5 tips for travelling as a couple

2. Align your budget 

Travelling is a very personal choice and people can have very different travel budgets. You need to openly discuss how much you can actually afford for a specific trip and, based on that, calculate the costs of accommodation, flights, activities etc.

Knowing also your travel style will help you determine what you enjoy the most when spending money. For example, we LOVE experiences and eating out and we would definitely splurge more on that rather than more expensive accommodation or luxury shopping. Aligning your budget is even more important if your income levels are quite different - the person earning less may feel pressured to “keep up” with the fun, only leading them to frustration and debts later on. 

Next steps are simple: set a budget and keep track of it! 

If you want to use a tool to keep track of your spending, I’d recommend Trabee Pocket  (not sponsored). Using this app you can track your expenses (in different currencies) and see the reports at the end of the trip. It’s a nice way to keep records of where you’ve travelled and how much you spent (useful also for future travel plans!). I’ve been using it since 2022 and I love it!

Travelling as a couple is one of the most amazing experiences that you can have. However, it can be also challenging, especially in the beginning, when you are learning more about each other

This article has been created in collaboration with my boyfriend, based mostly on our experience for the past 6+ years. This means we’ve thought of the tips together but I wrote the article. XD

Thales and I have travelled together to more than 25 countries and, throughout our trips, we’ve learned the best ways to optimise the process and make our experience, both as a couple and as an individual, a great one!

So here are our tips for you, fellow couple travellers:

1. Discuss about your travel style & learn to negotiate

Luckily Thales and I have a similar travelling style: we don’t mind waking up early, walking a lot and prioritising experiences over things. However, we have both individual passions and whenever we go to a new place we need to discuss what is important for the other person to experience. Based on this, we always try to find ways to compromise, either do the activity together or simply allow the other to have the experience they want. For example, in one of our latest trips, we had many small moments of negotiation. I wanted so much to go to an Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand, while Thales wanted to try the F1 Karting Circuit in Abu Dhabi. In the end, we ended up doing both and we LOVED IT. When you embrace each other's interests, you can find joy in shared adventures and create priceless memories.

On another note, compromising is not always easy. For example, I am vegetarian and he is not. Usually, we try to find vegetarian-friendly places, but there were plenty of moments where each of us had a specific restaurant in mind to try (either vegan or meat-focused). It took us some time to realise that we don’t always have to eat at the same place and that sometimes we can have two lunches. 

4.Make space for solo time so “you don’t drive each other crazy”, as Thales said 😝

Especially if you live together and you go to a longer trip - solo time is essential. Understand that is completely natural to crave some “me time” while being very happy and content to travel with your partner. 

Truth be told, this someone can be even staying on your phone doing whatever you want for a short period, answering messages, checking emails, and watching an episode of a series you love. You know what’s best for you and only by communicating you’ll learn better each other needs. 

For us, for example, we learned how to not force interaction at all times - even if we’re walking through a new city or chilling on the beach, the silence can be as powerful as constant conversation.

3. Plan together and split responsibilities based on your strengths

I’ve heard in plenty of relationships how someone is the “planner” and the other one is the “enjoyer”. There are even plenty of fun videos about this on IG or TikTok. And, being “the planner” in our relationship, I will tell you straight - it takes lots of energy and time to plan. 

Whenever a planner finds a few options for accommodation, flights or things to do, they have spent hours looking at all the possible options, read tens of articles on the internet and saved hundreds of reels. Also, it is risky. In case anything happens, you cannot rely only on one person knowing everything or having access to reservations, contacts etc.

However, planning the trip is not the only thing that needs to be done - and playing on your strengths will help you. For example, one can take on looking for flights & accommodation, the other one can look for restaurants to eat or activities. Many other “insignificant” tasks can take a lot of mental energy, such as packing things, exchanging money, buying e-Sim cards, cleaning the house before leaving etc. 

The main idea here is not to have all the mental load on only one person. Ultimately, you’re travelling with your partner, not with a travel agent. You are a team.

5. Last but not least, enjoy it!

Travelling together will challenge you. If you find yourself fighting, firstly reassess your needs - Are you hungry? Tired? Is it a very unlucky shitty day where nothing seems to work? Maybe it’s not even about your partner.

During trips, it’s harder to find ways to self-regulate and very easy to engage in unhealthy dynamics with our partner. However, remember that your time there is limited and, mad or not, time will pass and soon you’ll go home. So don’t waste your precious holiday bickering or giving each other the silent treatment. 

On the other side, travelling can give you the opportunity to have deeper conversations and discussions about your relationship: your goals, plans and challenges. Without the daily routine and stressors, it can feel liberating to just chat with your partner about life. Enjoy it!

I hope these tips were useful for you! Let us know in the comments what are your learnings and tips about travelling as a couple! 💑✈️