Here’s how to get the most out of your next ‘bleisure’ trip

Paid for by National Car Rental

As the line between work and personal life continues to blur, it’s only natural that you would want to squeeze a bit of leisure into your next business trip. Your busy lifestyle probably demands you to be always on and connected, which is why “bleisure” travel, where “business” and “leisure” meet, is not only fun but also a nice way to recharge and maximize your vacation time.

With the help of Peter Shankman, an entrepreneur, podcast host and corporate keynote speaker who has clocked over 350,000 miles per year for work, here are top hacks for making a business trip into an enjoyable bleisure experience.

Plan ahead.

It goes without saying that having a plan — especially for the fun stuff — is the way to make the most of your business travel. Before arriving at your destination, learn about its cool neighborhoods and attractions. Plan to stay longer and take advantage of the weekend or public holiday for pampering or adventure, turning a three-day business trip into a five- or six-day bleisure experience. You can build into your schedule time to visit a new museum or trendy neighborhood, do a walking tour, sample the local food or have coffee with friends.

Use your travel time to your advantage.

With limited time, traveling from coast to coast can come with challenges. Shankman suggests knowing which direction of travel gives you the best flights that allow for the most fun. If you’re traveling from west to east and have a meeting on a Wednesday, take a red-eye flight on Monday night. It gives you all day Tuesday to do something fun, and it gives you plenty of time to get a good night's sleep and recover, allowing you to be at the top of your game for your Wednesday meeting.

Arrange in advance.

With a plan in hand, start reaching out to the organizations, event representatives or restaurants and coordinate the activities. Shankman is a skydiver, and if there’s a cool drop zone on his trip, he’ll call the skydiving center and let them know he’s coming in. By coordinating your itinerary in advance, you can make the most of your time on the road. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to arrange unique experiences.

Rent a car.

Bleisure trips can begin and end in the same city, but they can also become a multicity experience. If you extend your trip, take advantage of the extra days and head over to nearby cities or attractions. It breaks up the routine, allows you to travel at your own pace and gives you the opportunity to explore gems along the way.

With locations all over the U.S., National Car Rental makes it easy for frequent travelers to enhance their trips even further. Sign up for National’s Emerald Club loyalty program and earn one rental credit for every qualified car rental. Once seven credits are accrued, you receive a free rental day. As an Emerald Club member, you can bypass the rental counter and choose any car (midsize and larger) on the Emerald Aisle and pay only the midsize rate (a deal that’s available only in the U.S. and Canada).

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From National Car Rental:

National Car Rental is a premium, internationally recognized car rental brand that serves frequent airport travelers worldwide. With National, time-sensitive customers in the United States can quickly choose their own vehicles, based upon their advance reservation and requested car class, and then simply drive away from the airport. To sign up for Emerald Club, the car rental industry’s first comprehensive frequent-renter program, visit nationalcar.com.

This article was paid for by National Car Rental and created by Yahoo Creative Studios. The Yahoo Life editorial staff did not participate in the creation of this content.