by Sarah Donaghy

Created on: January 31, 2009   Last Updated: February 16, 2009

Ah the milestones of modern coupledom! Your first date, your first kiss, and now, your first trip together. Traveling as a couple can be a revealing experience, and it can be the event that makes or breaks a relationship. It can also be one of the most amazing and enjoyable experiences, and can take your relationship to the next level.

Given the incredible power that traveling as a couple has to end up either in disaster or euphoria, there are a couple of helpful tips to keep in mind-

1. Don't go travelling together too soon. Give your relationship time to grow and take the time to get to know each other well before traveling together for the first time. How much time you need will vary from couple to couple, though I would advise to give it at least 2 months.

2. Don't do surprise trips. That is, no matter how romantic it seems, don't wrap up a couple of flight tickets as a gift and expect your partner to be ecstatic. Instead, take the time to plan out your trip together. This will avoid disappointment and make sure you both get excited about it.

3. Do plan ahead of time. Make sure you both agree on the destination, how long you'd like to go away for, how much you will spend, where you'll stay, and what you'd both like to see and do. Remember to practice the art of compromise- maybe you can build in a visit to that art gallery you like, as well as going to a sporting event that your partner is just dying to see. You need to consider both your own and your partner's interests, wants, and needs.

4. Choose to laugh more than cry. If you miss your flight, if your luggage gets lost, if your hotel looks nothing like the pictures you saw on line, make the choice to laugh in the face of misfortune and move on to enjoying your holiday together. Every trip will have its mishaps, and if you don't let them ruin the experience, you will still have a great time.

5. Do some things alone every day. You are two separate people, and while the point of traveling as a couple is to have shared experiences, allowing yourself some time to do your own thing every day will keep the trip fresh. You may discover the most amazing cafe and your partner might find a hidden gem of a theatre that you can share with each other later on in the trip.

6. Try new things together. It's all well and good to plan activities around the things you both know you like, but it will put you on an even footing if you try things that are completely new. Try new food, go white water rafting, join a street demonstration- what you choose isn't so important as long as it is something neither of you have done before.

7. Keep communicating. With all of the excitement and activity going on during your trip, don't forget to make time every day, maybe over dinner, just to talk. You can compare notes about the day, what your favourite thing so far has been, anything at all really. Equally, if there is something bothering you, speak to your partner about it right away lest it spoil the trip for you.

8. Finally, take lots of pictures! You'll want to have plenty of reminders from the trip to allow for reminiscing when you are back at home.

Trips as a couple aren't always easy. However, if you plan ahead of time, remain considerate of each other's needs, keep communication open, and look on the bright side of traveling mishaps, traveling as a couple is an excellent opportunity cement your relationship and to have a great time!

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