10 Essential Tips For Traveling As A Couple

These essential tips for traveling as a couple will help you plan your trip
and keep harmony in your relationship while you are on vacation and after you return home.

The time has come, and your long-anticipated trip together as a couple is quickly approaching. It may be the first time you are traveling as a couple or your 25th time. Either way, traveling brings with it challenges and obstacles. When traveling as a couple, you are sure to face additional challenges. These tips for traveling as a couple will have you packing your bags and still smiling when you return home.

Most of us love traveling and have taken several trips. When you are traveling as a couple, your couples trip may be the first time you will be together 24/7 for an extended amount of time. Even if you have been together for a couple of years or married for many years, sharing every moment, for days at a time, can bring with it additional challenges and put stress on your relationship.

While traveling as a couple, you may learn new things about your partner, yourself, and how well you can give and take in your relationship.

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Tips for traveling as a couple

These ten tips for traveling as a couple are the top tips that Gary and I (Michelle) make sure we follow when planning and enjoying our trip together.

Relationships are hard work. It takes give and take from both parties, and add to that your passion for travel and excitement. It could be a nightmare or the best moments of your life.

Traveling together as a couple can be totally amazing and skyrocket your relationship. Keep these tips in mind when traveling as a couple.

1 ~ Compromise

Compromise starts long before your trip takes off. Any relationship will not work without someone compromising at one time or another. This is something that many couples learn early on in their relationship. Traveling as a couple can put your compromising skills to the test. When you travel as a couple, you may need to compromise on the destination, type of accommodations, some of your excursions, or even restaurant choices.

Compromise does not mean that one of you stomps your foot and demands to get your way. It means that you talk it through, and look at all of the pros and cons of each destination, excursion, and even restaurant if needed. Together you make a decision that works for both of you.

When traveling as a couple and compromising, you should take into consideration each party’s financial budget, length of time to travel, likes and dislikes, and what your ultimate goal is for your couples travel; is your trip a romantic getaway, a time for adventure, or just a relaxing weekend—all of these things and more need to be considered when making your decisions.

Compromise does not mean you won’t have the trip you dream of. It means that you both can dream together and get the trip you both dream of.

Learning to compromise is good for your relationship at home and while traveling.

2 ~ Talk things through ~ don’t assume

When you decide things like destinations, excursions, restaurants, and even what to bring home, take the time to talk things through. No matter how well you think you know your partner, don’t assume you know every little like or dislike.

Just because you both love swimming does not mean the thought of cage swimming to see sharks will excite you both. Talk about it before planning.

For example ~ you recently took a romantic weekend trip for two. During that trip, your partner gave up having access to their gym facility and didn’t work out over the weekend in exchange for a spa, hot tub, and romantic time with you.

You are now in the middle of planning a two-week couples trip. Although your partner regularly goes to the gym, you don’t bother to look if the hotels you are considering offer a gym because your partner didn’t work out on your weekend getaway. If a gym and working out regularly are important to your partner, don’t assume they are okay giving up their workout time for an extended time if you are on a long vacation. Talk it through.

I could keep going with examples, but I’m sure you get where this is going. It’s always safer to discuss things together and talk them through. It is both of your vacation.

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3 ~ Make time for each other

Always make time for each other! Although you don’t need to spend every minute together, you need to make sure you are spending some quality couple time together. When taking a trip, even if you are traveling as a couple, it is easy to get so busy trying to see and do everything that you end up just traveling together with your partner.

Many times, Gary and I (Michelle) have been traveling as a couple, and our schedule was so packed that we were just ready to crash by the end of the evening. We should have been taking that time at the end of the day and focusing on each other.

We learned the hard way and have made some changes. When we travel as a couple, we always have chunks of time, even on long weekend road trips that we leave unscheduled. That may allow us to grab a coffee at that cute little cafe while we sit and talk, walk on the beach holding hand or turn in early together with a bottle of wine.

We remember why we are traveling as a couple; we enjoy each other’s company and work to keep romance a priority no matter how busy our couples’ trip gets.

4 ~ Be patient with each other

We have been together for over eight years and have taken many trips. Being patient with each other while traveling may be the most challenging part of traveling as a couple, but it’s one of the most important things.

Travel can bring out the worst in everyone, especially when things are not going right. Remember that when you are traveling as a couple, it’s the two of you together. If you get to a location and are told your reservation is not in the system, you are lost and can’t figure out how you took a wrong turn, or the weather is not cooperating, don’t blame your partner or take out your frustration on them.

Remember, you are a team. You are in this together. No matter how stressful the situation or how wrong things go, you are there for each other. As a team, you can overcome anything.

Be patient with each other, and make sure your partner knows you have their back and that they can lean on you when things don’t go as planned.

5 ~ Open communication

Keep your line of communication open. Having an open line of communication is key for success at home and when traveling as a couple.

If something is bothering you, don’t let it fester and stew all day and even into the night. That will ruin a good chunk of your trip.

Be open and honest with each other, and talk things through. Remember, you are a team. You want your trip together to be fulfilling for both of you.

6 ~ Take pictures together

Find some creative ways to take pictures that you are both in. When we travel, it is easy to take pictures of the places we are visiting and pictures of our partner doing fun things. What we sometimes forget are the pictures of yourselves together as a couple while visiting these fun places.

When we return home, we have some great memories of the places we visited and the fun things we did. It’s important to have some pictures of the both of you together doing those things.

Make a small investment in a selfie stick or a small joby tripod to help with this. Needing your picture taken is also an excellent way to make some friends along the way. Offer to take photos for another couple, and they will indeed offer to reciprocate. This small gesture could turn out to be the start of a friendship.

This is one of Gary’s strengths. He loves to help and is always offering a hand. We have met some wonderful people this way.

7 ~ Set aside time for yourself

During our everyday life, we don’t spend every minute with someone. For most of us, we may only spend a few hours a day with our partner. Don’t put pressure on yourself or your partner to spend every waking minute with each other.

Don’t take it personally if she does not want to go deep-sea fishing, and she won’t take it personally that you don’t want to swim with the manatees.

Plan some time for yourself. It shouldn’t be hard. There will be things you enjoy doing that your partner would rather not spend time doing. That’s okay! Plan those times when you each go your separate ways, have fun, and don’t feel guilty.

This time apart can make your relationship stronger. When you come back together, you will each have something new and exciting to share.

Looking for even more? Check out a few of our other posts for planning a trip
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Tips for Packing Efficiently For Traveling
Simple Tips to use when Planning a Trip
Unique Finds to Make Traveling Fun

8 ~ Make friends ~ spend time with others

Taking a trip as a couple is amazing. When Gary and I (Michelle) travel, we love to meet new people. We have even been thousands of miles from home and met a couple for our hometown. It was great to swap stories and share some adventures.

Let’s face it, being together with the same person 24/7 for weeks at a time can be a bit overwhelming and exhausting. While spending time together with another couple, you may hear stories and get to know another side of your partner. Fun!

9 ~ Be open to trying something new

Be open to at least trying something new. Don’t always say no just because something might sound boring or scary.

The fun thing about relationships is that it encourages us to try new things together. It opens up our world to the things that our partner loves. Just because you have never pictured yourself camping, don’t just say no to the opportunity. If it’s something you have never done with your partner, you have no way of knowing how much you will enjoy it.

I (Michelle) have done so many things since meeting Gary that I would never have thought of spending time doing. I may not fall in love with the activity, but getting to spend that time with Gary makes it worth every effort. Plus, I have found a few new things I really enjoy.

This was not while traveling, but I remember spending the day helping Gary fix the dishwasher at his dad’s place. Not what I pictured me spending a half-day doing, but we laughed, smiled, got frustrated together, and had a blast. In return, he treated us both to a pedicure, which was a new experience for him. Gary likes getting pedicures now. I don’t care much about fixing dishwashers, but I tried it, and I do love talking with him while he works.

We both tried something new that day, and we had a great time together. There have been so many first for both of us since that day, and I know there will be many more. We have grown closer with each adventure. All because we were open to trying something new.

10 ~ Have fun

Have fun! Don’t forget to laugh! Not only are you on a couples trip that is hopefully filled with romance. You are experiencing it together. Traveling can be a test of a couple’s bond. If you travel well together, you can succeed at almost anything.

Do your homework before you take that trip as a couple. Use these tips for traveling as a couple long before you walk out the door on vacation.

There may be times when you have to find ways to have fun. When the weather is not cooperating, and your plan have to change, find other things, roll with it, and together find something even more fun.

By using these tips, you should be returning home from your couples trip with great memories, lots of pictures of the two of you, having been reassured you are in love with the person you want to take every romantic couples trip with, and looking forward to many more trips as a couple.

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