Travel amount in Bain and BCG

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, based on my own experience, that of my personal network and my coachees, this seems to be nothing more than an urban myth. Contrary to what other coaches have said, all consulting firms will first try to use local consultants before requesting consultants from different countries and regions.
• Moreover, while it may sound tempting to travel a lot for work, please keep in mind that 1) consulting is an intense profession where you typically have little time to enjoy the client's location and 2) clients will still expect you to show up at the same time as local consultants, which means that travel time is mostly deducted from your free time.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi,

It's true that staffing at Bain is locally with limited travel (within the state for US and within the country for EU) and a bit more travel for BCG (more interstate within US or between (neighbouring) countries in Europe).

Mattijs 

Hey there, 

I can speak for BCG, do not have so many insights for Bain. 

At BCG in the US international opportunities are generally rather limited (I am quite certain this is true for all MBB though). Interstate staffing is more frequent though there is a general preference to staff from the respective office (as travel can be quite far in the US). When I worked in NYC, I travelled every other week I would say. 

Best, 
Sebastian

Hey there 😊,

Yes, travel frequency differs between Bain and BCG due to their staffing models:

1️⃣ Bain – Mostly Local Office Staffing (Less Travel)

✅ Bain follows a "local office staffing" model, meaning consultants primarily work with clients in their home office region.
✅ Less frequent international or interstate travel unless you join a specific practice area with global exposure (e.g., PE, Digital, or Transformation teams).
✅ Some exceptions exist—Bain consultants can opt into global staffing via specific programs, but default staffing is more local.

2️⃣ BCG – More Travel Opportunities

✅ BCG staffs more flexibly across different regions and industries, so you’re more likely to travel for client work (especially in smaller offices).
✅ Global projects and cross-office staffing are more common, especially if you join industry-focused practice areas like Energy, Healthcare, or Digital Ventures.
✅ Depending on the office and project pipeline, travel can range from weekly flights within the country to international assignments.

3️⃣ Which One Should You Choose If You Want More Travel?

🚀 If travel and global exposure are important to you, BCG is the better choice since it offers more cross-border staffing opportunities by default.
🌍 At Bain, you'd need to actively seek out global assignments, which may require aligning with specific practice areas or offices with more international demand.

If working across different markets and seeing diverse industries worldwide excites you, BCG aligns more with that goal. Let me know if you need more insights!

Best, Alessa 😇

Hi there,

As a rule of thumb (including McKinsey):

1. McKinsey has a global PnL and staffing, even though most consultants are still staffed in their region (Monday-Thursday travel) based on language requirements and personal preferences (unless they push for a different lifestyle -> "build your own McKinsey")
2. BCG staffing is less international compared to McKinsey, but still you would travel a lot regionally (Monday-Thursday)
3. Bain tries to staff people in the city where their home office is or very close to it.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

I can talk for both companies.

1. Bain tries to staff you in the city or country where the office operates as much as possible. That means that, in theory, your travel time will be lower than that of other companies. Also, it means that you might not get as many projects if your office does not sell projects.

2. BCG prioritize your staffing time. This means that you will be travelling within the area of your office. 

That is how they operate; however, if you want to travel or reduce travel, try to be closer to an industry or partner that sells projects in the same city. 

Best,

Carlos

The office you chose matters more than the specific company.

Sure, people will say that from more to less international assignments it will be Mck > BCG > Bain, but the difference is not significant at all.

Hi there, 

I worked for both companies and I don't think this is true. 

From my experience, the amount of travel is not really about the firm, but rather, the case and client that you work on. 

Best,

Emily