Tips and Tricks for Traveling With Your Partner

Worried about spending a whole week away with your significant other? We've got tips and tricks for getting the most out of your vacation.

couple traveling
Vacations with your significant other can be a fantastic, meaningful adventure that brings you closer together through shared experiences. In fact, a recent Travel-Ticker survey revealed that 94% of respondents enjoy traveling with a significant other. But we all know that hitting the road together can just as easily put a strain on a relationship instead of supporting it. From the stress of planning to the fine lines of budgeting and feelings of constant “togetherness,” it’s no surprise that 38% of survey respondents also said they need tips on how to travel better with their significant other, specifically around planning, budgeting, and splitting costs.

Here are a few tips to make your trip together successful:

Agree upon travel standards ahead of time. 84% of survey respondents agree that the couple must have the same or similar travel personalities. Do you like to hostel-hop or stay only at 5-star hotels? Agree with your partner on what kind of travel accommodations and transportation you are both comfortable with. This will also help to organize the budget of the trip.

Be ready to compromise. Take turns deciding on who chooses each activity—even the little things, like where to eat. Write out a list of specific things/places you would like to see along the trip and together prioritize which attractions are a must. Being flexible will make for smooth sailing.

Agree to a few behavioral tradeoffs before you go, but just a few. You may be able to ignore your partner’s bad habits at home, but once confined to each other 24/7, those “annoying” habits will become much more noticeable. Whether it’s biting nails, cracking knuckles, or going overboard with ordering from the menu at dinner, offer something you’ll try to avoid in exchange for a habit of theirs. Keep it good-natured, and make sure this isn’t the first time you’ve discussed the habits!

Make sure you’re getting enough nourishment and sleep. Pack snacks, try to plan for around 8 hours of sleep, and don’t skip meals. After a long day of traveling or exploring, hunger and exhaustion can—and will—lead to irritability.

Plan your travel with a little buffer time. Rushing can only lead to one thing: stress. And we all know stress causes tension. Give yourself plenty of time to make that connection, catch your train, or return the rental car. Giving yourself this buffer will ease the pressures of the trip and allow you to focus on each other in a positive way.

Make sure you have plenty of available funds. Always round your numbers up when planning expenses for your meals, transportation, hotel stays, and souvenir shopping, then pick an itinerary you can comfortably afford. Keep a credit card or cash stashed somewhere besides your purse or pocket for “just in case.” It’s always better to have too much than too little.

Don’t worry about splitting every penny. From daily meals and public transportation to your accommodations, your mutual travel expenses will all add up pretty quickly. Try to split the expenses one by one in a general way so as not to cause tension. Splitting every bill or nit-picking every expense will cause problems.

Take advantage of the perks of traveling with a partner! If it’s your honeymoon or anniversary, say so! You never know what freebies you’ll be offered—from a complimentary upgrade to a bottle of champagne. Also, try to do things that are better with two people, like dancing or even biking.

Now that you know what it takes to make a trip with your significant other more successful, it’s time for the fun part: deciding where to go! Over half (66%) of survey respondents prefer to alternate destinations based on each other’s interests, but what exactly is your interest? There are so many great trips for couples to take together, and all you need to do is figure out what kind of vacation style you’re looking for. Check out the next page for suggestions on where to travel.

For those wanting to sit on the beach and soak up the sun there are great romantic beach vacations available in Mexico and the Caribbean. A quarter of our survey respondents said they want a beach getaway with their partner, and they’re in luck. Travel providers in exotic locales like the Bahamas, St. Thomas, Puerto Vallarta, and Cancun are responding to their own availabilities and consumers’ shrinking budgets to offer up extraordinary deals.

For those wanting to test the relationship waters without taking a full-blown vacation, a weekend getaway is the perfect way to go. In fact, 20% of survey respondents would choose this quick fix. Getting a couple of days of rest and relaxation without the pressure of a weeklong trek can be just enough time to bond on a new level.

For the more adventurous, there’s a great deal of sporty getaways that are available on the cheap. Adventure travel is a fun alternative to making romantic memories. Also, taking advantage of adventure destinations during the off-season is a great way to save (e.g., typical winter/ski destinations in the summer).

For those who want to experience a European vacation, there are plenty of options available. Overseas romantic trips are always popular, and European travel providers are really making an effort to attract American tourists.

For those wanting to stay at an all-inclusive resort, there are many exciting opportunities on the cheap. Couples can get everything their hearts desire like kayaking, poolside cocktails, wine tasting, and delicious meals, all for one low price. Better yet, many of these resorts are found in paradise destinations all around the world.

For those wanting to experience the lure of a big city, there are numerous options that will offer the excitement of a bustling metropolis for those on-the-go couples. There are several top markets, including Chicago, Las Vegas and New York, that consumers should consider.

Source: Travel-Ticker.com

Reader's Digest
Originally Published in Reader's Digest