chief commercial officer at Idwal Marine, has been a frequent business traveller for 20 years. He says: “During my earlier years of business travel and when China was less developed, I needed to take a 275 km journey from Qingdao to Weihai. It was my first time in China and I had no idea how to arrange a safe transport provider. I felt the safest, most reliable option was to opt for a Shangri-La hotel car (at relatively vast expense). It was a 4.5 hour journey and it still felt fairly ropey. Today you can do [the same journey] in just over 1.5 hours on a high speed train.”

Cohesion is key

Sandra Green, strategic client solutions director at TakeTwo, a global boutique travel management company (TMC), says booking the first and last mile with a TMC gives a co-ordinated approach to your trip.

Green says: “This is important in case your flight is delayed or any other issues arise, in which case your TMC can manage any changes on your behalf. You don’t want to turn up, possibly late, into an unfamiliar location without any idea how you get from the airport to your hotel.”

But travel managers cannot possibly know or research every city and its transport systems, and there are plenty of business travellers without access to a TMC, so the responsibility has ultimately fallen on the business traveller. Wouldn’t it be great if all transport options were in sync? Thankfully technology is helping to fill this gap. Today there are plenty of apps that can help you find the best way around a public transport system almost anywhere in the world (see below).

Uber, which disrupted the ground transport space when it arrived in 2009, is also aiming to provide a one-stop-shop for a seamless journey. This summer, it will roll out a new UK feature that enables users to book flights directly through its app. You can already book Uber Rides, train journeys across the National Rail network, Eurostar and coaches with National Express and megabus.

Whether it’s Uber, Bolt, Lyft, FREE NOW, Careem or Gett, ride hailing has shaken up the ground transport sector with its on-demand availability, ease of payment and trusted service. More traditional services have had to adapt to this more flexible way of travelling. Blacklane, which offers high-end private car services for business travellers, recently launched its “chauffeur hailing” app in New York and Dubai to fit the increasing demand for instant ride-hailing.