Traveling together as a couple can be one of the most rewarding experiences, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. Whether you’re navigating a new city or juggling work while on the road, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Brian and I have been fortunate to travel extensively, and over the years, we’ve learned a few things that help make our trips not just smoother, but more enjoyable.
Here are a few tips we’ve gathered along the way:
Allow for time to rest when you arrive. Be mindful of how tired you’ll be that first day—it’s inevitable. Especially when you’re traveling a long distance. For example, from North America to Europe, you will have traveled overnight, and you don’t want to put too much into that first day.
Don’t over-schedule yourself. It’s tempting to pack in as much as you can, but we’ve found that we get more from trips when we leave plenty of space. You create a feeling of relaxation and have time to enjoy serendipity. (The luxury of free time is also why we love living and working in a different country for a month each year.)
Reframe mixups as opportunities to explore. One of the things I love about traveling with Brian is that we’ve learned to embrace when we end up in the wrong place. Instead of being frustrated by a map app’s failure or a wrong turn, we explore. We see something we wouldn’t have seen had we followed the typical road. I like to think of it as divine intervention. The road might be narrower, but the view turns out to be spectacular.
Choose a place to stay within walking distance of food/attractions. When researching places to stay, I definitely use reviews. From there, I avoid high-traffic areas where there’s a lot of noise from people coming and going. I look for less-known, off-beat kinds of places that are still within walking distance of things we’d like to see, restaurants we’ll try, and/or public transportation/
Research and stay flexible. I like to read about a destination, but I balance that with knowing we’ll learn along the way. Here are things I always research in advance:
- What kind of transportation is available
- Tipping standards so I’ll know what the customs are
- Weather for the time of year we’ll visit
I also do a general search for “traveling in _” to learn about any big challenges or oddities that we may face. For example, when you fly into Rome, you have to take a train from the airport to a main train terminal, Termini Station, half an hour away before you can go by train to most places in Italy.
Pack your go-to medicines. As a former nurse, I like to carry a few over-the-counter medicines. While you can find a pharmacy in most places, I like the comfort of having the kinds we know work for us. Painkiller, upset stomach, and decongestant make it into my bag.
Leave space in the suitcase. We pack as light as we can and often take an extra backpack inside our bigger bag. This lets us have a “day pack” and also gives us space for souvenirs on the return trip!
Try new things. Sometimes you’re surprised at what you might enjoy that you’ve never tried before or seen before. Try different things, try different places you’ve never been.
As you stretch yourself to try new things, you’ll learn more about yourself and your partner. And you’ll both experience your destination more fully and create lifelong memories!
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