Tours & Trips for Couples

You’re in a relationship. Maybe it’s new. Maybe it’s long-term. Maybe you’re celebrating your ruby anniversary! One thing’s for sure: no matter the duration of your coupling, travelling together is worth a little extra preparation. Practice these tips and tricks, written by travelling couples themselves, and enjoy a travel experience that’s as stress-free as possible. 

Set your expectations

You wouldn’t expect a flawless holiday when travelling solo, so why should travelling together be any different? Unexpected problems are a fact of life after all, and one not exclusively reserved for travelling. You might have imagined your time in Paris would be all romantic walks along the Seine, but instead ends up being food poisoning alone in your hotel room. That’s why it’s critical that each party sets some realistic expectations before the trip begins. If you’ve already mentally prepared yourself for inevitable disruptions to your plans, you can spend your energy being there for one another instead of spiralling into a dual serving of frustration and despair. 

Be willing to disagree

Strangers fight. Friends fight. You will fight. The key takeaway here is that everything from simple bickering to full-on arguments is a normal facet of any human relationship. Spend enough time with someone and you will find something to fight about. It’s how you fight (or avoiding fighting) that matters. 

When you’re sharing something as important as a holiday together, emotions can run high. This could be the trip of a lifetime for both of you, and neither want to squander it. Maybe you prefer leaping out of bed first thing in the morning while your partner enjoys sleeping in. Things that might be quirky or unimportant back home can seem impossibly frustrating while on vacation. The solution here is to slow down and accept that it’s ok to disagree. You aren’t incompatible if you fight. You haven’t ruined your trip if you argue. Simply try to hear one another’s concerns, take a moment (or an hour) and move on. 

Embrace solo moments

Even if you’re on a group tour, you can and should embrace moments for exploring your destination on your own, separate from your partner. After all, many healthy relationships strike a balance between couple time and alone time, so don’t be afraid or feel guilty about keeping this balance in place on your trip. This can also eliminate room for resentment between you both, as you’ll have to compromise on fewer aspects of your personal itineraries. 

Really want to go shopping while your partner is desperate to check out another museum? Take the free time you’re given on tour to agree to enjoy your must-have experiences separately! It will also provide an opportunity for more colourful conversation later that evening.