For the past few months, you’ve been scrolling through your social media, looking at photos of your friends with their significant others frolicking on beaches in exotic destinations. You felt a little bit of envy, but you decided that it’s way too soon to go on a vacation as a couple. You hadn’t been together for that long, and you needed more time to get to know each other. But now you feel ready. You’ve waited long enough!
You’re excited and nervous at the same time. You know that this is an important milestone, and you’ll always remember your first trip together. When you look back, you want your memories to revolve around romantic walks and deep conversation against a backdrop of breath-taking scenery. You certainly don’t want them to include huge fights caused by the many things that can go awry when traveling.
Although traveling as a couple for the first time has its challenges, with our list of tips, you can avoid unnecessary tension and spend your time enjoying each other’s company.
Most likely, you have a list of countries you’d like to visit, and so does your partner. If you compare two lists of at least ten possible options, chances are you’re going to find some matches. Once you agree on a country, you can start discussing what region and what activities you’re most interested in.
This is also a great opportunity to find out more about each other. As in any aspect of a relationship, it’s important to keep an open mind and compromise. Even the most compatible couple won’t be 100% interested in the same activities. As long as you allocate an equal amount of time so you both can enjoy your vacation, you’ll be off to a great start.
Money is one of the most common things couples fight about, so you’ll want to set a budget before you leave. If you don’t have similar income levels, the partner with a higher income might expect to stay at a five-star hotel and splurge on luxury adventures. If you make less money than your partner, tell them that although you also want them to have a good time, you simply can’t afford X, Y, or Z activities.
On the other hand, if you’re the one that makes more money and you insist on some things that your partner can’t afford, you should be prepared to pay for them without making them feel bad. You’re certainly not required to split everything equally, but you’ll need to agree on a fair ratio.
Your itinerary will depend on your destination and budget. As we mentioned before, your definitions of a good time won’t match perfectly, so it’s essential to discuss it before you leave so you don’t risk having fights while you’re there. Ask your partner what the top five things that they would like to do on this vacation are. Make your own list and then compare notes.
Don’t plan your day to the last minute because you may be able to power through the first three or four days, but eventually, you’ll get tired and cranky. And aren’t vacations supposed to be about relaxing?
Regarding activities, on some things, if they don’t take a lot of time, you can go solo. For example, you like visiting history museums, and your partner doesn’t. They like walking around the city, taking photos. You could spend a couple of hours at the museum while they walk around. Still, most of your activities you’ll be doing together, and you may not even be used to spending that much time together.
Once again, you’ll have to compromise. Maybe you think an activity is stupid or boring, but it’s important to your partner, and it’s their vacation too. This is one of the great things about relationships. You get to try new things, and you may even discover that you enjoy them. Think of it as an opportunity to dive into their world and form a stronger bond.
No matter how much two people love each other, they probably don’t want to spend every waking minute together. Since this is your first trip, it might be the first time you’re together 24/7 for so long. For this reason, if you’re planning a longer trip, let’s say a week, you may want to forego the hotel and look for alternative accommodation. You’ll find lots of options. You can rent an apartment, a villa, or you can find a home exchange platform.
It’s usually cheaper, but the main advantage is that you’ll have more space and more privacy, instead of having to share just one room in a hotel. This way, you can have a bit of space and time for yourself when you feel like you need it.
When you go on your first trip as a couple, it’s quite easy to get carried away and form these elaborate fantasies of everything being so romantic and magical all the time. If you leave with such high expectations, you’ll feel disappointed and frustrated when you realize that it’s more like a normal vacation and less like a Disney movie.
Even if this is the first time you travel with your partner, you’ve traveled before. You know that things can get awry. Your flight can get delayed. Your luggage can get lost. Maybe you’ll get a sunburn, food poisoning, or catch a cold. We don’t need to go over all the bad things that could happen because then we’d be going to the other extreme. The point is that it’ not going to be perfect, but that doesn’t matter.
Remember why you’re there. You want to have a good time with your SO and form a deeper connection. When you keep this in mind, any mishap can turn into an opportunity to show how much you care about each other and learn to work as a team. With the right attitude, you can find romance and joy in imperfect moments.