Will Your Relationship Withstand Traveling Together?

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Lizzie Lau

Will your relationship withstand traveling together?

At what point is your relationship ready to take on the challenge of traveling together? It’s inevitable after you’ve been dating a while and feeling confident about your compatibility, that you’ll want to road test the relationship. Perhaps a romantic weekend getaway, maybe something more adventurous, like camping and mountain climbing.

Nothing tests a relationship more than traveling together, so be yourself. If you aren’t honest and authentic, you’ll be setting yourself up for disaster in the future. Give yourselves the best shot at the relationship surviving your first trip together, by planning ahead and communicating – a lot.

Keep It Short And Simple

A long weekend is ideal for getting to know someone. Any longer than that and you’re just pushing your luck. Don’t try to do too much. Plan a few fun activities, but just being away together should be enough. The more you plan to do, the more opportunities you have to disappoint each other.

A flexible itinerary is best to take the stress out of the trip, and being open to opportunities that pop up along the way adds to the adventure. You are both out of your comfort zone so slow down, enjoy each other’s company, and the opportunity to spend time getting to know each other in a neutral location.

Plan Ahead: Talk About Money

Before you book anything, you absolutely must nail down who is paying for what. A good friend of mine brought an ex-girlfriend, with whom he was hoping to rekindle a relationship, on a short trip to visit X3 and me in Guatemala City. Part of the reason the trip was a fiasco, was that she assumed he was paying for everything, and he assumed there was going to be sex. Don’t assume anything. Have a conversation about it and make certain that you are both on the same page.

Choose A Trip That Suits You Both

It doesn’t make any sense to go to a dude ranch if you don’t like horses. Don’t agree to an adventure or activity just because your significant other is into it. Find some common ground or figure out a compromise. Maybe you have both been dying to try kite surfing. Pick a destination where you can take lessons for a couple of days.

Talk about your travel styles as well. If one of you is a minimalist traveler who insists on only packing a carry on bag, and the other needs a sherpa to carry a full set of Louis Vuitton luggage, traveling together may be problematic. It’s not fair to have unrealistic expectations if you haven’t discussed the details of how you like to travel. Consider choosing a place neither of you have been before so you’ll both be experiencing something together for the first time.

Stay Positive

Murphy’s Law is always there to ruin your plans. Do your best to keep your sense of humor and just go with it. You may be disappointed that it’s raining, but maybe you were meant to snuggle indoors and discover that you both love Scrabble!  Seeing how your new love handles adversity offers great insight into your future together.

Have you ever had a new relationship strengthened or done in by traveling together?

20 thoughts on “Will Your Relationship Withstand Traveling Together?”

  1. Great tips especially for couples who travels a lot! As for me ha! I’ll just keep it to myself for now. Ha!

    • When I was younger I absolutely loved solo travel. It’s the best way to meet other travelers because you are so much more approachable. Now that I’m ancient, I want someone to share the experiences with.

  2. These are really some great ideas. Traveling together can be interesting. My husband and I have learned to make sure that each of us has opportunities to enjoy things that we like when we travel.

    • That is super important. You may only get to visit a particular destination once in your life, so the last thing you want is to have that memory connected to disappointment or regret.

  3. I think choosing a trip and location that suits you both is very important! Great tips – definitely gives you something to think about when planning your next trip!

    • So important! I’ve known so many women who spent their married lives being the one who compromised, and when the relationship ended they were left with so much regret about not insisting that their wishes were heard.

  4. My husband and I travel a lot together and luckily there has never been an issue. The two kids under 5 drive us nuts sometimes but that’s about it.

    • That’s fantastic because in my experience co-parenting while traveling can be challenging, though in my case I’m co-parenting with an ex.

  5. I think the best part of traveling is doing it with someone you love. But it can definitely test a relationship!

    • I agree. These days I’m mostly traveling with my daughter, but sometimes with my parents, sister, and her two kids. Making sure everyone is happy 100% of the time is impossible so we go with majority rules and deal with the pouting (which isn’t always a child).

  6. Good points for people to keep in mind. Don’t want what is supposed to be a good time causing a rocky relationship or break up.

    • To me, travel is the perfect litmus test for a relationship because you are forced to make decisions together every day, and you’ll know instantly if your wishes are being taken into consideration or taken for granted.

  7. My boyfriend and I travel and spend a LOT of time together. We’ve been together 8 years and moved in together almost immediately. When I have time off work – he takes time off work and vice versa. These tips are perfect and we actually do a lot of them and they work so well

  8. I’m so used to traveling alone, I’m afraid I’d be a terrible travel mate. I would most definitely have to use your tips if I attempted to travel with someone.

  9. Great tips! My husband and I always talk about money and what we want to do before we take a trip. Staying positive is key as well. Nothing EVER goes the way you think it will.

  10. These are great tips. Planning and communication are key when traveling as a couple. You have to come to an agreement on budgeting and the like if you want to have a good time.

  11. I think these are really great tips! We travel a lot, and have been together for 13 years, so that is a lot of working things out while traveling. I agree the planning out things beforehand, including money is key. Also, just remembering that it is about the journey and adventure, nothing will be perfect all of the time.

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