We have done a lot of traveling together over the last 21 years. And one thing has been constant in all that time. No matter how much you are looking forward to spending some quality time with that special someone, traveling together can be a bit stressful. It does not matter whether you have been married for a decade or two or just started dating. It’s important to ensure a little travel romance and keep the fire burning without getting burned.
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Tips for Traveling Together
My favorite travel companion, besides my mother, is my hubby. We don’t always see eye to eye and it’s not just because I’m only 5’2”. We don’t always envision the same trip when we travel together. Taking a few things into consideration will ensure that traveling with a loved one will be a romantic getaway. And you both will return home with great memories and an even greater relationship.
You Can Have it All
Since moving to South Korea, he loves to shop for electronics and sample the local brews. Since moving to South Korea, I prefer visiting the ancient world. I love to trample temple ruins and walk the side streets taking photos of the local characters, architecture, and color. We do a little of both and then we spend an afternoon doing exactly what we want to do–alone. Ultimately, we realized we both have more fun that way. It also gave us something to share over dinner– something we both enjoy.
Budgets and Splurges
Who pays for what? Are you splitting the bills down the middle? Let’s face it; money is often an issue for most couples. It’s important for a couple to understand their vacation budget if they have one before they embark on that trip. If money is no object, then by all means– shoot the moon and do the damn thing.
If you’re like most, though, a decision needs to be made on what constitutes a necessity and what is considered a splurge. Be reasonable, a budget should take both parties needs into consideration. If a visit to the spa is a necessity, combine it with a picnic lunch in the park or a long walk on the beach to save money.
Don’t Go for Broke
Look for hotels that offer special promotions, such as free meals, spa and golf packages, or discounts on popular attractions and tours.
Standing on a balcony overlooking the Grand Canal may seem like bliss. But, the price for that luxury will break the bank even in the off-season. However, a luxury hotel in Treviso, a 20-minute bus ride away, won’t set you back too far. And you can enjoy the Canal and a little cash in your pocket too.
Money matters can ruin a trip faster than bad weather or poor accommodations. And unlike a bad trip, money matters don’t end on the tarmac. Remember to budget for a few souvenirs or a little shopping. So, know before you go!
Don’t Push Him (or Her)
Work with him (or her) instead. Is she a late riser? Can’t function without a cup of coffee? Is one of you making a freaking food documentary? And the other one trying to lie low? It’s important that you both feel you have a part in the success of the trip, it’s even more important to work within each other’s strengths and comfort levels. I usually ask for input on where to go and take it from there, but your partner may enjoy wading through pages and pages of information, virtual tours, or guest reviews.
Work with Each Other’s Strengths
Working with each other’s strengths is even more important while traveling or running the Amazing Race– which is sometimes the same thing. Maybe you should drive while your partner navigates. Don’t be afraid to play to each other’s strengths versus struggling through a tricky situation. Look for balance and harmony should follow.
Pace Yourselves
Rome wasn’t built in a day and you can’t see it all in one either. Trust me! I know how fantastic it is to be on vacation, just the two of you. Take a moment to enjoy the journey and not just the destination.
Factor in downtime for your vacation to sleep in or read a book on the hotel balcony. Walking the neighborhood hand-in-hand or gazing into each other’s eyes while spending an hour drinking a cup of coffee at a cozy café are great ways to punctuate the end to a fantastic day. Find a way to enjoy the fact that you are traveling together.
Un-couple When Necessary
Just because you are traveling together, doesn’t mean you have to stay attached at the hip. If a day on the golf course is like heaven for him, and not so much for you, plan on visiting some of the local shops while he gets in a round or two. You’ll both appreciate the “me time” and look forward to sharing the day’s escapades afterward. Just know before you go, so no one gets sand in their shorts.
Try Something New to Both of You
Whether it’s to the beach or to Paris, make sure you change it up by finding something new to do each time you go. Believe me, the Coliseum isn’t going anywhere, so if you don’t take that tour this time, oh well. Traveling is not always about checking things off your list. Rent an ATV, take a wine tasting class or forgo the tourist venues altogether and do absolutely nothing. If you usually book a chain hotel, B&B, or rustic lodge, try a boutique, minimalist, or spa retreat for a change of pace. Experiencing something new together is a great way to create long-lasting memories.
And for heaven’s sake skip the destinations you have deep memories with a past relationship. The reason should be obvious.
Special Occasions
Make sure the hotel staff knows if your stay is to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, etc. and see how they can help you make it more memorable. While booking, I placed a brief comment announcing our upcoming anniversary. We were both pleased to see a welcome basket of fruit, chocolate, and sparkling water upon our arrival.
Make Time for Travel Romance
You don’t have to go far to getaway. Use your imagination. Take an overnight or weekend trip together. These are great ways to test the waters for new couples or spend a romantic evening sans kids, dishes, or the dog. Trust me, sometimes all you really need is for someone else to make the bed.
Some of my Favorite
Couples-Oriented Hotels
Amadé Hotel Schaffenrath, Alpenstraße
117, Salzburg-Süd, 5020 Salzburg
Located in a quiet and green part of Salzburg, Amadé Hotel Schaffenrath is only a short walk from Hellbrunn Palace and offers many amenities. It offers free Wi-Fi and a free underground parking garage. The spa area features a sauna, a bio sauna, a steam bath, a Kneipp pool, and massage showers all free of charge. Massages are also available. The restaurant/ bar on site serves Mediterranean and Austrian cuisine. The service is phenomenal and Old Town and all the tourist sites are a short bus ride away.
KosAktis Hotel, Vasileos Georgiou 7, 85300 KosGreece
With splendid views, excellent location on the water’s edge— Kos Aktis is a luxurious art hotel with a “wow factor” in the heart of Kos. Wake up in the morning, and the only thing you see from your bed, through the glass balcony, is the turquoise colors of the Aegean and the Turkish shoreline beyond. The feeling that you are practically at sea will keep you smiling for the rest of the day and one of the best breakfast buffets I’ve ever had, proximity to all the attractions, and the extremely helpful and friendly staff, don’t hurt either.
Park Hotel Bolognese, Villa Pace
Via Terraglio 175, 31022 Preganziol, Treviso
Set in a gorgeous historic 19th-century palace called Villa Pace. Amenities include a sauna, solarium, Jacuzzi, Turkish/steam bath, outdoor swimming pool, onsite restaurant, free Wi-Fi, breakfast, and parking. It took us 30 minutes, by bus (€1) to reach the historic center of Venice; a classic double currently costs € 160 for a 2-night stay. Shopping, pizzerias, and loads of characters are all within walking distance.
The Betsy Hotel, 1440 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139
The Betsy Hotel is a stunning art deco hotel on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. It has direct beach access and offers a secluded courtyard pool, a helpful concierge staff, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The rooftop pool and bar is cozy and has a great view of the beach and Ocean Drive. The rooms were beautifully decorated and the bathrooms were stunning white marble with a TV in the mirror which was cool. It is located on the northernmost part of the strip with access to everything you’d want or need.
Comments
Great article! As a full-time traveling RV family we definitely have learned how to get along and understand eachother more we are together most of the time ???
You definitely nailed it. It’s really nice to be able to travel with your spouse and really enjoy each other’s company. I’m sure a lot of couples will find this post helpful.
These are great tips for traveling! I love going on trips with my fiancé and we plan everything from how often we will be able to go out or if we will buy food at a grocery and save money that way. Communication is key for sure!
I too agree with the blog completely, if you want to earn trust of your partner, then it is quite necessary to go on a trip together, my husband is really fond of traveling and we like to travel together before we have a kid and I really want to go to Paris as it is quite romantic place.
Kim – http://www.condorny.com
Se manifique! makes me wanna hop on a plane right now and travel lol
My husband and i love traveling together even now with our son. We always manage to get into some disagreement. When I travel to a new place I want to see as much as humanly possible. Where as my husband rather just relax in the hotel and see maybe one or two things. So that definitely causes coflict.
Thats us most of the time too. That’s why we’ve decided to do some things things together and one or two things on our own. It’s makes for a more harmonious marriage and trip.
I love traveling with my husband because we enjoy the same things and he’s always there to calm me down when something goes wrong during the trip. It’s always nice to be with him and explore new places.
This is great. Honestly, if I could figure out how to relieve some of the stress of it all, I’d love to travel more. I am so nervous the entire time about the house and what I may need that I didn’t bring. It ruins the fun of the trip for me. I will have to try to relax and plan more the next trip I take. Thank you for the post. *Hugs*
Honestly don’t worry about it. If you forget something you can most likely do without it or buy it when you get o where you’re going. Get out there and travel. Hugs to you!!
Great tips! I feel like these apply regardless if it’s a trip to another town or another country. Communication is so important and as you stated, knowing who pays for what/ where/who/how, etc. help to remove the stress so all parties can enjoy their time together!
This is such a great post with so many great tips! I love traveling with my husband!
xo
jen
effortlesseverydaystyle.com
I goes traveling with my husband it a LOT of fun. We going to do it again next year. xx
These are all lovely tips. It is all about compromise. I want to watch movies but my boyfriend wants to do a lot of outdoor activities. We have agreed to do both. = )
I loved reading this post because I can definitely relate to this at the moment. I just got married in December and we plan on doing our honeymoon trip in July for 3 weeks (explore Europe). Your ideas are so great and I’m definitely going to come back and read this again closer to my trip. Thanks 🙂
I always say fun needs a little planning. Thank you for the post!
That made me smile, thanks for sharing.
These are great tips. I like to go all in when I am traveling which is difficult for others.
These are really great tips for anyone traveling with someone else to keep in mind. I love to travel with my husband and for the most part, we are usually on the same wavelength. However, it is always good to plan things like budgets and itineraries beforehand.
You have to know you’re partner. I get very little kickback if I present a trip to him that includes a budget because he is the saver and I am the spender.
I want to travel with my husband more. We are just waiting for my son to finish high school because he is so expensive with his sports. I really like the tree house spot.
I love that you talked about budgeting and money and traveling!
Great tips! I love to travel with my hubs and he usually pay for all the expenses. Hope to be travelling more when I get better.
Lovely tips! To be honest I cant imagine travelling without my husband?
You must not have have been on a girlfriend trip. The long weekend I spent with three girlfriends in Budapest, Vienna an Bratislava may be the best trip I’ve ever taken. No husbands, no kids– it was a blast we still talk about 5 years later.
these are such a great tips… i love to travel alot and good company matters a lott ,that is why i travel with my husband 🙂
I live alone but I always take the grand kids when I travel. It really is best to know about money matters before we go anywhere.
That’s sweet, building memories and taking advantage of their youthful perspectives. lol
You have really great points. Especially about trying something new for both parties and planning! A little planning can go a long way!
I always travel with my family and relatives. I am always the anxious one who wants to stick to plan and itinerary. But after reading your post, I know there are points i need to change because some of my companions will not enjoy the trip if I’m always like that.
We travelled together for almost a year 🙂 Was an amazing experience! And it helped that we are super similar to each other 🙂
Good company is most important! I can’t think of a better travelling partner than my husband! Not as romantic, but we’ll be taking the kids on a long trip in the caravan soon, counting down the months!! 😀
Thank you for your post.
I’m glad that I’ve found my travel partner (my Dada) and we always have an amazing time together. Money is not an issue, and saves me a lot of time thinking coz he always surprise me where should we go. I like his kind of adventures!
You are very lucky not to have to worry about money. That is a blessing indeed.
I love traveling with Jeff we always have a great time together.
My hubby and I haven’t dome much traveling yet. We are working on a debt pay off plan right now that is about a 5 year plan to be debt free, including the mortgage and my student loans. Once that happens, traveling is game on!!
We all have our priorities, I think being debt-free is a very good one.
These are really great tips for sure. They are all so vital to good trips. For us, pacing is the most important.
Traveling with someone special is the best! I have traveled some with my husband and we have greatly enjoyed it!
Traveling is stressful, regardless if you’re solo or if you have a partner. It’s really important that you work together especially with the planning and the budget.
Traveling with someone else can be extremely stressful, but is so important to do!
| diaryofasouthernmillennial.com
My husband and I had a destination wedding and we did a month and a half of traveling America together. Most before the wedding and some after. We did really well together until the last day. Had a massive fight. Didn’t talk to each other much all day. But in the end I apologised because I was anxious about flying home so was a bit snappy. We got over it. I had quite a few drinks waiting for the flight so was nice and happy by the time the flight was ready. 🙂
The last day, that really sucks. Trust me we’ve been there. We had a meltdown on a city street in Thailand once where I ended up blubbering to the point my face swelled up. We ended up making up, but it took all day– a wasted day in paradise, that I wish I could have back.
Taking time for romance if very important. I love to travel with my boyfriend but I think sometimes I get caught up in the jam packed itineraries that we forget to take some down time for ourselves! Great tips!
I completely understand, but you gotta take a few things off the itinerary so you have more time for each other. Or else you could have gone with just about anyone, the romance is the special part of traveling together, right?
These are great trips for traveling as a couple. There are not a lot of things that I miss from being married, but most of all I miss being able to go on trips where you get to get away from the world and focus on each other for a little bit, without all of the distractions. Thank you for all of the great ideas as well as good ideas for places to stay.
Hi David. Thanks a lot. I couldn’t agree with you more. Thanks for your supportive comments. It’s nice to read them.
Going travelling with your partner must be so much fun but I think that working with each others strengths and compromising will make for blessed travel x Good shout .
I really enjoyed reading this post! You shared some great times that I could use in my own relationship when we travel together.
You sure give us clever and useful tips!
Sure travelling with our sweet half can be difficult,because it’s normal to have different needs,but is so beautiful to understand them and help each other to have a wonderful and happy vacation!
These are great tips! I feel like when the hubby and I travel together we don’t make enough time for romance. I can see why it would be important!
It’s very important to focus on each other. It sometimes gets overlooked because of all the things you can see and do when you travel.
I love that you guys are learning and traveling together. This is so sweet. There some many fun things to do and see and growth that happens traveling. The tree house picture is so cool.
After 21+ years we are still learning about one another because we are still growing. That’s the great thing about marriage. Just when you think you know it all, you realize you don’t.
I agree that you don’t have to spend every single moment together while away or there will be less to talk about. She’s a planner down to the tiniest detail where I like to plan but expect plans to not always go as we wanted them to go so I’m okay with spontaneous decisions. Something more fun always comes up and I don’t want to miss out because we planned on going to the market at that time. At least we always agree on the destination.
Thats how we are too. I like to make lists of things to do instead of an itinerary that has to be followed. I like to change up if I hear about something interesting or stay longer if I’m having a good time. Since moving to Asia, there was only one country he wanted to go to, and that was Japan. Otherwise, I picked all the destinations.
I ADORE traveling with my husband. Honestly, if anyone DOESNT like traveling with your SO… Then uh, I would question their relationship in general, lol!
Have you ever traveled with girlfriends? Those are great times too, girlfriend trips add a whole other dimension to travel.
Your ideas and suggestions are great! You definitely want to enjoy the trip AND enjoy getting back home together! Thanks for the hotel suggestions too. That’s something I wouldn’t just know!
I have stayed at a few wonderful hotels over the years and some not so good, but I’d stay at any of the ones I’ve included today and twice on Sunday.
This is all so helpful. Honestly, my husband and I don’t always travel well together. He tends to get snappy if he’s feeling tired or if there’s too many people around him and then it puts me in a mood.
This article is great. I love to travel with my loved one. We do have some moments where we fight and we will be ok after a good night sleep. The last years trip, we went camping, so not having too much space in the tent is usually the reason for our fights. But I would not change it for anything in the world. I think it’s really important to travel. And I love that feeling, that we are right where we are supposed to be no matter how far away you are from your city. One piece of advice, it’s a bit hard to read the article because of the header, where your title and menu is. Maybe you could make it a bit smaller.
I am not a camper, that’s for sure. Unless we are talking glamping, I may be able to do that. Our stresses usually occur when we encounter the usual hiccups of travel. I am a go with the flow person and he isn’t. Which is weird because in any other situation he handles stress way better than I do.
Traveling isn’t always stressful, but it sure can be! I love your tips here.
That’s true, we don’t always have stress on every trip, but most of them, there is always a minute or two, lol.
Some really good tips for travelling together. They say travelling with your spouse will either make or break the relationship. We find that travelling makes our relationship stronger. We both have our roles when it comes to planning, paying, budgeting and travel. We work really great together.
I agree completely. Moving and traveling are two different things and we have done both, with the former being even more stressful than the latter just having the stress come from different sources. Traveling together the stress is between the two of us, moving it comes from outside of the relationship, but in the end, we tend to work together.
I love this list – one day I hope to have an opportunity to do some serious traveling, and while I would love to do some of it alone just to experience that level of freedom in travel (to literally just do whatever without being afraid that someone else will be missing out on something they wanted to see, etc.), I would also love to do some of it with … someone.
I love the way you put certain emphasis on it being okay to go your own separate ways for a while, especially so that you have something to share when you come back together.
Thank you Brandi. I have found that being negative helps no one and the responses/interactions I am looking for come from a positive place and not one of negativity. I am hopeful that you will find a good travel companion some time in the near future.
Me too!! It’ll be so fun to have someone to dream up travel plans with – and then of course, to implement them!
This is a great post! Finding the right travel partner is kind of hard, but so very important! Then, when you throw kids in the mix… I am looking forward to checking out those hotels you mentioned!
You are telling the truth. I have had some good luck with my travel partners other than mom and Steven, I’ve traveled with girlfriends and had fabulous times.
Awesome points were made here. I travel full time with my husband in a 70 square foot Peterbilt. It is important to know how to divvy finances, know when to make time away so you both get what you want out of a trip, and when to make “together” time.
That sounds very interesting, I’d be interested in checking that out. Do you blog about it Sarah?