Traveling as a couple can be as exciting as any other way of traveling. This could be your opportunity to get to know your partner even better, share great moments together and make your relationships stronger. Yes, we are talking about living with each other 24/7 and taking care of each other all the time.
You are probably asking yourself would it be hard to compromise, are you flexible enough, or what if you would like to be alone. Traveling as a couple can be really great experience but it can also be very stressful. It all depends on your expectations and on how you planned your trip – as a team or did one of you make all the decisions?
To help you out here are the most common situations and doubts that may occur when you are traveling as a couple.
Read our guide on what can go wrong – Relationship Troubles
So you decided to go on a trip together but how do you decide which destinations you want to visit? Plan a trip together, as a team, talk to each other and try to find out which destination you both want to visit.
If only one person is making plans it can easily lead to a conflict because you could forget some sites that your partner wants to visit. To prevent this write on the piece of paper what each one of you wants to do during the trip and if there are huge differences you will have to compromise and adopt your partner's ideas. This should be the fun part so try to make the best of it!
If you are planning your first trip together maybe it would be best to start with a short trip (just for the weekend or a week) just to see how it goes. Act like you are going on a long adventure and make all the plans together. This will be a great way to see how you will react to new situations that may occur while you are away from home.
Also, you will have the chance to see is it easy for you to agree on what you want to do. The worst thing that can happen is that you two plan two months trip and that in the first week you realize that it wasn’t so good idea. So, a short trip is enough to start.
This is one more question that a lot of couples have in mind when they are planning a trip. Talk honestly about the money and what you can afford before anything else because this can potentially be one of the difficult topics. It is great to have in mind that the biggest advantage of traveling as a couple is you can halve your budget.
You have to be prepared to share everything and to decide who will be paying for what and are there any financial limitations. The best and easiest way can be to plan your budget per day. That is how both of you will know how much money you will need.
Traveling is fun and you have to love it but it also brings some responsibilities. To make it easier and to make sure that the trip will go smoother divide the responsibilities. Lets’ say that you are taking care of the accommodation then your partner can book the plane tickets or make a list of the museums that you want to visit. This can help you to save some time and it is easier to focus on one thing at a time than have ten things on your mind. You know which part of planning you can do best so dividing the responsibilities is a great way to minimize the stress.
Traveling is a great way to discover more about your partner. If it’s one of your first trips together there is a great chance that you will see your partner from a totally different perspective. Maybe you won’t like it but you have to learn how to accept each other as you are.
Traveling can really help you to overwhelm those little problems that every couple has, so make the most of it and make your relationship stronger. On the other hand, if it makes you really crazy you have to talk seriously about it.
This is important all the time and traveling together is just one more thing that can help you make your relationship stronger. You have to communicate a lot, about everything. Talk to each other from the start of your trip because communicating is making couples happy.
Keep in mind that it is silly to expect that your partner knows what you want without telling him that. If there is any problem, deal with it, don’t just brush it under the table because it will ruin your trip. You will think about it all the time and you won’t be able to enjoy every minute of your adventure.
Don’t forget to keep the romance alive during your long-term trip. Your sightseeing list will be huge but you have to find some time just for you two, you need to have those sweet moments together. Plan a picnic, dinner near the sea, or anything that makes you happy.
Surprise your partner with breakfast in bed – it will make his or her day. Don’t forget that you are a couple and that little gestures are always welcome. Those romantic moments will make you appreciate even more the time that you are spending with your loved one.
Even if you are used to being on the road it is very likely that you will get homesick during long-term travels. In those moments it is good to have someone you know by your side. Your partner will be your connection with home during the trip and it is really nice to have somebody who will look after you. Other than that it is a very nice feeling to have somebody to talk to, to share immediately all the impressions, and of course to have somebody who will give you the hug when you need one.
Some unexpected things can come up while you are on the road. It is easier to deal with it when you have somebody around you. Rarely does everything go as you have planned but challenges that are waiting for you will make your trip exciting and having your partner beside you will make it easier to go through unexpected situations.
You have to be prepared for this because it is part of every adventure and long-term travel is definitely a big one. So, the best thing to do is to allow yourself to go with the flow.
After a few weeks of travel, you will have to admit to yourself that you are tired. It is normal that you are feeling like that and don’t try to neglect that. Traveling isn’t always easy so you have to give yourself a break. Relax for a day or two, clear your thoughts and leave your travel plan behind for a while. It is great that you have your partner by your side because their enthusiasm will help you feel better. Try to indulge yourself. Maybe you are not used to fancy hotels but one night in a nice hotel or a few hours in a spa will recharge your batteries. Go for it!
Personal time is very important. You have to find some time to do what just you want to do because 24/7 with one person can get annoying. This should be easy because there are always things that maybe one of you doesn’t want to do and this is an opportunity to do it on your own. Maybe you can go shopping while your partner is visiting a sports museum or take a walk in the morning while your partner is sleeping. Being some time apart will make you more exciting about things that you will do together.
It’s a good idea to make friends on the road. This is a great way to discover new things and release any tensions you might be feeling. Don’t forget to interact with other single travelers, couples, and locals.
Hanging out with other people can be a great chance to take a break from each other's company for a while.
It is pretty much sure that during your long-term travel you will argue about something. Usually, it is about “small stuff”. It is normal that during making plans for the trip you forget to do something like buying tickets for a museum. Don’t let this kind of “problem” ruins your trip together. Stop for a moment and think about it. Is it really worth having a fight about that? Of course not. Find something else to do and enjoy your time together as much as you can.
You probably can’t even remember how many times you two were arguing and after an hour of yelling you have realized that it was a fight about nothing. Try to avoid those unpleasant situations. Ask the right questions and listen to what your partner has to tell you because that is the key to any good relationship. Accept that it is not always about winning it is better to try to see your partner's point of view and to try to find solutions that will make you both happy. Next time when you end up in this kind of situation, ask yourself, what you can do to find a solution without arguing.
In relationships, everything is about compromise! Probably there will be situations where you will not agree with your partner but try to understand why is, for example, going somewhere so important to him or her and make a compromise. Compromise needs to go both ways and making your partner happy will make you happy too, right? Never say to your partner: “Today I did this for you and that’s why you should do that for me tomorrow.” Communicating like that won’t bring anything good.
Being flexible is also essential while you are on the road. Plans could change so try to accommodate. Maybe doing something that you usually wouldn’t do will turn into a great experience. It is good to have things planned but sometimes traveling can become even more exciting if something is unplanned.
It is the magic of traveling and traveling with your partner should give you another perspective. Just be flexible, relax and enjoy the ride!
Remember that during your trip you have to take care of each other. You have to work as a team because you are traveling as a couple and you have to take care of each other back. Unforeseen situations are not uncommon so try to stay cool and make sure that you can rely on your partner. Having each other back should be part of every day that you two will be spending together and during a long-term trip, this is one of the most important things that you have to have on your mind all the time.
