Amos and I have spent every single day together since December 2017. That’s a year and a half that we’ve spent with each other 24/7. We’ve explored 60+ countries together and have made countless memories. A lot of you have asked how we’ve been able to do that without getting tired of each other. Believe me, it gets difficult at times. It gets rough sometimes, but I honestly wouldn’t trade it for the world. Those rough moments have been worth every single memory that we’ve made together and I can’t imagine traveling with anyone else besides Amos. Traveling can really test a relationship. You learn more about your partner and your relationship through traveling than you do at home. Here’s my survival guide to traveling as a couple – without fighting too much and wanting to hurt each other.
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1. Pick a Destination You’re Both Interested in
You have a list of places you want to visit and so does your significant other. It’s important to visit a country that you both have a mutual interest in. Otherwise, one of you will be miserable and the other one will be having a great time. Write down ten countries you want to visit and have your significant other do the same. If you have matches, you’re good to go. If not, make another list and keep doing this until you find a destination that you both want to visit.
2. Set a Budget
I can almost guarantee that most traveling couples feel the most amount of friction when it comes to money. Without planning and doing your research, travel can be expensive. Plane tickets, hostels, hotels, meals and activities can add up. Before you go on your trip, set a strict budget that includes accommodation, food, activities, transportation and souvenirs. This will help you avoid the money topic and minimize arguments in this area.
If you keep your money separate and you plan on sharing the cost of the trip, you need to discuss this area more in-depth. For example, the higher earner would rather stay at a hotel and the one with a lower income would rather stay at a hostel. If the higher earner decides to stay at a hotel and it’s not budget friendly for the lower earner, the higher earner should cover the difference. It’s better to figure this out earlier on before having a huge blowup.

3. Use Your Talents to Your Advantage
We all have strengths and weaknesses and it’s wise to delegate tasks accordingly. Amos is better at finding flights than I am and is more patient during that process. Therefore, he books all of our tickets. I’m better at finding hotels so that’s my responsibility. I’m directionally challenged so Amos navigates us around our destination. One time, I walked in circles on the same block for ten minutes. Since then, Amos fired me from the navigational duties. I don’t blame him. I’m better at languages (unless it’s Spanish – Amos is a pro at that) and striking up conversations with locals so that’s what I do. This is a partnership. Don’t let one person do all the planning. Divide tasks accordingly to your strengths.
4. Go with the Flow
Things are going to go wrong during your trip. Your flight might get delayed. The rain might ruin the photo shoot you were trying to have and the list goes on. Don’t sweat the things you have no control over. I’ve personally struggled with this during my travels and I’m still learning to be better when it comes to this. Instead of having a sour attitude, try to remain positive. Some of my most treasured travel memories stem from when things didn’t go according to our plan. Learn to roll with the punches and move on.
For example, we booked a hotel in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan through Booking.com. For some reason, we got a notification two nights before we were checking in that our reservation had been canceled. We immediately decided that this was out of our control and that we would maintain a positive attitude despite how crappy the situation was. We got online and started looking for other hotels, but the hotels in our price-range were all sold out. We couldn’t afford any of the other hotels that were available. We then called Booking.com and explained the situation to them. They put us up in the nicest hotel in town at no cost to us to make up for the inconvenience. See, it pays to go with the flow and not get upset about things that are beyond your control.
5. Compromise, Compromise, Compromise
This is one of the most important things to do when it comes to traveling with your partner. Traveling with your boo isn’t going to work out too hot if you’re both unwilling to compromise. When we were in Italy, I wanted pasta and Amos wanted pizza. We were both dead set on having what we craved. The best pasta shop in town didn’t serve pizza and the best pizza joint didn’t serve pasta. We were both a little salty at each other, but we compromised. We went to a less well-rated place and we both got what we wanted. It’s a silly example, but you get what I mean.

6. Get on Board with Each Others Packing Plans
No lie, most of our arguments during our travels have stemmed from this. Amos is pro backpack and can’t fathom the thought of having a suitcase. I’m the complete opposite. I loathe backpacks. I actually traveled with a backpack for the past year and three months. I started using a suitcase lately and it’s been a game changer. Get to know each others packing preferences and just roll with the punches here. Let your partner pack however and whenever they want and you do you.
7. Start by Going on a Weekend Trip Together
If you’re not sure you’re ready to travel internationally with your partner yet, start off by taking a short weekend trip somewhere. If you can’t manage to survive this weekend trip without too much stress, you’re not ready to travel long distances with each other yet. Don’t jeopardize your relationship by traveling when you’re not ready to.

8. Take Time Away from Each Other
You’re going to get tired of each other and sometimes you won’t be able to stand to be in the same room as your partner. It’s okay to take time away from each other. Alone time is super important. It allows you to hit the refresh button. Plus, absence makes the heart grow fonder. When we were in New Zealand, Amos went white water rafting one afternoon and I went ziplining while he did that. We both enjoyed our time away from each other doing the things we wanted to do and we were so happy to see each other again.
9. Don’t Be Selfish
Let’s say you’ve already been to Rome and your partner hasn’t. Don’t be selfish and skip the Vatican because you don’t want to stand in that horrendous queue and deal with the herds of tourists again. Take your partner to see this monument and make new memories. You’ll look back and be thankful for these moments. Amos has been to Brussels multiple times and he’d already seen the Pyramids in Egypt. When I went for the first time to see the Pyramids, he pretended like this was the first time he was visiting too and participated in all of the tourist activities with me like it was his first time. It was so sweet and those are some of my favorite travel memories with him.

10. Don’t Engage in Arguments When You’re Hungry
When traveling, it’s easy to get off schedule when it comes to eating. I can be a brat when I’m hungry. I get super cranky. I’ve instigated arguments with Amos while being hangry and after I ate, I felt so stupid for arguing about something that didn’t really matter.
11. Plan a Surprise for Your Partner
It’s easy to fall into a routine when you’re traveling long term with your partner. It may sometimes feel that the excitement is gone because you’re with the person all day long. Remind your partner how special and amazing they are by planning something special. You can take them to a nice dinner or you can treat them to a nice activity like a sunset and dinner cruise. When we were in Tbilisi, Amos bought me a bouquet of beautiful sunflowers because they’re my favorite and wrote me a sweet note. Small things like this go a long way.
12. Try New Things Together
Don’t say no because something seems a little odd. Definitely use your judgment and stay safe though. What I mean is don’t say no to something just because you’re unfamiliar with it. It’s fun to try new things together and it brings more excitement to your relationship. For example, we went street food vendor hopping in Vietnam. Every Vietnamese dish besides Pho and Banh Mi was foreign to us. We didn’t even know what we were eating half the time, but we had so much fun trying new dishes with each other and bonding. That’s one of my favorite travel memories too.

13. Go on Dates
If you’re traveling with your partner long term like us, going on dates is super important. We get into a daily routine. We’re almost like robots sometimes. Take some time for both of you without any distractions and have a romantic date night. Go wine tasting. Go out for dinner. Go ice skating. Just do something fun and focus 100% on your partner. We have a date night every Friday evening where we go out for dinner and enjoy a bottle of wine with each other.
14. Learn How to Take Care of Each Other
When traveling long term, one of you is bound to get sick. We all have different ways we want to be treated when we get sick. I want to be left the heck alone whereas Amos wants to be pampered and babied. Be there for your sick partner and learn how they want to be treated. If the healthy partner doesn’t know how to take care of the sick one in the way they want to be taken care of, it makes matters worse. Don’t forget to protect yourself from medical expenses when traveling abroad.
15. Remember That You’re on Your Partner’s Team
When things go wrong, it’s easy to view your partner as irritating and difficult. Always remember that you’re on the same team as them. They’ll make mistakes and you’ll make mistakes. Learn to look past those mistakes as fast as you can and move on. For example, Amos booked us a disgusting hotel room in Italy. There were holes in the walls and we felt super unsafe. I was soooo angry at him for a few hours. I simmered down and got on Team Amos again. One time, I almost made us miss our flight to Australia because I was taking my sweet time checking out books at the store and strolling through the airport. Amos was so frustrated with me, but he was Team Disha all the way. When I asked him what he would have done if the gate closed on me, he said he would have been angry at me but he would have waited for me. Isn’t he the best? How’d I get so lucky?

16. Always Communicate with Each Other
What I mean by this is to check in with each other periodically. At the end of the day, we check in with each other to make sure we had a good day and we go over some of the highlights and pitfalls from our day. It’s important to hash out anything that went wrong so we’re not carrying that negativity into the next fresh day.
17. Let Go and Have Fun
Be yourselves and relax. Enjoy each others company. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing this whole travel with your partner thing wrong. Fall in love with your partner all over again. We’ve fallen in love with each other all over again several times – when we saw the Eiffel Tower light up, when we watched the sunset in Greece as we drank our wine and more.
Do you travel with your partner? What are your tips for a smooth and fun adventure with your significant other?
I hope you found my tips helpful for traveling with your partner. Don’t forget to pin this post for later!
Great list! I’ve found that my travel style has changed so much since I started traveling with my husband. I used to want to book my itinerary from sun up to sun down and he’s the opposite. One activity a day is enough for him. We’ve found an amazing happy medium and have found that we both enjoy traveling more together than we ever did on our own!
That’s so awesome to hear! Thank you for reading, Veronica!
Great tips! Compromise, compromise, compromise is my favorite but probably the hardest!!! We’re planning our next vacation and I can’t wait to put some of these tips to work!
Have fun on your next vacation! Thank you for reading!
Absolutely love this! I found myself relating to this post 100% because my husband and I have been attached at the hip since we got married. Traveling with him is usually a breeze since we’re both so easy-going but I know I need to put in a bit more effort into the planning. For our last weekend trip in the states, he booked the hotel and I created an itinerary for things to see, do, and eat and I think it made it easier on him since he usually does the bulk of the planning.
Definitely saving this post for later!
I like how you both divided the tasks on your trip. I love it! Thank you for reading!
I think number 15 is so important! If you can remember that, it helps to curb any disagreements along the way when things go awry.
Thank you so much for reading! 🙂
I love this! My husband and I have been together every day since about three weeks after we met – almost 4 years now. We’ve really learned a lot about how to keep things flowing without fights or annoyance and a lot of these tips are it! Number one: Don’t try to change your partner and accept them for who they are. My husband is super shy and hates talking to people, so I’m always stuck asking for directions or trying to figure out problems. It’s a pain sometimes, but it is what it is. He has his own strengths where I lack, too. We make a great *team*. So excited to see you two living your dreams together!
Aww I think it’s so cute that you’ve been together every day since you guys have met. I totally agree about not changing your partner. You should let them be who they are and vice versa. That’s a really great tip. Thank you so much for reading!
Dish, This is a fantastic list for traveling with your partner. But, it is also the perfect list for life with your partner. If you do all of these things, you will have a long lasting, beautiful and fun life together. Not just while traveling.
After I wrote the post, I thought to myself how this is applicable for life in general with your partner. Thank you so much for reading! 🙂
I love this, awesome tips
Thank you so much!
Great list! I know exactly what you mean about fights starting when you are hangry! My husband and I had a couple of our worst fights while travelling when we were travelling. To be fair, we had walked past a number of places to eat, looking for the perfect place, only to go back to the first thing we saw. By that time, I was cranky and almost looking for a fight.
Story of my life!! That’s how it is sometimes with us too. Thank you for reading. 🙂
I haven’t had the pleasure of traveling with my husband again since we started having kids. It is quite a struggle really. The last time we did was when we drove over 500 miles from home 3 years ago and that was it. I wish we can travel out of the country the next time we do. This time, with the kids. Enjoy each other while you still can, Disha! All the best!
Traveling with kids can make things difficult for sure. Hopefully, you’re able to take a trip soon. Thank you for reading!! 🙂
I love traveling with my husband! It’s so much fun. We haven’t traveled much lately because we have 2 babies but I look forward to the day when we travel together again.
Traveling with your spouse is so fun!! Hopefully, you’re able to take a trip soon even if it’s only for a day or two. Thank you for reading!
My husband and I are taking a long distant road trip this summer and I will be using these great travel tips!
Have fun on your road trip. Thank you for reading!
Really enjoyed this! All great tips!
Thank you so much!
These are great! My husband and I went on a 2wk road trip (8100 miles) around the West United States. I was FANTASTIC, but we definitely could have used the “spend some alone time” tip for a minute!
That sounds like a really fun trip! Thank you for reading 🙂
Great tips! Compromising is really important to avoid arguments
Yes, compromise is key! Thank you for reading!
Awesome tips! I definitely agree with going with the flow.. usually we have a bit of an itinerary but if we see somewhere we want to eat or visit while we’re on a trip, but just go and do it! So much fun.
It’s fun to go with the flow sometimes. Thanks for reading!
What great tips! I’ve been married a long time, and we travel a bunch, so I totally understand and agree with your tips! Compromise is always a really good thing! 🙂
Thanks so much for reading! 🙂
These tips are so sweet! I love them and I love all of your adorable pictures. Such a cute couple. I am going on my second ever long trip with my partner of 3 years. We’ve been on several weekend and extended weekend trips but this will be the second one over a week long. I can’t wait! My favourite tip was to plan a surprise. How genius! That is SO up my alley. I love planning special things for people. Thanks for the great advice!
Thank you so much for the sweet compliments and for reading! I hope you have so much fun on your trip!! 🙂
Splending quality time is a definite must when it comes to traveling together
I agree. Thank you for reading!
This is such a useful post, so glad to learn about your experience. You’re so right about Nr.10 and I’d add that the lack of sleep can lead to the same situation.
Wish you all the best and new exciting trips ahead!
Thank you so much for reading!! 🙂
Love this article and all your tips. If your life partner can become your travel partner, that’s just the best thing to happen isn’t it!
I have become so used to traveling with my hubby since he embraces all my tantrums and he has none..haha! Except the #10 you mentioned – oh how cranky he becomes when hungry. That’s the only time we have an argument! 😉
I can totally relate to all the points you mentioned. Thanks for sharing this beautiful piece.
I love traveling with my husband too. It’s the best! LOL I love that you guys have arguments when you’re both hungry too. Thank you so much for reading!
Don’t engage in arguments when you’re hungry is such a good tip haha we travel together all the time, and that one is key for us to remember! Thanks for sharing ♥️ ♥️ By any chance, are you interested in doing collabs? xx
I get so cranky when I’m hungry. LOL! Thank you so much for reading. 🙂