Travel Tips for Couples
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Travelling as a couple can certainly be challenging at times especially if you don’t prep for it. As we’ve spent a lot of time travelling together, we’ve made some mistakes that is for sure. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that either. We’ve created these travel tips for couples so that you don’t make the same mistakes as us as well.
The last thing you want is for you to not enjoy your trip together. This can cause arguments or worst case scenario a break up whilst you’re on the road. Even small things can be a little tense during your holidays, such as if you forget to book cheap parking at Vienna International Airport, causing you to miss your flight or forgetting to book your transfers and getting stuck without knowing where to go.
Before you book any trip together, read through our guide to make sure that you have put everything in place as much as possible. This can help prevent any issues occurring on the road. We’ve created these tips for couples travelling together to make the trip as smooth as possible for you.
Be Honest With Each Other
This should come hand in hand with being in a relationship. You should always try to be honest with each other. It’s incredibly important to ensure that you are opening up conversations with each other. This should be happening before you even begin to plan your trip. Your partner should be someone that you can talk to about anything. Remember that whilst you’re travelling together, there are going to be places and things that your partner is going to want to do that you’re not going to want to do and vice versa.
This is where you need to ensure that you talk to your partner about this and compromise with each other. This trip is about both of you! There will be times where you will do things that may be out of your comfort zone to keep your partner happy. Equally your partner needs to be open to do the same. This is where the honesty aspect comes in and where you need to set your boundaries.
Having an honest relationship with each other is also incredibly important in case one of you get sick. Let’s face it have the dreaded travellers diarrhoea. This is going to happen if you’re on a long trip together, that is unless you have stomach of steel. You need to be able to talk to your partner about this. Be honest with them about what is wrong with you. Most people will feel embarrassed about this. That is completely normal but sometimes you need to be honest with your partner that you need a little space.
Take Time Apart When Needed
That leads us nicely onto our next tip to ensure that you take time apart from each other when you need it. Even though you’re in a relationship, this doesn’t mean you need to be in each other’s pockets 24/7. It is healthy to have some time apart in a relationship regardless of whether you are travelling or not.
Sometimes you will need a bit of time apart when you’re travelling so that you can enjoy a little bit of your own company. One of the biggest mistakes that couples travelling together make always make is by not giving each other space. If there is something that you or your partner does not want to do whereas the other person does then don’t be afraid to suggest splitting up for the day to go and do things that you both want to do separately. If you’ve also had a little bit of a bicker or an argument (this is normal don’t worry) then don’t be afraid to go and take some time apart to get your head back in place. This doesn’t mean that you’re splitting up but just that you need some space away from each other’s company.
Take Travel Cards
This is something that you should be doing no matter where you’re travelling to. However, it is important to make sure that you have a different travel card each. We would recommend having at least 2 travel cards each but one is an absolute minimum. This is so that if you do get split up for any reason, say you lose each other on a day out, you both are able to get access to funds so that you’re not left stuck.
There are many different options for travel cards so make sure that you research online to see what would be best for you. At the time of writing this, we currently each have our own bank accounts, a joint account with one savings attached for us individually, a Revolut travel card, a Post Office Travel card. We have plans to get a travel credit card and a couple more travel cards before our next big trip. However, at the moment that suits us just fine as we do usually stick to a maximum of 2 weeks travelling. However, for long term trips, it is definitely worth considering taking at least 2 travel cards each to be on the safe side.
Be Open to Trying What the Other Person Wants To Do
We mentioned earlier that you need to make sure that you are being considerate of each other’s plans. If you get stuck in a rut and only consider yourself then this will cause problems in your relationship. This is one of the biggest mistakes to avoid when travelling as a couple. It means that you will need to have open and honest conversations about your expectations for the trip and what you’re planning to do whilst you’re on the road. There will be occasions where one of you will want to do one thing and this will be something that the other person has no interest in or is a bit nervous about. Where possible, try to step out of your comfort zone and engage in activities that your partner wants to do.
Not only will this help to strengthen your relationship but will also enable you to create some incredible unique memories together. Your partner will be very grateful that even though you haven’t wanted to do or try something that you have still given it a go. With this in mind, this will also be a good thing for yourself too. If there is something that you don’t want to do, especially because you’re nervous then often that is even more reason to do it. Stepping out of your comfort zone can really help shape you as a person and not just your relationship. You will often find that there are things that you won’t expect to enjoy as well and you may even pick up a new hobby along the way.
The most important thing when you’re travelling is to keep an open mind about things that your partner wants to do. If you’re definitely set against joining in on the activity then make sure that you’re still supportive and find a way to make this possible for them. This encouragement will also really help your relationship and enable you to both continue to build a strong, solid foundation.
Make Sure You Have a Meet Up Place If You Get Separated
No matter what happens sometimes you are going to lose each other. There are normally busy areas where you get cought up in everything that is going on. Don’t get us wrong, try to avoid this as much as you can and stick together especially in these busier areas. However, each destination that you’re travelling to, it is always worth setting a spot where you can meet up. If you’re off out on a tour for the day as an example then pick somewhere that is easy to find and noticeable and arrange to meet there if you get lost. You don’t want to always rely on your phones too as you won’t always have signal or Wi-Fi (unless you buy a sim card) and this can also be expensive too. Having plans like this set in place will definitely help if you do get separated for any reason.
Checking Funds
If you’re travelling for long periods of time then make sure that you set a day each week or month to check your funds. This is really important to do together so that you can make sure you’re sticking to your budgets. You may find that you’ve gone over your budget and this is where you will need to take time together to decide how you’re going to make this up either by missing out on an excursion down the line or downgrading your accommodation expectations at certain cities.
This will help you to plan your trip together because you will know what kind of budget you have remaining. It’s also important to make sure that you do this together. This way it’s not just one person that is responsible for your funds. This means that you will be able to make decisions together and not all of this responsibility will fall on one person thereby easing some pressure.
Divide Up The Responsibility
Similar to our last tip, you need to make sure that you’re both taking responsibility for different tasks. This means that you take it in turns to book accommodation, flights, excursions etc. One of the biggest causes for arguments whilst travelling together is often that one person is making all the decisions. This can cause a bit of tension as the person that is doing all the organisation may find that this becomes stressful after a while. This is one of the biggest mistakes that you need to avoid when travelling with your partner. Whether you take it in turns or you each have your own assigned responsibilities. This can work with one of you booking flights, the other books accommodation etc. This will really help to take some pressure off the both of you and relieve any potential tension.
Learn From Your Mistakes
No matter how many guides you read and information you take on board, you are still going to make mistakes. This is going to happen both individually and as a couple. You will find that certain ways of organising your trip may not work for you as a couple and you may need to adjust this. Another important thing to remember is that sometimes things can go wrong. That is okay and it is how things go when you’re travelling sometimes. How you deal with the situation when things go wrong is what really matters. Remember that it is not your partner’s fault if something goes wrong and don’t take your frustration out on each other. Sometimes when things go wrong, it can be completely out of your control such as a flight being cancelled.
However, sometimes these things are within your control such as if you’ve missed your flight instead. Instead of placing blame on each other, try to shrug it off if you can. Use it as a learning moment instead! Try to look at it as how you can improve your time management skills instead. This is something that you might need to both work on together. Alternatively, you may need to take responsibility for it as well. Either way, try to use your mistakes as a way to learn to improve things for next time.
Always Have a Back Up
As we said, sometimes things go wrong and it can be completely out of your control. Where possible try to create a back-up plan upon back-up plan. That way if something does go wrong you’re not left panicking and scratching your head. If you’re planning flights to another destination then always have a look to see how else you can get there. This is not just in case you can find a better or cheaper way but so that you have an alternative option too.
If you’re planning to spend the day outside exploring then keep an eye on the weather. If the weather is looking decent then still try to think about what you will do instead if this changes. Also, if there is something in particular you are wanting to do that relies heavily on the weather being good, try to avoid doing this on your last day. If you plan something like this on your last day and the weather is not in your favour then you will be left with no options of postponing.
This doesn’t mean that you need to go over the top! It would be worth trying to keep a few back-up plans just in case. This will help your relationship because then you will be taking some of the pressure off of yourselves if something doesn’t go quite to plan. This in turn will help prevent bickers and arguments if you’re both frustrated and don’t know what to do next. Also, there is nothing worse than being stuck in a situation like this and also not having an Wi-Fi to check your plans and see what you can do instead.
Don’t Forget To Have A Laugh
This is one of the most important points of all. Don’t forget that if you’re planning a trip together then this will be one of the most exciting things you will do as a couple! You will get to share so many incredible memories together that most people would only dream of. If things go wrong whilst you’re travelling together and you do miss a train, flight or make a mistake then don’t forget to laugh about it too! We are firm believers in that everything happens for a reason. It may be a little frightening at first when you’re planning this trip. However, there is so much for you to both look forward to and you will have an incredible time doing so!
We hope that these travel tips for couples has helped you plan your next trip together as a couple. Why not start by planning a European getaway for Valentine’s Day? Most of the information we have shared is for anyone that is planning to travel long-term with their partner. Of course, the more time you spend together, the harder it can be. Due to this, we wanted to share as many tips as possible. Make sure that you look our for each other when you’re travelling. Don’t be afraid to sometimes take things back to basics and go on a few date nights. This can help take away the stress that can sometimes come with travelling.
Good luck on your travels and have the most incredible time together! Don’t forget to check out our other couple guides below!
