Travelling as a couple all around the world is one of the best life decisions Brad and I ever made!
It truly gave us a unique chance to bond, get to know each other on a deeper level and put our relationship to the test.
Sure, there are tough times.
In fact, when you search online for guides on travelling as a couple, there’s plenty of doom and gloom and articles warning you of the dangers.
Well, I wanted to let you know that it’s really not that hard and instead put together a post on what we love so much about travelling while in a relationship.
Through our travels, we’ve created memories together that will last a lifetime.
And it’s an experience that as many couples as possible should also experience.
So, if you’re thinking of doing the same then keep reading to find our top 10 reasons why we think travelling as a couple is AWESOME!
Have you ever been somewhere and experienced something incredible and thought, “wow, I wish ‘so-and-so’ was here to see this as well?”
We get that a lot!
And it’s because we’ve found that it is always so much better to experience things with someone else by your side.
Sure, if you’re only used to solo travelling and you are much happier in your own space then that’s fine, and I’m sure you appreciate things just as much.
All I’m saying is that, for us, we love the fact that there is always someone else to share in and experience those special moments.
You know, the ones that make you stand back and go … “Wow, did that just really happen!?”
One recent memory that pops up is our tour to Mount Bromo.
It really was such a breathtaking sight, watching the sun rise over the incredible mountains.
Being there with Bradley was just perfect and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Travelling isn’t all happy moments.
Travel can be hard, and this is particularly true if you’re travelling for longer periods of time.
Naturally, you start to miss home comforts as well as friends and family.
It’s times like these that it’s awesome when you’ve got your partner, and someone you love, and who loves you to support you.
It’s completely normal to have your down moments and down days when travelling, and you can have a little cry or cuddle with your partner to help overcome those situations.
Travelling tests your mental health and your strength in general, so it’s really nice and safe to have such an awesome person supporting you.
Also, there will be days you get sick; whether that’s from jet lag, food poisoning or you’ve got a hangover!
It’s great to have someone to hold your hand and help out until you’re feeling better.
There have been various occasions where my type 1 diabetes has played up and I’m not feeling great.
This often means we have to switch or delay plans, and Brad has always been 1000% supportive and adapts with me - which is awesome!
Our week long cruise down the Amazon back when we first started travelling ended up being a very unwanted experience!
Luckily we had each other there, or else I don’t know what I’d have done!
When you travel as a couple you end up spending every waking hour together.
If you’re new to dating and travelling together and you’ve never lived with your partner before, then you’re really going to start noticing little mannerisms or habits that you might not like!
This isn’t a bad thing, it’s a natural part of a relationship….but you’ll get to know your partner on a deeper level, really quick.
Bradley and I actually lived with each other in university for 2 years before we went travelling full-time, so we kind of knew each other's quirks pretty well.
But, saying that, when we did start spending every waking moment together, we would start noticing little things that drove us crazy.
It’s all about respect and patience.
Travelling with your partner is actually a great way to see if you can stick it in the long run.
You’ll have to get used to each other's personalities (all bits of it), and you’ll be able to test how you work together to plan and resolve situations.
Honestly, the biggest tip I give anyone with regards to strengthening their relationship whilst travelling, is to talk about any issues they are having.
Sometimes, when you spend lots of time together, you become blinded by what’s reality, or what’s being over exaggerated.
So talk to each other, check in, have little updates on how you’re both doing and use that to resolve any issues or tensions.
By the end of your trip, you’ll be the strongest couple you know!
It’s 100% true that travel strengthens relationships and those couples that travel together, stick together.
If you’re a bit of an introvert (like me), then it means that sometimes you don’t want to have to interact and make friends.
That might sound so doom and gloom, but sometimes, after a long day of travelling, you just want to eat some food, watch Netflix and relax.
When you have a partner, it’s easier to do that.
Travelling solo often means that you’re in hostels, you’re trying to engage with others and always make new friends and that can get pretty draining.
Not for everyone, but certainly for me.
This is particularly true on day or weekend tours as well; if you decide you just want a day to be socially awkward, then it’s far easier to do so when you’re in a couple.
You can be socially awkward together and two is stronger than one!
Brad and I loved it when we met fellow travellers, but we never forced the situation of necessity.
If we get chatting to people, then that's great, and we perhaps grab some dinner in the evening, and we’ve made lots of great friends this way.
But most times we just like to stick to ourselves and get on with it.
Having a travel buddy means you never feel alone.
As I mentioned in the last point … two people are stronger than one.
You’ll soon learn who’s better at what, and you should absolutely take advantage of that.
For example, I LOVE planning.
I could plan trips all day every day: I love going into detail, creating itineraries, booking hotels, tours, finding unique sights, the whole shabang
I pass that information to Brad and he deals with any on the ground issues.
Basically I get us there, and he solves the problems we have when we’re there (which there always are!)
He loves driving and we can now take couples road trips anywhere in the world; whereas I am terrified of driving, even back home in Ireland!
Also, Brad is much more confident than me, so whether he likes it or not, he interacts more in the check-in processes, or asking questions etc.
I’m getting much better at it, but it’s nice to know that where my weaknesses are apparent, Brad has strengths that balance it out.
In your case there could be lots of strengths you could take advantage of as a couple, such as:
We definitely think that travelling as a couple makes it much easier to plan a trip.
I did mention that I love planning, but Brad does help!
Typically, I’ll make a list of all the things we want to see and do in a country, then Brad will add his list, then together we will come up with an awesome route, then plan how to get between the locations!
The fact we can share roles like that means it’s a lot quicker and easier to plan a trip, and it’s much more fun.
I often think when you’ve got two people planning an epic adventure, there is less chance that you’ll miss out on anything, so overall it's going to be awesome!
Also, if you’re backpacking for a few months or more, then you soon learn that the planning never ends.
There’s always transport to book, accommodation to find and so many more things to deal with.
If there’s two of you doing this then it’s a lot easier and you can definitely enjoy your evenings a lot more.
Another thing I love about couple travel is that you can take your relationship to the next level by having some EPIC date nights.
Brad and I have seriously had some amazing locations for a date night.
One of my favourites was at a safari camp in Sri Lanka.
Dinner under the stars and I spent the night glamping just outside of the Wilpattu National Park.
It was so romantic.
We’ve also enjoyed champagne in an igloo, sat in a jacuzzi in the snow whilst catching the Northern Lights, learned the Viennese Waltz in a ballroom in Vienna, and so many other great nights that it’s impossible to list them all.
It really does take the definition of “date night” to a whole new level!
You might find the regular dates when you go back home a little disappointing!
But it’s a great way to keep a spark in your relationship as you’re making new memories with the one you love in epic locations around the world.
I have to say this is one of my favourite reasons to travel as a couple.
We have had the privilege of meeting other awesome couples all around the world that we still consider close friends.
In fact, some of our fondest travel moments have been with other couples who we’ve met when abroad.
What’s great about meeting another couple is that they’re in a very similar position to you and you just feel like you naturally click!
We’ve made a couple friends in Chile, The Philippines, Brazil, Vietnam and more, and we’ve always ended up having a fantastic time.
Actually, when I think about it, we’ve always ended up meeting them more than once on the same trip!
Maybe we’re just great fun to hang out with!
It’s also a nice way to talk to others in the same situation as yourself.
You end up telling stories about your travels, and it just reinforces how awesome it is to be with the person you’re travelling with!
If you want to stay in nicer accommodation and take better transport, then travelling as a couple is definitely cheaper than solo travel.
Almost all the time, the price of a dorm bed is more than half the cost of a lovely double room with a private bathroom.
That’s probably why Brad and I avoid hostels so much, because we would rather be cuddling in a bed than in separate ones with noisy backpackers (does that make me sound old!?)
But generally as a couple, you will enjoy and appreciate privacy more.
It’s also the same with tours.
Often, if you buy a tour for one person, it’s a set price, and it’s pretty hard to negotiate from that; but if you’re buying for 2, you can usually haggle a better deal!
You’ll also get to split so many other costs: like food, fuel and taxi rides.
Top tip: I recommend you get a “joint” account on your travel account (we use Monzo and Revolut).
They offer the best exchange rates on the market and you can easily keep track of your spending and split the cost of everything from within the app.
When Brad and I first started travelling as a couple we tried paying for everything separately from two different accounts ... but it soon got complicated.
We realised that as a couple, you split basically everything so we now just use one account to deposit money, and the money in that account is “our” money ... simple!
Read More: How To Save Money For Travel
Last but not least, I’ve always felt a little safer travelling with Brad than I do on my own.
Travelling is scary, especially when you start out.
But when you’ve got your partner with you, you don’t need to worry so much about things like arriving on your own in a new country.
I think when you travel solo, you’ve always got to have your back up and be a little wary, especially as a woman travelling in countries like India where you get a LOT of unwanted attention.
Of course, you should still be weary when travelling as a couple, but you have each other to get a second opinion and discuss options with.
You’ll also never need to take a taxi on your own, or walk around late at night on your own, and these are just small things that we take for granted.
But it always feels safer when you’ve got someone else with you, and especially someone you love and care for.
Here’s a few top pieces of advice I can suggest based on our time traveling as a couple which will hopefully help you travel better as well.
We’ve been doing this for almost 4 years, so these have been tried and tested - don’t worry!
Just because you travel together all the time, doesn’t mean you’re going to like each other all the time.
You’re going to argue and have disagreements, and you’re going to get annoyed at things, that you probably wouldn't be annoyed about if you weren’t travelling.
It’s just because you’re together A LOT!
This is why space is important; so create space frequently if it doesn't appear naturally.
Having some “me time” is essential in any relationship, and it’s even more important when you're travelling together.
Some ways you can do this is:
This is a common tip for all relationships in general, but it’s even more relevant when travelling.
It’s hard to have a fight when travelling, because you’re so busy, there’s nowhere else to go, and you don’t want to waste precious time by fighting.
So, you compromise!
Maybe that means biting your tongue or letting your partner get away with something, or whatever compromise means to you.
But it’s super important to ensure a smooth relationship and to focus on the good times when travelling.
Sometimes travel can be draining and long (I’m talking about those 12 hour bus journeys) but when you’re with your best friend it’s easy to make it fun!
Play pranks on each other, plan surprise date nights, cook each other dinner, go for sunset drinks, do things that make you both happy and that you’ve always enjoyed doing as a couple!
Try new experiences too.
I always think it’s great to try experiences that neither of you have done before!
It’s an awesome way to create a memory to share with the children in the future.
One of Brad and I’s first “crazy” experiences was paragliding in Bolivia.
Neither of us had done it before so it was a brand new sensation and experience for both of us, and that’s another cool thing that bonds us together.
If this is your first trip together, you might want to test the waters rather than take a long flight abroad.
As I’ve mentioned before, Brad and I went to university together, so we lived together for a couple of years.
This isn’t the case for many couples who go from seeing each other a few times a week, to full-time travel (especially if you go travelling for a year as a couple).
That’s a pretty intense jump, and honestly, it’s not for everyone.
Remember proper travelling is completely different from the typical romantic trips that couples usually take.
So, if you’re travelling with your partner for the first time, why not see how compatible (trip wise) you are with a week long break first?
Sometimes, couples have very different interests; that doesn’t mean they don’t work, it just means you might need to compromise a little more.
For example, if you love the beach and aren’t too fussed on treks and eco-adventure, whereas your partner loves a mountain hike and rustic living, you can compromise by doing the things you enjoy together.
Then, in your “me time”, take on some solo activities.
There are romantic destinations all around the world, so make the most of them and capture some typically cheesy couples travel photos.
They are great momentos to hang onto and to one day share with your kids (don’t tell Brad I said that …).
Yano, not to put any pressure on things at all!
So there you have it, our 10 reasons why travelling as a couple is truly awesome!
Alongside some travel tips that will hopefully show you some tools on how to travel with your partner. If you’ve got any more questions or tips for travel and relationships, then simply drop a comment below, i would love to hear from you!
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