It’s funny how quickly your life can change. When I returned from Asia last year I thought that my days of solo travel were over. I had found someone who loved travel as much as me and thought that was enough. I now realise how wrong I was.
Relationships take a lot of work from both people and while sharing a passion is a great thing, it’s not necessarily enough to make a relationship work. In fact, traveling can really show you if a relationship is working. That’s why I asked those experienced travel couples I’ve been following from afar for their number 1 tip on surviving travel when you’re a traveling couple.
- Contents
- 1 Tip from: Drive on the Left
- 2 Couple for: 18 years
- 3 Traveling for: Internationally, about 11 years
- 4 Follow them on Facebook
- 5 Tip from: RoarLoud
- 6 Couple for: 6 years
- 7 Traveling for: 5 years
- 8 Follow them on Facebook
- 9 Tip from: Goats On The Road
- 10 Couple for: 10 years
- 11 Traveling for: 8 years
- 12 Follow them on Facebook
- 13 Tip from: Drifter Planet
- 14 Couple for: 3.5 years
- 15 Traveling for: 3.5 years
- 16 Follow them on Instagram
- 17 Tip from: Nomadic Boys
- 18 Couple for: 8 years
- 19 Traveling for: Since we first met
- 20 Follow them on Instagram
- 21 Tip from: Two Drifters
- 22 Couple for: 5 years
- 23 Traveling for: More than 5 years!
- 24 Follow them on Instagram
- 25 Tip from: A Brit and A Southerner
- 26 Couple for: 9 years
- 27 Traveling for: First ‘major’ trip together was 7 years ago
- 28 Follow them on Facebook
- 29 Tip from: Travelling Weasels
- 30 Couple for: 11 years
- 31 Traveling for: 4 years full time
- 32 Follow them on Instagram
- 33 Tip from: Food Travelist
- 34 Couple for: 10 years
- 35 Traveling for: Since we first met
- 36 Follow them on Twitter
- 37 Tip from: 2 Food Trippers
- 38 Couple for: 11 years
- 39 Traveling for: All 11 years
- 40 Follow them on Instagram
- 41 Tip from: Roaming Required
- 42 Couple for: 10 years
- 43 Traveling for: 9.5 years
- 44 Follow them on Facebook
- 45 Tip from: Just a Pack
- 46 We’ve been a non-romantic, full-time travel couple for over 3 years
- 47 Follow them on Facebook
Tip from: Drive on the Left
Couple for: 18 years
Traveling for: Internationally, about 11 years
Follow them on Facebook
Having an open line of communication is key for successful couples travel. There is nothing worse than being upset or bothered by something all day while on the road, letting it fester, and not doing anything about it until it blossoms into an unnecessary argument. We try to be open and honest with each other, so that our travel experiences together are as fulfilling for both of us as possible.
Tip from: RoarLoud
Couple for: 6 years
Traveling for: 5 years
Follow them on Facebook
Always remember, you are a team. No matter how stressful the situation, just remember you have each other’s back. Any obstacle can be overcome if you act as a team. As Cathy always says, “WE’VE got this”. Sometimes just knowing there is someone you can lean on in tough times is all you need.
Tip from: Goats On The Road
Couple for: 10 years
Traveling for: 8 years
Follow them on Facebook
Have fun and laugh. Don’t take anything too seriously. All you have on the road is each other, so be supportive, loving and respectful of one another. Don’t get so hungry that you get angry, carrying around snacks is always a good idea
Tip from: Drifter Planet
Couple for: 3.5 years
Traveling for: 3.5 years
Follow them on Instagram
No. 1 Tip: Teamwork. Teamwork for traveling couples is more than just dividing responsibilities based on who can do better. It is also about supporting each other through hard times. While traveling, there will be moments when things will go wrong. During those times, negative reactions can do a lot of damage. It is important to look at the bigger picture and be each other’s strength.
Tip from: Nomadic Boys
Couple for: 8 years
Traveling for: Since we first met
Follow them on Instagram
Traveling together means we are around one another 24/7 and this can get quite intense. It’s certainly made us closer as a couple. But one thing we’ve learnt and our number 1 tip is to appreciate the need for alone time and make a conscious effort to let the other have this when he wants/needs it.
Tip from: Two Drifters
Couple for: 5 years
Traveling for: More than 5 years!
Follow them on Instagram
It’s ok if you have arguments or tension, or if every day traveling together isn’t great. Travel can be really stressful at times (and so can life), so accept what comes and ride both the ups and downs together. This is the way to truly enjoy the very best moments of the adventure, and to grow closer as a couple.
Tip from: A Brit and A Southerner
Couple for: 9 years
Traveling for: First ‘major’ trip together was 7 years ago
Follow them on Facebook
Traveling together as a couple is the most rewarding aspect because you get to enjoy all of the amazing attractions and experiences with the person you love! Our best tip for folks starting out traveling as a couple is be prepared to make sacrifices and get out of your comfort zone to experience things together that you may not normally think about doing.
Tip from: Travelling Weasels
Couple for: 11 years
Traveling for: 4 years full time
Follow them on Instagram
Be prepared to get to know your other half more than you’ve ever known anyone before. Couples that travel together see each other 24/7 – they also see each other at their best and at their worst. Travelling together was the best decision we ever made, before we travelled we lived together, but we barely ever saw each other!
Tip from: Food Travelist
Couple for: 10 years
Traveling for: Since we first met
Follow them on Twitter
Our number one tip: Be flexible. We’ve got a planner and a someone who likes to go with the flow. To keep everyone happy it’s best to plan some things and also leave some time for spontaneous fun and discovery. This makes everyone happy. One of our best trips was when we did a two-week road trip in France. We only booked the first night and last night hotel rooms. Everyone survived and we had a wonderful experience.
Tip from: 2 Food Trippers
Couple for: 11 years
Traveling for: All 11 years
Follow them on Instagram
Our number one tip is to have fun while traveling. Travel is the true test of couple’s bonding. If you can’t travel well as a couple, then you probably can’t succeed as a couple. We’ve been traveling so much and so far that we always find ways to have fun with day-to-day mundane activities from daily walks to flossing our teeth. (Yes. We’ve made a sport out of tossing dental floss across our hotel rooms and apartments.)
Tip from: Roaming Required
Couple for: 10 years
Traveling for: 9.5 years
Follow them on Facebook
The key to happy travels is compromise. No matter where you travel, ensure that you both get to do something you love. Despite being very different in many facets, compromise works for us. Roma loves beaches and food markets while Russell is the resident history buff and loves museums. We regularly change it up to try and cater to differing preferences. Remember, they’re your partner and travel buddy for a reason, so do something you both love.
Of course it’s not just couples in a relationship that need to understand the important of being a team. Whether you’re a romantic couple or just best friends, there is a huge difference traveling as a couple than traveling solo or as part of group.
Tip from: Just a Pack
We’ve been a non-romantic, full-time travel couple for over 3 years
Follow them on Facebook
Our number one travel tip is to make sure you both want to get the same thing out of travel before you leave home. If you are the kind of person who wants to party every night, loves outdoor activities, and feeds off of social interaction but your travel partner prefers quiet nights, art galleries, and is drained after a few hours of socializing things might not work out. Michael and I were very lucky. Despite not knowing each other all that well before we left NYC together we quickly realized that our travel styles are very similar, and that’s why it works for us. We’ve met plenty of people along the way that have recounted horror stories about traveling with their partners or best friend only to discover that they simply weren’t compatible on the road, despite being compatible otherwise. If you’re not on the same page with your travel partner, nothing else will really remedy the situation.
There you have it, some great advice from 12 experienced travel couples. Do you travel as a couple? What would be your number 1 tip?
Like this post? Don’t forget to pin the below image
Leave a Reply