Whether you are solo or traveling as a couple, travel is all about the experiences and memories that you create. We have had so many highs and lows as we have traveled as a couple for the past 12 years, but there are few things that have brought us closer together.
Traveling as a couple has many advantages. Below are eight reasons why we think it is awesome.
1. Adventure is best shared.
- The planning process is more fun when you share it with someone else. Bouncing ideas off of each other and sharing the load of airfare and accommodation searches is always a better way to go.
- Sharing the experience means you can relive your adventure together for years to come, whether basking over the memory, laughing about it, or just commiserating.
- Having someone to split the costs with makes traveling cheaper
- Two travelers are twice the fun!
- You don’t have to worry about being lonely, and you have a partner in crime if things go wrong while traveling. It also helps if you need help meeting locals who speak your native language or navigating tricky cultural situations.
- In addition, we think sharing responsibility with another person can also make traveling safer.
- If one of you isn’t feeling well or is really tired one day, the other person will be there to pick up the slack and keep things running smoothly so that you don’t miss out on anything amazing or miss something important, like a plane or train ride. They can also take care of driving, cooking, and finding the pharmacy if the other one isn’t feeling well!
2. You have great travel guides.
You’re probably familiar with the phrase “communication is key.” But what does this mean when you’re traveling? Communication, in this case, means knowing your partner well enough to know exactly what they want—and how they want it.
Consider your travel companions’ likes: are they the type of traveler who’s into nature and outdoor activities? Or do they prefer immersing themselves in museums and art galleries? Do they like to party with the locals or prefer keeping it chill and going to bed by 9 pm? Is there a specific cuisine they absolutely can’t get enough of? And how do the two of you prefer to travel—do you like visiting several places within one trip, or staying in one city for an extended period of time (aka fast travel vs. slow travel)?
Taking all these things into account will help significantly with your planning. You’ll also be better able to understand why your partner may not be treating a certain destination as enthusiastically as you are. If a spot doesn’t fit their interests, or if it is not the kind of place that gets them excited about travel, then it might not be worth spending too much time there.
Another important thing to note is that couples have different preferences about what items are essential for their travels. One person’s life-saving necessity might be another person’s frivolous waste of space. A great example would be whether or not to pack reading material; some people hate being without a book or magazine wherever they go while others prefer carrying around nothing but their phone and passport. Knowing these nuances will help keep both parties happy (keep reading if you’d like more advice regarding couples traveling together).
3. Trust each other.
Trust can make or break a relationship, and this is especially true when it comes to travel. How can you trust that your partner will look out for your best interests? And how can you trust yourself to deal with the challenges of being in an unfamiliar place?
The good news is that we all already have the capability to deal with these situations—and much more. Trusting our intuition allows us to know what’s right for us and make better, gut-level decisions without having to do tons of research first. When we’re on vacation in a foreign country, this intuitive sense also helps us navigate language barriers or tricky logistics like transportation delays. It can also help with simple, everyday things like figuring out what to eat.
Traveling as a couple requires you both to tune into this inner compass in order to be happy together. This is why couples should always plan their trips together—even if one person has done extensive research beforehand--to avoid any issues down the road.
You may not necessarily think of trust as a skill, but it’s something everyone has practiced at some point in their lives (whether consciously or unconsciously). It is also something that you can continue developing throughout life via travel experiences with loved ones. Trusting someone means believing they have your best interests at heart even if their actions seem misguided from time to time. Trusting yourself means believing that you’ll be able to find solutions when faced with challenges during travel. Trusted explorers are those who adventure confidently into unknown places knowing there’s no need for fear because they’ll always find ways around obstacles!
4. You may be able to get deals on travel insurance, as some companies offer bundled policies for couples in steady relationships.
Did you know that booking travel insurance as a couple can be cheaper than buying it individually? Many companies will offer discounted policies to couples in stable relationships.
Just remember: it’s important to consider what kind of insurance you’re getting, especially since the price per person is lower when you buy as a couple. Look at what each policy covers and decide if it’s worth the one-time savings to get a less comprehensive package.
5. Be patient with each other, but also be honest about your struggles.
Traveling as a couple can be fun, exciting, and stressful all at the same time. We are both travelers who have experienced our fair share of highs and lows while traveling together, so we understand firsthand how important patience is when you’re with someone 24/7.
Patience is important in any relationship. But rather than just a virtue to help you get through the day, think of it as a way to make your partner feel safe around you by communicating that you can be patient with mistakes. After all, this person is choosing to spend their life with you! It’s easy to be angry or upset when things aren’t going your way or when things don’t go according to plan while traveling, but try not to take it out on your significant other—especially if he or she didn’t cause the problem in the first place. Just remember that being patient doesn’t mean tolerating bad behavior from them either!
One tip to stay patient is to always take a moment for a “breather” when you start feeling triggered or like you might blurt out something you will regret later. Literally walk away if you need to for a few minutes (communicating what you are doing) and take several deep, long breaths. This pause will allow both of you to come back calm and collected.
The road is long for those who travel together. Be honest about what’s difficult for you and communicate it clearly in a loving way where there’s no blame placed on anyone else (especially if their behavior has caused this issue). By doing so, I’m sure that someone will appreciate your honesty enough that they’ll put themselves into perspective after hearing what was said—and then hopefully apologize if they’ve done something wrong! This honesty can bring both partners closer together because now each person knows exactly where he/she stands with one another.
6. Being flexible can make the difference between a stressful vacation and a relaxing one.
We believe being flexible can make the difference between a stressful vacation and a relaxing one. Here are four ways to help you go with the flow:
- Be spontaneous, but prepare for the unexpected. This means talking about how you will deal with unexpected situations before they happen. It’s also helpful to set aside some money that can be spent on emergencies without ruining your budget.
- Accept that your partner may have different reactions than you do when faced with travel mishaps or stressors. Don’t take it personally if your partner is having a harder time adjusting to being lost in an unfamiliar place than you are, or if they cry at the drop of a hat while you’re trying to enjoy yourself and get over jet lag!
- With this in mind, don’t let any differences in how your partner and yourself react become an area of contention during travel. The last thing either of you wants is for these differences to cause fights between each other. Traveling as a couple should feel more like an adventure than something that causes conflict—so try not to let this happen!
- Be realistic about what kind of trip will work for both people involved; not everyone has time off from work/school/life commitments at exactly the same period every year, so consider taking turns planning trips together as often as possible instead of always going away during peak seasons (like summer!).
- Allow margin time between activities, especially during travel days which can be bigger stressors. For example, if you know that you are traveling for 18 hours across the world with multiple planes, buses, and taxi rides, decide to give yourselves a day of complete freedom without any itinerary planned so that you can see how you feel and either rest or roam as you please. It is always important to give yourself time to rest and recharge between activities whether you are solo or traveling with others, but this is especially true when you are traveling as a couple. This allows more downtime and flexibility to face whatever circumstances you may find yourself in, and where unexpected things may come up.
- Be okay with separating for short periods of time during your trips together. It is perfectly fine if one day you both decide you want to do different things. For example, it might be your last day in Rome, Italy. One of you had it on your priority list to see the Collesium and the other one doesn’t feel like dealing with crowds in the heat and would prefer to hang out by the pool. Instead of trying to compromise or force the other one to do what you want, decide to separate for the first half of the day to accommodate both of your desires and meet up in the afternoon for a romantic picnic or dinner out where you can both share your adventures with the other.
7. Traveling together is an opportunity to leave behind the day-to-day distractions and really focus on what matters most in your relationship.
Sometimes you need to take a step back from your day-to-day life to see the big picture. For couples, traveling together is an opportunity to do just that. It’s easy for the pace of your daily routine and responsibilities to distract you from really focusing on what matters most in your relationship—time for just the two of you. Traveling abroad gives you an opportunity to spend time together without the usual distractions, making it easier to focus on each other, rekindle romance, and get away from it all.
It can also help bring out different sides of each other that might not be present at home:
- Perhaps one of you is usually more organized than the other when it comes to day-to-day life but falls apart when packing for a trip. Or maybe one of you usually plans everything down to the minute while on vacation whereas the other prefers a more relaxed schedule with room for serendipity. Traveling together will illuminate these differences and give you an opportunity to negotiate them with respect and understanding. You may even find that your partner has a new skill or talent that surprises or delights you!
- Discovering new things about each other is important because it keeps things interesting, reminding us why we fell in love in the first place and building anticipation for future trips.
- This excitement that a couple builds while traveling also helps both partners overcome any mid-trip humps where daily irritations might start creeping into conversations or feeling stilted. It also helps break up monotony once you are both home again. Now you will have many exciting, shared experiences to relive over and over!
8. Couples who travel together stay together!
Whether you’re single or in a long-term relationship, traveling with your significant other can be a great way to get some quality time together without the distractions of everyday life. So if you’ve decided that traveling as a duo is for you, congratulations! Traveling with your partner can be an excellent way to make memories.
- Shared experiences: You and your partner will have the chance to see new places, try new things, and learn about each other.
- An opportunity to deepen your connection: The more you experience together, the stronger your relationship will become.
- A chance to stay connected: If you’re in a long-distance relationship, travel can bring you closer together outside of cyberspace or the telephone.
- New perspectives: When two people come into contact with ideas they hadn’t previously considered, they naturally grow as individuals—and those personal changes affect how they relate to their partner.
Hopefully, these 8 fun facts about traveling in pairs have helped dispel some myths and revealed some new ideas and tips for your next trip together. No matter where you go or how long you stay, remember the most important tip: have fun!
