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Traveling as a couple is a lot different than traveling solo. You may share a house, finances, and day to day life, but when it comes to escaping your daily routines for a vacation, that doesn’t mean it’s going to always be a smooth and romantic ride.
In fact, “it can be a notoriously treacherous experience, fraught with stress, arguments, and differing opinions on hygiene, packing, and how much it’s reasonable to pay for cuddling an orangutan.” – JR Thorpe.
But there is so much magic in traveling as a couple if you can get through the trip without getting on each others nerves. And after having traveled RTW with Star Alliance this month, we’ve put together tips and advice to increase your chances of a successful trip.
Tips for Traveling as a Couple Without Killing Each Other
You can hover over this (or any image) to quickly pin it!
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- It doesn’t really matter if you’re traveling with the love of your life, your best friend, or even a stranger you met on the road, the following advice will increase your chances of a successful trip.
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- It doesn’t really matter if you’re traveling with the love of your life, your best friend, or even a stranger you met on the road, the following advice will increase your chances of a successful trip.
Financing the Trip
Before getting on the plane make damn sure you and your partner are on the same page about finances. Nothing causes more quarrels than the issue of money.
Make sure you have discussed some kind of a budget which includes the costs for transportation, food, lodging, activities, and souvenirs. Stick to a set amount and allocate funds for each part of your trip to avoid surprise purchases that may cause a fight.
Picking a Destination
When it comes to picking a destination, one of the biggest tips for couples traveling is that coming to a compromise on a place where you both can find enjoyment is key.
That said, our advice is to also remember how you acted at the beginning of your relationship. Did it really matter where you went on a date, or was it simply spending time together which was the mission?
Any destination you chose can be made extraordinary if you try and remember the main fact that you are experiencing that destination with your best friend, or the one you fell in love with.
Transportation
Although being stuck in close proximity to your other half for long periods of time may be required, don’t waste this opportunity. You’ve got the time, so spend it talking to each other.
You would be surprised the things you can learn about each other even after years of having been together. Take this time to talk as though you are just beginning to date, speaking of your past and things you may have not yet shared with each other.
Do NOT bring up anything work related or anything dealing with daily life. This trip is a break from reality. Traveling as a couple also has the perks of shared driving if you are on a road trip, or having someone’s shoulder to lay on during a flight … a situation much more awkward if you were to try it with a stranger.
Pro Tip: When choosing seats on a plane, choose seats in the very back of the flight. These seats usually fill up last, and that aisle of three may be all yours to share between the two of you.
Managing Stress
The biggest thing that can ruin a trip is fighting, and many fights are simply caused by the stresses of traveling itself.
Go into every trip with an open mind and realize that most of your best laid plans will probably not go perfectly. Be ready for that plan B. Again, try to remember back to when you were first dating and were on your best behavior. There is no excuse for not continuing that good behavior.
Make a pact to ditch the blame game. And if you are getting angry, ask yourself if it’s because you’re tired, hungry, or both. It’s inevitable that one of you will screw up at some point along the way, but it’s bound to happen, so focus on dealing with the issue instead of making each other feel bad.
Pro Tip: Don’t try to cram too much into your daily itinerary as things always take longer than expected and trying to make it in time for numerous reservations will only add stress.
Technology
Although technology has made traveling so much easier these days, remember that your trip together should be an escape from reality and not a time to conduct business or talk with family. They can talk to you when you get back.
Use of laptops and smart phones can be a wealth of knowledge when it comes to finding nearby attractions while traveling, but limit their use so you can actually enjoy the present moment.
Fight the urge to share your daily happenings while traveling via Facebook, Twitter, and blogs (guilty!). Remember, the more time you spend typing away, the less time you are living your travels, and you’re only limiting the stories you will have to share when you get back.
You Don’t Have to be Joined at the Hip
As much as you may love someone, being around them 24/7 is bound to put a strain on your relationship at some stage. But you don’t need to do everything together, and you don’t have to be joined at the hip.
It’s absolutely ok, healthy even, to give each other some space and alone time while away. Whether that means heading out on an an activity or tour the other person doesn’t want to do, or taking a walk on your own, it’s important to give each other space.
Do you travel as a couple? What have your experiences been?
INSPIRED?! PIN THIS TO YOUR TRAVEL PINTEREST BOARDS ↓
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- It doesn’t really matter if you’re traveling with the love of your life, your best friend, or even a stranger you met on the road, the following advice will increase your chances of a successful trip.
-
- It doesn’t really matter if you’re traveling with the love of your life, your best friend, or even a stranger you met on the road, the following advice will increase your chances of a successful trip.
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Photo credits: Featured photo, Pinterest images, & couple on boat by Moyan Brenn. Tourists on phones by Garry Knight.
23 Comments
Travelling with your spouse can be the best experience because you’re so in sync with each other. But being together 24X7 for several days..there are occasions when you can get on each others’ nerves too. Great tips. Great post.
Megan, I have to agree – its fun as well as challenging but if you set the ground rules, like you have mentioned, you will probably end up not killing each other and having a whole lot of fun :)
Great tips! I totally agree that money is a big one and making sure you are on the same page is key to making the trip work! Plus reading through this list brings up lots of things that may get forgotten in the excitement of planning the trip. I would recommend anyone going on a trip with their spouse reads through this post before EVERY trip!
Some of these tips can even be applied when traveling with a friend or solo as well. Your Pro Tip Don’t try to cram too much into your daily itinerary hit the nail on the head for me. Doing it just created chaos for me on one of my trips. It was a short visit so I planned so much into the itinerary that I was literally running late to each tour. Actually lost out on two of them. I have learned my lesson.
I actually prefer to travel with my husband than solo. We have a pretty good system, we know who’s responsible for what and it makes travelling so much easier. No stress, no blame games. It’s great to have a spouse who’s also a great travel companion :)
Traveling with a spouse, or anyone really, is really the best way to get to know someone. You find out what they’re really good/bad at and little quirks that they have. Just like anything else, it takes practice too. These are great tips and you’re lucky to have a souse that loves travel as much as you do.
Excellent tips for travelling with a partner. A vacation is a great time to reconnect, but I agree that you don’t have to be joined at the hip 24/7. It is nice to have time apart to visit the spa, go for a run, etc. Once we began travelling with kids, this alone time became even more precious!
‘Take this time to talk as though you at e just beginning to date, speaking of your past and things you may have not yet shared with each other.’ Such a great tip! Great post. Thanks. Sx
“You don’t have to be joined at the hip” Great advice! All good tips, thanks for sharing. Happy travels :)
That managing stress comment is the best, and works for everything in life, yes?
I’m forever single, so I won’t be able to make use of these tips yet haha but these are great for traveling couples! I didn’t know that the back of aeroplanes fill up last, that’s a really useful bit of info ! I also love your comment about not spending too much time on facebook or blogging, that’s a great one to remember when travelling with anyone!
Great tips! I know we all have our moments when we’re on the road with our partner. I’m definitely guilty of trying to pack too much into one day… over the years, I’ve been able to chill a little bit and plan less! :)
I couldn’t agree more with some of these tips, especially when the fact that you must give each other space! When I feel that my partner’s presences is pissing me off, I go for a walk to cool off! which always work for me.
Giving each other space once in a while is crucial! WE just make sure that at the end of the day we never go to sleep mad at each other :)
Me and my girlfriend truly appreciate your article. Scrolling it is addictive.
So funny — I love traveling as a couple, much much more than solo. It’s the best. Then again, Ive been married for 22 years, so maybe I just don’t know any better. :)
Great tips! My husband and I have been married for four years, and are JUUUUST starting to really get into the groove of traveling together! it takes practice.
Traveling together as a couple can be challenging to say the least. My partner and I travel together a lot. The most stressful is the actual travel to and from the destination. We are both typically tired, hungry and cranky; however, we have come to expect that we will be irritated with each other from time to time, and that helps to avoid any serious fights. All the tips above are great advice. Making sure to keep stress down is key. Making a conscious effort to make your partner feel special will also go a long way.
“Traveling as a couple also has the perks of shared driving if you are on a road trip, or having someone’s shoulder to lay on during a flight … a situation much more awkward if you were to try it with a stranger.”
Haha, I wonder how people would react.
Me and my girlfriend are now 4 months on the road and I have to admit this post is so recognizable! Thanks for the great tips, it’s not something you think about before you leave.
Great tips! My husband and I have the opportunity to go on a 2-3 week trip this summer while our two girls are visiting Grandparents. While my husband is retired, I recently had to quit my job (for various reasons, biggest was not being paid for 6 weeks) anywhoo, Money is tighter than it was previously. He has promised me for years he’d take me to Italy, after he went backpacking with his brother there. So we thought this was the year. But thinking about the trip I want, and the money available, we decided a road trip to Niagra Falls and Boston was much better suited to our finances. We’ll splurge on a nice hotel here and there, maybe a bed and breakfast somewhere, but other wise, it’s cheap hotels and some good ole’ sight seeing.
One tip I would add, Have adequate music. Take more than you think, and switch back and forth. If you love country (like me) and your spouse likes industrial rock (my hubby) taking a break from both after 1 album seems to do the trick. Or since I end up falling asleep 90% of the time, HE needs more music than I do. So plan accordingly!
Great post! I think some of these tips can apply outside of just traveling as well, but definitely great to keep in mind on a trip. Thanks for sharing!
Great article about traveling with the spouse. So helpful post and I learned a lot from this article. Your tips about traveling with your spouse. but I think some tips can use anyone on in general traveling.
I am in my 60s and my husband is in his 70s. We’ve been traveling sporadically psince we married 25 years ago. My best advice is to not wait till you are retired to travel! Also consider how your traveling may change as you age. In our first years traveling together, the sky was the limit in terms of our choices. My husband now has some physical and mental conditions that limit what we do. We still travel, but activities are more sedate, we take more time to smell the roses and we try to prepare for the unexpected. We tend to use tour groups more, stay longer in each place than before and consider access to health care. I find I must now handle all of the packing and arrangements vs. sharing the responsibilities but it is worth it. Accepting the changes and planning accordingly makes all the difference in how much we enjoy the experience.
What great advice~ This such a great summary of why it is so nice to have your best friend and travel companion as your spouse. Thanks for sharing your story.